‘Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Dazzling and Disgusting
MAPPA’s series Chainsaw Man is known for both its incredible animation and ridiculous yet lovable characters trying to navigate a world of violent devils who want nothing more than to destroy humanity. It’s a series of dualities, focused on both slaughtering demonic entities in increasingly violent ways and also the stunted emotional development of our central character, Denji. And perhaps nothing better illustrates the tragedy of Denji than the new film, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Here, Denji starts figuring out this love thing while his crew also tries to deal with the ever-looming threat of the Gun Devil.
Denji, as always, is our tragic hero, a young man who has fused with Pochita, who is actually the Chainsaw Devil. What this means is that Denji can pull a cord in his chest and become the titular Chainsaw Man, who has, well, chainsaws for hands and a face. In the film, we pick up after the events of the first season as Denji, Power (a Fiend), and Aki (their human caretaker) continue to train after defeating the Katana Man. Denji, still in what he believes is love with his boss, Makima, has a chance meeting in the rain with the titular Reze, which throws the man into a tizzy. Fans of the show know Denji has zero idea how to interact with women, and Reze’s affection sends his little brain into overdrive.
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Meanwhile, Aki gets a new partner, the Angel Devil, who detests working (who doesn’t) and is merely apathetic to humanity. As Denji tries to find love, these two try to find common ground while looking for evidence of the Gun Devil. Only their platonic love story isn’t working out so well, as Aki struggles to cooperate with a Devil who ultimately wants to see humanity destroyed.
These two storylines seem to be growing out into two disparate branches until they suddenly come back together in a spat of violence in the epic third act. Until then, Chainsaw Man- The Movie: Reze Arc feels like two very different things. At times, as Denji meets Reze and gets to know her, the film feels like a romantic comedy focused on an immature dude and the quirky girl who falls for him. Then, in the blink of an eye, we’re watching Aki hunt down demons and train to fight bigger foes. It’s fast-paced whiplash that MAPPA is known for, and it’s mostly successful.
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The problem, though, with trying to smash a single arc into a sub-two-hour movie is that it can feel rushed at times. Reze’s villainy is barely hidden to the point that the marketing reveals massive spoilers, so that aspect of the narrative moves too fast and makes it all too obvious that Reze is crucial for Denji’s development. Plus, there’s a serial killer subplot introduced and decimated in the blink of an eye that feels like a missed opportunity. There’s almost too much happening to the point of overstimulation, especially in the final act, so packed full of colors and sounds that it feels like your head may explode.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is the punk rock cousin of Demon Slayer: The Movie – Infinity Castle. It feels scrappier, meaner, and not interested in the same level of polish as other animated films. This is all about getting weird and pushing boundaries, which MAPPA certainly does here. While the story doesn’t always land, it’s still a gorgeously disgusting spectacle perfect for the big screen.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is out now in theaters.
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Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc
Summary
While the story doesn’t always land, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is still a gorgeously disgusting spectacle perfect for the big screen.
Categorized: Reviews
