The First Slam Dunk

The undisciplined hothead. The playground enemy turned teammate. The player living in the shadow of his all-star brother. The final Hail Mary pass. THE FIRST SLAM DUNK is a classic underdog basketball movie in anime form, delivering all the expected narrative beats right on time. But writer-director Inoue Takehiko offers a twist on the formula. Instead of showing the physical and emotional struggles leading up to the all-important big game, THE FIRST SLAM DUNK is the big game from start to finish, providing characterisation mostly through flashbacks.

The main focus of the film is Ryota, a relatively short, scrappy player still mourning the death of his older brother Sota, star of the Shohoku High School team. As the film evolves, it turns away from Ryota’s personal turmoil, expanding to include the other Shohoku players, who mirror Ryota’s own development. He must become an unselfish team player if he wants to win it all. Although Inoue mostly maintains a realistic animation style, he uses the visual potential of anime to amp up the brutal kinetics of hard-in-the-paint b-ball, resulting in rousing, old fashioned entertainment for all ages. (Michael Sicinski)