After the success of season one, season two, and the prequel film “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” the JJK franchise returns to theaters for the second time this year with “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution,” directed by Studio MAPPA’s Shota Goshozono and Yôsuke Takada.
The film opens with a recap of the events following the Shibuya Incident arc and then transitions into the Culling Game arc and the confrontation between Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkotsu.
In terms of visuals, the movie is very well animated; MAPPA leans into very dark, saturated colors. This contrasts well with the flashing effects of the character’s curse techniques. The remastered sequences from Shibuya feel cleaner and more polished than their TV counterparts. The smoother movement really ties the whole thing together in a neat little bow. The new scenes have a colder, harsher palette to match the guilt weighing on Yuji Itadori and the threat of the Culling Game.
The score by Yoshimasa Terui mixes heavy percussion and creepy ambience to portray the dark mood of the film. The intense moments in the score compliments MAPPA’s fight scenes. Every slash, explosion, and curse technique is framed to be as impactful as possible on a big screen.
The choice to make half of the film a recap of season 2 of the anime was an interesting one. Condensing 26 episodes into under an hour removes all context and ruins the highlight moments such as the deaths of the characters, plot twists, and some of the fight scenes. This makes the whole thing seem rushed to long time fans, and overwhelming to newcomers.
Still, the investment in the high quality animation and rewritten scenes shows actual effort from the studio to improve from its TV counterpart. Even with the sacrifices, the movie succeeds in building hype for the upcoming season of “Jujutsu Kaisen” the series.
Eliana Romera, a senior at Mark Keppel High School, remarked, “I found the visual for the movie really appealing. You can tell MAPPA really went all out for this film.”
Overall, “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” manages to deliver a film that resonates with existing fans while also engaging with new audiences. Its blend of intense action and emotional storytelling underscores its significance ahead for the upcoming season.
