Nobody's reviewed the new movie yet on IMDb (probably soaking up every last minute of the new game and the re-release), so I thought I'd step up.
Bloody Fate is a mixed bag. Intense action, check. Iconic sassy hyper sexual feminine character in spex stripping half-naked, double check. Mercilessly killing faceless nondescript enemies, check. Half-baked exposition characters thrown in randomly to keep the plot loosely connected, yep. Poor pacing, unfortunately.
Bloody Fate sticks to the first game in the series almost verbatim. Don't let the director's commentary persuade you otherwise. The characters, the lore, the events, even the inside jokes feel like their ripped straight from the cut-scenes. Even the chronological areas visited and recalled by our heroine come from the first game. Which is good, REALLY good... if you are a fan of the first game. If you are a casual watcher, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate is going to feel a little hollow and stale, which is something Bayonetta is anything but. But if you're a fan of the series, you'll get way more bang for your buck.
90 minutes is a lot of time for a single entry anime, but to fit all the events from the game into a film while still keeping up the interests of the niche fan base, things were cut. We start off with a bang, and then a roar, Bayonetta doing what she does best killing Lumen angels in church before going up against a Beloved. A little explanation, more action, and then the movie goes from a roar to dull murmur at the 30 min mark. With the entry of a certain figure that will no doubt go down as the most annoying supporting character since the Brown Wizard, the movie turns cringe worthy. Minor spoilers would give away who this person is, which is just simply THE definition of irony. Trust me, the twist will surprise no one. (I lost count how many times the word Mummy was mentioned after 30.) What follows is a gratuitous display of fan service PG boobs, and unnecessary clothed crotch and butt shots. Fans of the series will be at home with this, newcomers in a mixed crowd will probably be looking back and forth. For a title that made TV-MA, this blows. We're adults, show nipples. With the amount of time they spent drawing Bayonetta's body parts, they may just as well.
Things pick up again after the 50 minute mark, but suddenly the movie goes to fast too keep up with how places are connected, and where our heroes are headed. The verbiage of the series is arresting, and you wont get it in one sitting, even if the tropes are routine. Fore shading and plot twists come out, but the whole three realms and Purgatory references along with the theological aspects are just too filler to get in one sitting. Even more distracting is the action, which even in the middle half doldrums doesn't stop.
All that being said, when it comes to classic femme fatale, perfectly executed BAMF moments, eccentric character creation and perfectly drawn animation, Gonzo and Toei really did their homework. I have the Blu-ray and I have yet to find a single artifact or banding issue in the movie. Gorgeous doesn't do B:BF justice. Also, the original voice actors from the first game make their return! If you weren't aware, Hellena Taylor actually voiced the character before the Japanese voice actors were picked, making Bayonetta by default British. Saucy, British... You'd think you were listening to a sex chat operator.
As far as additional features, the set is lacking. A director's track along with Hellena Taylor giving a brief history of Pinewood studios is just about all there is. Trailers, and storyboard sketches comprise the rest. If there's a complaint I have about additional features, it's that there's no subtitles for the English dub, and the audio is by default in 5.1 no matter what language you pick. For people who like to know exact words this is frustrating. British is NOT American, and accents distract.
All in all, Bloody Fate does well, but has some issues. Think Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, but with a chick, and a really annoying child. If it weren't for the second act lull, I'd give it a nine because the movie does what the games do; kick ass and look good doing it! I'd recommend Bloody Fate for anyone who loves Bayonetta.
Bloody Fate is a mixed bag. Intense action, check. Iconic sassy hyper sexual feminine character in spex stripping half-naked, double check. Mercilessly killing faceless nondescript enemies, check. Half-baked exposition characters thrown in randomly to keep the plot loosely connected, yep. Poor pacing, unfortunately.
Bloody Fate sticks to the first game in the series almost verbatim. Don't let the director's commentary persuade you otherwise. The characters, the lore, the events, even the inside jokes feel like their ripped straight from the cut-scenes. Even the chronological areas visited and recalled by our heroine come from the first game. Which is good, REALLY good... if you are a fan of the first game. If you are a casual watcher, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate is going to feel a little hollow and stale, which is something Bayonetta is anything but. But if you're a fan of the series, you'll get way more bang for your buck.
90 minutes is a lot of time for a single entry anime, but to fit all the events from the game into a film while still keeping up the interests of the niche fan base, things were cut. We start off with a bang, and then a roar, Bayonetta doing what she does best killing Lumen angels in church before going up against a Beloved. A little explanation, more action, and then the movie goes from a roar to dull murmur at the 30 min mark. With the entry of a certain figure that will no doubt go down as the most annoying supporting character since the Brown Wizard, the movie turns cringe worthy. Minor spoilers would give away who this person is, which is just simply THE definition of irony. Trust me, the twist will surprise no one. (I lost count how many times the word Mummy was mentioned after 30.) What follows is a gratuitous display of fan service PG boobs, and unnecessary clothed crotch and butt shots. Fans of the series will be at home with this, newcomers in a mixed crowd will probably be looking back and forth. For a title that made TV-MA, this blows. We're adults, show nipples. With the amount of time they spent drawing Bayonetta's body parts, they may just as well.
Things pick up again after the 50 minute mark, but suddenly the movie goes to fast too keep up with how places are connected, and where our heroes are headed. The verbiage of the series is arresting, and you wont get it in one sitting, even if the tropes are routine. Fore shading and plot twists come out, but the whole three realms and Purgatory references along with the theological aspects are just too filler to get in one sitting. Even more distracting is the action, which even in the middle half doldrums doesn't stop.
All that being said, when it comes to classic femme fatale, perfectly executed BAMF moments, eccentric character creation and perfectly drawn animation, Gonzo and Toei really did their homework. I have the Blu-ray and I have yet to find a single artifact or banding issue in the movie. Gorgeous doesn't do B:BF justice. Also, the original voice actors from the first game make their return! If you weren't aware, Hellena Taylor actually voiced the character before the Japanese voice actors were picked, making Bayonetta by default British. Saucy, British... You'd think you were listening to a sex chat operator.
As far as additional features, the set is lacking. A director's track along with Hellena Taylor giving a brief history of Pinewood studios is just about all there is. Trailers, and storyboard sketches comprise the rest. If there's a complaint I have about additional features, it's that there's no subtitles for the English dub, and the audio is by default in 5.1 no matter what language you pick. For people who like to know exact words this is frustrating. British is NOT American, and accents distract.
All in all, Bloody Fate does well, but has some issues. Think Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, but with a chick, and a really annoying child. If it weren't for the second act lull, I'd give it a nine because the movie does what the games do; kick ass and look good doing it! I'd recommend Bloody Fate for anyone who loves Bayonetta.