The Smashing Machine review

 Coming Soon! 

One Battle After Another review

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER: 

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON’S EPIC AND RELEVANT SCREWBALL ADVENTURE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another

 

            An ex-revolutionary must rescue his daughter from a corrupt military official in One Battle After Another, the new film from director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Phantom Thread, Licorice Pizza) inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineyard. This was one of my most anticipated films all year, I love Anderson’s work with 2017’s Phantom Thread being IMO a near perfect movie though there’s been plenty of projects of his over the years that I absolutely loved. 

            So, a buddy action-comedy thriller that takes place on the U.S./Mexican border with Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Sean Penn (I Am Sam, Mystic River, The Interpreter), and Benicio Del Toro (Sin City, Sicario 1 and 2, The Phoenician Scheme) directed by him was a no-brainer, of course, I’ll end up seeing it. Not sure if I’m overhyping it, but this not only may be one of my all-time favorite Anderson movies, but one of the best films of the whole year, One Battle After Another is fucking great! 

            I was on the edge of my seat, captivated, and laughing all throughout the movie while also getting roped into its bold themes and subject matter. It’s easily Anderson’s most consistently entertaining movie clocking in at 2 hours and 41 minutes without any time wasted. 

            The film Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio), a washed up and paranoid ex-revolutionary who was an avid member of the radical group, the French 75 and now survives off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti-Presumed Innocent). But when Bob’s old nemesis and corrupt military official Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn) resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles in order to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts. 

            The film also stars Del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, Regina Hall (Scary Movie franchise, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Girls Trip) as Deandra, and Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America, The Book of Clarence, Straw) as Willa’s mother and radical Perfidia Beverly Hills. 

            Overall, One Battle After Another is a riveting, beautifully filmed, and timely addition to Paul Thomas Anderson filmography and a gripping theatrical experience. See this movie in theaters on the largest screen you have because it looks and sounds spectacular, I was marveling at how Anderson filmed this movie from first-person shots of cars driving on the road to large-scale shots of the desert and long shots of military officials walking through detention centers, if this movie doesn’t get a Best Cinematography or Production Design Oscar nomination, I will scream! 

The movie doesn’t just work on a technical level; it also works incredibly well on a storytelling one also especially with its themes and subject matter it’s trying to get across. Sure, you can draw parallels between this and the horrible things that have been going on with ICE lately and that element certainly is there, but I also saw a story about an overprotective father looking out for his daughter while also learning that she’s growing up and needs to be free. 

            Hard to say if that was Anderson’s intention when making it, but if you’re a parent and/or follow current events, it’s easy to make connections to this movie and what’s going on in the world. I’m sure film lovers will certainly be discussing this movie for a long time and analyzing its themes. 

            Given the cast, it’s no surprise that the performances are spectacular across the board in this movie, Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed up ex-revolutionary and widowed father finds the perfect balance between being funny, serious, and heartfelt, he works…as usual. The big standout for me though was Sean Penn as a ruthless, white supremacist military colonel, for some reason I thought that was perfect casting, I don’t follow Penn’s personal life, but I am aware of how intense he can be both onscreen and behind the scenes and he brings that intensity to this character perfectly as someone you just want to punch in the fucking face. 

            Everyone else is great too, Benicio Del Toro gets some laughs though he’s not as prominent as what the trailers probably made you believe, Chase Infiniti I’m not super familiar with but I thought she was excellent as Bob’s daughter, and Regina Hall was a straight-up wild card as Willa’s mother. Stellar cast with equally stellar material to carry them through the film. 

            The action scenes are intense and leave you on the edge of your seat, Paul Thomas Anderson usually isn’t well-known for action, but seeing car chases, Leo running through shootouts and riots to escape the police, and standoffs in the desert with his direction was incredible. With the camera work, editing, and sound design, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the director of Phantom Thread and Punch-Drunk Love could be a prominent action director if he so desires. 

            One Battle After Another is a gripping movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen with thrills, suspense, and a witty but also thematically rich story with compelling characters. Everything that makes a great movie in this genre, Anderson delivered!

