QS stands for “Quickshot”, a series of short form review/preview/opinion articles.
Some of you might’ve heard of the recently-released animated film that goes by the name of this week’s blog title. Many of you might not have, and I honestly wouldn’t blame you. I too hadn’t even remotely heard of this film until one of my best friends pointed it out to me the other week. Then, over the next few days, it was suddenly everywhere I looked (always interesting when that phenomenon happens, isn’t it?). After being unable to resist any longer, I gave it a watch a few days ago.
Uh yeah…it’s popular for a reason. It’s super good!
But, for those out-of-the-loop, what exactly is KPop Demon Hunters? And why is it so dang great?
Let me prep your mind first by melding a little brew. A fusion of all the little pieces that make up KPop Demon Hunters.
First, you take the visual stylings and animation flair of the Spiderverse films and Mitchells Versus The Machines. Then, add in the pacing and feel of a Kung Fu Panda movie. Next, inject a massive dose of K-Pop culture, references, and fantastic tunes. Finally, make the entire theme of the story the exact same as Persona 4…wait, what? Yeah, I guess you can do that too! Put it all in a blend, and presto!
Now, don’t let my silly analogy there distract from the main point, which is that KPop Demon Hunters is awesome, extremely well-made, and more than carves out its own niche even as it wears its inspirations on its sleeve.
The animation…I’m not sure how much I need to say. It’s flashy, it’s bouncy, it’s energetic, and it’s almost impossible to look away from. It’s a gorgeous film, and yet another point I’d have to throw in the face of that cynical crowd out there that think 3D animation can’t be as enjoyable or entertaining as 2D. The movie is pretty stunning, and they do some really impressive stuff with colors and choreography during the action scenes and musical numbers.
Which, yeah, I can’t stress that enough: this is a musical. The “KPop” part of the title isn’t just for fun. And it’s not like the sort of movie that has a jukebox-esque soundtrack where licensed songs play during montage-like scenes. It’s a musical. The singing happens in real-time, in-universe, and the scenes are built around the numbers. Some of the songs have a Pop-y element to them, sure, but it’s a tried-and-true musical. There’s a villain song, a love ballad, a goofy catchy song, a heroic power ballad…it’s got it all!
And can I just say? Utterly fantastic soundtrack! I don’t think there’s a single bum song in the entire film, and I promise that many of them will worm their way into your ears for days/weeks to come after watching the film. Here’s a link to my two favorites (and it’s audio-only with the comments turned-off, so no worries about spoilers!)
It’s a pretty funny movie too, but honestly that should be expected when you watch a Sony Pictures Animation project. There’s so many quick and snappy visual gags that you’d need to do multiple watchthroughs of the film just to catch them all. There’s a lot of slapstick beats during some of the action scenes too. And then there’s the Blue Tiger, a nonspeaking animal companion who is a constant delight, including his introduction scene which is so funny that my cheeks hurt from smiling during it.
What really surprised me, though, is how good the characters and story are, along with the film’s central themes. It’s rare to get a film that really tackles relevant and mature topics, but it’s always amazing when it happens. I wasn’t joking in my earlier paragraph when I compared this film’s themes to those in Persona 4. There’s a big focus on the trauma and consequences that come from hiding away ones flaws and insecurities, letting them fester and eat away at you instead of acknowledging them and moving forward from there. There’s almost a literal sort of Shadow-self in this film too, just like in Persona 4. But I’m totally okay with the theme not exactly being new when it’s one I personally care about so much!
Rumi, the main character, is a particularly fantastic character, and definitely one of my new favorite movie protagonists. She gets the lion’s share of the screentime in the movie, and while that makes her two costars a little less fleshed-out (but no less entertaining), it makes Rumi a fantastic character! I loved every single thing about her arc, the development she went through, the message she evokes, and I sincerely applaud the writers for being willing to push her character to the brink in a certain way I wasn’t sure they’d have the courage to do. She’s awesome.
Also, her voice acting is great! Should’ve mentioned it earlier, but the voice acting for the entire cast is phenomenal, and of course that extends to the great singing too! Can’t really have a standout musical without talented vocals!
So is the movie perfect? Well, honestly, it’s pretty close…but not. Of course it isn’t, nothing is. To be fair, though, my singular issue with the film actually lays more with what the movie doesn’t do than anything it actually does. I genuinely think KPop Demon Hunters should have been about ten minutes longer. As it stands, it only clocks in at just under an hour-and-a-half.
In a perfect world, the movie has about three more scenes that add in about ten more minutes of screentime. A scene earlier in the film to flesh out the character of Celine a bit more, an extended version of an already great (but could be better) dramatic moment in the third act, and then an additional scene after that that gives Rumi just a touch more introspection to pave the way for the finale. But all of this is more wishful than anything else, not a legitimate mistake or flaw of the film.
KPop Demon Hunters is the best animated film of the year so far, and might just remain uncontested for the entire year overall. It’s fantastic, and you owe it to yourself to carve out 90 minutes of your day and give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed!
9.5/10
The Contrarian Corner 