Michael's Movie Grade: C+
A fun but messy anime compilation film.
A type of movie that is becoming more common today is the anime compilation film. These are feature length films that are edited from various episodes of an anime TV show. These movies are usually quite entertaining but come off as very messy in their story telling as they are being presented in a format you are never meant for.
Fans of the franchise already know that this film can be separated into two different portions. The first is previously seen material and the second is brand new material (that will serve as the start of season three). The first portion is definitely weaker than the second. This is not due to the content (which is excellent) but rather the editing. The editing is incredibly messy. The filmmakers try to shove too much into too short of a time. The result feels rushed and doesn't work as part of a movie. Taken as part of a movie it feels too rushed. For newcomers it is hard to follow, and the characters feel greatly underdeveloped. For fans they would enjoy watching the full episodes more. With a movie that only runs an hour and a half, why couldn't they just make it longer and edit less out. Everything improves greatly in the second portion of the film. This second portion is played straight without anything noticeable being edited out. During this second portion it truly feel like a movie (despite an abrupt ending) and is simply much more enjoyable to watch. Newcomers will also now have an idea who these characters are.
AS for the content itself, it is excellent. The animation is excellent, the monster designs are creative, the action is exciting, and it has a great sense of atmosphere. It is a shame for much of the runtime; this great content is hurt by poor editing.
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