A Quiet Place: Day One

 You know, I promised you three sports anime movies at the beginning of the month. But something happened yesterday on the way to the third, Blue Lock: Episode Nagi. I headed off to the bus for an 11:30 show. On the way there, I discovered that the theatre changed the showtimes without warning. The earliest showtime now, according to the schedule, was 2:00. So, no to waiting nearly three hours for a movie ...

SHUT UP, STUPID! DO YOU WANT US TO GET KILLED---

(ROAR)!

(SLICE)!

And instead, I find myself straight in A Quiet Place: Day One. Here, we go back to the start of the invasion of The Death Angels, those pesky blind aliens that kill everything that makes noise, for another masterful showcase in sound design. What else does it have?

After two films with the Abbotts in Upstate New York, this prequel takes us to NYC itself, where we find Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) and her cat, Frodo. Sam, a published poet, lives in hospice with terminal cancer. A hospice worker, Reuben (Alex Wolff), takes her and a few patients on a field trip to a puppet show. That's when the Death Angels show up and wreck everyone's day. 

As military helicopters guide survivors to the ferries - the Death Angels can't swim - Sam heads for Harlem for a slice at her favorite pizzeria before her cancer or the Death Angels kill her. Along the way, she's joined by Eric (Joseph Quinn), as her reluctant traveling companion. A silent walk in the world's loudest city shouldn't be a problem, right? Right?!

As I previously mentioned, director Michael Sarnoski takes over for John Krasinski, though both of them collaborated on the screen story. Sarnoski's actual screenplay is a simple quest that runs an adequate 99 minutes. It doesn't need to expand on the outside world as much as the previous films. Sam's pizza quest amidst the apocalypse may strike rather odd for some. But you'll understand her once you learn of her sentimental attachment to the place. She and Eric bond nicely throughout the film, using a rainstorm to mask even the slightest conversations and enjoying quiet card games at a jazz club. Frodo is delightfully cuddly, but I'm astounded at how level-headed he is compared to the humans

But even the film's least level-headed humans aren't infuriatingly stupid. In fact, some of them are pitiable, like a panicking guy at the puppet theater who gets accidentally permanently shushed by Henri (Djimon Hounsou's "Man on the Island" from Part II). There's a woman following a scene I'll describe later who's holding back a scream with all her might. You won't blame her if she didn't. Eric is a nervous wreck, which is partially why Sam is reluctant to let him join her. His narrow escape from a flooded subway, where we first see him, certainly doesn't help his nerves. He proves himself when he distracts the Death Angels with car vandalism, and later ventures for Sam's pain medicine. The biggest jerk is a store owner who reprimands Sam for bringing Frodo despite him having a cat. But that's still not enough to warrant death by Death Angel (I think he's dead. His store is later shown destroyed).

 As the opening states, New York has a noise level of 90 decibels, and we get nearly fifteen minutes of its hustle and bustle before the invasion starts. We then get audible highlights such as stampeding Death Angels, an inconvenient power generator, and several jump scares. Its most striking moment is the collective silent noise of several hundred survivors, which adds up to adequate Death Angel bait. That's the scene I alluded to in the last paragraph. That ought to be the scene shown for the inevitable Sound Oscar Bakeoff. The puppet show is scored to stunningly elegant music by composer Alexis Grapsas, whose themes for the Death Angels perfectly sell us on their shear menace.

The Death Angels were already bad news in the first two films. The bad news keeps coming as they swarm all over the city; one swarm drops down to pursue Sam & Eric. When Eric and Frodo wind up at their nest, a construction site, we get glimpses of a bigger Death Angel. Yikes. Still, one of the film's most satisfying moments is seeing one realize too late that it can't swim. The visual effects for the monsters are impressive, as is the production design for post-apocalyptic New York. There was an excessively shaking stationary shot in the second half, but not even that is enough to downgrade Pat Scola's stunning cinematography. Suffice to say, this is a movie as visually impressive as it is audibly impressive.

If anything, A Quiet Place: Day One amplifies the anticipation for next year's Part III. I mean, how will the Abbotts deal with that giant Death Angel, if it or another like it, shows up? I guess we'll have to find out. In the meantime, you can find out how these humans and cat deal with the alien apocalypse. I'm sure you can find it in a theatre near you, unlike Blue Lock. Just don't make a sound.

