I wasn't familiar with the manga/anime series that The First Slam Dunk was based on, and basketball is one of the least interesting sports to me (I kind of hate sports in general and find watching them boring for so many reasons). I'm not sure if the former was an obstacle for me enjoying this film, but I'm pretty sure the latter was. Still, if Lagaan got me to somehow care about cricket for nearly four hours, I thought this would be worth a shot.
I wasn't amazed with The First Slam Dunk like many are, but it was quite good. Its structure makes it stand out from most sports movies. It's really just about one match in the present, and then there are consistent flashbacks throughout that develop the characters and make the central game a little more interesting. My interest waned a little when I realised the whole movie would be about just the one game, but then it gets more intense as it goes along, and it kind of won me back over a little at a point. I still think it feels a little long, a tad repetitive in parts, and the pacing is very jerky, owing to that structure; maybe it's a creative decision I respected more than I necessarily enjoyed.
Otherwise, this is technically very well-made. The animation is distinct and mostly looks good, and I think anyone who loves both baseball and Japanese animation will be in heaven watching this. The characters felt a little simple, but they get the job done, and there are some emotionally effective flashbacks that deal with grief and family drama in an honest and moving way. I came away feeling like this was pretty good, which could well be high praise from someone who doesn't really care for sports.
I wasn't amazed with The First Slam Dunk like many are, but it was quite good. Its structure makes it stand out from most sports movies. It's really just about one match in the present, and then there are consistent flashbacks throughout that develop the characters and make the central game a little more interesting. My interest waned a little when I realised the whole movie would be about just the one game, but then it gets more intense as it goes along, and it kind of won me back over a little at a point. I still think it feels a little long, a tad repetitive in parts, and the pacing is very jerky, owing to that structure; maybe it's a creative decision I respected more than I necessarily enjoyed.
Otherwise, this is technically very well-made. The animation is distinct and mostly looks good, and I think anyone who loves both baseball and Japanese animation will be in heaven watching this. The characters felt a little simple, but they get the job done, and there are some emotionally effective flashbacks that deal with grief and family drama in an honest and moving way. I came away feeling like this was pretty good, which could well be high praise from someone who doesn't really care for sports.