[ad_1]
The First Slam Dunk (PG, 124mins) Directed by Takehiko Inoue ****½
Who knew that a big-screen anime adaptation of a 30-year-old manga series would produce one of the most exciting and emotional sports movies in years?
One that has already taken out the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and become the fifth-highest grossing anime film of all-time. Yes, if you’ve always believed that Nippon feature-length cartoons simply consisted of boundary-pushing fantasies, dystopian futures or cute magical creatures, then this will shatter those illusions, while leaving you spellbound at its audacious storytelling and tension-filled drama.
For while writer-director Takehiko Inoue’s return to the characters he created for the beloved 31-volume series back in the first-half of the ‘90s follows a fairly well-worn Hollywood path of a group of underdogs taking on far more illustrious opponents, The First Slam Dunk is told with an intensity, focus, economy and audacity that’s truly engrossing.
At its heart, it’s the story of Ryota Miyagi. Eager to support their mother after their father’s death, Ryota’s big brother Sota promises to be the family’s “captain”, anointing Ryota as his “alternate”.
But while Ryota just wants his elder sibling to spend time with him on the basketball court, the responsibility of keeping their finances afloat means Sota has to brush him off to go fishing. That Ryota’s last words towards his brother are harsh, haunts him for some time after Sota fails to return from a day trip out to sea.
Supplied
At its heart, The First Slam Dunk is the story of troubled teen basketball sensation Ryota Miyagi.
In a world now without Sota, it’s only basketball that keeps him going. However, despite wearing the same shirt number – 7 – he finds Sota’s are big shoes to fill, both on – and off – the court, especially given that he’s small for a point guard.
Transferring to Shohoku High School when he, his mum and sister move to Kanagawa, Ryota finds a degree of success under the tutelage of coach Riki Takato.
As First Slam Dunk opens though, they might have finally met their match in the form of perennial champions Sannoh and their ace – Eiji Sawakita.
Yes, although the narrative fractures back and forth in time to fill in the backstories of Ryota and his colourful, disparate team-mates, the story essentially revolves around a single basketball clash that almost appears to play out in real-time. Inner-monologues mean we get to share in the players’ fears, doubts and hopes, while the sometimes heart-pounding action will keep you on the edge of your seat as Shohoku’s fortunes ebb and flow and both coaches switch tactics to try and nullify their opponent’s strengths.
To ensure the action never dulls, Inoue employs everything from split-screens to a rock soundtrack, even turning the sound off at one point to truly evocative, provocative effect.
Supplied
If you’ve always believed that Japanese anime simply consisted of boundary-pushing fantasies, dystopian futures or cute magical creatures, then The First Slam Dunk will shatter those illusions, while leaving you spellbound at its audacious storytelling and tension-filled drama.
Not afraid to point fun at the teen drama (“Is this an after-school special, this stuff actually happens?” Ryota queries when confronted by a group of bullies), First Slam Dunk is also a rare sports movie that captures the tensions and chaos of sometimes conflicting characters and personalities coming together as a team in a serious (and not just comedic) way (As one of the Shohoku players puts it, “we never were the best of friends, you all just piss me off”).
In Japanese with English subtitles, The First Slam Dunk begins screening in select cinemas from Thursday.
[ad_2]