The First Slam Dunk

 You know, I was looking forward to reviewing The First Slam Dunk when it debuted last July. But it never played near me at all. You'd think that an anime basketball movie would be an easy sell. But no, it only played in less than 600 theatres nationwide. It finally made it to home media yesterday. It's game day.

This is far from the first movie based on the definitive basketball manga. It is, however, the directorial debut of series creator Takehiko Inoue, who picks up where Toei's 1990s anime left off. Like Haikyu, the film revolves around the manga's volume spanning climactic game. There's the central team, Shohoku High, and their opponents, Sannoh High. Unlike Haikyu, you don't need to go in knowing the story thus far. It brings us up to speed with pivotal flashbacks for the Shohoku guys.

Ryota Miyagi (dubbed in English by Paul Castro Jr.), Shohoku's point guard, is also the film's main focus. It opens with him losing his father, and later, his basketball ace brother Sota, in quick succession. The double-loss strains Ryota's relationship with his mother, particularly in a tough scene where she catches him looking through Sota's mementos. He takes to the basketball court, even as scouts tell him he can never replace Sota. With him, we're all pumped to see the guys prove themselves on the court, but him especially. 

Let's see who else is on the team. There's Hisashi Mitsui (Jonah Scott), an ex-thug who got into a brutal altercation with Ryota early in the manga. His redemption arc is compelling, particularly when he visits Ryota in the hospital after a motorcycle crash. The team's big guy, Takenori Akagi (Aaron Goodson), deals with lingering self-doubt, embodied at one point by an annoying devil (long story). Kaede Rukawa (Aleks Le), the team's bad boy, takes the game pretty personally. Ayako (Kelsey Jaffar), the team's manager, bonds nicely with Ryota during nighttime practice. You'll get to know these characters rather well even if you haven't lived with Slam Dunk your whole life. 

The team's biggest personality belongs to the franchise's regular protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi (Ben Balmaceda). He frequently proclaims himself a genius, and he lives up to that on the court. Even his accidentally deflecting the ball with his face is impressive. He may annoy his teammates, and he doesn't always respect his Coach Anzai's (Mike Pollock) fatherly advice, but you can tell there's mutual respect between them all. He doesn't even let a crippling injury stop him, even as everyone else wants him to hit the bench. He might not be the film's central focus, but you'll never forget Hanamichi Sakuragi once he gets onto the court.

You also won't forget the basketball action. The cel-shaded motion capture for the players is a bit too fluid at times, but you'll still be on edge as Shohoku and Sannoh face off. I never really watch basketball, but I was glued to the screen when time slowed down during the game's last nine seconds. I'm certain you will be too. Inoue's editor Ryuichi Takita sustains the excitement rather well down to the last decisecond. Surprisingly, the cel-shaded motion capture blends rather well with the 2D animation used off the court. I didn't notice the different styles until I took a second look. The art directors stated they wanted to make it look like a moving manga, and I think they succeeded in replicating Inoue's style.

My only real gripe is that the Sannoh guys didn't have much personality. I still liked their coach's gracious pep talk at the end. All in all, The First Slam Dunk is a stellar anime sports film, and I'm pretty pleased it finally became available to watch. I had to update my Fandango at Home/Vudu account to watch it, and it was worth it. This is a film that welcomes, not confounds, potential new fans with its compelling drama on both sides of the court. I think you'll be impressed too once you press play. Game on.

The Bikeriders

Elio doesn't come out until this time next year, so how about we look at another film the recent Hollywood Strikes messed up? The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols's ode to outlaw motorcycle culture, actually swapped studios during the Hollywood Strikes, going from 20th Century Studios to Focus Features. Let's finally see how it is.

The film is named after a photobook by Danny Lyon, which chronicled a few years in the lives of the Outlaws MC motorcycle club, who are represented as The Vandals. Lyon, played here by Mike Faist, spends the movie interviewing Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer), the wife of Vandal Benny (Austin Butler). She narrates how she met Benny at a bar and married him five weeks later. She's introduced to his Vandal buddies, particularly their leader Johnny (Tom Hardy), who seem like a cool bunch. But Kathy soon realizes the Vandal lifestyle isn't for her and she wants to take Benny out of it. It gets worse when a few new members turn the Vandals truly Outlaw.

