A Story With so Much Potential

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Divine Protector – Master Salt Begins
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Genre: Fantasy
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 2h
Director(s): Hiroshi Akabane
Writer(s): Ryuho Okawa
Cast: Rin Kijima, Saya Fukunaga, Mariya Suzuki, Munehiro Yoshida, Donpei Tsuchihira, Moro Morooka, Fumihiko Tachiki (Voice), Yuki Meguro
Where To Watch: In select theatres for a Limited Time on October 21, 2022. On Digital and Demand Spring 2023

RAVING REVIEW: A fun and different experience than I was expecting based purely on the poster. It just proves that you can’t judge a movie by its poster.

For the majority of the film, I thought it had an exciting story and kept me entertained following the story. Then my ultimate enemy in modern filmmaking “arose,” and we saw more than we needed to see. I hate constantly harping on that; although traditionally, I run across this issue more in the horror genre, it can also be present in fantasy.

As for the rest of the movie, I was pretty impressed, the copy I received had English dubbing, and it was very well done. No dub is perfect, but this one was easy to follow and didn’t take you out of the film with long lengths of dialogue that didn’t match the actor's mouths. I think the story was unique enough to make for an exciting watch.

Based on the poster, I expected something like CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Instead, I got something more in line with THE CRAFT, which is a complement in every way possible. That’s one of the main reasons I don’t look into films before screening them. I may build things up in my mind, but I like going in with a blank slate and enjoying the experience.

I’m curious to see if this is the building block of a franchise or just a one-off. It has the potential to be either or. I liked how even though the film is primarily fantasy, there are little bits and pieces that lend it to being part horror. It could make for an extraordinary world if they focused more on the story and less on including fantasy creatures.

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