After watching Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, I was more disappointed than I expected. As a fan of the series, I went into it with enthusiasm, hoping for a film that would significantly expand the story or offer something new in terms of tone or perspective. Instead, what I got felt more like a patch job, a rushed, uneven, and confusing experience that barely justifies its existence as a standalone film.
The film, clocking in at approximately ninety minutes, follows Yuji Itadori's journey as a jujutsu sorcerer. In theory, this sounds appealing: an opportunity to explore the aftermath of the impressive Shibuya Incident and see how the characters have evolved. However, the execution (ironically, given the title) leaves much to be desired. The first forty minutes are essentially a rapid-fire recap of the Shibuya Incident arc from the second season—seventeen episodes of dense narrative compressed into less than half the film. The result is a confusing jumble of names, fights, and explanations that sacrifices coherence for speed.
Director: Shouta Goshozono
Writers: Gege Akutami, Hiroshi Seko
Stars: Jun'ya Enoki, Subaru Kimura, Alan Lee
This recap approach might work for die-hard fans who want a cinematic refresher, but for casual viewers, or those less familiar with the series, it's almost incomprehensible. Important character relationships and motivations are reduced to quick flashbacks or brief lines of dialogue. There's little room to breathe or emotionally connect with the events on screen. Even for longtime fans, it's difficult to become invested when the story feels more like a highlight reel than a cohesive narrative.
Once the film finally moves on to new material—essentially the first two episodes of the upcoming third season and the beginning of the Culling Games—it becomes clear that Execution is less a film and more a glorified advertisement for the next chapter of the anime. The story abruptly shifts in tone and pacing, as if viewers are being asked to watch a recap before the main feature even begins. While these new sequences are intriguing in concept and hint at promising future developments, their inclusion here only emphasizes how disjointed the entire film feels. From a technical standpoint, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution showcases both the strengths and weaknesses of the series' production style. The animation, usually one of the show's defining features, feels strangely inconsistent here, relying heavily on visual effects, motion blur, explosions, and sound effects to simulate movement rather than actually animating it. This isn't unusual in anime, but the shortcuts are more apparent in a cinematic context, where audiences expect smoother and more dynamic visuals. This is often compensated for in the fight scenes, but here it feels truly forced. In several key action sequences, the camera work and editing are so frenetic that it's difficult to appreciate the choreography or the sense of impact that Jujutsu Kaisen is usually known for.
That said, the film's music deserves praise. The soundtrack, composed with the same energy and emotional resonance that characterized the television series, remains a strong point. It heightens the tension and drama even when the visuals or pacing falter. The overall sound design is excellent, and this contributes greatly to what we see on screen.
Ultimately, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution feels like a missed opportunity. It could have been a better bridge between seasons, a deeper character study, or a fresh, standalone story; even a filler episode would have been welcome in this case! Instead, it functions as a recap and a preview rolled into one without much narrative coherence. After seeing the new Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man films, this one falls into a distant third place among the three big series of the moment. It's disappointing, as Jujutsu Kaisen has long been my favorite series of the group. Die-hard fans might appreciate seeing familiar moments on the big screen, especially with an improved presentation, but for most viewers, it will feel redundant and poorly structured.
In the end, Execution doesn't stand on its own as a film. It relies too heavily on prior knowledge to be accessible, and it's too repetitive to be exciting for longtime fans. While there are moments of energy and emotional intensity, they are buried under a mountain of rushed storytelling and inconsistent animation. The music occasionally saves it, but no soundtrack can save a film that doesn't quite know what it wants to be. In conclusion, fans may enjoy the nostalgia, but newcomers, and even casual viewers, will likely be disappointed.
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