Reviews

'The First Slam Dunk' is fine but is likely not what most fans were waiting for all these years. Objectively this is not a terrible movie, but readers of the manga - especially those who have reread the series recently, will find that the movie leaves much to be desired. The music and sound design were mostly very good from what I can remember, and the 3D was bad at times, but also surprisingly better than expected at times. The voice actors are NOT the same, and some changes are quite jarring and overall unsatisfying. In the end, the movie falls short somewhat in the storytelling department and the overall creative vision on that front is weaker than desired.

If you've looked up interviews and other such articles about this movie, it does seem that 'The First Slam Dunk' suffered due to Inoue-san's personal desires to include and expand on storylines more meaningful to him. In other words, it is hard to escape the feeling that this was first and foremost a pet project for him, the author. Since it is unlikely the anime will continue with the release of this movie, I would encourage everyone to go read the complete manga for a full understanding of why this movie is in some ways good, bad, and lacking.

Overall, this is something that I don't regret watching, but is also something I wouldn't watch more than once. The movie as a whole is odd in that it feels partially competent, but also partially nostalgia bait. It is ultimately "good" but is especially hard to recommend to fans who hold the original manga in very high regard.