Dragon Quest: Your Story (2019)
I wasn't too pleased with my Ni No Kuni (Yoshiyuki Momose, Modest Heroes) review. I had so much I wanted to say, and in an effort to condense my thoughts into a readable review, I ended up with a bog-standard one. I don't want to make the same mistakes with this review, because I genuinely loved Dragon Quest: Your Story (Takashi Yamazaki, Lupin III: The First), and I really want to share with you why.
When I first heard this was coming to Netflix, I have to be honest with you, I was giddy. I watched the first few seconds of the trailer, heard the Dragon Quest theme song, and switched it off. I would wait, I told myself. Not too long now.
And boy was the wait worth it! This movie isn't perfect, and I'll explain why; throughout its 1hr 42 minute run-time I went between a 6/10 to a 7/10 and I think I finally ended on an 8. I think this film takes some getting used to, an appreciation of the source material, and most of all a love for all things JRPG. But I'll break down my thoughts in a cohesive manner so you get the idea.
The most important part of a Dragon Quest game, which admittedly I've only played two, is the music. Not only does this film incorporate all the bangers from the game, as well as some of the more subtle tracks that stick in your mind, but it also knows when to use it. Ni No Kuni, which has a right good theme song, failed to understand the optimum time to whip out its signature track. Dragon Quest: Your Story has no such trouble. Throughout this film, the music is an absolute treat. It was such a nostalgia trip for me hearing all the old tunes, the sound effects the film cheekily drops in every so often; it made me think back to when I was young, playing Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies with my sister, and absolutely loving every second of it. I don't want to spoil much for this film, as I highly recommend you go watch it for yourselves, but I think the music for me played a really big role. All I'll say (so if you really don't want anything spoiled then move on) is it's called Your Story for a reason.
Like I said earlier, and as is likely apparent by now, a love of the source material (not necessarily Dragon Quest V, which this film is sort of based on, but just any Dragon Quest game) is essential. Without it, I feel like this isn't all that great of a film. Okay, let me explain.
This isn't a bad film, not by any stretch of the imagination, but the plot is a little iffy. For instance, the film has a pretty awesome opening; it starts off with footage of the game (Dragon Quest V) with all its text box glory, 2D pixel sprites and gorgeous turn based battles. It was amazing to see, but I feel like that's only because I like Dragon Quest as a franchise. You see, as awesome as this intro is, it's confusing as hell! I haven't played Dragon Quest V, so this being the introduction to the story isn't the best. It tries to introduce characters, but when they pop up later in their 3D glory, it's not clear that they were the ones in the intro until the main character is like "Oh yeah, it's you from when I was younger! Sweet!". The opening (after the video game styled intro) is also super confusing. It's so fast paced, and characters come and go without warning. Again, it's not bad by any means, and all of this gets smoothed over later on, but for a while this film feels like its a sequel to another film, or perhaps a series. Which it's not by the way. Just for clarification.
But the story does pick up eventually, and its conclusion was the sweetest, most heart-warming thing to see as someone who plays a whole butt-load of video games. It resonated with me so much, especially as stories, like the ones found in Dragon Quest games, are what fill my days. It reminded me why I enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 so much, and why I remember so fondly Dragon Quest IX. I'm not saying there's no good moments in the beginning, and in fact this film's script, which when it isn't expository is actually really funny, lends itself to this film having some superb moments. A montage early on is particularly amazing. I'm just concerned that some people who watch this might see the opening, become confused, and switch off. Stick with it, trust me, it's worth it.
The animation, on the other hand, is superb throughout. At first, I was a little iffy on it. There's nothing wrong with 3D animation, it can just age poorly. I wasn't sure if this was a case of 3D animation that would quickly age, or whether it was just quality stuff. I've come to terms with it being the latter, and I'm so glad it is. This film's visual style, overall animation quality and bright vibrant colours make this a world that I want to inhabit. Dragon Quest games have always had a really creative visual style thanks to its character artist Akira Toriyama (who is responsible for Dragon Ball), and this film carries that over. Whether it's visual nods to the games, or just cute and endearing character models, lush environments, or genuinely creepy villain designs, this whole film's aesthetic is incredible. It's a treat to watch, and I loved every frame. It's also worth noting that the combat, especially in the latter half, is really slick and well animated. It just makes the whole package worth watching.
I think the key thing to take away from this review is this: it's a nostalgia trip for those who love JRPGs and, hopefully, more specifically Dragon Quest. For those who don't, it's probably not your cup of tea. Frankly, this is the best video game movie adaptation I've ever seen, and it's making me want to whip out my Switch and finally sink my teeth into Dragon Quest XI. There's something very special about video games, and video game stories, and I think this film exemplifies that in a succinct way. Unlike Ni No Kuni, this film understands the franchise it's based on, and understands its fan-base. It understands what it is like to play video games, love them and cherish them. It understands you, the viewer and why you're watching this film. It's not perfect, not by any means, but it's a wonderful watch full of incredibly nostalgic moments that will warm your heart, and a lovely unexpected message towards the end that will bring a tear to your eye. It sure did for me.
