So, for today's unpopular opinion: I don't think this movie is the "Toy Story 3" of Digimon; I don't even think it's the "Cars 3" of Digimon. I deliberately chose to wait and let this movie sit for a while before deciding what to do next, and though I will not be formally reviewing this movie at this time; I thought I would give some further observations now that I have seen the dub of "Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna."
Again, while this isn't a bad movie on its own; nor a bad standalone "Digimon" story, I submit your feelings as a series finale will probably be directly proportionate to your emotional investment in the original "Digimon Adventure" and the series as a whole. In my case, I was hoping it could be the sendoff everyone said it was. However, as previously stated, that wasn't the case for me: I couldn't put this movie on the same level as "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," I can't even put this in the same wheelhouse as "Madagascar: Europe's Most Wanted." Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of things in this movie to like; and plenty of things in this movie I really enjoyed. It's just that for me: it never really goes as far as I would have liked; nor does it feel like more than the sum of its parts as one whole.
Heck, part of me still thinks it might have been better to do this as an OVA miniseries instead of one 94-minute film. In order to explain this, I'd like to compare it to a finale that I really enjoyed: Samurai Jack. Its final season not only fit the brand of the new Toonami as one of the few Western-made shows that aired there; they made the right call to air it on Adult Swim and take advantage of its later time slot: not just from what they could do in terms of content, but in story as well. That also had material that wouldn't have flown in the original run on Cartoon Network, but also took the time it needed to wrap up the story over the entire season. Tartakovsky originally imagined it as a movie, and it comes off as one in terms of production value, writing and characterization.
Yet, even though I could tell this movie was trying to go for a similar impact; I feel it only went halfway, and half a finale is hardly a finale at all. I mean, you ever hear that analogy about trying to fit 20 pounds of fertilizer in a 5 pound bag? At times, this movie feels like trying to fit an entire TV series' worth of resolution and story into a single movie.
Admittedly, as previously stated; there are things I rather enjoyed about the movie: the animation is very good. The opening fight; a sort of reimagining of the one that opened the original "Digimon Adventure" OVA is breathtaking (even bringing back the snippet of "Bolero" that the infamous 2000 dub omitted). The music and voice acting are strong (especially in terms of the returning cast), and as a standalone movie and Digimon story; it's certainly not the worst thing I've ever seen. Some of the characters also have some interesting paths in the story; as Izzy has become the head of his own company and a vital aid to the other heroes. Basically, imagine him as Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne (or at least Lucius Fox) and you have him.
That said, (sighs) in many other ways; the film isn't quite what I was hoping for in a finale. Granted, it's not the worst anime finale I've addressed; since Code Geass R2 happened; but it certainly is a far cry from Cowboy Bebop.
For everything this film does that I like, there are others that could have used more refining. It feels like they tried to mash together a coming of age finale with an overblown and overproduced final battle. Though I may not have as much emotional investment in Digimon as I do with other series; I do respect it for the most part. That said: given what the people in charge of this film said about "moving on," I will go a step further and state that I do not acknowledge this as a finale the way I did the one to the original TV series. Seeing as Red Letter Media's "Plinkett" series is still a big influence on my writing style; just think about his look at "Star Trek Nemesis"; then replace that film with this one; and "All Good Things" with the finale of "Digimon Adventure" and you have what I prefer as a finale.
Even with what this film tries to say about age, I find the problems faced in this movie rather silly given how in reality; I've dealt with numerous conflicts at home and abroad, two economic downturns and a currently-ongoing pandemic; the last of which caused the theatrical release of this film to be canned in favor of going straight to VOD. At the risk of recalling my mention of "Reality Bites" from before (to say nothing of Lindsay's take on the film); I shall once again reiterate that I do not share this film's message. The idea that age is the end of the adventure is utter nonsense; especially how other parts of the franchise have dealt with subjects such as the human psyche (Tamers), war (Xros Wars/Fusion) and even genocide (Savers/Data Squad). I also don't want to hear that it was necessary, given how other franchises have been able to retain their spirit without stumbling in execution. Two big ones as of late are the Wano arc of One Piece (which is giving fantastic life to the stories from the manga) and Lupin III: The First (an all-CG reversion of Lupin's first major caper that still captures what made the original work).
While the premise isn't a bad one, in execution; it feels less like a finale to the story and more like a glorified "monster-of-the-week" story at feature length. In that regard, the final battle just doesn't have the resonance I was hoping for at all. It does kind of remind me of that new Godzilla movie last year; but that was something I at least found entertaining. Granted, the family drama got heavy-handed there too; but the film knew what it wanted to deliver in terms of monster fights and it did that (here's hoping Godzilla VS Kong is good after all the delays).
Even the departure doesn't really have the impact they were aiming for: it felt less like Return of the King or Deathly Hallows (nothing personal, Rowling) and more like one of those Maze Runner movies. Others may have teared up at the denouement, but I felt nothing. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and the credits roll left me drier than one of those Ben Stein Clear Eyes commercials.
The stingers in the end credits didn't help either: it gave the impression that the film couldn't even commit to its own premise. That's why I invoked the "These Are the Voyages" comparison before: this film has a similar issue of being torn between its past legacy and ending its own story. It feels more uneven than it should, especially since the blueprint to a good finale was right there not only in the original TV series; but an OVA short called "To Sora." It's at least better than the infamous distant finale of 02 (which this film retcons even more than the Tri movies did); but beyond that, it's better as a standalone story and one-off Digimon movie than a series finale. As I said before, it's less "Logan" or "Avengers Endgame" and more "Dark Phoenix" in that sense.
I don't know what shape the franchise will take in the future (reception to the reboot has been more divisive than hoped); but I have decided for the time being; I will not be reviewing this movie. Just thought I would give you something while I work on my other stuff in this quarantine; and I will tell you all about The Crown Tundra as I play more of it. That's all for now: don't forget to vote, and be sure to wash your hands. Later.
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