Review: “Orochi” had so much potential in so many ways, and yet it is severely marred by a criminally dull story and characters that are hardly likable. Based on Japanese mythology, it isn’t really fair to call the actual story the film is derived from dull, since it is actually very cool if you are at all interested in old legends and the like. More specifically the execution of the story in this film is just frail and empty to put it lightly.

Before going into too much detail with the story, let’s have a look at the special effects, which are a huge part of films like this. This is an absolute mixed bag, where it ranges from being solid gold to a mess of bad figurines riding birds and flying via less than spectacular wire-work. Acceptable in something from the late 60s like “Daimajin” (which was far more successful in it’s effects department), but this is a 1994 film. Granted, a lot of things the filmmakers were trying to show on camera were fairly epic, but there is really no excuse for some of the shots. If it was for budgetary reasons, then they should have just canned the whole project.

The whole affair reeks of a television special. It’s not necessarily one or another factor that ruins “Orochi”, but the way everything pools together into, for lack of real words, pure crapulesence. There are some really spectacular rubber suit beasts throughout the movie; that is undeniable. The problem is that their presence is so anti-climactic that none of them seem menacing. At one point a sea monster rises out of the ocean to attack our hero. This monster looks fantastic, but is accompanied by a horrible score and circa “Return of the Jedi” blue screen work that would make the thriftiest of special effects artists blush. The whole ordeal is followed by an underwater rescue that is conveyed by having bubbles in front of the camera while the actors do a pitiful job of fake swimming.

It all sounds like nitpicking, but the thing is there are just so many bad elements to talk about, this review could go on forever. The final battle is like a really bad episode of Power Rangers set on a barren planet. As our hero inexplicably morphs into a mech via the “power of love” (and without an awesome Huey Lewis and the News soundtrack to accompany it) he combats the Eight Headed Dragon with his mighty shield. Come on, Takeru, Shields don’t kill monsters, rainbow colored lasers kill monsters! That’s better. In the end, none of the special effects elements come together quite right, and even the epic climax is more of a boring crawl.

Stepping away from the disappointing effects for a moment, let’s talk about the actors and characters. In a supposed adventure story such as this, it is absolutely vital to feel some wee connection to the hero, or at least like him a little. Unfortunately, he seems more like an extra that got booted up to lead role when a real actor became ill. He is seemingly devoid of any believable compassion, and the love story between him and the priestess was pretty sloppy and unconvincing. Everyone else is basic “extra-on-Xena” fodder, and the baddie supreme that turns into Orochi in the climax seems like a medieval visual kei performer.

There is a bit of swordplay in the movie as well. It manages to be only slightly lethargic, and there are a couple cool moments when characters get stabbed. I think they may have spent more money on the stabbing effects than anything else. But stabbing will only get you so far. The edits in the sword fights were plagued with way too many cuts, perhaps due to inexperienced fighters, and were a bit reminiscent of an MGM Studios stage show.