My thoughts:

I first watched this movie thinking that it would be a quick one-shot. Fifty minutes of a stereotypical fantasy plot, and then I’d forget all about it.

At first, it seemed like my expectations were coming true. Despite gorgeous backdrops and a great fantasy-esque opening, Break Blade tottered on the verge of the forgettable cliche. There was magic, there were robots. Sure, they seemed like they could do fancy things, but though the colors were nice, the action scenes were mediocre. I still agree with this: the creators didn’t seem to care as much about badass action scenes (of which there were many opportunities for) as pretty art.

Truly, a field of gold.

Just look at the details on that rock.

Even with the robots, the action scenes were a tad lacking.

That perspective changed, however, once I began noticing all of the movie’s details. A short phrase in the beginning, a moment of hesitation, a blackened snapshot of what once was—what Break Blade excels at most is "setup through showing." About half the movie is laden down with exposition and history; the other half is spent hinting about interpersonal relationships. Admittedly, the first part became a bit tedious, especially when I didn’t know all of the country’s names. Yet, even with that, the movie still manages to present its characters and storyline so that you want to know more.

First off, there’s the whole ditty about magic, whose many forms have permeated and become part of the foundation of the fantasy genre. This is one of the few times, though (I admit that I don’t read/watch that much fantasy, so I apologize if this comes off as sounding stupid), that magic has actually been used for only a practical use. No more waving your wand and watching that bottle squirt ketchup on your hot dog, no more draining your life force to achieve some elemental phenomenon. Instead, you just go, go, go on some sort of automobile—or, in the case of war, robots. This makes magic more palatable, in my opinion.

Apparently, ligaments have something to do with it.

The characters (thank goodness) are also not annoying. There seems to be an undercurrent of romance, but it’s only presented through a few glances, a short sentence or two, and a scene at the end. There’s also the aspect of best-friend-turned-enemy. What exactly happened here? Is it all about a girl? That doesn’t seem to be the reason at the moment, but I sure hope the creators don’t botch this up. Because if that’s what happened, I’m turning tail and heading out of here.

The animators snuck in a bit of fanservice, too.

For the moment, though, I’m quite pleased. Break Blade takes its time unfolding its plotline, but not to the extent that the film becomes aggravating to watch. At the same time, it shows just enough to pique interest, yet doesn't get carried away and end the film on some gimmicky cliffhanger.

War may be inevitable, but can things be as they once were?

Though I still have a few qualms about the action scenes and some disharmonic background music, the movie is an excellent predecessor to the five films that are set to succeed it.

A toast to this latest member of the fantasy genre!

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Published on: 2010-08-13 (5593 reads)