First off, my hat goes off to all who watch this movie. Now to business, first off, reviewing a movie such as this one has been.....difficult because of the fact that these films are usually harder to find than my keys when the apartment is a mess. However, I give this movie a 7 out of 10 for a good reason. First off, most people who watch these films give a bad review for one reason. The effects are not what they are wanting, as is the story line. Most people expect a George Lucas (My apologies in advanced) style story. I liked this film because it takes me back to the old monster films of the 50's to 70's. The story is unique in its own right. The characters are well told. The monster effects, while many people call them campy, cheesy, etc., are normal fair for all tokusatsu series. And yes, I like these films.

At first, when I heard there was a Zeiram 2, I was a bit doubtful about it and was fearing that it would not be as good as the first movie and anime series, but boy, was I surprised at the results.Zeiram 2 follows Iria and her smart alecky sidekick Fujikuro, Teppei and Kamiya and a mad group of warriors. As these warriors try to rid of Iria, Zeiram strangely shows up and kills everyone, but spares her. It is revealed that the unit was covered up and sealed. But that would not last long, since the evil priest destroys and bleeds all over the unit, unmasking Zeiram's killer persona, and even eats a dog in one gulp.Man, a lot happens in this movie. It is even a little more intense than the first one. Just too bad Amemiya did not make a Zeiram 3. That would be cool.

As young as I was when I saw this movie, it still felt claustrophobicly cheap. I don't recall if I had seen Dark Hero Guyver before or after this one, but in terms of concept, pace, choreography, and effects, I was much more impressed by the latter. I do remember feeling there was something memorable about the way Irya fought the Zeiram in their first combat, but as rich as the costumes and characters were, they were wasted. Robert Rodriguez' Desperado is less random in killing away potentially interesting characters. Zeiram 2 does not waste time in reducing the principal characters involved to Irya and the Zeiram. The movie is all about Irya's character. Ironically, she was all I was interested in when I saw her on the cover of the videotape--in the end, the movie basically delivered all that I wanted, and I was sad I didn't wish for more.

This is one of my top ten favorite films. Although it is essentially an inferior remake of the original "Zeiram", where it really shines is in actress Yuko Moriyama's portrayal of the principal character, Iria. Her character has been refined and fleshed out considerably since the first film, and Ms. Moriyama's uncompromising presence, radiant beauty, and fierce intensity quickly elevate the film from mediocrity. Fans of science fiction, Japanese monster movies, and femme fatales will all find something to like in this film. The weakest links in the film are the challenging pace (typical in Japanese cinema) and the return of Teppei and Kamiya to provide mirthful moments of comedic relief. Typical of Director Keita Amemiya's other work, he seems more interested in delivering a stylistic and visually stunning film instead of a cohesive narrative, but on that level it succeeds with flying colors.