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey review

A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY:

ROMANTIC FANTASY DOESN’T REALLY LIVE UP TO ITS TITLE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

 

            Margot Robbie (DC Extended Universe, I, Tonya, Barbie) and Colin Farrell (In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Penguin) embark on A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, a romantic fantasy film from director Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang). The movie looked interesting from the trailers though I’ve had plenty of instances where I thought that and the film ended up being a huge letdown after seeing it like with Robert Zemeckis’ Here last year. 

            But I love these two actors a lot and one of which was just in the biggest comedy movie of all time a couple years ago so putting them together in a film seemed perfect. Well, I’m glad to say that they were at least incredibly charming in this…because man, this movie squandered a legitimately fascinating premise especially for a romance film. 

            A movie where two people find magical doors that lead to places/moments from their pasts and they discover more about each other through them, this sounds great and could have been a fresh, unique film in this genre. Unfortunately, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey relies on the laziest of genre tropes and clichés so it never reaches its full potential that I and likely many other moviegoers had hoped for. 

            The film follows David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie), two complete strangers who find themselves on a fantastical journey after discovering several mysterious doors that allow them to relive moments from their pasts and maybe also change the future. During their grand adventure, David and Sarah learn that some doors bring you to the past, some lead you to your future, and some doors change everything. 

            The film also stars Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda, In & Out, Bob’s Burgers) as The Mechanic, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (The Iron Lady, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Female Cashier, Lily Rabe (All Good Things, American Horror Story, Vice) as Sarah’s mother, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim, The Last Ship, Bad Monkey) as the voice of the GPS, Billy Magnussen (Bridge of Spies, Aladdin (2019), No Time to Die) as The Man, Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method, Enemy, Belle (2013)) as The Woman, Brandon Perea (The OA, Nope, Twisters) as Mike, Chloe East (Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, The Fabelmans, Heretic) as Cheryl, Hamish Linklater (The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Big Short, Legion) as David’s father, Calahan Skogman (Shadow and Bone) as Sarah’s Groomsman, Jacqueline Novak (Inside Amy Schumer, Animals, Soft Focus with Jena Friedman) as Stacy Dunn, Jennifer Grant (Beverly Hills, 90210, Movie Stars, Babylon) as David’s mother, and Shelby Simmons (Bunk’d, Stargirl, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rides Again) as Stage Manager. 

            Overall, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey could have lived up to its name as a very imaginative and heartfelt romance film, sadly it wastes its premise on tired clichés and at times awkward moments despite two very likable leads in the spotlight. I didn’t hate this movie nor did it make me angry during my viewing (Then again, I hardly felt any emotions as I was watching it), but aside from some occasionally creative scenes and Robbie and Farrell’s chemistry, this was a dull slog. 

            When Farrell and Robbie aren’t in one of their past events through a magic door, they’re driving around in bleak and visually dull environments for long stretches of time with dialogue that sometimes works and other times is just made up of clichéd romance movie quotes (“I haven’t found the right one yet!”, “Stay away from me, I ruin men’s lives!”, etc.). I’m grateful that Farrell and Robbie are such naturally likable leads and do have decent chemistry with each other amidst the lackluster material, but anything good about them does not come from the script. 

            The movie just feels so artificial with its storytelling, star-crossed lovers conveniently meet up at fancy event because yes, misunderstanding where the characters mope and dope that drags on at the end of the second act when you know they’re going to get back together because yes, ending scene where the man and the woman are sitting on an apartment building porch because clearly the Venom movie handled that so well so it’s perfect for this. Had the movie spent more time on its high-concept premise and explored the themes surrounding it, I think we could have had something on par with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Spike Jonze’s Her, unfortunately they dropped the ball. 

            A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is the most nothing movie I’ve seen all year and completely wastes Farrell and Robbie’s talents as well as an interesting premise and focuses more on tropes we’ve seen a million times in other, better romance films. It did, however, give me the strangest scene set in a car rental agency that feels like it’s from a stage show…I certainly wasn’t high while watching it yet it still felt odd, I guess that’s something. 

