The First Slam Dunk

Knowing that most of the audiences are fans who have read the manga + some new viewers, the director employs a different approach to bring the film to life, rather than introducing all characters from A to Z (that could be boring). It is definitely a very smart way of using a basketball match, supported by the backstory of Ryota Miyaki, to make the movie more solid and compact. On one hand, the fans get to find some classic moments and new elements in the movie, while on the other, new viewers get to know Ryota better.

Although we basically know what will happen at the end of the basketball match, the visual excitement and intense moments are all well presented and intact for your enjoyment!

I also like how the movie describes the relationship between Ryota and other characters. It's not too much or too less, but just enough to remind fans about the connections.

The movie has a few flaws as follows: Firstly, there are no behind stories about the characters and talents of Akagi, Sakuragi, Mitsui (a 3-pointer) and Rukawa (ace of the team), as a result new viewers may not connect well with them or enjoy the movie to maximum.

Secondly, Ryota's side stories are acceptable in the first half, but it becomes cheesy + too much in the second half, especially while the basketball match is on the line!

Finally, the emotional attachment is there, but the intensity is weak. We know what it means and we feel it, BUT it just doesn't touch one's heart at all!

I gave 7.0/ 10.0. Watching it without high expectations will allow you to enjoy it better! Of coz, with knowledge about the manga and characters is definitely an advantage!

I haven't watch this series just heard of it title and i don't understand specific rules so much but i enjoy it.

I felt Little bit longer but technical motion draws and expressions, story writing , characters, touch scene and also comically scenes are so great. Even if you never watched this series or comic books or you are young or elder im sure you will enjoy this movie.

About main role his background story is sad little a bit and depressed. But understandable situations and feelings.

No contains sexual scenes or brutal violence or grotesque scenes no need to worries for couples or family watching.

Right now in japan movie theater give you bonus paper card of coaster.

Lm japanese so sorry about bad english. I hope more good reviews coming.

Although there's been a lot of advance reviews expressing disappointment mainly from die-hard TV series fans, this animation movie has just completely blown my mind. Being one of an original comic fan for more than twenty years, I am truly amazed how beautiful this animation is, which should come from incredible hard work of creators. Members of the opponent team are now animated and all the characters act lively, this could not been better. New stories added, at the same time, some original parts are effectively cut off or omitted, I think I should call it creativity. Without any knowledge about original series, or even rules of the sport, you will be satisfied with this realistic sports movie and teenagers' hilarious&touchy drama.

Why I said that? I watched the movie with my 15 years old son who knows nothing about this story.

Like others said, this movie is from Ryota Miyagi's perspective. That's why you won't see many Sakuragi's funny moments or know why he plays basketball as the base story of this title. But Inoue created too much drama and deep story about Miyagi's background and it makes the movie pace slow down drastically many times. Inoue also remove Miyagi's crush toward Ayako. My son got bored in this part. For children this story is too hard to understand. That can be seen from movie rating that <18 audiences gave the lowest score.

Other members don't get enough introduction. For first-timer audience, they won't know that Akagi is so dominant under the ring, Sakuragi has extraordinary body, Mitsui is a 3 pointer or Rukawa the ace of the team. The relation between characters also won't be explain here.

For die-hard fans, this "side story" and Miyagi's perspective is interesting. The animation also amazing. You will get the feel of the match. Every characters look alive. And it's a great nostalgia for us.

The conclusion.is, I still prefer original story as its title The First Slam Dunk, so it also should be for first-timer. My son doesn't attach to this story and still doesn't want to read my Slam Dunk manga collection.

I gave this movie a 9/10 but to be honest, big part of the score goes to the original Slam Dunk manga, which is a legend, and big part of my youth growing up.

I seriously thought it was an April fool joke when I read 2 years ago Inoue-san announced he was going to make a movie version of slam dunk. And I've been looking forward to this then, and it did not disappoint.

The biggest headache for Inoue-san was probably how could he re-tell such a classic story, which the fans must have re-read hundreds or even thousands of times by now, without making the movie redundant and unnecessary. And he's made some really smart choices here. The smartest choice of all, imo, is to re-tell the Sannon battle from Miyagi's perspective, and adding a lot of backdrop stories.

And manga fans get to re-live the Shohoku - Sannon battle with new backdrop stories, and re-live all the monumental touching moments in the story. And for fans like me, the 2 hours in the theatre felt like re-watching my first love right in front of my eyes years later, feeling like it's just happening for the first time.

The movie is not without flaw. I think for people who have not watched the original manga, the movie will feel pretty choppy. The editing would feel awkward. Especially in the Mitsui story. That would feel so incomplete and even a lot of "WTH" moments. Or likewise when Sakuraki saw flashbacks from his past when he was injured. But maybe there isn't a flawless way to re-tell a 31 books manga (or even the Sannon battle is like 4-5 books?) in a 2 hours movie.

Which is not to say new audience cannot enjoy this movie, but this would simply be a good sports movie to those not being familiar with the original manga. For the fans though, this is an amazing movie.

I can only hope Inoue-san would come up with the Second slam dunk, the third slam dunk, the forth slam dunk .... but hopefully it won't take another 26 years.