Jul 21, 2023
This is a movie that is entertaining enough to watch, but seems to have squandered a lot of potential. Overall it bit off more than it could chew.
A lot of the most promising themes (God as an AI, Kogami x Tsunemori, Foreign Affairs) could have gone much deeper. The existence of these themes made the movie compelling, but they didn't get fully explored during the runtime. How does the General differ from the Sibyl System, and why should we be worrying about it gaining more power? How does society function with people that are given Divided minds? Do Kogami and Tsunemori still love each other
...
or are they just doing this awkward courting thing for the duration of the movie? How would the implementation of the General or Sibyl System affect the rest of the world and its relations with Japan?
The plot was confusing at points. In short, they have to find the macguffin (Koyanskaya papers or whatever they're called) so that they don't fall into evil hands. Some of the plot points and reveals just didn't have the desired build up or impact. Kai, for example, is introduced as an evil bad guy. Then he has the chance to kill Kogami but doesn't. Then Kogami finds his base all too easily and we learn Kai is actually a good guy. And he burned a Zuko-style scar on his face is to hide his identity? Then Kai gets mind controlled and killed. This all happens way too quickly to build empathy for the character and then the story moves on without him. A lot of the villains get the same rushed treatment.
There was a lot less strategy in this movie, it just felt like everyone immediately found out what they needed to attack and then just planned a raid on it. The mystery and danger of an unknown opponent was what made the first season of Psycho-Pass compelling. What really killed me is when they spent a million years circling around the satellite in the plane as they tried to hack it. There was no strategy or plan to it, just "stay near it until I can hack it". Even the Dominators got used like twice. In this sense, it felt more like a B grade American action film.
This movie definitely had more of Psycho-Pass's identity compared to seasons 2 and 3, and it retained the characters, music, and philosophical debate. I really did enjoy the parts about Dividing human brains and God as an AI, it's some interesting food for thought. But in terms of providing a compelling and suspenseful story, it did not deliver.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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