I've heard a lot of people say that watching Azumi 2 was something akin to watching a mate play Golden Axe, just a long string of seemingly barely interconnected fights. In a way, I wish it had been like that. It would have been much more punchy, and seemed less overlong. Although there are things worthy of commendation in Azumi 2, in comparison to it's predecessor it's badly paced, packed full of largely unnecessary dialogue, and suffers from uninspired, pedestrian action direction.
OK, that's the flaws out the way. Azumi 2 introduces some interesting new characters in the shape of a clan of rival ninjas, and the best bits of the film all involve these characters in one way or another. The fights with them are the most satisfying in the movie, and they all have their own unique fighting styles, which makes them a much needed stab of artistic flair. It's unfortunate they aren't the main villains, as the movie could have benefited from more scenes with them.
Secondly, heroine Azumi is again powerfully played by Aya Ueto, who is as convincing as before, pretty much carrying the film. The acting from the rest of the cast is pretty straightforward, not awful but not Oscar material either, but Ueto's performance is so good that 80% of the time I didn't care that I was starting to nod off during any scenes without her.
What's new about Azumi 2, the new characters, different settings etc, they're great, and they're enough to get an Azumi fan through this and keep them entertained. However, in any familiar territory the original outstrips this second part effortlessly. The fights are often dull, and new director Kaneko has unwisely decided to go for quantity over quality, so where Azumi only has, say, four or five major battles but they're all big set pieces, Azumi 2 has lots of fights, but they're all over within seconds. In particular the final fight is so short as to be intensely aggravating. Also, overall direction isn't a patch on Kitamura's original, with most scenes feeling unintentionally rigid and inorganic, though it has to be said Kitamura's a very hard act to follow.
Still, despite this, it's not a bad movie, and it'll keep you entertained at the very least. It's a fairly clinical 'bigger, louder, faster...but not as good' sequel, but it gives you a chance to see some more Azumi action and enjoy Aya Ueto's striking performance again, and I can't complain about that. I wouldn't recommend it at all to anyone who didn't enjoy the original, but fans of the series will probably get a kick out of it despite it's shortcomings. I know I did.
OK, that's the flaws out the way. Azumi 2 introduces some interesting new characters in the shape of a clan of rival ninjas, and the best bits of the film all involve these characters in one way or another. The fights with them are the most satisfying in the movie, and they all have their own unique fighting styles, which makes them a much needed stab of artistic flair. It's unfortunate they aren't the main villains, as the movie could have benefited from more scenes with them.
Secondly, heroine Azumi is again powerfully played by Aya Ueto, who is as convincing as before, pretty much carrying the film. The acting from the rest of the cast is pretty straightforward, not awful but not Oscar material either, but Ueto's performance is so good that 80% of the time I didn't care that I was starting to nod off during any scenes without her.
What's new about Azumi 2, the new characters, different settings etc, they're great, and they're enough to get an Azumi fan through this and keep them entertained. However, in any familiar territory the original outstrips this second part effortlessly. The fights are often dull, and new director Kaneko has unwisely decided to go for quantity over quality, so where Azumi only has, say, four or five major battles but they're all big set pieces, Azumi 2 has lots of fights, but they're all over within seconds. In particular the final fight is so short as to be intensely aggravating. Also, overall direction isn't a patch on Kitamura's original, with most scenes feeling unintentionally rigid and inorganic, though it has to be said Kitamura's a very hard act to follow.
Still, despite this, it's not a bad movie, and it'll keep you entertained at the very least. It's a fairly clinical 'bigger, louder, faster...but not as good' sequel, but it gives you a chance to see some more Azumi action and enjoy Aya Ueto's striking performance again, and I can't complain about that. I wouldn't recommend it at all to anyone who didn't enjoy the original, but fans of the series will probably get a kick out of it despite it's shortcomings. I know I did.