The second of the Majin films is as much a loose remake as a sequel. Four kids from a peaceful mountain village trek over the forbidden Majin Mountain to reach the land of the tyrant king who has kidnapped and enslaved the men of their village, including their own fathers. This "boys own" adventure takes the film out of the studio environs of the first film and into impressive mountain locations, but once again the meandering human adventure is merely a prelude to the wrath of Majin and his unstoppable march of vengeance. Despite the addition of these cute kids, director Issei Mori maintains the serious tone set in the first film; this really isn't kid stuff despite a few moments of juvenile humor. After almost a decade of Godzilla films the Japanese film industry had perfected the use of scale and camera speed to turn the man in a monster suit into a towering threat on a grand scale. With the addition of the thundering echoes of his earthshaking steps and composer Akira Ifubuke's booming theme, Mori creates a truly impressive figure of Majin, the green-faced god who rises to administer his own brand of grim justice. -KENTFLIX