Forum - View topicChainsaw Man (TV + movie) (w/ index).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Reserved for ep. 12]
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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Reze arc movie:
This franchise has suffered badly from comparisons with other works from the same studio (Jujutsu Kaisen) and competing franchises adapted by other studios (Kimetsu no Yaiba, although they compete on action but not age group). Combine this with siginificant furore about the production issues behind the scenes as well as entitled source material viewers who made enough noise to force a compilation film of the original series which supposedly improved on a lot of the initial adaptation at the cost of taking the TV series director's name off the production credits, and it's a wonder that this movie actually makes it to cinemas screens between the final televised episode and today. The other thing which I'm reminded of when I watch this franchise: All of the characters are broken one way or another. Denji's background from episode one elicits pity, but the less we see of him outside of his action scenes as his Chainsaw Man persona the better. This movie further reinforces this point, since it's ostensibly about Denji being led astray by his new squeeze only to be the victim of the latest honey trap set for him which he has zero immunity to. That said, Reze (Ueda Reina doing a stellar job as always bringing iconic characters to life, she does a nice number as well for the ED song) is not the complete villain she is made out to be, as it is only at the last (watch the post-credits scenes) that we casual viewers find out she has a few redeeming features after all which mitigate to a tiny extent what she accomplished in this movie. The first scenes especially don't endear well to casual viewers. Only after I finish the feature film do I realise why the sequence showing Denji's date with Makina and Reze's "accidental" meeting with Denji in the phone booth have to be in at the start. As a juxtaposition to what comes afterwards (the pivotal fireworks scene which reveals all is the starting gun for what most viewers came to see this movie for), it works well but it's yet another reminder that Denji is a man with simple tastes who is far less endearing than the protagonists in the competing franchises. The movie isn't all about Denji and the Bomb Devil. Akiyama has to learn to work with the Angel from the tail end of season one, and it turns out it's a partnership that is very costly in more ways than one. If Makima had not personally ordered Akiyama to do so dangling the incentive of the expeditionary squad, he would have outright refused. I've always found Akiyama the most empathetic of this ensemble cast because he's the least broken of all of the personages in this franchise, and my estimation of him rises after the movie. The movie does have the one big plot bombshell which will probably be explored upon if and when season two releases: Makima is a devil who is so powerful no escape is possible once she's got someone in her grasp. Reze calls her a witch, but she also knew she had no chance if it came down to a fight to the death (it doesn't help the Angel was brought in as backup with his weapon active, another reason why Makima is so dangerous when even the lazy Angel can be brought to heel when she orders). The opposing faction which wants Chainsaw Man's heart is clearly affiliated with this franchise's Soviet Union, so there's an international aspect to the Devil politics which the first season briefly alluded to when explainin the Gun Devil. Not sure how that's going to play out in season two. When the action gets going, it certainly starts with a big bang in keeping with Reze's true identity. No complaints from me in the animation quality for the various sequences, especially as it clearly shows how outclassed Denji is when taking on someone who's clearly aware of how Devils are meant to fight against their counterparts. The Shark Devil Beam plays his part as well, even if his introduction was most inauspicious. Denji paid him back by bringing him back from the dead after that mid-air pummelling, so he's got even moore reason to slavishly obey Denji's wishes no matter the cost to his physical wellbeing. Considering the release date for this movie, the timing is somewhat unfortunate that it airs after Mugen-Jo's first movie. Had this been released before Mugen-Jo, it would have been better for its commercial success. I'm not sold on this website's hype about it being one of the works of the year; there's a lot of inherent bias between fans of this franchise and those of other competing works and it bleeds through to reviews of the relevant adaptations. The movie is entertaining; no question about it. But I'd advise leaving pre-conceived notions about what it's about out of the door before watching it. Will this be enough to warrant season two sooner rather than later? Hard to say, the adaptation is seemingly cursed with a lot of background noise and pre-existing toxic fandom bringing with it no shortage of controversy. It should do well enough, but expectations for its commercial success might be overstated which is going to reflect badly on the animators if it doesn't do as well as expected. The franchise has never had the mass market appeal of Kimetsu no Yaiba, but that franchise is the exception rather than the rule and I'm hoping the commercial backers (Sony et. al) realise this before pulling the plug. The takeaway quote from this movie which had me laughing the loudest: Chainsaw Man realises every woman he's met has wanted him dead or wants his Chainsaw heart, and that no one wants his affections no matter how much he'd be responsive to them. I don't think he'll remember this lesson in season two because this is Denji we're talking about, but it does did some levity to the proceedings. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Spoiler-free post. Just a bunch of nerdy tech mumbo jumbo.