            Go find something else for date night, couples! Also, worst Burger King product placement since Men in Black II! 

Him review

HIM: 

HORROR-SPORTS MOVIE TURNS FOOTBALL INTO A SATANIC RITUAL…AND FUMBLES AT IT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Tyriq Withers in Him

 

            A promising football player gets the training from Hell in Him, the new horror film produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope) and directed by Justin Tipping (Kicks). This was one of my most anticipated films of the year, I think Jordan Peele is one of the most exciting people in the film industry given his directing credentials and I quite enjoyed the Candyman movie he produced in 2021. 

            Now we have a new movie he’s producing which instantly got my attention when I first saw the teaser trailer in theaters in front of Sinners. The film seemed like Whiplash except for football and somehow even more nightmarish, I had to know what this movie was all about after seeing the trailers and ads for it constantly. 

            Well, now that I’ve seen the film and after all the hype, Him is pretty disappointing sadly despite the talents in front of and behind the camera. The movie’s not terrible and I saw aspects of a great, clever movie in here, but coming off of other horror films released this year like Sinners, Weapons, and Together which did crazy things and elevated the genre, this was a big fumble, pun intended. 

            The film follows Cameron “Cam” Cade (Tyriq Withers-The Game, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead(2024), I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)), a young football player destined for greatness until an attack by an obsessed fan threatened to end his career before it even started. Just when all hope is lost, his idol and legendary quarterback, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans-Scary Movie franchise, White Chicks, Air) invites Cam to train at his isolated, private compound. 

            But what starts off as the ultimate childhood dream descends into a nightmare as Cam must ask himself “What is he willing to sacrifice?”. 

            The film also stars Julia Fox (Uncut Gems, No Sudden Move, Presence) as Elsie White, Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Bridesmaids, Us) as Tom, Jim Jefferies (Legit, The Jim Jefferies Show, The 1% Club) as Marco, Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story) as Marjorie, GiGi Erneta (Veronica Mars, Roswell, New Mexico, Love and Death) as Ayn, and Norman Towns (The Gambler, Insecure) as Willis. 

            Overall, Him certainly has a lot going for it and there are some genuinely creepy and unsettling scenes, but the film’s stilted execution makes it never truly live up to its full potential. During its production, I’m convinced the idea was much scarier and cleverer in concept, but in the finished product, it seems off. 

            The biggest problem is that I don’t know what the film is trying to say, getting drafted in football is like a satanic ritual? Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about football (or sports in general) so I might be missing something about this, but because of this half-baked supernatural element, it took me out of the film unfortunately. 

            Compared to 2019’s Ready or Not which also had a satanic ritual, it was a lot smarter and much more entertaining because it was better developed and you got what they were trying to say, a social satire on the wealthy and privileged. Had Him managed to do something like that with football and had the wit and intrigue of that film, maybe we could have had something here. 

            I personally felt it would have worked much better as a psychological thriller that shows how far someone would go to be the best at football. A psychological dive into madness over a sport with an unhinged mentor that has intense methods, keep the supernatural stuff out of this. 

            Marlon Wayans to his credit is excellent and hands down the best part of the movie, a rare departure from comedy for him as he creates this unhinged and frightening mentor character whose methods of training this young player could even make J.K. Simmons from Whiplash go “Jesus Christ, you’re going too far!”. While I may not have enjoyed the film all that much, I loved it when he was onscreen. 

            Honestly, everybody gives their all in this movie, but the material doesn’t really give them much to work with. I commend the cast for trying to make something out of this. 

            There are some creepy and disturbing imagery in this movie though it’s mostly just intense shots of needles, body parts/organs, and x-rays of skeletons. Actually, the sequence where Withers slams into another player and you see their skulls crash together; it reminded me a lot of a Mortal Kombat game so that was kind of neat to see (And hear, I saw the movie on IMAX). 

            Him seems like a movie that was heavily trimmed down in editing or Justin Tipping got too carried away with his vision because there are sparks of a clever and frightening film in here, but the film doesn’t do much with its premise. This is easily the biggest letdown of 2025 for me because the trailers did such a good job at making me intrigued and horrified by what I would experience, turns out I got a movie where I didn’t know what to feel at the end and not in a great way compared to other horror films. 

