Review | The First Slam Dunk movie review: 5-star animated masterpiece breathes new life into iconic basketball manga series by Takehiko Inoue
- The basketball sequences are some of the most dazzling ever animated, and ditching the manga series’ original protagonist for a new one is a master stroke
- Series creator Takehiko Inoue uses players’ inner monologues to cut away to their backstories, making this both a sports film and a compelling character drama
5/5 stars
Featuring some of the most exhilarating basketball sequences in the history of cinema, The First Slam Dunk is a dazzling tour de force both on and off the court.
Seamlessly integrating 3D computer graphics, motion capture and traditional hand-drawn animation styles, it is not only an enthralling sports movie but also a compelling character drama.
The creator of the original series, Takehiko Inoue, writes and directs this barnstorming, five-star masterpiece that is sure to delight newcomers and franchise stalwarts alike.
From the film’s conception, Inoue appeared to be alienating long-time fans of his original Slam Dunk manga, which can be credited with helping popularise basketball across Asia during the 1990s.
Rather than employing the classic character designs for The First Slam Dunk, Inoue instead opted to use those created for the 2018 refurbished manga editions, as well as recasting all his principal voice actors.
The film also benches the original red-haired protagonist Hanamichi Sakuragi (voiced by Subaru Kimura), and focuses instead on the rise of his teammate, Shohoku High’s diminutive point guard Ryota Miyagi (Shugo Nakamura).
However, these decisions prove to be strokes of genius. They breathe new life into familiar material in a way that makes it accessible to uninitiated audiences, while reinvigorating the formula for the series’ diehard fan base.
Inoue’s true master stroke is the film’s structure. Unfolding in almost real time over the course of two hours, the script is built around a single game, as Shohoku High squares off against national champions Sanno.
Inoue and his team of animators do an astounding job of establishing the physical space of the court, and how the characters manoeuvre through it and around one another.
For every moment of athletic prowess, however, Inoue also takes us into the head space of the players, candidly inviting us to eavesdrop on their internal monologues, their moments of self-doubt and motivational determination.
Whenever their state of mind reflects a struggle in their personal lives, Inoue transports us away from the game to explore their backstory in more detail, and none more so than with Ryota.
The angry young man was first introduced to basketball by his elder brother, Sota, who convinced him to strive at the sport despite his diminutive stature. When Sota dies at sea in a fishing accident, it drives a wedge between Ryota, his mother and younger sister.
It is Inoue’s sure-footed narrative dexterity, intertwining these heart-wrenching domestic battles with the adrenaline-soaked showdown that plays out on the court, that ensures his film is an indisputable slam dunk.
