One needed no prior experience with the property to recognize that when Fox Kids cobbled together 2000's 'Digimon: The movie' from three pre-existing Japanese Digimon movies, the result was a mess. The writers and editors did what they could under the contractually obligated conditions, but the fact is that among all else, the proliferate, almost constant dialogue created a slew of problems. To go back and watch Hosoda Mamoru's actual shorts, 'Digimon adventure' and 'Our war game,' it's refreshing to see that while neither perfect nor essential, the works as they were originally crafted were actually fairly fun and well done. One could only assume that the same would be true of Yamauchi Shigeyasu's third installment with its curiously long official name, which saw its own release only three months before its re-edit premiered in the U. S. movie.
It's safe to say that one would have a better appreciation of (deep breath) 'Digimon Adventure 02: Part 1: Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Part 2: Transcendent Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals' if one were otherwise familiar with the Digimon franchise, and specifically with the television series whose events, I gather, are tied into the story here. Be that as it may, much the same absolutely applies in this instance as to Hosoda's shorts: presented in its original form, with the original intended dialogue and narrative, this is pretty fun! Yamauchi's picture was treated worst of all in 'Digimon: The movie,' having been ruthlessly chopped up to fit the reconfigured material, and as such it is even more the case here that many scenes - humor, action, or plot development - had been dropped outright. Yes, series context and franchise familiarity would be helpful; no, this isn't anything that demands to be seen. But it's duly well made exactly as it is, and I enjoyed watching!
With all this said, I think the strength here is somewhat more variable than in its two predecessors. The plot development tends to feel forced, and the scene writing and dialogue ham-handedly oversimplified - a sadly common tactic in children's fare to ensure it appeals to the very youngest of viewers while sacrificing the potential interest of older kids, let alone teens or adults. Even in the feature's intended form the sequencing sometimes raises a quizzical eyebrow. And honestly, even the animation is a mixed bag to some extent, as some facets are strangely lacking in the same detail and texture from which other facets benefit. There is some unnatural movement seen here and there, moreover, and while the concepts of some shots or scenes are perfectly sensible, the execution of them leaves a lot to be desired. No matter the allowances one may be inclined to grant, this has some faults, further including some odd tonal inconsistency..
And still, even with definite imperfections, and even if one does not have meaningful prior experience with the franchise, 'Digimon adventure 02' is distinctly better and more entertaining than not. With some regrettable exceptions the artists of Toei Animation mostly turned in fantastic work, with imaginative creature designs, backgrounds that are lovely if not altogether gorgeous, fluid action, and excellent effects, not to mention fine consideration for color. The music is surprisingly good in and of itself, even if it's sometimes employed in weird, off-putting ways. And in major, stark contrast to how Yamauchi's film was butchered under Fox Kids' oversight, the plot, as written, is unexpectedly solid and engaging. The sights, sounds, and story, as they present, are in fact coherent, cohesive, and sensible, which only further accentuates how woefully ill-advised 'Digimon: The movie' was regardless of how its contributors tried.
By all means, this is something best left for those who are already enamored of the franchise and who have that foundational knowledge; I come to it with very fresh eyes, knowing only as much about Digimon as Hosoda's shorts, and the Fox Kids flick, might impart. I'm not the target audience. And still I had a good time, which I think says a fair bit about how well done 'Digimon Adventure 02: Part 1: Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Part 2: Transcendent Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals' is overall. Don't go out of your way for it, but if you're open to what this piece has to offer, it actually holds up, gauche 3D digital renderings and all.
