Worth: $17.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Shugo Nakamura, Mie Sonozaki, Subaru Kimura, Shinichiro Kamio, Kenta Muyake, Jun Kasama
Intro:
From its nuanced emotions to its incredible visuals, to the weaving between various animation styles and tones, it is gripping and impressive from the first whistle to the last.
The level of detail put into the animation in this theatrical addition to Takehiko Inoue’s basketball saga Slam Dunk is bonkers. What Toei and Dandelion Studio have produced here can easily stand as one of the most impressive technical displays of any modern shonen film. The use of mo-cap 3DCG for the basketball scenes shows every muscular twitch and facial expression with a render quality that you almost have to remind yourself isn’t live-action. And for a sport as nimble as basketball, it makes all the movements and fake-outs hit that much harder.
The film also makes ample use of more traditional hand-drawn animation for the build-up moments to the central game between Shohoku and Sannoh high schools. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed, along with everything in front of them down to the Converse kicks, and not only is the transition between the two styles seamless, even in flat 2D, the characters still show impressive detail in their movements and gestures.
The First Slam Dunk represents the purest type of action in animation, where physical movement is the story. Its drama, primarily through the exploration of point guard Ryota Miyagi’s relationship with his mother and older brother, does justice to emotions that can be difficult to even put into words. Its action manages to turn a singular four-quarter match into an easy contender for the most intense game of basketball audiences are likely to experience through a screen. And its comedy, anchored by series lead Sakuragi (Subaru Kimura) stealing every square inch of the scene he can possibly leap into, manages to make even the act of jumping in the air seem hilarious.
And the best part? It lives up to its title! If this is indeed a viewer’s First experience with the franchise, there is nothing here that relies on any knowledge of the anime series or manga. Its main story focuses on a second-stringer from the main series, and while some of the character conflicts build off the manga and its anime adaptation, more than enough of the details are delivered (again, with minimal dialogue) to keep the emotionality of each scene afresh.
It’s all framed as the build-up to a central game, with both teams getting their fleshing-out both on and off the court, making the already-full gallop basketball action that much more impactful.
The First Slam Dunk is either going to remind you of what made the original manga/anime so much fun, or it will convert you into an acolyte. From its nuanced emotions to its incredible visuals, to the weaving between various animation styles and tones, it is gripping and impressive from the first whistle to the last. The extent to which it makes the most of its chosen medium almost puts it in the same class as Mad God and the Spider-Verse films as modern examples of what animation is truly capable of.