            It did, however, give me my favorite line of 2025 “Cock a Doodle Doo, Motherfucker!”. That and Marlon Wayans going crazy, those were the best things in this competent but misguided horror flick.

The Long Walk review

THE LONG WALK: 

FRANCIS LAWRENCE CRAFTS ONE OF THE BEST STEPHEN KING ADAPTATIONS SINCE…THE LIFE OF CHUCK EARLIER THIS YEAR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

LIONSGATE

It’s walk or die in The Long Walk

 

            The most intense, anxiety-filled walk since Joseph Gordon-Levitt walked across the Twin Towers in 2015’s The Walk begins in The Long Walk, the new film from director Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend, The Hunger Games franchise) and based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. I’ve never read the book before so I don’t know how faithful this film is to it, but the movie certainly caught my interest when I first saw the trailer which seemed like a mix of Stand by Me, Squid Game, and The Hunger Games (Which is fitting given the director of this movie). 

            Of course, I jumped into the new Demon Slayer movie and Spinal Tap sequel first, but as soon as those films were watched and reviewed, The Long Walk was next on my agenda and…Wow! This is a really damn good movie and easily Francis Lawrence’s best film since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013 that also stands among the best Stephen King adaptations. 

            I was on the edge of my seat, invested, exhilarated, and captivated during my viewing, it managed to make a group of people walking non-stop the most tension-filled thing on the planet. To put it bluntly, it completely surpassed my expectations and I already thought the movie looked solid from the advertisements. 

            The film is set in a dystopian future where 50 randomly chosen teenage boys participate in an event known as the Long Walk. The boys are given water and rations and must walk without stopping along a preset route while being escorted by soldiers, if one of them stops for anything they are executed onsite. 

            So, Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman-Licorice Pizza, Saturday Night) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson-Industry, Alien: Romulus) and some new friends they made will need to walk to survive while asking themselves “How far would they go?”. 

            The film also stars Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise, Batman: The Animated Series, Kingsman: The Secret Service) as The Major, Garrett Wareing (Boychoir, Independence Day: Resurgence, Perfect) as Billy Stebbins, Tut Nyuot (The Dumping Ground, Hetty Feather) as Arthur Baker, Charlie Plummer (All the Money in the World, Dark Was the Night, Moonfall) as Gary Barkovitch, Ben Wang (Mean Girls (2024), Karate Kid: Legends, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping) as Hank Olson, Joshua Odjick (Wildhood, It: Welcome to Derry, Frontier Crucible) as Collie Parker, Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit, Silent Night, The King of Kings) as Thomas Curley, Judy Greer (Jurassic World, Ant-Man 1 and 2, Halloween (2018) trilogy) as Ray’s mother Ginnie Garraty, and Josh Hamilton (Manchester by the Sea, Eighth Grade, Maestro) as Ray’s late father William Garraty. 

            Overall, The Long Walk is an adrenaline pumping, shocking, and suspenseful big screen experience with a gripping story, strong emotional drama, and very compelling characters to anchor this walk. This honestly felt like how I’d imagine a Hunger Games movie had it gotten an R rating where instead of it being dazzling and glamorous despite the circumstances, it’s hardcore and gritty which adds to the tension of the situation. 

            You will see these young boys die in horrific ways throughout the course of this movie and every time one of them barely avoids getting killed, you just feel this collective sigh of relief in the theater. It helps because the film makes the characters very likable even those who fall under the classic Stephen King tropes are still endearing in their own rights. 

            Cooper Hoffman is great as this young man who lost his father at the hands of The Major and participates in the Long Walk in order to obtain the cash reward for his mother and use his wish to kill The Major for shooting his dad. He is essentially the protagonist we follow throughout the movie, but there is a twist about him towards the end I dare not give away. 

            Aside from Alien: Romulus, I haven’t seen David Jonsson in many things, but he was also a standout as Ray’s friend during the Long Walk, he has great chemistry with Hoffman and adds a lot of emotional weight to the film, a great friend character who you don’t want to see bite the dust and have a bullet put in his head by the end. 

