Film Reviews

Yu-Gi-Oh

• Rating:
• Director: Hatsuki Tsuji
• Starring: Eric Stuart
• Details: Jap / 88 mins / (G).

Yu-gi-oh - what's it all about? Your guess is as good as mine. Certainly, this brash and extremely loud animated movie doesn't do an awful lot to let those uneducated in the cartoon's ways in on the secret.
As you may suspect, plot matters are resistant to common sense. After something called the Battle Cry tournament, an ancient bad sort called Anubis has managed to free himself from his prison under the desert. Having been committed to the sands by our hero, Yugi, Anubis is determined to wreak a terrible revenge and will do anything to ensure Yugi and the world is destroyed. The fact that he's in possession of some heavy-duty weaponry - the Eighth Millennium - merely adds to our hero's troubles.
Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? However, unless you've already accumulated quite a measure of knowledge when it comes to this hugely successful television series and card game, chances are that you won't have too much of a clue as to what exactly is going on. The artwork has its moments of inspiration, but for the most part, the film is far too loud and kinetic to appreciate. (Indeed, a headache may be the only result for some.) Younger kids and fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy it, but anyone else not already enamoured with these characters will find little of interest here.

Review by Garreth Murphy