Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions was not as bad as I had expected. The strongest point of the film was definitely the visual experience. It was quite stunning to look at with many cool shots and scenes.

However, like the original series, there were plenty of predictable downsides. The duels were repetitive which made the film dull to watch. The storyline itself raised far too many questions and plot holes. Did Sarah give the puzzle pieces away so that they would be away from Diva and so that the pharoah would be ressurrected faster? If so, why give them to Yugi? Why not give them to Kaiba? Why would either of them agree to the tournament?

At least there was a nice progression of setting up mysterious and then answering them later in a satisfying way.

Without a doubt my favorite thing about this Movie is it brought all the previous voice actors back together to what I consider a wonderful conclusion to the Original Yugioh Franchise. Was it absolutely astonishing? No, not by a mile. But I must admit this movie had a ton of fan-service that always makes me happy to see. Of course this movie isn't for everyone but that doesn't mean it's a fun experience. It's actually much more mature than I actually expected which in my ideal that is pretty nice, especially for long time fans. It's very nicely animated as well, and always a treat is that I think they did a immensely wonderful performance with all the Characters. Sure some fall apart but I think Dan Green did a wonderful job as Yugi Moto again. Of course all speculating of how I think they did a great job, I would say the only flop of this film is it's more directed to the fans, though that doesn't mean you can't get into it. It's plentiful with wonderful characters, unique backstories, and amazing performances. This is defiantly a watch for anybody interested!

This movie is meh. It introduces some new characters but it was kind of boring. I was a fan of the series and the first movie was really great. This one had me falling asleep all the time. It is not what I expected at all. I would never rewatch it (like I did with the first movie) but it is not terrible. It is ok I guess..

As a long time fan of the franchise, I can say with certainty that the movie is good. Not spectacular, but good. By far, this movie has some of the smoothest and most beautifully executed animation of the entire franchise. Those who know this series know that the animation isn't always up to snuff, but this movie clearly got a much bigger budget and it was well served to seeing some very beautiful if even a little over-saturated animation. It's also wonderful that all the original voice actors of the characters represented in the movie made their return. It's a particularly wonderful thing of note considering that many of those voice actors are either retired or have switched focus to other areas and are no longer regularly voice acting on a consistent basis. I also like that 4Kmedia did not edit the movie to the point of being unrecognizable like they did with the original series. It was a very well executed English translation from the original Japanese property. However, if I have any point to criticize, it's that the story was a bit of a jumbled mess. It often felt like it was just jumping around from one thing to another without proper transition. It's likely due to the limited run time of the movie itself, but it often felt as if you looked away for only a few seconds or stepped out of the room for a few minutes that you missed major plot points and would easily get lost. I stayed in place for the length of the movie without leaving the room once, and I still felt like I missed something. That is a big issue for me. If I had been a casual viewer and not a fan of the franchise, I would have been so completely lost. That said, I still felt lost at times, and that's most definitely an issue of pacing. Whatever the case, it's a very good movie that any fan of the franchise will enjoy and those looking to get into the franchise should hold off on watching until they get to know more about the franchise itself. Above all, the ending was very satisfying. The action was lacking and rushed, but it reached an ending worthy of the era of the franchise.

I'll be honest, I watched solely for Kaiba's nonsense.. and he didn't disappoint!!

A man so rich and powerful, he basically controls the world from the shadows. With technological prowess beyond anyone's comprehension, backed by his infinite wealth, he has access to every possible bit of information and his genius can do anything he desires.. yet he care's about nothing than to be reunited with the one man he considers his equal. Sounds like a romantic plot? Well, Kaiba would even travel across "dimensions" just to play against him again.. not being able to let go of the Pharaoh that is no more.

The premise itself is befitting his character and immensively enjoyable!! But the backdrop and context for this event is simply complete nonsense! Even if it thinks it actually offers any substance.

In it's 2-hour runtime, it barely develops the scarcely-explained unnecessary plot it introduces.. leaving the viewer with more questions than answers, and gasping at the idiocy of it all. With people beings living connected to others via the collective consciousness and reality being nothing but their own perception. But Kaiba's ego and Yugi's friendship can best it all!! And as expected, the game's actual rules don't matter again. It's all noise.. but the story at least understands what matters is Yugi/Yami VS Kaiba!

Yet, the animations and visual effects are worth watching, and the voice acting even better. Sadly, the English dub does a disservice to this production, as the there's no one as talented in his delivery as Kenjiro Tsuda-san doing Kaiba! Watch it in Japanese, because anything else is subpar.. even insulting. Would not recommend only to those that enjoy how far-gone this franchise is, and want a character arc worth of Kaiba's character.