            Even the Stephen King bully characters, most notably Charlie Plummer is made interesting here who of course, starts off like a jackass, but over the course of the film you see that he is going through some mental health issues and expresses guilt over things he does during the early parts of the movie. The bullies from It (2017) are fun in how over-the-top they were, but in terms of making you give a shit about these types of characters, Long Walk wins by a mile, no pun intended! 

            Mark Hamill is a lot of fun as this scenery-chewing Major who’s in charge of the whole thing, classic over-the-top antagonist who’s in power and loves the horrible things he does. The kind of person you want to see get a bullet put in his head, but Hamill is having a ball onscreen.

            It’s a very simple premise, but very effective and gripping and I appreciate that the movie doesn’t try to exposition dump the origins of the Long Walk or long scenes with characters explaining their motives. No, you’re just put into this situation, you quickly understand everything you need to know about it, and the characters give their motives and reasons through conversations during the walk. 

            I’m grateful the film doesn’t waste time nor does it drag, everything is perfectly paced, the energy and momentum is kept throughout the runtime, and you care about the people walking in some shape or form. I loved the new Demon Slayer that came out and it’s easily the big money-maker from this past weekend, but even that movie had moments where it dragged plus it was significantly longer than this. 

            Holy shit, The Long Walk is such a good movie and one of my new favorite Stephen King film adaptations. It’s an exhilarating, brutal movie that gets your blood pumping and is fueled on anxiety, add in some compelling characters and solid drama and you got yourself a truly remarkable survival thriller that you won’t soon forget. 

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues review

SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES: 

SPINAL TAP’S OUTRAGEOUS AND ROCKING REUNION! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

BLEECKER STREET FILMS

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

 

            The fictional heavy metal rock band, Spinal Tap makes their long overdue comeback in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the long awaited follow-up to the 1984 rock mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. What can be said about the original Spinal Tap that hasn’t been said already? It’s a comedy classic that’s incredibly quotable and an early examples of a film showing the world of music and rock n roll from a humorous point of view. 

You can definitely see the impact that film had as it inspired other rock-themed comedies like Detroit Rock Cityand Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny and much of its iconic lines are still being quoted today. Now over 40 years later, we have a sequel with Christopher Guest (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration), Michael McKean (The Big Picture, A Mighty Wind, Better Call Saul), and Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, Wayne’s World 2, For Your Consideration) reprising their roles as Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls and Rob Reiner (Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men) returning to direct. 

            I was interested in the sequel when it was announced, the first movie is hilarious and 2025 has been the year for beloved comedy comebacks such as the case with the Happy Gilmore sequel and the new Naked Gun recently. While I can’t say it lives up to its predecessor, I found Spinal Tap II very funny and a solid way to spend 83 minutes, rocking out and laughing to the British rock band that doesn’t actually exist. 

            The film is set 41 years after the first and follows documentarian, Marty DiBergi (Reiner) creating another documentary video chronicling the reunion and final show of the legendary rock band, Spinal Tap. Nigel, David, and Derek have long since gone their separate ways with Nigel now running a combination cheese and guitar shop, David is a composer for a true crime podcast, and for some bizarre reason, Derek runs a glue museum. 

            But Marty gets the band back together along with a new drummer, Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco in her feature film debut) and new keyboard player, Caucasian Jeff (Played by film composer, C.J. Vanston who worked with Guest on various projects; replacing the late David Kaff from the first) with the help of Hope Faith (Kerry Goodliman-Mascots, We Live in Time), the daughter of their original manager, Ian Faith (Who was played by the late Tony Hendra in the first film) and promoter, Simon Howler (Chris Addison-The Thick of It, Lab Rats, The Hustle) to hopefully recapture the “Magic” that Spinal Tap once had and go out with a bang in a truly epic final performance. What could possibly go wrong? 

