by Cain Noble-Davies
Worth: $14.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Kikunosuke Toya, Reina Ueda, Shiori Izawa, Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata
Intro:
Come for the carnage and bloodspray, stay for the many forms that human kindness can take.
Boy and his dog. Boy killed by Yakuza. Dog gives boy his heart. Boy can now turn into the demonic Chainsaw Man and hunts devils for the government. Tale as old as time.
In the myriad of contemporary anime series about teens and young adults fighting literal demons, Chainsaw Man stands out because of how its lead, Denji, is characterised. Namely, that he is far less of an idealist than his counterparts like Yuji from Jujutsu Kaisen or Tanjiro from Demon Slayer. He wants food and he wants to feel some boobs at some point in his life; he is a simple man, emphasis on the ‘simp’.
And with Reze Arc, his hormones are once again in the driver’s seat as he encounters the mysteriously alluring Reze, and questions whether he should continue seeking a relationship with his handler Makima or look for his fill of peach balloons elsewhere. If this sounds sophomoric, you would be correct, but what makes Reze Arc in particular work is how it properly delves into that aspect of the character… and reveals its own kind of nobility.
As the gorgeous and fluid animation from studio MAPPA gives the characters and scenery a lot of grounding (which ends up being joyously shattered when it comes time for the utter madness that are the action set pieces), the growing bond between Denji and Reze (and even between Denji and Makima going on a painfully-relatable movie marathon date) shows that while the hero has a one-track mind when it comes to women, that demon-infused heart of his cares a lot for those around him. The kid who grew up dirt-poor, used to scrounging for basics and consuming what might only resemble food, now in a position where food isn’t a luxury and physical affection isn’t a seeming impossibility; he is beholden to his urges, but never to the point of neglecting flesh-and-blood people. Even if they do have ulterior motives. He’s a straight-forward character where every coordinate on that axis is shown in full.
Of course, while that level of emotional nuance certainly helps in giving depth to seeing a half-man-half-chainsaw ride a shark hybrid into battle against a literal demon storm… well, that statement alone is an example of how not everything here needs to be intellectualised to be a lot of bloody fun. While both the drama and the action can feel a bit rushed at times (unfortunately the nature of the beast in condensing a 14-chapter manga arc), the dizzying and bombastic spectacle keeps things moving and engaging well before the “wait, did we miss something?” sensation sinks in. The soundtrack from Kensuke Ushio helps, with a heady mixture of techno, rock, and even light electro-swing on the opening theme ‘Iris Out’. Things go boom, things go slice, heads and feet keep in time with the mayhem; hell yeah!
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is a fun and high-energy continuation of the series, while packing heartfelt moments to further elevate the whole. Main character Denji gets welcome fleshing-out while staying true to his lecherous roots, the script from Hiroshi Seko makes surprisingly complex statements amidst the immediate gratification of the fight scenes and said fight scenes are breathlessly cool and exciting. Come for the carnage and bloodspray, stay for the many forms that human kindness can take.
