Just when it seemed as if victory was in the Demon Slayer
Corps grasp, Muzan Kibutsuji opened the doors to his realm and dragged everyone
with him. Now Tanjiro and his allies are
on his turf, surrounded by Demons in an infinite setting changing by the
minute. The strongest of Muzan’s elite
lie in wait and the Hashira aren’t leaving without Muzan’s head. The long awaited final battle begins with a
rematch between Tanjiro and the Upper Rank who killed one of his beloved
mentors, Akaza.
Demon Slayer has enjoyed quite the success over the last
few years, becoming one of the most beloved Anime by fans worldwide.
The announcement that the Infinity Castle
arc, aka the final arc of the original Manga, getting a trilogy of films
instead of a fifth season is a bit headscratching but you cant fault Ufotable
for wanting to unleash their animation mastery on the big screen for the grand
finale.
And while Infinity Castle Part 1
dials up all the spectacle and heartache that was inevitable with the showdown
with Muzan’s forces, a lot of what’s hampered the storytelling of the
Swordsmith Village and Hashira Training Arcs still persists.
I’m not saying this movie isnt mostly a blast
to watch cause clearly Ufotable’s been holding a lot in reserve for this
occasion.
It’s just got a bit holding it
back from being the absolute best Demon Slayer experience since the
Entertainment District Arc.
The biggest problem facing the last couple seasons of the
TV Series has been the pacing.
There
were numerous times in the Season 4 Finale where stuff finally happened, only
for the moment to be abruptly stopped in favor of one flashback after another,
rather than let the epic moments we’ve been waiting for just play out the way
they should/we want them to.
All of the
fights in Infinity Castle Part 1 are exceptional and I’ll talk more about way
later.
But all of them find themselves
hampered by flashbacks that threaten to kill the momentum the longer they go
on.
I get it, this is the beginning of
the end and every character needs resolution to their character arcs.
But stopping in the middle of an amazing
fight to do so is just poor timing.
I’m
not even going to say this could work with a TV Season cause honestly it
hasn’t.
When it comes to a movie, things
should be going more full speed than this and the accumulation of flashbacks
does not justify this first chapters two and a half hour run time.
That being said, some of the flashbacks do still showcase
Demon Slayers penchant for tear inducing backstories.
The standouts are Zenitsu and Akaza’s
histories.
Zenitsu especially gets to
not be a huge waste of space and gets fleshed out more than he has been since
his introduction.
As for Akaza, his is
the longest flashback (I didn’t even time it but wow the movie just flat out
stopped).
And yet his is the most
emotional of the bunch.
Demon Slayer has
a knack for making you care about the villains in need of an ass kicking
because, on occasion, some of them weren’t terrible people before they became
Demons.
I also got a chuckle out of none
other than Channing Tatum providing the voice of a pivotal character in Akaza’s
story, nothing wrong with it, it was just entertaining to see someone more
Hollywood getting in on the Demon Slayer fun.
Again, I just wish the movie didn’t have to stop in its tracks to tell
these tragic tales to dial up the emotional response.
I feel like the flashbacks do a lot more harm than good
to the overall pacing but I’ll be damned if Infinity Castle Part 1 isnt firing
on all other cylindars.
The titular
Infinity Castle is a crazy feat of animation with how constantly it shifts
around, providing plenty of fun little battle arenas and also just being
ridiculously beautiful to look at (Muzan has surprisingly good and calm taste
in interior decorating).
This obviously
also translates to the action scenes that are the films major sell points.
We’re a ways away from Muzan getting in on
the action but his Upper Ranks are no pushovers, far from it.
The three major opponents featured all bring
their own menace and power to the party and while I have a feeling this overall
story wont end with every Hashira making it out alive, it’s another thing to
experience the intensity of their biggest trials to date with my own eyes.
Even Tanjiro hasn’t been pushed this far and
the dudes faced opponents even Hashira have had problems defeating.
Be ready to take bets and bring tissues cause
the butchers bill isnt pretty even in Part 1.
Like I said though, Ufotable was holding some of their
powers in reserve for this opening salvo of showdowns between Hashira and Upper
Ranks.
All three major battles get the
blood pumping and excitement going, providing dazzling choreography and imagery
and moments that will make you lose your breath with how FREAKING AWESOME IT
ALL LOOKS!!!
Ahem, sorry about that but
fights like the title match of Tanjiro and Giyu vs. Akaza remind me why I love
Anime so much.
This action is something
else and while that should surprise me given Ufotable’s well known experience
with the Fate/Stay Night franchise, it still amazes me I can be wowed like this
like I’m a kid just getting into the medium for the first time.
And again, this is only Part 1 of 3.
I can only imagine what later battles with
even stronger foes are going to look like.
I will say that considering Demon Slayers big cast, not
everyone gets a chance to have their full time in the spotlight.
Fan favorites like Innosuke, Mitsuri and
Nezuko only get fleeting appearances to let you know they are around but aren’t
ready for their close ups just yet.
Same
goes for most of the supporting cast who get a least a minute of screentime to
show what role they’re playing in this ongoing struggle.
It does leave you wanting more, I’ll give it
that.
And considering that no release
date has been announced for Part 2 or Part 3 yet, that wait to see our favorite
Boar Headed Bad Ass flex his muscles and swords against a possible Upper Rank
is gonna be agonizing.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 brings all the best
and not so best of the franchise to the big screen for the beginning of its
grand climax.
Characters get their
resolutions.
Swords and fists are
exchanged with such speed, ferocity and beauty.
The music by Yuki Kaijura and Go Shina is electrifying on all
levels.
Annnd everyone needs a very lengthy
flashback sequences to complete their character arcs even if it stops all the
exciting action dead in its tracks.
Something tells me that isnt gonna get improved on in the second and
third entries of this trilogy but one can hope.
This is still Demon Slayer on the big screen and it remains a truly
unique and spellbinding experience, particularly in a crowded theater.
Nevertheless, Demon Slayer has the worlds
attention with this uneven but fun opening act…now let’s see if it can slice
it’s way across that finish line and give Tanjiro and Nezuko the happy ending
they deserve.
7/10
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