Much like Lyon, whose photos populate the end credits, Nichols spends much of the film chronicling The Vandals' lives. The Vandals' ranks also include Johnny's right-hand Brucie (Damon Herriman), the goofy duo Corky & Wahoo (Karl Glusman & Beau Knapp), the quiet Zipco (Michael Shannon), the aptly named Funny Sunny (Norman Reedus), and the bug-eating Cockroach (Emory Cohen). They pal around at bars, picnics & parties. They mourn the surprisingly sudden death of one of their own. They even give the law some trouble. We see how Johnny founded The Vandals, initially a racing club, after he caught The Wild One on TV. It all makes for an interesting chronicle of these outlaws' daily lives. 

Johnny is a cool guy devoted to his fellow bikers and outsiders alike. He's quite welcoming to Kathy, whom he even saves from some brutish Vandals, while he's affable to rivals for his leadership. He also has a truly scary temper. When Benny gets into a near-fatal bar fight, which opens the film, he gets the bartender to give him the assailants' names AND burns down the bar. He also doesn't take Cockroach's plans to leave The Vandals rather well. He's still sympathetic enough that you'll cry foul when the ending kicks in. A major supporting character is an unnamed "kid" (Toby Wallace), a scrappy wannabe biker who's introduced defending his mother from his abusive father. That's really the only nice thing he does. And yes, he factors in the ending.

Now for the other leads. Jody Comer's Midwestern accent as Kathy is a little much, but you start minding it less as the film goes on. Her emotional range is very believable; you'll feel her sadness when she tells Lyon "I thought I could change (Benny), ya know?" She has great chemistry with Butler, though they have little screentime together in the framing device. Butler as Benny is very much a typical brooding bad boy. He perfectly shows off his stubborn tenacity during the bar fight and a high-speed police chase. He rarely gets emotional, but you'll feel it when he finally breaks down. Faist, meanwhile, barely does much as Lyon other than interview Kathy. His time with The Vandals is dramatized in about one scene.

There's a good technical crew riding with Nichols and The Vandals. Let's begin with the fatal accident involving a Vandal. We see him riding around until a Cadillac suddenly pulls back. It cuts to the Vandals discussing the accident, and then, we see the fatal impact, a great touch by editor Julie Monroe. The sound team add a few more devastating aural punches the few times guns get involved. Cinematographer Adam Stone presents us an impressive travelogue of small-town America, especially when we see legions of bikers ride down its highways. The soundtrack, whether David Wingo's score or the oldies, is a good one.

If your only frame of reference on outlaw motorcycle culture is Easy Rider, which gets mentioned here, then The Bikeriders might help broaden your horizons. I think it's worth watching just for the great ensemble and technical work. It's a bit slow, and there are a few plot points I wished were elaborated on-screen. But overall, it's a good weekend ride. Prepare to be blown away if you catch the trailer for Nosferatu, though. You'll bet I'll cover it for Christmas. 

Inside Out 2

Who wants to go on another mind trip? I've seen the box-office results, so I know a lot of you have said yes. Those who haven't yet are in for a good time with Pixar's personified emotions. Let's get into Inside Out 2 and you might see what I mean.

Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman, tagging in for Kaitlyn Dias) and her personified emotions - Joy, Sadness, Anger (Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith & Lewis Black), Fear and Disgust (Tony Hale & Liza Lapira, tagging in for Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling, respectively) - are celebrating her thirteenth birthday. The emotions keep Riley's sense of self, represented by a crystal ball, while they throw away bad memories in the darkest depths of her mind. Riley and her besties, Bree and Grace (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green & Grace Lu), head off to summer hockey camp to qualify for the big shot varsity team, the Firehawks. Easy, right? Of course not.

Riley's "puberty alarm" goes off the night before camp, and the emotions soon discover that their slightest influences cause her to overreact. They find themselves sharing their headquarters with four new emotions: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edeberi), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Anxiety takes over the Riley operation after Riley discovers that her besties are moving away. Anxiety and the others create a new "cautious" sense of self for Riley, discards the old one, and literally bottles up their predecessors. Their improvements overwhelm Riley, so it's up to the regular emotions to take back control before it's too late.

This marks the feature debut of director Kelsey Mann, a story supervisor since Monsters University, who also co-wrote the film with Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein. Their journey into Riley's mind is just as memorable as the first film's journey. Their new mental gags, which include a "brainstorm" of raining lightbulbs and a "sar-chasm," are visually and verbally clever.  A few new mental characters, the brooding bad boy parody Lance Slashblade (Yong Yea), and the over saccharine cartoon duo of Bloofy and Pouchy (Ron Funches and James Austin Johnson) are quite amusing. That's all well and good for the mental world, but what about the real world?