----- I saw the movie in Dolby Cinema, yesterday. I'll save the deep-dive analysis till I can get screen shots and split the review into chunks, as there is quite a bit I'd like to cover. But man, what a movie. Can't believe it's been almost 3 years since S1 ended. I nearly forgot how somber, silly, tragic, and balls-to-the-wall action-packed this franchise was. Let me just say this was a very important release in the sense that I never thought I'd get to see a full-feature anime film in Dolby Cinema. Can't remember if (The) Boy and the Heron ever got a Dolby release, but I sure as heck didn't expect Chainsaw Man, of all things, to get one! For those that aren't cinema nerds, Dolby Cinema is a PLF (Premium Large Format) in the same vein as IMAX. Dolby is basically like 4K HDR (but with that extra Dolby Vision layer for the best colors, blacks, and contrast ratio). In addition, the presentation is usually also accompanied with Atmos audio (object-based speakers and sound design with overhead capabilities and up to 64 individual speakers in a theater room). Granted, this movie wasn't on par with say.. (The) Batman (2022) in terms of technical presentation, since live-action is a completely different beast. But the colors in this were pretty phenomenal during the fireworks scene and the big fight towards the end. IMDb lists the sound mix as being 7.1, but the theater I was in seemed to utilize the overhead speakers pretty well, despite being an apparent Atmos up-mix. Again, this isn't Hollywood-caliber sound, but it dang sure made the big fight feel very grand. I was especially giddy to hear Maximum the Hormone coming out of the overheads, if even for a couple of minutes. So what's the difference between Dolby and IMAX? Well, both are PLFs and both have their own unique quirks. Dolby has the edge in the color spectrum and precision audio. IMAX is just a huge screen with very powerful speakers. And to get even more cinema nerdy, IMAX is all about aspect ratio. IMAX screens are essentially more square-shaped than normal theaters. And a lot of movies will claim to be "shot for IMAX," but not actually shot with IMAX cameras, outside of some director's like Nolan, Villeneuve, and Cameron. It's all very technical, and I don't wanna' post a giant wall of text for that, so just look up some YouTube videos about "IMAX comparisons," and you'll get your explanation. Anyway, Infinity Castle was great for what it was when I saw it in IMAX. ufotable manipulated the framing for IMAX ratio. And another friend of mine who saw it in XD said the framing in that was also square-shaped. XD is Cinemark's PLF, and not the same as IMAX. They (Cinemark) basically use 4K projectors, have a rectangular screen, and a very loud speaker system. They don't have the fancy colors like Dolby or the aspect ratio of IMAX, but some Cinemarks also have a thing they call "D-Box," which is essentially like those amusement park chairs that move to the video. I've only experienced one movie in D-Box, which was Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024). I know, weird choice, but it was already out of Dolby by the time I had time to watch it, and I wanted to try D-Box for the first time. It was actually pretty fun. Although, I think D-Box would be great for something more action-packed, especially with cars like Mad Max or F1. If you have a Dolby Cinema around you, I urge you try to see Reze arc there. Mine has it showing for a week until whatever new movie is pushing it out this coming Friday. I went to a first-showing (2:10PM), so there weren't a ton of people there. But they even had an IMAX and 3D showing in separate screens, so there were quite a few different formats to choose from. I really hope S2 comes out soon. But I think MAPPA has gotten so famous with JJK (not to mention the manga is done, now), they'll probably shift more of their resources to finishing that out, first. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15852 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I just watched the Reze arc movie, which is on Crunchyroll. I think it had been out for a couple weeks, but it took me a bit to have time to watch.
My immediate thoughts after watching the movie is whether I am thinking I am wrong in my interpretation. The easy-to-understand element is that Denji was being victimised as a honeypot by Reze, but I think the very end was supposed to maybe reveal the opposite. That Makima was aware of the plot from the beginning, and was actually using Denji to lure Reze into the perfect spot to let her guard down and get taken. This meant she let all of the destruction happen, just to lead to the position she wanted. On a lesser degree, I think it also explains the random cinema hopping date, like it was to prime Denji to be what she needed to capture Reze. Or maybe I am being too conspiracy pilled in thinking it was all a trick. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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@DuskyPredator
I actually got the same exact vibe when I saw it in theaters. I haven't read the manga, but just seeing how Makima is portrayed in the series and movie, she definitely strikes me as the type of character who is cold, calculating, stoic, and has zero hesitation to manipulate people for whatever she deems necessary, which actually makes her a very scary character, despite the "kindness" she occasionally shows to Denji. In some stories you have these overpowered-alpha-type characters that give off their alpha vibe via physical prowess. Makima not only has that, but the fact that she had the mental fortitude to orchestrate this whole thing just puts her on a completely different level. It's like Gendou Ikari's personality with Dio Brando's powers (very formidable). |
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