'The First Slam Dunk' REVIEW: An Exhilarating Hoop Spectacle
‘The First Slam Dunk’ REVIEW: An Exhilarating Hoop Spectacle
The main protagonist, Ryota Miyagi. Still taken from the official teaser trailer from YouTube.
There's no other form of entertainment that shows the most passionate display of humanity’s burning desire to be the best among the rest quite like sports. It’s a riveting exhibition of athleticism that scratches an itch in our brains, which is why we find it so thrilling to watch. Only a few, though, would be considered cinematic. If there’s one thing those hopecore videos on TikTok can attest to, it’s that basketball is an inherently cinematic sport.
Director Takehiko Inoue, famed mangaka who created the original “Slam Dunk” manga series, understands this. And for his film debut The First Slam Dunk, he tapped into this cinematic goldmine to create an exhilarating hoop spectacle filled with high-octane action that’s interspersed with compelling human drama.
Adapting the last arc of the manga, the film centers around the main lineup of Shohoku High School: Ryota Miyagi, Hanamichi Sakuragi, Takenori Akagi, Hisashi Mitsui, and Kaede Rukawa, facing off with the reigning inter-high basketball champions, Sannoh High. With the decision to shift the focus from the zany antics of Sakuragi in favor of the timid point guard with the greatest fade, Ryota, the film is able to find a new perspective that effectively transforms the story from a journey of becoming a “basketball genius” and getting the girl into one of overcoming trauma and adversity.
The main line-up of Shohoku High in a huddle. Still taken from the official teaser trailer from YouTube.
With someone as close to the source material as Inoue at the helm, he is able to inject enough vitality to give the main players life and concoct clear and captivating character arcs for them that won’t require the audience to read the 31 tankōbon of the manga or watch the 101 episodes of the anime. Ryota confronts his grief and childhood trauma, while Akagi faces imposter syndrome when in a stand-off with someone who's even more of an ape than him. Rukawa struggles to learn how to share the ball and doubts his potential as Japan's top player, while Mitsui and Sakuragi overcome physical challenges. The characters’ battles with inner struggles enhance the excitement of basketball action and make victories sweeter, despite the occasional descent into typical shōnen melodrama and predictable sports drama narrative beats.
I’m not the biggest basketball fan, but I can’t help but be excited with every shot that goes through the basket or every successful pass or even any of the other microdecisions that the characters have to make to turn the tide in their favor. It’s a testament to Inoue’s effective visual storytelling that utilizes the animation medium to its full potential through a surprisingly gorgeous mix of 2D and fluid rotoscope-like 3D animation that’s enough to wrangle the attention of basketball enthusiasts, diehard devotees of the manga and anime, and even someone without any deep emotional investment in the sport. If you won’t take my word for it, I’m sure that the gloriously animated 8-second fast break near the end will be able to convince you.
A cinematic spectacle sure to captivate longtime fans and newcomers alike, The First Slam Dunk stands as a praiseworthy directorial debut from Takehiko Inoue that captures what makes basketball so thrilling to watch while weaving a deeply absorbing narrative about overcoming adversity in order to get that sweet victory.
The First Slam Dunk was screened as the opening film for the Japanese Film Festival 2024. The film will also have additional screenings in select cinemas. For more information such as screening schedules and venues, check out the Japanese Film Festival website.
