Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is the first of a three-film finale arc that takes us on a ride consistent with the original series. Picking up right where we left off, the Demon Slayer Corps get trapped inside of Muzan Kibutsuji’s gravity-defying labyrinth known as…you guessed it, the Infinity Castle. The film then jumps into a flurry of wonderful action sequences and lengthy flashbacks. The latter is the primary reason why I do not think Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is a good film.
I may have just set off staunch Demon Slayer fans in a fit of rage, but hear me out. The film starts off well enough, setting the stage of characters interspersed throughout the castle and their journey to try and find Muzan before he fully rejuvenates. It quickly homes in on a single fight between a hashira (Demon Slayer corps elite) and an upper demon. Within that first fight, there are about three flashbacks and numerous inner monologues. The fight ends and the process is repeats itself two more times. And that’s it. That’s the movie. I know some of you are thinking: “it’s just like the manga or the original series”. You’re proving my point. Not once throughout the film did I feel like it was utilizing the medium in an original or creative way. I chose my words carefully. I do not think it is a good movie. It was an experience to see in theaters but the runtime and structure make it wildly apparent that it would have worked better as a series. A fifteen-or-more-minute flashback squanders every fight, which would have been less apparent in episodic form.
But the animation! Yes, producers will use this as a case study on how animation can completely carry a series. Demon Slayer has always been a work of art thanks to Ufotable, Inc. and the film is no exception. The time, effort, and care that went into crafting each frame is apparent from the onset. Even a collapsing hallway or exploding roof is breathtaking. Not to mention the pure excitement you feel when Zenitsu, a crybaby turned badass, finally shows off the fruits of his labor. I’m sure you could pause anywhere in the film and make it a wallpaper. It’s 3D done right and is unfortunately one of the main reasons why children favor the show. The colors, the excitement, the constant exposition dumping, and simplistic dialogue basically make it an R-rated kids’ film.
I wish I could say more about the story other than it just being vignettes told through flashbacks. We even get a flashback for Tanjiro, the main character who has had three seasons of opportunity to be fully fleshed out before this final arc. The vignettes also feature backstories of the villainous demons. After all, they were once human too. It may work for some, but I found it difficult to empathize with someone who slaughtered people either out of revenge, or for the pursuit of strength simply because he had a troubled past. Channing Tatum plays Soryu, a humble and jovial dojo owner, and makes it painfully obvious that this is his first anime. While I normally enjoy Tatum’s performances, he is out of place in the dub (Yes, I watched the dub. Sue me.) where veteran anime voice actors like Zach Aguilar, Aleks Le, and Rebecca Wang shine.
Don’t get me wrong. As a long-time anime fan, I’m glad the film is smashing the charts (currently sitting at over $600 million worldwide). Given how often I found myself bored, and if this is what they are going to do with the medium, I’ll likely wait for a VOD release in the future. If you just want to watch the next three episodes of Demon Slayer with impressive animation, music, and action sequences on the big screen: ignore this whole review and go check it out. But I can’t imagine any reason beyond pure box-office ambition that Infinity War…I mean, Infinity Castle was released as a film.
