Customer Reviews

Slayers: The Motion Picture

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many people are, at first, turned off by the fact that the original crew is not a part of the series. However, this movie (and the other OVAs) actually take place just BEFORE the Slayers, Slayers Next, and Slayers Try series. Sure, there is no Ghourry stumbling about, but Naga and Lina make a good set of "rivals" as they steal/win tickets for an exotic resort that appears rarely. There is magic, mayhem, mockery, and, of course, the infamous Fireball (best one ever in the entire series can be found in Motion Picture). This movie can stand on its own merits. As Naga and Lina attempt to enjoy their stay at the resort, Lina is plagued by dreams of an old man who carries a familiar-esque staff, who needs her help resolving the past, where he failed to save his true love (those who have watched the other series will go "Oh" regarding the Gabriev family). There are also the usual stock villains and constant teasings about Lina's small chest. The voices are different, but understandable, as Lina is younger in this movie. Overall, a lot of fun, and the best of the OVAs.

I came to Slayers not through ADV but through Software Sculptors, a sister company to Central Park Media, so this movie was a little jarring. I'll explain why.

Firstly, the voices aren't the same. The voices from the superior series wasn't brought along to make the movie, and that was a bit of a let down for me, especially after seeing 52 episodes and getting used to the voices there. Secondly, only one character is from the original series, that being Lina Inverse. Instead, they add a new sidekick/rival in the form of Nahga. Finally, the story seems to be based during the same time as the series, making it a bit confusing.

It's difficult to get past some of what I mentioned. But I tried, and after watching it I realized I wasn't disappointed with what ADV produced, it just wasn't what I knew. The story itself follows Lina and Nahga along as they try to make a holiday on the Isle of Mipross when a mysterious demon appears to battle Lina and Nahga, ruining their vacation. What follows is a series of magical battles, animated pretty well, with a bit of comedy mixed in.

This is not a bad movie; in fact, it's very entertaining. It just doesn't match well with the series, which contained some very lovable characters and some tense battles. I could only recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't had the chance to see the original Slayers series and liked Sorcerer Hunters, or for those of you are are willing to accept change.

Where as most anime movies based on a TV series act as either a midquel or sequel, the first(of five)Slayers movies was done as a prequel. This movie(known as Slayers Perfect in Japan)takes place during the time of Slayers Special which was all about a slightly younger and brown-haired Lina Inverse who tours around with the egotistical sorceress, Naga the Serpent(aka: Princess Amelia's missing older sister!). Although this film seems to take place sometime after the Slayers Excellent OVA series which showed how Lina and Naga first met up.

Lina runs into Naga again, and the two of them luck out by lifting some tickets from bandits to the resort island of Mipross, which sports some special hot springs(no, not like in Ranma 1/2!). Once there, they have to deal with one "strongest man on the island" after the other. They make their way to the hot springs which Naga exposes as a fake. It's proprietor takes retribution by using his water-bending magic to get back at them, but Lina & Naga's combined skills stop him. After taking him to the local king for a reward, they learn that the King and Queen have been plagued with dreams featuring an old mage. Lina herself has been pestered in her sleep by the same wizard, Rowdy Gabriev, who is really the ancestor of Lina's future-drinking buddy, Gourry. She and Naga investigate some old ruins where the King informs them that a powerful demon has been wreaking havoc, and the head of all the evil dicks that they've run into on the island. The demon is Joyrock, a reptilian monster that has gathered alot of mana over the centuries since he killed off a bunch of elves who lived on Mipross, and Rowdy became a mage since then trying to find a way altering time so that Joyrock never succeeded in the first place. After sacrificing himself, he manages to send Lina back in time, and she Dragonslaves Joyrock out of existance. Lina and Naga come back to find that the island is now very prosperous as if its dark past never happened, although the two of them remember everything that happened. Lina also gets short-changed with no reward to speak of, and Rowdy gyps her too with the promise of a "growth-enhancing" magical spring, which she hoped to use on her notoriously small cleavage.

This movie featured some improved animation than that of the TV series. Then again, alot of anime shows from the mid-90s were seriously lacking in good animation. It was directed by Hiroshi Watanabe who went on to do the rest of the Slayers Special anime titles. ADV Films released in the States, and it featured a different dub from the TV show. Cynthia Martinez made her anime debut as the American actress of Lina, and Kelly Manison pulls of a convincing Naga, laugh and all! On its own, this makes for a pretty decent movie, even if you've never seen any other Slayers material prior to it. The only thing that never comes up from this is Lina ever mentioning to Gourry in some of the later episodes of the TV series that she met his great-great-great-etc.-grandfather. Anyway, like most Slayers stories, it is a perfect stab at the entire RPG fan genre. Anyone who thinks D&D players take their "craft" way to seriously should strap them down and force them to watch this movie Clockwork Orange-style!

