The incessant need for Vash to portray a juvenile imbecile waned on my nerves, as it did during the original series. But having the displeasure to sit through an entire 90 minute movie, without the ability to take breaks through episodes, was especially excruciating. In addition, the same tired, “I’m the hero; therefore, I do not kill,” motive that was annoyingly prevalent, indicated that the writers were making no effort(s) in testing the protagonists resolve. When Amelia, a fresh character introduced in the movie, pushed back at Vash’s hero rhetoric and verbally lashed out by pointing to the unintended consequences of allowing evil people to live (namely, good people getting harmed) — Vash, discourteously, brushed it off, giving no consideration to her words. In fact, he placed his hand over his mouth, similar to when a five-year-old spills a glass of milk on the floor.
Now, let me be clear.
For those who watched the series before the movie, we understand why Vash gravitates towards being a gentle person; however, even benevolent individuals have moments in their life when they anguish over the gravity of their decisions. Why, then, is there no self-reflection about Vash’s own mission towards living an altruistic life? Where is the willingness to provoke inward conflict, forcing the character to answer tough questions and be open to new perspectives? None of that. What we receive is Vash reliving his prepubescence by eating doughnuts, acting silly, and flirting outlandishly.
The other characters, just like the original series, are dearth of personality and become one-dimensional with no depth or exploration into what makes them unique. Milly is the epitome of a dog in a human body. Happy-go-lucky without a care in the world. Meryl is the classic example of Tsundere. Wolfwood, for the purposes of this movie, is a plot device to present artificial tension. Gasback is the antithesis of Vash: bad for the sake of being bad. And Amelia is out for revenge, but purifies her ways because blah blah blah. Heard this story a million times, yet writers attempted to ham-fist it down our throats along with guns/explosions and call it a day. Given the average rating of 8.05 (considered “very good,” according to MAL’s grading criteria) its no wonder the anime industry continues to produce egregious garbage when the fans clamor for the lowest common denominator. By the way, why did Amelia attain a rash/hives when Vash touched her skin. It seems like an odd detail to place into the story when time could have been dedicated toward fleshing out her character.
To tie up loose ends, the animation, while improved in terms of character aesthetics, felt clunky during battle scenes. Movements did not feel polished, nor did they feel realistic (rewatch the scene when Vash stands on top of the car in the desert). The music felt disconnected from what was happening on the screen, quite off-putting at times. In all honesty, I cannot think of anything positive to say about this movie, neither do I wish to invest further time in writing a review about said movie. Therefore, I would vehemently recommend that you look elsewhere for entertainment, this production makes the last Diehard movie look semi-palatable.
