Demon Slayer: The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
Starring: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Hiro Shimono, Satoshi Hino
Primary genre: Fantasy
Secondary genre: Action
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train” does not only offer fascinating world building but it displays signs of genuine emotion coupled with hilarious instances that do not pull down its sometimes quite heavy dramatic heft.
The highest grossing Japanese of all time, starts exactly where the first season stopped following the trio of Tanjirō, Inosuke and Zenitsu aboard the infamous train to investigate cases of missing people and needless to say things do not go according to plan. The story contains some pretty nifty twists and turns with a surprising and unexpecting sense of humor in some what-could-have-been-dark moments.
The script does not have time for exposition breaks assuming the audience is well aware of the strengths and the limits of each character excluding the charismatic Flame Hashira Kyōjurō Rengoku who maintains a wild card status. Despite a slow beginning that sheds light to some interesting psychological motifs for the later hands-on approach towards the action, rest assured that everything culminates to a thrilling climax that will wholeheartedly satisfy fans of the series, potentially dazzle newcomers (even if they do not understand much) and maybe leave no eye dry. Yet, the film does boast more than one pseudo-climaxes providing an occasional “lag” status with overstretching situations before we engage ourselves to the next outlandish setpiece before it succumbs to a well-earned emotional pay off that is worthy of both your attention and time.
Including all your fan favorites, Tanjirō and co are in for the biggest fight of their lives so far. New unexplored aspects of their personality are introduced and it is certain that the voice actor behind Rengoku is having a blast with the material; a character who will be a memorable cinematic addition in the anime field. Despite the straightforward story, there is not enough or much depth to the antagonist(s) or even a full/clear display of their powers which remain vague. Since the majority of the film’s duration is devoted to the relentless demon slicing drama, any type of characterization for these new villains remains minimalistic. Biggest loss though is Nezuko who gets a very limited amount of screentime.
Haruo Sotozaki is keeping things at a great momentum. What starts as a minor investigation with few splashes of mystery devolves into a visual splendor that explores the deepest forms of the human subconscious before being elevated to dazzling action set pieces with each sequence surpassing the previous one in terms of scale. The beautiful animation enables the crafting of hyper-kinetic fights with a particularly nasty face-off at the climax that will have you at the edge of your seat. Sotozaki handles the minimalistic plot with care, rarely pausing for breath supported by excellent framework, storytelling and editing. Those who are used to a softer style of filmmaking might find troubling the stylized yet frenetic action.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - the Movie: Mugen Train” is not for the uninitiated. It goes straight to the point and brings all the favorite things that made the anime series a hit but x20. It has potentially the best fight on screen fight of the last five to six years with some pretty inventive moves brushed with slick animation, strong voice acting, a solid dosage of humor and even moments of heartfelt drama. Highly recommended.
An absolute blast!
+Dazzling action
+Slick visuals
+Fast and steady pace
+Thrilling climax(es)
+Likeable characters
+Humor+ emotional pay offs
-Under-developed villains
-Semi lags towards the end