Slayers / B0002LJTR2

I haven't had a chance to see the series this movie is based on as it isn't available in my area, but we're on an anime kick right now and this movie looked interesting. I enjoy movies about strong competent women fighting evil and "Slayers" seemed right up that alley.

Right off the bat, however, it's pretty clear that "Slayers" is intended for an audience with a rather different sense of humor than my own. "Slayers" is an adventure movie with a strong comedic bent, but the main "joke" that gets repeated once every 15 minutes is that the heroine Lina has a "small" chest (where "small" is here defined as 'slightly on the larger side of normal looking') and literally EVERY PERSON she meets points this out to her so that she can angrily bludgeon them. The other main source of humor is Lina's sidekick and rival Nagha - a sorceress with giant melons strapped to her chest who constantly sports the smallest bikini I've ever seen in lieu of actual clothes. Nagha's addition to the comedic element is that her melons randomly bounce, jiggle, and wobble for no reason - even when she's at a complete stand-still and the spastic wobbling looks like an Alien is trying to burst out but is having trouble wading through all the cellulite.

If you can get past the rather juvenile humor, there is actually a plot underneath all this. The magical island on which Lina and Nagha are vacationing has a tragic past and Lina is sucked into an ancient conflict in order to correct a tragic massacre. When Lina and Nagha are actually fighting and exploring, the movie is actually pretty enjoyable - Nagha uses varied and interesting magic spells and both girls spoof the 'usual' plot twists by, say, descending to a dungeon's lowest level by melting all the floors in between rather than trying to navigate through the inevitable mazes, traps, and so forth.

It's difficult to say whether or not I recommend "Slayers". Obviously if the word "boobies" makes you chortle with hilarity, you'll enjoy this movie whatever its faults. But if you find the mere existence of a woman's chest to not, ipso facto, be hilarious in of itself and/or if repeated or running jokes grate on your nerves, "Slayers" may not be worth your time. There are a few genuinely amusing moments, usually via the dialogue or when one of Nagha's spells goes horribly wrong, but the bulk of it is a little too fluffy for my tastes.

This movie provides English subtitles but - once again - the English subtitles don't match the English dubs, which is deeply annoying for the hearing impaired. In addition to all the anatomy jokes, there are a few moments of frightening violence, so I wouldn't recommend viewing this movie with small children.

~ Ana Mardoll

This certain anime is very special to me, for it was the first anime that me and my friend Nicki really watched together. This is also what introduced me to this great anime series. For one thing, this anime is freaken HILARIOUS! I should know, for Nicki says that silly rhyme all the time. Other than that, this is just a very fun to watch movie, with characters you can cheer for.

Talk about going way back into the past. The original slayers with Lina and Naga bring back some horrid memories of high school when I was first introduced into this series. Unlike Slayers, this version is a little bit self centered around Lina and Naga rather than a long drawn story plot. The art is even darker and a little bit dry. However those used to Lisa Ortiz playing Lina will be in surprise of another actress...who sounds a LOT different, making Lina seem more young...and she tends to scream....a lot. Also the wonderful laugh of Naga the serphent...surely rivals upon your last nerve. Overall the story is based that the girls travel to an island to fight other sorcerers in search of defeating the number one strongest. there is also a slight reference to the sword of light in this movie. In the end, it has a gentle splash of comedy and story as you'll be more drawn to see how it works out rather what quirks Lina gets herself into. Should you enjoy this movie, I reccommend Slayers Great, Excellent, Return and Gorgeous.

My son introduced me to anime not too long ago. Like most things, there's a lot of junk, but "Slayers, the Motion Picture" is defentely NOT junk! I was unaware that it was originally a TV series in Japan, but this movie can stand entirely on it's own: Heroines, villians, good writing and characterization, great animation, and finally, an evil foe with great power and no conscience whatsoever. I do have to agree with my son, though, that it's best to watch this movie with subtitles rather than dubbing. Dubbing cannot capture the same character qualities as the original- and often very witty- Japanese dialouges does.