Having not seen the original Kibakichi movie I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this one. I knew it has samurais, I knew that some of those samurais were werewolves, and I knew to expect a whole bunch of exaggerated martial arts fights and rubbery monster effects. And that's exactly what I got in this silly sequel that manages to be entertaining and has enough creative stuff within (like that cool boomerang blade weapon) to keep you watching.

After a sword wielding baddie called Sakuramaru runs rampant through a village on a murderous spree, drifter Kibakichi (who just so happens to be a man-wolf) comes to town. The only survivor after his clan is killed when the government makes a law to kill off all monsters; Kibakichi is befriended by young, blind woman Matsu.

Kibakichi isn't the most appealing hero out there with his tattered rag outfit and wild hair, but he becomes the village's defender when the town is overrun not only by a returning Sakuramaru, but also from a the evil sorcerer Dougan who's hired a female man-wolf to try and eliminate our hero.

From there Kibakichi 2 is just a series of hyperactive swordfights, swelling music, and directorial touches such as constantly having leaves and embers floating in the air while all the seemingly random fights occur. This certainly isn't a movie concerned with its script as the screenplay by Baku Kamio does even try for coherency and is a thin excuse for Kibakichi to kick a whole ton of bad guy ass - sure Kamio piles in a whole lot of philosophical dialogue and it feels a bit talky at times, but that's merely padding leading up to a chintzy final battle with it's unintentionally funny choreography that makes it look like the characters are doing ballet rather than fighting (and you haven't lived until you've seen people in furry monster suits twirling like rejects from A Night At The Opera).

Sporting dopey creature effects (just check out Dougan's transformation into a beast with a glowing horned head for proof), over-the-top sound effects, and a general feel of a comic book; Kibakichi 2 succeeds at what it sets out to do. It's nothing overly deep and there's a thin story at best, but it's done with such a strong visual style by director Daiji Hattori that it's still an enjoyable low-budget mix of swords and horror. And it's one of those rare movies that actually manages to look like it cost more money than it did thanks to its strong production design.

And just in case you're wondering if it's necessary to see the original before this one, from what I've read this is just the continuing adventures of our title character and could easily be viewed as a separate movie. (Chris Hartley, 6/5/06)

Directed By: Daiji Hattori.
Written By: Baku Kamio.

Starring: Ryuji Harada, Miki Tanaka, Masakatsu Funaki, Yoko Kamon.

Picture Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: As with most Japanese horror flicks tend to be, the picture here is a little bit soft at times and there's some scattered specks, but the transfer here is generally solid and watchable.

Extras: Saiko/MTI have had the good sense to release Kibakichi 2 with both the original Japanese and an English dubbed languages - though why you'd want to watch it dubbed is beyond me.

We also get a trailer (plus a trailer for the first film and Forbidden Warrior) and a 78 minute "making of" documentary that includes interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and deleted scenes. Running almost as long as the film itself, it's a well done featurette and gives us a lot of insight into this low-budget sequel.

Visit MTI Home Video for more info.