What I like about this film (and the broader aspects of the series as a whole) is the sense of imagination; the scope of the world that is created, and the depiction of characters and scenarios that couldn't possible exist, even within the confines of our wildest dreams or indeed, our very worst nightmares. Yes, some elements are pure sleaze, but you could make the same accusation against Pasolini's Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), which is one of the finest works of political satire and pure cinematic art ever created. Obviously, Legend of the Demon Womb (1993) lacks any such lofty pretentious, essentially offering us a re-occurrence of that central Japanese image of the giant monster destroying Tokyo, with all kinds of episodic sub-plots and sidelines involving the war between three different worlds, evil scientists creating a machine for the purpose of rape and demonic resurrection, and the ultimate signal of the apocalypse as a final, purging rite.
Naturally, the film also finds the time to revel in the depictions of lurid sleaze, mystical prophesising and the occasional burst of grandiose destruction; but there is still a recognisable intelligence here, and a sense of imagination that is deeper and richer than what many potential viewers might expect. For example, if were to (perhaps) read too much into the film, the you could see it as something of a critique of modern society and the general negativity and selfishness of human behaviour in general. Clearly, it is worth noting that the first film began with the narrator discussing "ignorant humans" in an opening voice-over that clues us in on the three different worlds and the legend of the overfiend itself, while the narrative here - without giving too much away - suggests world domination and destruction leading to the central idea that to find peace and harmony we must destroy everything that went before and rebuild it completely from the ground up. These notions can be looked at in more detail, or they can be treated as superfluous information secondary to the violence, fantasy and action. Regardless, these elements alone show that Legend of the Demon Womb is a film far more interesting than its reputation as a work of over-the-top, sexually explicit exploitation would suggest.
The original Japanese release is the version to see, if you can find it. The story, although edited down from three single episodes, is easier to understand and the dialog manages to convey the story, as well as giving us a vague insight into the characters. The US dubbed version is often heavily censored to the point of incomprehensibility, whilst the American dialog is laughably bad and delivered so flat as to make even the most innocent of lines seem like the most childish of double-entendres. Nonetheless, besides the more controversial talking points, the elements of tentacle-rape and purely indulgent hentai, the film remains somewhat entertaining and is filled with rich characters, depth and imagination.
