Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review – Once It Gets Going, It’s Non-Stop, Explosive Fun

Chainsaw Man has been a fan favourite on anime streaming services like Crunchyroll. It burst onto the scene at the end of 2022 and has been featured regularly in the top 10 streams on various platforms in the three years since its initial television debut. Based on the manga created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Chainsaw Man is a coming-of-age shonen anime like no other. Thanks to its continued popularity and another studio MAPPA success, the creators have taken things a step further with the upcoming series continuation, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.

Official Synopsis reads: “For the first time, Chainsaw Man slashes his way onto the big screen in an epic, action-fuelled adventure that continues the hugely popular anime series. Denji worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza, trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, until the yakuza betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.”

As an avid fan of the anime, I initially thought I needed to watch Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. The fear that I’d be missing quite a chunk of the story if I didn’t has been common among fans. And while the movie does form part of the manga’s story, it can also be viewed as a standalone film for those unfamiliar with the anime or manga.

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s ongoing Chainsaw Man manga is currently divided into two parts. Part 1 takes us on Denji’s (Kikunosuke Toya) journey from a destitute 16-year-old seeking to pay off his late father’s debt to becoming a member of the Public Safety division, led by Makima (Tomori Kusunoki). With Part 1 of the manga featuring 97 chapters, season 1 of the anime covers chapters 1 through 38. The latest instalment, Reze Arc, then covers chapters 1-52 in explosive style.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is an exploration of the medium in its proper form. It has everything: a film divided into the classic three-part structure —setup, confrontation, and resolution. Jumping straight into it, the film experiments heavily with its art style, a black-and-white drawn medium which slowly builds into its own, adding colour and depth – a hint at the film’s slow build into an epic showdown.

Denji, smitten with Makima, tortuously bumps into a young girl, Reze (Reina Ueda), during a heavy downpour in the city. Attempting not to fall for her advances, he fails miserably. We understand why, from his backstory, notwithstanding being a 16-year-old boy running hot. The film opens as a romantic tale, with plenty of heartfelt moments for good measure. However, you can’t shake that feeling that something is bound to happen, as is the unfortunate fate of our protagonist. And this is where things take an explosive turn – quite literally.

From its slow start to modest artwork, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc switches gears in the best way. The second act is near-on all-out action, flying across the screen and just barely keeping up with the insane movements as you’re still trying to read the subtitles. As was the case during the first season, though powerful as Denji is, he still has to rely on his team for the assist.

With Power (Ai Fairouz) sidelined for the majority of the film due to her slow revert into a full devil, noted by the extra horns in her appearance, Denji is partnered with a new devil, Beam the Shark Fiend (Natsuki Hanae). Despite being annoyed by his new sidekick, the two learn to work together with impressive cohesion, with Beam coming in clutch when he’s needed the most. Aki (Shôgo Sakata), still partnered with the Angel Devil (Maaya Uchida), explores their own relationship before being called onto the scene to assist Denji in defeating the most powerful devil yet.

Even if you were not familiar with the anime series and just passing by to enjoy a film on the silver screen, there’s enough of a standalone story, superb animation to enjoy and plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat once it properly kicks off. The animation style is mixed, offering different visuals to appreciate throughout its 100-minute runtime, which is nothing short of candy for your eyes. The colours are bold, and the stylised battles are vivid, both enhanced further by their appearance on the big screen, especially for those seeing it in IMAX.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc continues developing the main protagonist, Denji. While he grows his powers as the Chainsaw Man, he also grows as a human, dealing with internal turmoil over not having real feelings, and learning not only to love but also to forgive. In the process, the film introduces plenty of new threats, a few new characters, and insane action. With more action, more blood, more gore, more humour, and much more over-the-top, the film not only expands on the story but also sets a new standard for anime on the big screen all on its own.

In doing so, it also sets up the next phase of the story. However, we don’t know when. Season 2 is almost inevitable, as the team continue their search for the Gun Devil. 

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