Michael's Movie Grade: B
A very entertaining movie based on the popular manga and anime.
For a movie about a teenage boy who can change into a creature made of chainsaws, this movie has all the over-the-top action (where else are you going to see a guy made of chainsaws riding a massive shark) and gore one could hope for. The action scenes are tons of fun to watch, and they look wonderful on a bug movie screen. However, this movie has more going for it than just fun action. The main treats of this film are the characters and the worldbuilding. I have never read the manga or watched a single episode of the anime, making this my first experience with this franchise. Yet I quickly found myself to be absorbed in this world. Meanwhile the characters are all very likable and easy to relate to.
The storyline is quite familiar and mostly predictable. However, it well told and leads to surprisingly emotionally powerful ending (probably the only part of the story I did not see coming). This ending is so effective that it makes you easily forgive the predictableness of the rest of the movie.
On the other hand, the humor almost consistently falls completely flat (there are really only a couple comedic moments that are actually funny). Some of these comedic moments also come off as loud and obnoxious, like the filmmakers are trying too hard to be funny.
This movie may have its flaws, but the parts that work are truly fantastic.
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