The tale of a young boy who learns magic from a powerful wizard, then discovers that his teacher has dark and dreadful plans for him and his fellow sorcery students

It is the age of the Crusades, the year of our father 1332. And while Holy wars wage in desert lands, back in Europe a different religious war is taking place as the church plays judge, jury and executioner on any women it believes to be in league with the devil as a practicing witch.

On the face of it (looking at the DVD cover and trailer) Demon Empire looks to be an interesting fusion of horror and far east action. For instance, the ‘demon ninjas’ on the cover. Who wouldn’t want to watch a film with demon ninjas in?!

Goemon, the titular hero, begins the movie wearing an ivy patterned scarlet robe. He moves with cartoonish limber, refusing to kill where he does not need to and silhouettes himself histrionically in front of a fluorescent moon.