Riley gets a strong storyline as she deals with her fluctuating emotions. It's quite moving when we see her memory of meeting Grace and Bree, and that friendship remains compelling even as it gets tested. She gravitates towards Firehawk captain Val Ortiz (Lilimar) and tries her best to look cool with her. Val is already pretty friendly, so it stings knowing how much of her (and Anxiety's) effort is unnecessary. It's quite the betrayal when Riley disses her and her besties' favorite band in front of them. While Riley's mood swings can get amusing, nobody's laughing when Anxiety's influence causes her to have a prolonged panic attack. The inevitable reconciliation is just as moving as that flashback. You'll just have to see what I mean.

Anxiety maybe the ostensible villain, but even she's sympathetic as she starts fretting over the future. Still, a few of her bad thoughts are morbidly hilarious, as is the film's representation of her bad idea center. Riley's panic attack is caused by Anxiety working the controls so fast she causes a cyclone. That scene is as impressive as it is scary. You'll also be moved when Joy gets Anxiety out of her own panic attack. Anxiety's Muppet-like visage is the cuddliest of the already appealing character designs and rendering for the new emotions. 

What else about the other emotions? Joy is still the same embodiment of happiness - even under pressure - that she was in the first film. Sadness's odd friendship with Embarrassment is a rather nice one. Envy's childlike personality is a unique characterization for her emotion (she's not even the least bit mean). Anger's temper maybe funny, but you'll be amazed by his bits of compassion. Fear, Disgust and Ennui are just there, though Ennui's droll line deliveries are fun to listen to. Did I mention there's a fifth new emotion? That would be Nostalgia (June Squibb), whose brief cameos are oddly amusing comic relief. 

Let's not forget the score, whether it's Michael Giacchino's returning themes, or the new material by Andrea Datzman, to guide us through the good and bad times. There's plenty of each I've had to leave out of this review. Just watch Inside Out 2 as soon as you can, and you'll get the rest. You won't be disappointed by what Pixar has conjured up this time. I'm disappointed, however, that their next film, Ellio, has been stranded in space for another year, but that's for that review. Onwards to the next one.

Ultraman: Rising

Welcome back, Ultraman.

How does Japan's biggest superhero follow up his biggest cinematic makeover ever? How about a Netflix movie? Ultraman: Rising is neither his first animated-film, his first American-produced film, or even his first Netflix adventure. It is, however, a good film for next Father's Day. Don't ask me why I'm two days late for this year. Let's just go.

Kenji Sato (Christopher Sean) has the biggest ego in all of baseball. He is also Ultraman, the reluctant successor to his father, Professor Hayao (Gedde Watanabe). Kenji returns to Japan, not just to play for the Yomiuri Giants, but to fight Kaiju as an actual giant. His showboating gets him into trouble with civilians and the Kaiju Defense Force headed by Dr. Onda (Keone Young). One night, Kenji's game is disrupted by Gigantron, the dragon Kaiju that sidelined his father. He knocks it out cold and retrieves a package the KDF were carrying.

That package is Gigantron's egg, which hatches into a giant chick. Emi, as she is eventually called, imprints on Ultraman. Kenji and his AI, Mina (Tamlyn Tomita), now have to raise a baby several times bigger than them. Hilarity ensues. But after Kenji starts striking out, he reaches out to his father, as well as sportswriter and single mom Ami Wakita (Julia Harriman), for some help. He's going to need a lot of help when the KDF close in.

Maybe I should get some gripes out of the way. Actually, they can all be traced to imperfect worldbuilding. How did Hayao, and then Kenji, get their Ultraman powers? The film doesn't bother answering that question. A major subplot involves the disappearance of Kenji's mom, Emiko (also Tomita). The film doesn't explain how she vanished, but the mid-credits sequel bait hints at an answer. Hayao later calls Gigantron "the most magnificent creature on Earth," when the most we see of them together is their one fight. I'd like to have known a bit more about that aspect of his Ultra career. These gripes, at most, knock half-a-star from this overall impressive film.

Early on, Kenji's coach tells him "It takes more than attitude to become a Giant." It's hilariously ironic given his secret identity, and thus, the film's most memorable line. It also defines Kenji as we soon see, beneath his towering ego, an insecure guy beneath it. That insecurity makes it a bit understandable when he ditches his first fight without subduing the Kaiju first. He quickly improves once he becomes Emi's new dad, and the film gets plenty of laughs and sweetness as he cares for his big baby. His relationships with his father, Mina and Ami also help improve his audience appeal. You'll certainly feel something when Ultraman and Ultradad team-up to use their signature Spacium Beam against Dr. Onda's giant robot.

