Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle was exhilarating! It’s the first of three feature films that will cover the final arc of the beloved title.
It starts with a clever version of “Previously On…” by keeping things relatively fresh while still catching audiences up with what happened the last time we saw these characters.
The final moments of the last season of the anime was re-contextualized a little bit by giving us new information on what transpired. It then quickly transitions to catching us up on what’s happening with the main players of the Demon Slayer Corp as they free fall inside the Infinity Castle.
From there, the action rose steadily with a healthy dose of emotional and funny moments in between.
Breathtaking action
The anime has time and again proven that its major fights are absolute visual spectacles. And while that’s the case, there’s always a little bit of worry on my part wondering how they’re gonna top or match everything they’ve done so far.
It’s safe to say that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is not at all lacking in this department. The feature film features three major fights. In terms of eye-pleasing action sequences, the film absolutely delivered.
I’m sure that, like myself, many are anticipating how Zenitsu’s fight would be animated. I can say this was truly one of the most hyped moments of the film. The audience in my screening was audibly gasping and applauding on several moments of the fight.
All of the major encounters against the Upper Rank Demons had extra baggage between the characters. It added weight to the battles which could have been dismissed as nothing but visual candy. But make no mistake, the entire film is definitely a feast for the eyes. It just happened to be more than that.
Healthy dose of humor and heart wrenching moment
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle isn’t all action – and it’s all the better for it. There’s a healthy dose of comedic moments to break the moments of tension.
However, the real other main ingredient are the emotional backstory moments that give context and add plenty of weight to all the battles.
Every single main battle in the film has history behind it. Every match had elements of revenge and anguish that made each fight all the more interesting.
The main encounter had series protagonist Tanjiro shine while fighting alongside the Giyu, who introduced him to the Demon Slayer Corp. They were up against Demon Upper Rank 3 Akaza who most will remember for being the one responsible for the demise of Fire Hashira Rengoku.
Jarring pacing?
The film was full of action and hype moments but it stalled a bit because of one particular flashback story. I thought that hurt the pacing a little bit.
If there’s anything that some Demon Slayer fans might not like, it’s this. Especially if you’re there fully expecting two and a half hours of pure hype moments.
I did feel that this backstory went on for a little too long and that it could have been handled with more brevity. However, the emotional payoff somehow made up for what might be a jarring switch in momentum.
Should you watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle?
If you’re a Demon Slayer fan, this is a no-brainer must-watch. Infinity Castle is the homestretch of the franchise. It is what the whole story has been building up to. Granted, this is just the first part.
There’s plenty of shocking, awe-inspiring, and gut-wrenching moments – especially if you’re anime-only. The film isn’t edge-to-edge action. Instead, it’s a dose of everything we’ve known and loved from the series so far turned up to eleven.
All told, it’s one hell of an experience and one that will make you wish they just dropped the Infinity Castle trilogy all at once.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle arrives in Philippine Cinemas on August 20.
In the US, the film will have a limited general screening on September 9 for Crunchyroll subscribers. Genral release is on September 12.
Entertainment
Street Fighter special look: Blanka vs. Ryu
Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji’s characters face off
Paramount Pictures has released a new special look for Street Fighter featuring Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji.
The short, minute-long clip shows the actors’ respective characters, Blanka and Ryu, in battle.
It opens with a chained prisoner struck by extreme electrical charges, transforming into the green-skinned, electricity-infused Blanka.
He unleashes a fierce roar. Meanwhile, Ryu drops into a fighting stance, but tells Blanka he does not want to fight him.
Forced to defend himself, Ryu then fires a signature Hadouken fireball towards Blanka, as the teaser cuts to the Street Fighter title card.
Street Fighter debuts in cinemas starting October 14. It is directed by Kitao Sakurai and stars an ensemble cast that includes Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, among others.
The film is set in 1993 when estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are thrown into combat when Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament.
Entertainment
Now Playing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It’s a must watch for Spidey fans who want to see Peter Parker enter his sad boy era.
The Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy is one of my favorite franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Compared to other series with admittedly disjointed plots, all of Spidey’s storylines have a clear thread leading from one to the next. Since the fourth entries after trilogies are historically lackluster, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Thankfully, all those worries were unfounded. Brand New Day follows the same throughline as its predecessors, once again reinforcing Spider-Man as the strongest franchise that Marvel offers fans today.
A brand new day indeed
Coming from No Way Home, Brand New Day still has Peter Parker live a new life as a literal nobody where no one remembers who he is. So begins his existence as just Spider-Man with no friends or family.
When a new and unseen threat ravages through New York City, Spidey starts to wish that he still had friends to help him out, which leads him on an inevitable collision course with Ned and MJ. Ironically, it also leads him to other characters in the city, including the Hulk and the Punisher.
A cacophony of villains
When I first saw the trailer, I was worried about the astounding number of villains from the get-go. After all, one of the biggest problems in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, the most maligned entry in Spider-Man movie history, was the villains. Though far from the movie’s biggest problem, having too many bad guys without a solid plot led to its terrible reception. You can see why Brand New Day’s trailer raises some flags.
If you were thinking the same thing, Brand New Day does indeed have a cohesive plot. Everything flows neatly into one another. Each emotional beat of Peter feeling for his solitude mixes well with the action. In here, fight scenes feel like they have a purpose.
And there is a big bad here. It’s not just a collection of guys that Spidey has to go through. That big bad, who shall not be named at this time, doesn’t feel like just a placeholder for Peter’s internal struggles. They have a character of their own and their own struggles to solve. I wouldn’t say they’re at the level of Loki just yet, but they definitely have a better go at it than most of the MCU’s other villains.
Marvel’s New York City finally debuts
Despite being a prime location since 2012’s Avengers, New York City never really felt like the quintessential city for superheroes in the comics. In the movies, the city was just another city to be ravaged when a new villain comes along.
For the first time, Brand New Day makes the city feel like a lived-in world with a bunch of superheroes living in the neighborhood. And they do pop up.
Does Peter have a scientific problem that only a very specific hero can solve? It’s a good thing Bruce Banner is just around the corner. Does he need some muscle? Well, the Punisher is skulking around somewhere. Plus, there’s even a succinct reason why other superheroes can’t help out.
In this way, Brand New Day presents itself more like a comic book series than a one-off movie. It’s like following the story alone from issue to issue. It’s not the most perfect adaptation of the landmark city, but it goes a long way from just another ravaging of New York.
Peter’s sadness
Everything here hinges on Peter’s loneliness. Despite meeting a trove of characters across the cinematic universe, Peter yearns for time with his loved ones. But they’re gone.
Unlike the past three films where he always had someone to go home to, he has no one here. Tony Stark is dead. Aunt May is gone. Happy has gone to parts unknown. Ned and MJ have no memory of him. Brand New Day has a way of making you feel for his aches, whether the way he still keeps track of MJ or some physiological changes as a result of his predicament.
It also helps that the movie’s big bad has similar motivations. Both serve as perfect mirrors against each other, elevating both their stories effectively. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a few steps behind from being a perfect Marvel movie, but it’s still an extremely strong part of the Spider-Man mythos. The trilogy, now quadrilogy, remains Marvel’s most consistent franchises to date. It’s an absolute must-watch.
Entertainment
UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October
Determination arrives in October.
For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.
On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.
The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.
In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.
Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.
SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow
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