DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA INFINITY CASTLE Review: And You Thought Darth Vader Was Evil

Jump in feet first; then hang on for a wild ride.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
The film opens worldwide, only in movie theaters, via Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Visit the official site for more information.

Full disclosure: I was overwhelmed.

Of course, as an inveterate sampler and perpetual newbie, I often find myself completely confused by new anime series and, especially, movies, as I seek to figure out what is happening on a narrative level in the context of all that has come before. In the case of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle, I had no prior experience with either the 23 volumes of the manga series, written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotoge and first published in 2016, nor the multi-season anime series, nor the two compilation movies, nor Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020), a direct sequel to the first season of the anime series.

Putting all that aside, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle thrusts the viewer into a world in which an Infinity Castle exists, constructed by Muzan Kibutsuji, an antagonist whose evil puts Darth Vader to shame. Muzan commands a legion of demons, and the Infinity Castle is their stronghold.

The more powerful demons are engaged in a battle against the Demon Slayer Corps, humans who can fight back against their foes thanks to their training, which has enabled them to learn of certain weaknesses in the demons, which makes them vulnerable. It seems to be a losing battle, overall, and many members of the Demon Slayer Corps perish, but theirs is a sacrifice that they are willing to make, as long as it helps humans to defeat the demons.

As if in recognition of how silly that might sound to the unacquainted, the movie includes occasional lighter moments, which were so unexpected that they always made me laugh out loud. Primarily, however, this is a dramatic thriller about meaningful battles, and the feature length -- some 155 minutes -- allows for extended battle scenes, both one on one and one against many, that are spectacular and stirring.

The extended action sequences can be much more extravagant than what might fit into one or even two episodes in an anime series, which is a big argument in favor of a movie version. What captured me and my imagination, especially, were two sequences. One arrives to conclude Act I: an extended, exhausting battle between one brave human and one cackling, bloodthirsty demon, who smiles as he eats souls and crushes all who oppose him. The sequence is long and draining, yet also a touching portrait of an indomitable spirit.

The other long sequence of note arrives squarely in Act III, so no spoilers. It is, however, completely unexpected for how it touched me on a deep emotional level. It is also the complete antithesis of anything I'd expect to see in a Hollywood blockbuster.

As noted above, and widely advertised (so this is no spoiler), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle kicks off a cinematic trilogy, and there are plenty more battles to come. Based on the first installment, I can also anticipate plenty more emotional depths to be plumbed.