             The film also stars Fran Drescher (The Big Picture, The Nanny, Hotel Transylvania franchise) reprising her role as Bobbi Flekman, Paul Shaffer (Late Night/Show with David Letterman, Scrooged, Hercules) reprising his role as Artie Fufkin, and Kathreen Khavari (Avengers Assemble, Mascots, Transformers: EarthSpark) as Yasmine Farangi; and features appearances by Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Questlove, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, and Elton John. 

            Overall, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues probably won’t become a new comedy classic like its predecessor, but those looking for laughs, rock, and/or a nostalgic reunion with some old friends need not be disappointed. Granted, there isn’t much of a story this time as it’s mostly a collection of scenes involving the band members interacting with people, showing off their equipment, getting into wacky shenanigans, and sometimes getting at each other’s throats in very comedic ways. 

            In that way, the first movie is stronger from a storytelling perspective because while it can feel episodic at times, there was still an overarching plot tying everything together. This one focuses more on the laughs than the story which you could say cheapens it, but Guest, McKean, and Shearer have such great comedic chemistry and are so incredibly funny to listen to that I don’t care. 

            Despite them being much older than they were in 1984, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer still got it when it comes to delivering laughs and rocking out (Sometimes simultaneously). A lot of the film’s fun is listening to their banter and hearing them say funny things with one of the best bits being when their promoter asks them what their legacy should be and how they should be remembered if one of them was to accidentally get killed onstage which somehow made a genuinely tragic thing to happen in the music industry hilarious. 

            To an extent, I do agree with YouTuber and critic, Dan Murrell about some of the best jokes being from the end credits outtakes and would have liked seeing those actually in the film instead because they made me laugh hard. The movie also kind of pulls an Aqua Teen Hunger Force and ends abruptly albeit on a very funny note, but I was not expecting the end credits to start rolling immediately after that, a feeling I haven’t felt since the ending of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie from 2007. 

            Despite its shortcomings, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is an enjoyable watch especially if you’re a fan of the first movie. It really just gives audiences more of what they loved about it while still somewhat progressing the story along even if its main focus is on jokes, but it’s still done well and the three actors and Reiner are hilarious. 

            It probably won’t leave you begging for an encore, but you’ll get a cozy, laugh-filled, and rocking 83 minutes out of it. Also, IMAX makes this movie go up to 11 in terms of sound so take advantage of that if you can. 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle review

DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE MOVIE: INFINITY CASTLE: 

SECOND DEMON SLAYER MOVIE IS AN ACTION-PACKED AND EMOTION-FUELED ROLLERCOASTER! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

CRUNCHYROLL

Tanjiro and Giyu in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle

 

            The epic final showdown between the Demon Slayer Corps and the wicked, Muzan Kibutsuji begins in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle, the second feature film based on the enormously popular Japanese anime, Demon Slayer. I really like the Demon Slayer anime though I wouldn’t call myself a mega fan like a lot of other people (My name is not Devin and I don’t watch every single anime available on Crunchyroll!).

            Actually, my very first exposure to Demon Slayer was the previous theatrical film released in 2020/2021, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train which did a solid job filling me in on who the Demon Slayers are, how its world works, and what the lore is like. Granted, it didn’t tell/show me everything about it and I recall being lost a few times during my first viewing, but I picked up the Blu-Rays sometime after seeing the movie, binged the series, and now it all made sense to me and I finally understood the impact the franchise had. 

            After various story arcs following the Mugen Train movie with some even premiering in theaters like the Swordsmith Village and Hashira Training Arcs, we finally have the first chapter of the three-part finale movie, Infinity Castle. I never did a full review for Mugen Train when I initially saw it, but now that I am familiar with Demon Slayerand watched the entire thing, I’m going to do it for Infinity Castle and My God! 

            This is a gorgeous film and the animation looks incredible on the big screen, but wow, this movie throws a lot at you to the point where I’m still mentally processing certain details as we speak. It’s a movie that’s clearly made for the fans (Hehe, “For the Fans” and I’m talking about another animated feature about demon hunting!) and there isn’t much here for the uninitiated, but I can see a casual moviegoer being mesmerized by the film’s animation and art style especially when a character does an attack onscreen. 

