The First Slam Dunk
Japan | Japanese, English subtitles
2023 | 124 Minutes
Director: Takehiko Inoue
Cast: Shin’ichiro Kamio, Jun Kasama, Subaru Kimura, Kenta Miyake, Shugo Nakamura
Based on the smash hit Manga series Slam Dunk, director Takehiko Inoue (Vagabond) has stated that this film, The First Slam Dunk, is more of a reboot and only roughly based on the books, hence the name. The First Slam Dunk is intended to introduce new fans to the franchise as well as entertain those that have read the book series.
The First Slam Dunk not only made history at the Japanese box office last year, it’s one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time. It even won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year. Testament to how great of a film this really is, but we’ll get to that in a little while.
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All Ryota Miyagi ever wanted was to be a great basketball player like his older brother. He has loved the sport ever since he was a kid, and he’s now carrying on his brother’s legacy by playing for the Shohoku High School basketball team as their point guard. He may be small, but don’t let his size fool you — he’s full of speed and energy on the court.
Filled with determination and passion, he and his team are ready to take on the challenge of the Inter-High School National Championship. To claim the highest victory in the tournament, they have to go up against the Sannoh Kogyo High School team, the current ruling champions. Basketball has always given them a sense of purpose, and they’ll do whatever it takes to win the game.
Slight spoilers may possibly be found from this point on. Beware.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous and honestly quite breathtaking. Truth told, I was a little skeptical when I first heard that the animation would be a mixture of hand-drawn animation and CGI, which is probably due to my adversity to anything to do AI and the current state of things. At the end of the day though, it has to be said that The First Slam Dunk is candy for the eyes. Absolutely beautiful and for lack of better wording, the cinematography is fantastic. (Yes, I know, cinematography requires cameras – you get the point I’m trying to make though.)
One of the greatest triumphs in The First Slam Dunk is its ability to create ambience and atmosphere and sometimes that means using silence to drive home a scene. Other times, the animation reverts back to black and white sketches that almost feel like unfinished work until the viewer realizes it is all intentional. These small nuances create powerful feelings and help to highlight the importance of their respected scenes. This really is a top-notch animation on every possible level.
Maybe the most engrossing animated film I have ever seen, and I have seen a whole lot. I can’t recall ever being in a situation, while watching an animated film, where I was quite literally on the edge of my seat. A large portion of the film revolves around an important basketball game with an underdog team taking on a multi-time champion and heavy favorite, but The First Slam Dunk is so much more than simply a sports film.
Throughout the game, the film uses flashback sequences to show the backstories of several of the main characters, each time is a charm as it slowly reveals pieces of the story. I’ll keep the context of these flashbacks to myself as to not ruin the story of the film. The game sequences are so well plotted out, that you would swear you were watching the NBA finals, live in whichever stadium you like.
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This has to be among the greatest animated films ever made and I can’t recommend it enough. Not only is the animation above and beyond anything in its class, but the story telling is top notch too. The voice acting is great and it is quite humorous in parts, while solemn and sad in others – a proper roller coaster of emotion. Even the soundtrack is brilliant; from the bouncing of the ball on the hard-wood court, to the squeaking of the shoes. Perfection.
The First Slam Dunk hits theatres across the USA and Canada on July 28th, 2023.