Kenji is also given a great villain in Dr. Onda. Onda is quite sympathetic given he lost his family in a Kaiju attack. He's a well-intentioned extremist, emphasis on extreme, but he does have some decency. When his plans go awry in the climax, he has his subordinates abandon ship, leaving himself to face the consequences alone. But a nasty surprise for Ultraman certainly tests that audience appeal. Still, that moral complexity makes him one of the most memorable animated villains in years.

It's no surprise that the animation is spectacular, given that it was done by no-less than Industrial Light and Magic. We get a great rendition of futuristic Tokyo - as vibrant as the present city but with forcefields for Kaiju attacks - and stunning starlit skies when Ultraman bonds with Emi. Emi is the cuddliest "little" Kaiju you'll ever see, while Ultraman's new design is certainly interesting. The visual effects emphasizing major blows and Kenji's rising emotions are as impressive as Ultraman's various powers. On an aural level, the sound effects pop as bullets fly, monsters roar and laser beams fire. Scot Stafford's score gives us a great heroic theme for the opening, while Gigantron's theme perfectly sells us on its perceived menace. Overall, its technical prowess is beyond Ultra.

I sure hope that it gets the sequel it wants. Ultraman: Rising isn't a perfect starting point for the Ultra series - Shin Ultraman does that better - but it has an appealing central story. You don't need to have kids to be moved by its unconventional family tale. If that doesn't appeal to you, then its heroic battle scenes might do it for you. It's ready for you to shuwatch on Netflix right now in either English or Japanese. Either option is just Ultra for this film. Next time, another animated film.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Yes, it's true. 

I never saw any of the Bad Boys movies, which means I stepped into the fourth installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, completely blind. Fortunately, I wasn't completely lost as I followed Miami's finest, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), for nearly two hours. At least it's not drowning in a sea of continuity (unlike some other sequels).

The film opens as the titular Bad Boys race to Mike's wedding to Christine (Melanie Liburd), his off-screen therapist during Bad Boys for Life (more on that later). Marcus has a heart attack on the dance floor, and in his near-death state, he gets a pep talk from the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano). He wakes up fully convinced of his immortality, even as his family and Mike try to get him on a diet. And then, the bad guys show up.

An evil Cartel enforcer, James McGrath (Eric Dane), frames Capt. Howard for corruption. Howard saw the posthumous slander coming, so he left Mike and Marcus a video message warning them about the real crooked cops. The Bad Boys immediately get on the case, which requires them to team-up with Mike's illegitimate son Armando (Jacob Scipio), who also happens to be the Cartel enforcer who personally gunned down Howard in the last movie. Unfortunately, McGrath sabotages their prison helicopter, frames them for the act, and even puts a bounty on them for Miami's gangs to fight over. Mike and Marcus have to rely on a few good cops to get out of this one.

Whether you've followed Mike and Marcus from the beginning, or are starting fresh here, you'll get a good time here. It's only natural that the titular Bad Boys are the biggest reasons why. Mike maybe annoyed with Marcus's sweet tooth, especially when it nearly gets him late to his wedding, but he's still crushed when Marcus has his heart attack. Mike saves Marcus from his overconfidence a few more times, particularly with an alligator in the finale. Mike gets the dramatic arc with his PTSD over Capt. Howard's death, while Marcus gets the funny stuff and a few motivational bits. You don't need to know much about their past adventures to understand their chemistry here.

Now, for the villains. In his backstory, McGrath was a DEA agent who broke under Cartel torture. Any chance for sympathy is thrown out the window in his first scene, in which he forces a guy to wire money into Howard's bank account and kills him & his mistress anyway. Who's that guy? Who cares, but that was low. He's a flat villain, but it's his sheer loathsomeness that makes him a memorable villain. It's even more memorable when Mike finally takes him down in the climax. His collaborator, a corrupt Mayoral candidate named Lockwood (Ioan Gruffudd), is a bit pathetic, but he's no less dangerous, as current Captain Rita (Paola Nunez) finds out (fortunately, she lives).