            The film is set immediately after the events of the Hashira Training Arc and follows Tanjiro (voiced by Zach Aguilar-One-Punch Man, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, The Seven Deadly Sins) and several other members and Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps being plunged into a mysterious realm known as the Infinity Castle by the sinister demon leader, Muzan Kibutsuji (voiced by Greg Chun-Naruto: Shippuden, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sword Art Online). The Infinity Castle is home to the strongest and most ferocious demons imaginable and thus Tanjiro, his comrades Zenitsu (voiced by Aleks Le-The Misfit of Demon King Academy, DanDanDan, Ne Zha II) and Inosuke (voiced by Bryce Papenbrook-Blue Exorcist, Attack on Titan, Sonic the Hedgehog franchise), his half-demon sister Nezuko (voiced by Abby Trott-Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shaman King, Suzume), and the rest of the Demon Slayer Corps must fight their way through the demons and set the battleground for a glorious final battle. 

            The film also features the voices of Brianna Knickerbocker (Re:Zero, The Promised Neverland, Shaman King) as Kanao, Zeno Robinson (Pokémon Journeys: The Series, My Hero Academia, Digimon Adventure) as Genya, Johnny Young Bosch (Akira, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Bleach) as Giyu, Ray Chase (Hunter x Hunter, Final Fantasy XV, Dragon Ball Super) as Tengen, Griffin Burns (Hunter x Hunter, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Berserk) as Muichiro Tokito, Erika Harlacher (Sword Art Online, The Seven Deadly Sins, Hunter x Hunter) as Shinobu, Erik Scott Kimerer (The Seven Deadly Sins, One-Punch Man, Sailor Moon: SuperS) as Obanai Iguro, Kaiji Tang (Berserk, Jujutsu Kaisen, The Apothecary Diaries) as Sanemi, Kira Buckland (Blue Exorcist, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Sailor Moon) as Mitsuri Kanroji, Crispin Freeman (Slayers, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Naruto) as Gyomei, Stephen Fu (Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Revenger) as Doma, Lucien Dodge (Bleach, Little Witch Academia, Sailor Moon) as Akaza, Alejandro Saab (Fairy Tail Zero, Tokyo Ghoul:re, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations) as Kaigaku, and Channing Tatum (21/22 Jump Street, Magic Mike trilogy, Deadpool & Wolverine) as Keizo. 

            Overall, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is another visually dazzling, action-packed, and emotion heavy adventure with Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps that fans of the anime will surely love. The movie looks and sounds great; I saw it in IMAX and was blown away just by seeing hand-drawn animation (Albeit with some uses of CGI here and there) on that giant screen which is so rare nowadays. 

            The animation is about the same level of quality as the series (Which is absolutely stunning), but seeing Tanjiro and the other Demon Slayers slicing demons and using their flashy attacks looks incredible on the big screen and leaves you on the edge of your seat every time they do it. On top of that, the sound design also makes the hits extra crunchy and gooey sounding with tons of blood spurting out of the demons, you feel the impacts every time a demon or slayer strikes a hit. 

            The movie constantly jumps around between characters which causes some pacing issues in this 2 and a half hour animated film. However, this leads to one thing I actually enjoyed about this movie over Mugen Train, just about every character is prominent in the story and given moments to shine. 

            You got the usually compassionate, Shinobu going savage on a demon that murdered her older sister, a partnership between Tanjiro and Giyu as they fight Upper Rank Three Akaza, and a legitimately adorable team-up of the bubbly, Mitsuri and the stoic, Obanai. But the one that really surprised me was a genuinely poignant and heartbreaking subplot involving Zenitsu (Who I initially thought was grating and obnoxious when I first started Demon Slayer) confronting his former senior Kaigaku who became the new Upper Rank Six demon and we see the events leading up to their master taking his own life which made me feel sorry for a character I originally hated. 

            Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is a fantastic start to one Hell of a finale and if you’re a fan of the Demon Slayeranime…then you’re already watching it. Hell, you’ve probably already seen it by the time this review goes up and you bet your ass I’ll be in the theater for the next two chapters when they come out.