Time tends to change things for some people,anger subsides,relationships become deeper and most importantly opinions can change. Such is the case with the film I watched three weeks ago that I had previously watched about a year ago. When I first watched it I loathed this film and I still do but now I have found new reasons to despise it. What film caused my dull rage,it was Tales of Earthsea. Wait, no I still hate that movie.What I meant to say is Slayers Premium.
Slayers Premium was released in 2001
and would be the last animated Slayers material till 2008's Slayers
Revolution. This is the second film not to actually be written by
Slayers author Hajime Kanzaka,the other being the previously
discussed Perfect. Perfect dealt with the lack of Kanzaka with a
darker tone and decent plot. However here we are reduced to two okay
jokes and a well tread plot that can't hold it's own. It is trying to
hard to recreate Slayers Return...like the other films and just can't
do it.
The movie's big hook was that after
four films of Naga and Lina inspired antics,we were finally getting a
movie involving the more recognizable cast of the TV series...and
Naga. However here is where the first big problem comes up:No one
except Lina and Gourry have anything to do. The trickster
demon,Xellos,only role is to fill Zelgadis and Amelia on the
plot,which anyone could do. Then you don't see him again till the end
of the movie. Zelgadis and Amelia are both disabled by a ridiculous
curse before they can do anything. Then forget that they are an
accomplished swordsman and pugilist respectively. It makes me
question while we are even dealing with these three when clearly the
movie wants to focus on Lina and Gourry.
The second main sticking point for me
was the villain and this is where I've softened up on the film some.
When I first watched this I derided him as an awful gay stereotype
who's only joke was that he was swishy. However seeing him again I
really don't get that vibe,and realized I should hate him for his
true crime:being unfunny. For all I know the joke could be that he
talks sort of weird and in certain voices that can be a good joke.
However here it's not so the few scenes we get with him are a slog.
On the other hand he is the indirect cause of two funny jokes but
that is quickly forgotten because he's also responsible for making
this movie longer.
His main plan is cursing everybody to
talk in the octopus language to cause fear and confusion. The
language disables magic because of the language barrier,and of course
due to plot convince Lina gets hit by this right before she can let
off a plot ending Dragon Slave. So we get to pad this movie's already
short thirty minute run time just to recreate the ending to Return
sans a ridiculous golem battle. Then once we get to the required big
monster battle it's literately Lina standing behind a big rock and
casting Dragon Slave.
Also without Kanzaka we get awful
character interactions. Lina and Gourry play off each other like wet
paper with Gourry lacking dialogue to even interact with Lina for the
most of the movie other than to annoy her. Amelia and Zelgadis have
been sort of shipped together in the main series and are traveling
together here but lack the sweetness of the relationship. Zelgadis is
more of a grumpy disapproving dad which is sort of in character but
does feel out of place in his interactions with Amelia. The whole
cast interacts like casual acquaintances rather than a group of
traveling companions that has defeated cosmic horrors.
I guess I'll stop alluding to my main
problem and just say it,this movie is not funny. Not many of the
jokes work and those that do are few and far between. The original
characters aren't entertaining,which is something even Great managed
to get right. As I've said numerous times if Slayers isn't funny then
I have to resort to looking at the plot and that is something you
don't want. Gorgeous really did take Return's plot but still had
funny jokes that were all it's own. This one takes the plot and
foolishly thinks that it's a great plot. Even with all the problems
Hourglass of Falces had it at least gave everyone an equal part in
its' awfulness.
As I stated at the beginning time can
change opinions. I do have more an appreciation for Perfect upon re
watch. However time has allowed my hate for this film to grow and
find more problems. The pacing is horrendous,the characters are
either useless,unfunny or both and the plot is stale. The weirdly
infuriating part of the whole mess asides from the film itself is the
box art. The movie box set has art from this splashed all over it
like this was the creme of the crop.Yes, I realize how petty this is
but it bugs me.
Till next time Stay Positive
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