8/10
When I first heard this was coming to Netflix, I have to be honest with you, I was giddy. I watched the first few seconds of the trailer, heard the Dragon Quest theme song, and switched it off. I would wait, I told myself. Not too long now.
And boy was the wait worth it! This movie isn't perfect, and I'll explain why; throughout its 1hr 42 minute run-time I went between a 6/10 to a 7/10 and I think I finally ended on an 8. I think this film takes some getting used to, an appreciation of the source material, and most of all a love for all things JRPG. But I'll break down my thoughts in a cohesive manner so you get the idea.
The most important part of a Dragon Quest game, which admittedly I've only played two, is the music. Not only does this film incorporate all the bangers from the game, as well as some of the more subtle tracks that stick in your mind, but it also knows when to use it. Ni No Kuni, which has a right good theme song, failed to understand the optimum time to whip out its signature track. Dragon Quest: Your Story has no such trouble. Throughout this film, the music is an absolute treat. It was such a nostalgia trip for me hearing all the old tunes, the sound effects the film cheekily drops in every so often; it made me think back to when I was young, playing Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies with my sister, and absolutely loving every second of it. I don't want to spoil much for this film, as I highly recommend you go watch it for yourselves, but I think the music for me played a really big role. All I'll say (so if you really don't want anything spoiled then move on) is it's called Your Story for a reason.
Like I said earlier, and as is likely apparent by now, a love of the source material (not necessarily Dragon Quest V, which this film is sort of based on, but just any Dragon Quest game) is essential. Without it, I feel like this isn't all that great of a film. Okay, let me explain.
This isn't a bad film, not by any stretch of the imagination, but the plot is a little iffy. For instance, the film has a pretty awesome opening; it starts off with footage of the game (Dragon Quest V) with all its text box glory, 2D pixel sprites and gorgeous turn based battles. It was amazing to see, but I feel like that's only because I like Dragon Quest as a franchise. You see, as awesome as this intro is, it's confusing as hell! I haven't played Dragon Quest V, so this being the introduction to the story isn't the best. It tries to introduce characters, but when they pop up later in their 3D glory, it's not clear that they were the ones in the intro until the main character is like "Oh yeah, it's you from when I was younger! Sweet!". The opening (after the video game styled intro) is also super confusing. It's so fast paced, and characters come and go without warning. Again, it's not bad by any means, and all of this gets smoothed over later on, but for a while this film feels like its a sequel to another film, or perhaps a series. Which it's not by the way. Just for clarification.
But the story does pick up eventually, and its conclusion was the sweetest, most heart-warming thing to see as someone who plays a whole butt-load of video games. It resonated with me so much, especially as stories, like the ones found in Dragon Quest games, are what fill my days. It reminded me why I enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 so much, and why I remember so fondly Dragon Quest IX. I'm not saying there's no good moments in the beginning, and in fact this film's script, which when it isn't expository is actually really funny, lends itself to this film having some superb moments. A montage early on is particularly amazing. I'm just concerned that some people who watch this might see the opening, become confused, and switch off. Stick with it, trust me, it's worth it.
The animation, on the other hand, is superb throughout. At first, I was a little iffy on it. There's nothing wrong with 3D animation, it can just age poorly. I wasn't sure if this was a case of 3D animation that would quickly age, or whether it was just quality stuff. I've come to terms with it being the latter, and I'm so glad it is. This film's visual style, overall animation quality and bright vibrant colours make this a world that I want to inhabit. Dragon Quest games have always had a really creative visual style thanks to its character artist Akira Toriyama (who is responsible for Dragon Ball), and this film carries that over. Whether it's visual nods to the games, or just cute and endearing character models, lush environments, or genuinely creepy villain designs, this whole film's aesthetic is incredible. It's a treat to watch, and I loved every frame. It's also worth noting that the combat, especially in the latter half, is really slick and well animated. It just makes the whole package worth watching.
I think the key thing to take away from this review is this: it's a nostalgia trip for those who love JRPGs and, hopefully, more specifically Dragon Quest. For those who don't, it's probably not your cup of tea. Frankly, this is the best video game movie adaptation I've ever seen, and it's making me want to whip out my Switch and finally sink my teeth into Dragon Quest XI. There's something very special about video games, and video game stories, and I think this film exemplifies that in a succinct way. Unlike Ni No Kuni, this film understands the franchise it's based on, and understands its fan-base. It understands what it is like to play video games, love them and cherish them. It understands you, the viewer and why you're watching this film. It's not perfect, not by any means, but it's a wonderful watch full of incredibly nostalgic moments that will warm your heart, and a lovely unexpected message towards the end that will bring a tear to your eye. It sure did for me.
8/10
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