'Fireworks', or 'Uchiage Hanabi, Shita kara Miru ka? Yoko kara Miru ka?', is a fairly enjoyable eye-gasm that will leave you entertained for it's duration, though won't leave any long-lasting impact. As someone who has not read the original source material, I can't say whether or not the story itself had a reasonable execution prior to the film, though the way the plot unfolded in this version was frazzled. The movie started out strong, with interesting camera work and, though a little inconsistent, striking visuals. The opening scene in and of itself is enough to inspire at least a dozen wallpapers for my desktop. However, as soon as the inciting incident occurred about 30mins in, the pacing and complexity of the story spiralled out of control. The concept, though interesting, was frayed at the edges. Important plot points were never fully explained, character backgrounds were shoe-horned in, and the reasoning behind the titular motif was absent. The story holds itself together just enough for one to follow it, but moves way too quickly, and focuses for too long on details that do nothing for the plot. It is mediocre.
The art is mostly gorgeous, as previously mentioned. There are some jarring CGI scenes that take the audience out a little, though the firework scenes alone are enough to justify giving the art a rating of 'very good'.
The sound was forgettable. It didn't stand out to me as amazing, or terrible. It was just...there.
The characters were also forgettable. Both had some motivation, though the motivations were not thoroughly explained. Their chemistry was little jarring, to say the least, and I feel like the movie would have benefited from limiting the amount of characters, and spending more time on the protagonists. The female lead reminded me a lot of Hitagi. Maybe it's a Shaft thing.
Overall, though I can't say I hated 'Fireworks', it didn't leave much of an impression on me. The visuals were stunning, and I can't help but feel a little disappointed that such a great looking film had such a bland story. The concept was so intriguing, yet the movie barely explored it. I wouldn't tell someone NOT to watch this film, but I also wouldn't recommend it as something amazing. Fair is the correct word for this.
