Where to begin with this one? As a movie following the second-generation team, "The Beginning" is the type of Digimon project that I have wanted for nearly two decades. The reasoning behind such a suggestion is fairly straightforward: "Digmon 02" is the season of the anime with the most untapped potential. A number of plot and character points, while well established, ultimately weren't followed through with, the reasons for which I can only speculate on. Given the sheer outrage fans have voiced on this since discussion on the internet gained traction, one would presume that the filmmakers would take the opportunity to amend these issues; the fact that they don't is the least of their infractions. The latest entry in the near decade long production of Digimon movies signifies that the franchise has reached a dark place on almost every conceivable level.
People will give any number of definitions for what the abhorrent deconstruction approach entails. Really, it's nothing more than an attempt to "expose" the disturbing undercurrent of whatever the selected subject or genre. Not only are the results an exercise in vanity, positing themselves as better and wiser than anything that came before, but they all make essentially the same points: popular genre conventions are dangerous or deceptive and naturally lead to lots of people's lives ruined or ended. Thus, we have grave consequences from teenage girls' emotional instability in "Puella Magika Madoka", the history of the Star Wars universe twisted into a macabre joke in "Knights of the Old Republic 2", and a seemingly endless number of superheroes turned into self-serving, violent sociopaths. Not only do these show a gross misunderstanding of how mythologies work but, through shock value and a patina of intellectualism, they bully people into abandoning the tried-and-true elements of said mythologies.
With "The Beginning", the Digimon franchise has finally fallen victim to this poisonous trend, taking the core conceit of partnerships between humans and friendly monsters and transforming it into the premise for a horror story. Said partnerships have traditionally served as a source of encouragement and personal growth for the human characters (something acknowledged in the script). While these would occasionally veer into dark territory, such darkness was understood as being rooted in the characters' personal flaws and weaknesses, not in the concept of partnership itself. "The Beginning" presents the human/digimon relationship as an unpredictable, consuming devotion where even the smallest misunderstanding can have chilling, far-ranging results. Combine this with some overt rewriting of the lore, and what you have is nothing short of a desecration.
Gone are the days when people behind these stories actually cared about the series' integrity. To some extent, this is not new. It has been in evidence since the days of "Data Squad", which made franchise conventions feel perfunctory while emphasizing that season's more distinct elements. "Digimon Tri" showed a similar pattern but maintained enough of a connection to its roots to be an overall worthwhile addition. Now, that connection is threadbare, as the writers treat this franchise as a mere vehicle for the types of stories they actually do want to tell, hence the inclusion of new characters who end up sucking all the oxygen out of the room. With Lui, the latest in this trend, the objectives are not even remotely hidden. This is unequivocally his movie, relegating the characters we actually DO care about to mere window dressing.
Clearly, no one thought to take advantage of this new period in the lives of the 02 heroes. No insights into the thought processes behind any key decisions, no building upon promising character points, and scarcely a nod to the memorable quirks from the series. We all know Davis spontaneously decided that his life goal was to start a ramen business, but that hardly justifies about 90% of his dialogue (and his entire dynamic with Veemon) revolving around that one subject. Remember how he often struggled to be taken seriously, nonetheless stepping up to the plate at critical moments? What about his hopeless crush on Kari, which never saw a proper resolution? No mention of Kari and Yolie's rapport, T. K.'s family situation, Kari's vulnerability to darkness, or Ken's gratitude for being accepted by his teammates. Perhaps the only true character point on display is Yolie's romantic interest in Ken, nicely implied in a few understated moments that convey the former's maturation since her younger days.
But if anything confirms that Digimon is now on the precipice of death, it's the action. How in the world anyone could conceive, let alone approve, an idea as indefensible as a Digimon project with no proper monster battles is beyond me. It's a catastrophic decision and makes the climax a bold-faced insult after trying our patience with Luri and his baggage. The movie only worsens the sting by teasing us with what could have been. The animation, art style, and music are all impressive, with faithfully recreated evolution sequences and fleeting moments of excitement as the partner digimon travel to the final location. And, thankfully, no new evolution is brought in to steal everyone's thunder.
As a fan of Digimon 02, watching "The Beginning" was reminiscent of seeing "The Last Jedi" in theaters. But I would argue that what has been done here is significantly worse than what Rian Johnson did with his infamous Star Wars entry. That movie at least had the courtesy of giving characters we did care about something substantial to do and furthering their stories (the insulting creative choices notwithstanding). "The Beginning", on the other hand, left me with an unexpected personal resolution. Should another sequel be announced, if the premise includes a new character on the heroes' side, I won't watch it; simple as that. If the people running the franchise cannot even recognize that critical error, there is no helping them.
...the after-credits scene sucks, too.
