Reviews

Doraemon, Nobita and friends are back once again, this time determined to explore uncharted lands and discover the mysteries of the world. Firstly, be warned that the synopsis listed above does spoil the first two thirds of the film, though that is largely because the first hour of the film is lacking in a great deal of plot. Instead, the majority of the runtime is spent showcasing the fun adventure of our heroes through the dangerous African landscape (specifically around central Africa in the area now known as DRC), encountering a variety of wild animals and people which threaten them with peril. I had a continuously fun time throughout this section of the movie enjoying the variety of charming and childish encounters and scenarios. At the one hour mark though, the film takes a sudden and drastic shift in style and tone, switching focus to a hidden kingdom and the ongoing troubles there. As a result, the film comes across as extremely disjointed, feeling almost like two films in one. Though this isn't necessarily deal breaking, the extreme contrast can easily leave viewers bored during one half or the other depending on their preferences in film. Personally, I found the whimsical adventure of the first two thirds to be more entertaining than the exposition and plot heavy final act, though again one's enjoyment will largely come from whether you enjoy plot or adventure more in movies. I also found the villains to be rather weak as usual for these Doraemon films, further cementing my preference for the light-hearted side of Doraemon. To summarise, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil is another adequate entry in the series, however the drastic divide between the two parts of the movie make me hesitant to recommend it to everyone.