I spent some time today to watch a Blu-Ray copy of this film. As a gift from my brother, we planned to watch the subtitled original together. This review will cover the Funimation dub, so obviously there will be differences.
The story possesses many similarities to the plot of the first Bayonetta video game, with a few differences that make it more original overall than many other movie tie-ins. Granted, it's still not enough to make it seem like more than video game cutscenes drawn in anime, but it delivers on the action and occasional humor or drama with more success than others of its kind. If you have played Bayonetta, then the characters should feel very familiar. For audiences who haven't one bit of knowledge, they can be hard to grasp considering how reliant the writing is on the game's plot. We have the trope of a protagonist's family member for a villain in Balder, the forgotten child Bayonetta, her enabler Jeanne, the tough guy Rodin, and the informant Enzo, the characters are only as complex as they are in the game they came from. To its credit, Bayonetta does have a more deep plot compared to many other video games, so it does work out. Very easily, the animation is the best thing about this movie. The fantasy elements, monsters, and action work gracefully and pristinely with Gonzo's style of anime. The effects are enough to make the fights compelling to watch, while the ideas from the video games (such as the Gomorrah that Bayonetta summons with Avavago) look really amazing with the environments.
If you like Bayonetta or are familiar with the franchise, this film is somewhat unremarkable besides just looking like an eye candy version of gameplay. For common audiences (no children, there is graphic violence, language, and nudity, like a classic R film), it may come off as just another otaku movie that isn't designed to cater to a general audience. I didn't find it too interesting, but for some people, its very strong animation and overall higher quality compared to other video game movies may come off as a delightful surprise.
The story possesses many similarities to the plot of the first Bayonetta video game, with a few differences that make it more original overall than many other movie tie-ins. Granted, it's still not enough to make it seem like more than video game cutscenes drawn in anime, but it delivers on the action and occasional humor or drama with more success than others of its kind. If you have played Bayonetta, then the characters should feel very familiar. For audiences who haven't one bit of knowledge, they can be hard to grasp considering how reliant the writing is on the game's plot. We have the trope of a protagonist's family member for a villain in Balder, the forgotten child Bayonetta, her enabler Jeanne, the tough guy Rodin, and the informant Enzo, the characters are only as complex as they are in the game they came from. To its credit, Bayonetta does have a more deep plot compared to many other video games, so it does work out. Very easily, the animation is the best thing about this movie. The fantasy elements, monsters, and action work gracefully and pristinely with Gonzo's style of anime. The effects are enough to make the fights compelling to watch, while the ideas from the video games (such as the Gomorrah that Bayonetta summons with Avavago) look really amazing with the environments.
If you like Bayonetta or are familiar with the franchise, this film is somewhat unremarkable besides just looking like an eye candy version of gameplay. For common audiences (no children, there is graphic violence, language, and nudity, like a classic R film), it may come off as just another otaku movie that isn't designed to cater to a general audience. I didn't find it too interesting, but for some people, its very strong animation and overall higher quality compared to other video game movies may come off as a delightful surprise.