Now, for a few others. I know I haven't seen Bad Boys for Life, but as I researched its plot, I wonder why Christine wasn't introduced then. This is literally the first time anyone has seen her. She's fine here, but her "remember the new guy" introduction is a bit odd. Marcus's family includes several established characters, one of whom, Marcus's wife Theresa, is actually a recast (going from Theresa Randle to Tasha Smith). Dennis Greene, returning as Marcus's son-in-law Reggie, gets his moment to shine when he takes down some of McGrath's goons. Armando is a compelling reformed villain and is quite funny when he plays straight man to Mike and Marcus. Rhea Seehorn and Quinn Hemphill are fine as Howard's U.S. Marshal daughter Judy, and her daughter Callie, respectively. I can go on, but I can't.

I'll instead go on about the technicals. There's some stunning cinematography of nighttime Miami by Robrecht Heyvaert, who also impresses with a perspective-flipping shot during the final battle. The production design by Jon Billington is also exquisite as it takes Mike and Marcus to plenty of impressive locales from a few neon nightclubs to a rundown alligator amusement park. There's some strong visual effects work here, whether it's the helicopter crash or especially Marcus in limbo. The effects team should be proud of what they did with the latter. The action & comedy are perfectly edited by Asaf Eisenberg & Dan Lebental, while Lorne Balfe's score and the sound design are impressive. If this was the panache directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (together, Adil & Bilall) brought to the Batgirl movie, then it makes that film's cancellation even dumber.

But let's talk about films we can see. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has likeable heroes, a hateable villain, and plenty of stellar action scenes. In other words, it's a basic summer blockbuster, and that's not a bad thing. What's especially great is how inviting it is to newcomers and established fans alike. I wouldn't mind seeing a fifth film if they choose to make one. But for now, let's set our sights on this summer's crop. That's it for now.

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle

Do you know what I haven't talked about? 

Sports Anime! I'll get to three sports anime movies this month if I'm lucky, with one of those being a film that I should have - and would have - discussed last July. But let's start this month with Haikyu! The Dumpster Battle, the first of a planned two-parter set to conclude four seasons of anime based on Haruichi Furudate's volleyball manga.

The film opens with series protagonist Shoyo Hinata meeting one of his major rivals, Kenma Kozume. A few seasons later, Shoyo and Kenma's schools, Karasuno High and Nekoma High, finally meet on the volleyball court. This is the titular "Dumpster Battle," a name which isn't properly explained here, but might have something to do with their schools' junkyard-dwelling namesakes (Karasuno - Crow; Nekoma - Cat). Whatever happens, both schools have agreed to no rematch. The film's 86-minutes pretty much revolve around this decisive battle.

It sounds like I'm leaving stuff out, but so does the film. It already expects you to know the story thus far; we get Shoyo meeting Kenma, and it goes straight into the start of the Dumpster Battle. It expects you to be familiar with the supporting characters watching the game (a few players have sisters leading their schools' cheerleaders). It expects you to be invested in the culmination of two teams' longstanding rivalry. All of this will surely resonate with long time devotees of the franchise. Everyone else, like me, might greet allusions to past events with an "um, OK."

Shoyo might be the series' MVP, but it's Kenma who gets the spotlight here. The film delves into his jaded personality, as well as his friendship with his team's captain, Tetsuro Kuroo. We see the keen strategist of the present match contrasted with the lazy gamer he used to be. He uses some impressive visual metaphors in his strategies; the funniest being for his defense against Shoyo. It's quite engaging to see Tetsuro spur Kenma into taking up volleyball in the first place. At least newcomers have these flashbacks for much-needed context to the franchise. Kenma's ultimate takeaway when all is said and done - volleyball isn't a life-or-death battle, but it's still fun - is a decent assessment of this film.

Anything else? You won't be disappointed if you came here just for volleyball. The Dumpster Battle gets it done. You'll have some fun as the guys strategize, execute team attacks and even taunt each other with "advice." Besides the metaphors, the film's most spectacular scene is a first-person POV shot in the finale. Its large cast is likable even if you have no idea who they are. A few names not lost in the shuffle include Karasuno's former coach, Ikkei Ukai, and Satori Tendo, a loopy guy whose team once played against Karasuno. There's also a strong score by Yuki Hayashi and Asami Tachibana to accentuate the action on and off the court.

So, what do I think of Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle? It's mostly harmless. It's decently entertaining for anyone who just wants some good anime volleyball action. But as the culmination of its long story, it's best to catch up with the manga and anime. Do that, and you might be caught up in time for the second movie, whose release date is currently unknown. But it might be soon considering that this is currently the second highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office. I'll just prepare for this month's movies in the meantime.