Before I get started, I want to give a shout out to Sony + Funimation for giving me access to this film for review. That said... let's jump in!
The thing about the main character Izuku Midoriya (aka Deku) that grabbed my attention is the fact that he was a super fan of the legendary All Might, but no matter how much love he had for the #1 hero... he didn't have a quirk of his own (unless you count his heart as one). Fast forward, All Might actually passed on his One For All quirk to Izuku... who had to improvise in order to make his way through hero training, battles, and competitions... so it really got my attention. Check out the show here... after checking out the review of this film (of course).
Here's the trailer for My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
Story: Anyway... My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising... starts off with an action-packed car chase with the heroes going after the League of Villains as they transport a mysterious baddie by the name of Nine. Nine, believes that the key to achieving his ideal world is on an island called... Nabu. By the way, Nine is able to steal quirks like the infamous... All For One.
Nine, isn't alone in his mission, he has some powerful villains at his side:
Mummy, is a henchmen with the ability to control inanimate objects that he wraps up in his bandages.
Slice, is also a villain on team Nine and she's also his aide. Her quirk turns her hair into blades.
Chimera, is a villain seeking revenge on society, and his quirk let's him use various animal abilities.
This was an action-packed film... and I can't even think of a dull moment. They had some downtime tucked in there like when they were at the U.A. Hero Agency... but even then it was lively and prepared you for the hard stuff as class 1-A set off to find a lost boy. The team didn't have the Pros backing them up on this one... they were thrown in the deep end as a way to help them grow without the reassurance of a safety net being on deck. Even if they're still learning... the situation with All Might requires more heroes ASAP.
One thing I appreciate about the film (which is something I find appealing about select anime) is that it makes sense, it's not over the top to the point where you can't connect the dots. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising flows well... and you aren't just getting the story from class 1-A's end, you're also getting a dose of detective action featuring Hawks... which allows for variety. While Hawks was gathering clues on an occurrence on the mainland... it actually connected to the one on Nabu Island as the freaky four (mentioned above) crashed a ship onto shore and began to raise hell immediately. I'm telling you... the action didn't stop (this is a 104-minute movie).
There was one part that sort of annoyed me where the children in the story just wouldn't run away. I know they're little kids so they're going to do what scared children do... but I was like "OMG... would you run like you were told, please?".
Anyway, they wrapped this film in a bow, it's a full adventure (that proved satisfying)... with an additional gift covered in question marks attached to the package as a twist... because it opens the door for more villainous action at a later time. I won't spoil it for you.
Visuals: As far as visuals go, they don't skip a beat on the quality. The characters look great and those final fights are awesome (the final fight is expected to be)... and will have some of you on the edge of your seat. The villains went hard, especially Chimera and Nine. One thing I wouldn't have minded seeing was more hand to hand action to really admire the work of the animators more, but there was enough to be pleased to an extent.
Audio + Extras: I loved the film, and it wasn't just the visuals... the audio was just as sweet. I kicked back (when I wasn't on the edge of my seat) crunk up the surround sound and enjoyed the quakes conjured by the explosions and the gusts of air added to the action coming from the subs. I watched this film twice, using a surround sound system first... followed by (the 1More True Wireless ANC In-Ear) THX Certified Headphones but I didn't have to watch it twice to give the audio two thumbs up. Good stuff and I can't forget the sound of those laser beams (now I want one as a text notification).
Price: Pricewise... you can get the Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital for $24.99. You get three options here to enjoy your movie, but I'd still prefer this at $19.99. If there was a manga bundled in... that would make the price even sweeter, add in a statue for collectors or bundle it with an existing toyline (where the buyer can select which hero they want) and the price could be even more. Just thinking of ways to increase the reason to buy physical copies when there aren't a lot of extras. $24.99 is okay, but $19.99 is the sweet spot in my opinion. Get the exclusive steelbook version for $27.99 here.
Overall, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is... a great film and I definitely recommend checking it out for yourself.
Story 5
Visuals 5
Audio 5
Price 4
4.75 out of 5 Cool Points
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