The First Slam Dunk
GKIDS | Release Date: July 28, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The New York TimesCalum MarshJul 27, 2023
The flashbacks are well-written and add off-the-court dramatic interest, but it’s the basketball action that is the movie’s claim to excellence. Expertly staged and beautifully rendered using a combination of computer-generated imagery and traditional hand-drawn animation, it’s often so spectacular that I am eager to watch again. Read full review
90
IGNRafael MotamayorJul 28, 2023
The First Slam Dunk delivers a high-octane thrilling sports anime film with mind-blowing animation that serves as a great conclusion and introduction to a classic '90s anime. Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJul 28, 2023
No movie has so literally reduced basketball to “just a game,” and no movie this side of “Hoop Dreams” has so ecstatically conveyed why it’s also so much more than that. Read full review
83
The Film StageEli FriedbergJul 25, 2023
Inoue’s film is not just an effective youth melodrama––much as it is that––but a fully sensory action film that deeply understands the raw appeal of its subject beyond wide-angle shots from the bleachers. Read full review
80
Little White LiesEsther RosenfieldSep 13, 2023
I found myself wishing I could watch a real game directed by Inoue, with such careful attention to detail and an acute sense of drama. Read full review
80
Time OutPhil de SemlyenAug 30, 2023
The First Slam Dunk’s nimble storytelling and canny editing makes it work as both a sports movie, where you’re invested in the result, and a coming-of-age drama, where you care about the characters. Read full review
78
Paste MagazineJacob OllerJul 28, 2023
The First Slam Dunk, with familiar characters, an innovative art style, and a narrative that’s helped structure an entire subgenre of anime, plays both sides of the court as it finds a delicate balance between flash and fundamentals. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeJul 24, 2023
The First Slam Dunk is able to throw a relentless series of new gambits, twists, and reversals at the screen that will keep even seasoned sports film fans on the edge of their seat. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeSep 3, 2023
While it leans a little heavily on baffling basketball strategy and court-based machinations, it’s a dynamic and unexpectedly affecting animation. Read full review
60
The GuardianPhil HoadAug 22, 2023
Fleshed out in 3D animation, the action – feinting, pivoting and occasionally soaring high above the stands – feels resplendently immediate. Read full review
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