Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic

A renaissance classic mixed with anime, a fantasy action flick with liters of fake blood. What might sound only somewhat suspect at first glance ends up as a failed experiment. Since I have neither the hardcore video game source material or Alighieri's classic work behind me, I put my trust in the movie and got burnt badly. The story can be summed up in two sentences, and the dialogue is ear-piercing as it attempts to set a world record for the most frequent use of the words "Dante", "Beatrice", and "forgive." The animation is indeed more than pleasant to look at, but when from the fifth to the last minute I end up watching fight, fight, melodramatic scream, and fight, it becomes quite a challenge not to wish for the main hero's death at the hands of the nearest demon. The hell in the title unexpectedly serves as foreshadowing of what awaits you. (06/03/2012)