Real rating: 3 out of 5

Berserk fan rating: 4 out of 5

Directed by: Toshiyuki Kubooka

Here’s the thing to acknowledge: Part 1 of the Berserk movie saga is problematic, especially if you’re going in cold.  I can sort of imagine the thought process: to continue the animated wonders that were kicked off by the astounding anime series, but that its been, uh, over a fucking decade, so maybe we better re-cover that material, just to be safe.  That was 25 20-ish minute episodes, though, and it’s not like it can be easily summarized in a few minutes, dot dot dot, thus a trilogy was born, with only the third movie covering stuff that had yet to be anime-d.  I mean, no, we’re really just animating the entire Golden Age Arc (the show stopped partway through), and it’s a lot to get through, so pacing is going to be jarring no matter the approach.  Alas, however the conception proceeded, ‘Egg of the King’ pretty much wholesale re-uses scripts from the show, re-captures scenes in a similar fashion, and due to that, will almost certainly come across as “previously on…” to everyone, new or returning, which has gotta be mighty confusing to the former group.  Thankfully, the creative team slows down at important defining moments and captures them fully, and I do think that’s enough to generate interest if this is your first glance at Berserk, but it certainly won’t be easily earned interest.  In other words: context is a big deal here.  This is an abbreviated intro to Berserk otherwise, well made (to my eyes) and well acted – in part thanks to an already working script – but a bumpy ride.

For those of us with the context, though (and I image that’s the majority of viewers), I thought it was a hoot.  The series is eminently rewatchable, and the movie version is like watching the first few episodes on fast-forward with better animation and insane direction during action sequences.  The computer / drawing mash-up seems to rub people the wrong way – it is occasionally stiff – but it totally worked for me; the video-game-ish camerawork this approach allowed upped the scope and impact of the battle sequences immensely, and made you feel Guts’ energy and anger with every swing of his sword.  And as a bonus for those watching it dubbed, it’s the same English-speaking voice actors, meaning we get cadences we already associate with these characters.

‘Berserk’ concerns aimless swordsman Guts’ struggle with his lack of identity, or how his identity is defined by his sword.  He falls in with the enigmatic Griffith, leader of The White Hawks, and finds himself swayed by the man’s confidence, even as Griffith begins to take questionable machinations toward establishing his own kingdom.  The film, condensed as it is, skips over some important character building the show earned through its patience; yet another blip that’s more easily forgiven if you’re already familiar with the material.  And it ends at a quite non-ending point, which is why I think the movie is much easier to appreciate if viewed as a warm-up.  At only 77 minutes and with plenty of action, it’s certainly brief enough to work that way.

So let’s accept that the film wouldn’t be great without memories of the series propping it up.  But I also think the strength of the material shines through the film’s limitations, keeping its head above water even if you’re totally new to the world.  If you aren’t, prepare for a blitz of Berserk catch-up.