For those of you unfamiliar with the popular narrative, allow me a chance to recap: On the cusp of losing his land and power, lord Daigo Kagemitsu makes a desperate bargain with the forty-eight major demons. He promises the demons his first-born son, to be rationed among them, and in return the demons grant Daigo the power he needs to become an unbeatable force. Daigo's son is eventually born as a featureless head and stumpy body - but somehow, it is still alive.

Daigo puts the baby-thing in a basket, and sends it afloat down a river where it is discovered by Jukai, a traveling alchemist/wizard. Jukai adopts the child as his own, and through his power he crafts the necessary body parts and internal organs the baby-thing needs to be more human. He also attaches two magical blades to the boy's elbows, blades that can be covered by removable sheath-like forearms; one of the blades is called Hyakkimaru, a name also given to the boy. Hyakkimaru then embarks on a quest to kill the forty-eight demons and regain control of his stolen flesh, and while on his journey he strikes up a lasting friendship with a female-thief named Dororo.

Rest assured, the film is not a series of forty-eight sequential duels. As cool as this might have been, it also would have been ridiculous, over-long, and lacking in dramatic tension and characterization. The film's main narrative drive begins with Hyakkimaru having already vanquished some of his foes, and ends with him still needing to battle twenty-four of the demons (hence, at least one killer sequel, already in the works). The majority of the film focuses on the hero's journey of self-discovery. He learns about his birth-father's pact with the demons, and copes with being sold out by his very own flesh and blood.

Although the film does fall prey to some cliche typical to its feudal-Japanese setting (talks of family and honor run rampant), it is executed in a way that remains engaging. It was with great discretion that the screenwriter, Masa Nakamura (Dead or Alive 2, The Bird People of China), chose to focus on the parts of the original story that would make the most powerful and interesting stand-alone movie. Even if a sequel were never made, the film would still come highly recommended because its story is well-told and self-contained.

But now let's talk about the action. Interestingly enough, this is where the film's main problems become apparent. It's not that the action is bad per se, but some of the special effects are less than convincing. There are more than a handful of standout action sequences, and most of these rely too heavily on sub-par CGI. While some of the demons look fantastic and gruesome (the huge flower-demon especially), they mostly lack weight and feel disconnected from their environments.

However, a few of the demons are straight up old-school - that's right, full on rubber-suited cheese in the best possible sense. The best of these is when Hyakkimaru fights a giant, armless, gila monster-looking demon; this entire sequence reeks of old-school Godzilla and Power Rangers. I applaud the use of the rubber-suits, they add a great deal of character and charm to the film and exemplify a signature Japanese style. And even though much of the CGI is only serviceable, the actual action choreography is highly entertaining, and contains more than a few moments worthy of a pause-rewind, especially when the demons' bodies erupt into fountains of exploding gore.

Sometimes the call for a well-made, high-concept, fantasy-tinged, action adventure, one without elves, dwarves, and hobbits, needs answering, and Dororo answers this call with confidence. It contains an effective and engaging narrative, memorable characters, and enough dazzling moments to satisfy a jaded genre fan. I went in expecting some decent action, and left feeling thoroughly fulfilled with the entire thing. I was actually taken aback by a few of the dramatic moments because they are so effectively executed. The film is awash in skillful writing, beautiful cinematography, endearing characterizations, and substantial drama. I wish there were more films like Dororo, and I am greatly anticipating the promised follow-up.