VOLTES V LEGACY: THE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE (2023) Review
Directed by Mark Reyes
2023 may be the year for the fan boys/girls. From Slam Dunk, Dungeons & Dragons, The Last of Us, and now, we have a live-action adaptation of Voltes V being released first in the cinemas.
The “movie cut” or “Cinematic Experience” as they call it has issues. I mean, it definitely will have issues because it’s still intended for a TV release. But some technical issues could have been fixed with the technology we have today. But considering that the film covers three weeks worth of episodes, the movie cut, at least for me, can stand on its own. It has a proper story to tell and a proper ending for the audience to either leave it as that or to wait for the series to start this May.
I’m not a fan of the animated series but I do know its story and seen some clips online. But when I saw Voltes V Legacy, I was really impressed and I just felt proud. This is a win for multi-generational fans and a leap for Philippine CGI. Why didn’t they plan this to be a movie from the start? It could have been better.
The elements of a successful blockbuster film is there. There’s cheesy drama, action, adventure, aliens and giant robots. If only the language of TV is the same as in film, it would have been a better experience.
While I did say that it has a proper story and a proper ending, you could still tell that there are trimmed scenes here and there, especially in the first part of the film. The editing is messy but you can still picture what the story wants to tell.
Voltes V Legacy is far from perfect, it has many issues, but what makes it worthy of your time and money is that you can see that it was made by people who wants to make the re-envisioning of the classic anime series work not just for its fans but for everyone who would want to be entertained. And they made sure that it wouldn’t look and feel cheap watching it.
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Voltes V Legacy: The Cinematic Experience’ is now showing in select SM Cinemas. Rated PG by the MTRCB.