Netflix movie hailed 'one of the greatest ever'
One glowing review for The First Slam Dunk says: "There isn't much more that needs to be said other than you should watch this movie ASAP." This comment may just nail the essence of Takehiko Inoue's animated sports film.
The Japanese cinematic venture from 2022 is an adaptation of Inoue's iconic Slam Dunk manga, hitting theatres in Japan during December 2022. Takehiko Inoue no only penned and helmed the project but also scored a win with the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in 2023.
The movie turned out to be an absolute blockbuster, pulling in a whopping $279 million at the worldwide box office. Stepping away from its manga roots, The First Slam Dunk throws the spotlight on Ryota Miyagi – Shohoku High School's basketball team point guard whose love for the game was inherited from his brother Sota, three years his senior.
Alongside his teammates - Takenori Akagi, Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kaede Rukawa, and Hisashi Mitsui - Ryota locks horns with top dogs Sannoh Kogyo High School in an epic basketball challenge. The film breathes fresh life into the manga's nail-biting ultimate showdown, sprinkled with new flashbacks and a epilogue honing in on Ryota's journey, reports Surrey Live.
By all accounts, The First Slam Dunk didn't just score – it dominated, with IMDB championing it as the 12th highest-grossing Japanese film ever and the fifth all-time anime box office titan. It boasts a flawless 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience approval nearly as high at 99 per cent. A moment from The First Slam Dunk (Image: Netflix)
Critics are all praise, with one stating: "Takehiko Inoue's The First Slam Dunk is a sports movie done right, with one of the best climaxes of the year that's guaranteed to leave you fist-pumping the air." Another said: "The First Slam Dunk is one of the best basketball movies you could ever see. It's a suspenseful and emotionally gripping film that balances a story of achieving sports greatness and coping with grief."
Further applause goes to director Takehiko Inoue, with one review saying: "Heart-pounding and heartrending, first-time director Takehiko Inoue's adaptation of his own manga proves that he has the skills of a pro." And another said: "No movie has so literally reduced basketball to 'just a game', and no movie this side of Hoop Dreams has so ecstatically conveyed why it's also so much more than that."
Another fan wrote: "This movie will make you stand up and cheer. This movie gets what makes basketball great. I was so into the game that I was sweating and my heart racing while I watched. I would say that I was at the edge of my seat the whole time, but that's not true. I actually stood up to cheer and pump my fist as I watched."
"I can say all the sports movie review cliché stuff about this film, and it is all true. The music is great, the characters are great, and the story is great. If this movie does not pump you up, you do not have a pulse." A moment from The First Slam Dunk (Image: Netflix)
Another viewer said: "One of the greatest movies I've seen in my life. I'm not kidding. Amazing animation, amazing soundtrack, amazing story all amazingly executed. And the best part is that it's a movie for everyone. Even if you don't like anime. Even if you don't like basketball. Even if you don't care about sports. Enough said go watch it!!!"
Another review said: "Animation was incredible, I'm not even a huge fan of basketball but this was such a gripping story I was on the edge of my seat the entire time." Meanwhile, a fellow fan succinctly summed it up: "Like the title says: a total slam dunk."
The First Slam Dunk is available to stream on Netflix.
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