The First Slam Dunk (2023)

The First Slam Dunk is an anime film based on the Slam Dunk manga series and is currently the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time.

The film is directed by the manga artist himself, Takehiko Inoue, and it's safe to say this is his directorial debut. The film bounces back and forth between the modern time where the players are in the championship and the backstory for each of the different players. This is a typical trope for anime audiences but something vastly different for American sports audiences. We're used to the team going through multiple games to get to the end. It's a breath of fresh air if you're not an anime fan.

I saw the dubbed even though the advertisement said it was subtitled in English. It was the only showing for the afternoon so I didn't complain. The main character is Ryota Miyagi a troubled youth point guard. He's not tall and has a tragic backstory. He's voiced by Paul Castro Jr. who you might remember from The Skeleton Twins, he also voices Freminet from Genshin Impact. Two other Genshin voice actors are in the film, David Cui Cui voices Idrisi, but in this film, he plays Toki Kuwata. Luis Bermudez voices Luocheng but in this film, he plays Takashima.

The animation is vastly different from the anime as it has really been brought into the modern era of stylized computer graphics. The story is really top-tier for a sports film and it has typical anime-isms which can throw you out of the film for a second. I would recommend this film to anime fans or sports enthusiasts. B+

Comments

We Bury The Dead (2026)

We Bury The Dead (2026) is a slow burn post apocalypse film centered on grief more than horror. Directed by Zak Hilditch , best known for smaller projects like 1922 and Rattlesnake , this is his first step into a larger American production. You can feel the restraint in the direction, sometimes to the film’s benefit and sometimes to its detriment. The pacing is deliberate, almost stubbornly so, and while the mood is consistent, it rarely escalates into anything memorable. Daisy Ridley , best known for Star Wars: The Force Awakens , carries the film as a woman searching for her missing husband who may or may not have turned into a zombie. Ridley is solid and emotionally grounded, doing the best she can with minimal dialogue and long stretches of quiet reflection. Her performance is never the problem. If anything, she is the primary reason the movie remains watchable. The supporting cast is where the film struggles. Nearly every side character is written as painfully one note, existi...

Anaconda (2025)

Anaconda (2025) is a reboot comedy of the 90s film, written and directed by Tom Gormican , who previously delivered the clever and self-aware The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent . Unfortunately, that lightning does not strike twice. The core problem is simple. The jokes do not land. If horror films are judged by scares per minute, then comedies should be judged by laughs per minute, and this one delivers virtually none. Any humor that works was already burned in the trailer, leaving the film feeling empty and painfully drawn out. Jack Black , known for School of Rock and Jumanji , leans heavily into his loud, chaotic persona, but here it becomes grating rather than charming. His performance feels unchecked and repetitive, as if volume alone is meant to substitute for comedy. Instead of elevating scenes, he often drains them of momentum. Paul Rudd , who audiences know from Ant-Man and I Love You, Man , somehow comes off just as irritating. Rudd is usually likable even in weak m...

The Housemaid (2025)

The Housemaid (2025) is directed by Paul Feig , best known for comedies like Bridesmaids and Freaks and Geeks , and the tonal clash is noticeable. Feig leans into slick presentation and surface-level tension, but the film never quite reconciles its thriller ambitions with its obvious messaging. As an adaptation, it feels safer and more predictable than it wants to be, especially given how clearly it telegraphs its twists. Sydney Sweeney , known for Euphoria and Anyone But You , plays a down-on-her-luck woman recently out on parole who is desperate for work. She does what she can with the role and brings some emotional weight early on, but the writing limits her range. Her character cycles through bashful and annoyed so often that it starts to feel repetitive rather than psychologically layered. Amanda Seyfried , recognizable from Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls , plays the wealthy woman whose life slowly unravels as the power dynamic flips. Seyfried is solid and more controlled than Sw...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog