Offering a sweeping rehash of Solo Leveling Season 1 and a preview of the never-before-seen episodes of the upcoming Season 2, Solo Leveling -ReAwakening is officially playing in some global theatres while others await the cinematic arrival. The omnibus film premiere was released theatrically in India on December 4 after a slight schedule revision. Directed by Shunsuke Nakashige, with animation by A-1 Pictures and motion graphics by Production I.G., the Solo Leveling film traces its steps back to Chugong's original Korean story.

Solo Leveling: ReAwakening plot

The theatrical experience serves as an ideal recollection of how a pathway called a “gate” connecting this world and another dimension appeared out of nowhere over a decade ago. Consequently, people with superhuman powers were awakened to take on the role of “Hunters.” Despite being graded as the lowest-rank hunter, Sung Jinwoo continues conquering dungeons inside the gates to make a living. One of these instances, putting him on the verge of death, compels him to take on the quest that makes way for mysterious consequences and plot twists.

Solo Leveling: ReAwakening review

While fans of the first season of the Solo Leveling anime will find themselves thrust into familiar territory for the majority of the initial runtime, the unversed may struggle to get the hang of the new world that stands before them unexplored. Solo Leveling—ReAwakening instantly sets off an adrenaline-driven spark, pulling fans into an immersive experience brimming with an action-packed saga. However, the commencing moments of the omnibus film paving the way for the upcoming second season of the anime are set in media res.

Those new to the power fantasy world of Sung Jinwoo and “Hunters” will find themselves struggling to pace up with the life of the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind. The inscrutable kick-off moments push viewers to the centre of the action happening in between things without allowing those unfamiliar to settle into the world-building or make sense of why Jinwoo’s existential crisis in a blood-ridden world like his is central to his suffering. It’s not like the film does not leave the door open for the protagonist to introduce himself to the audience. From the get-go, he attempts to check off that agenda from his to-do list. But that’s not to say that it fares out admirably and substantially. The only way for the uninitiated to get along is to just go with it. Eventually, the contextual understanding will catch up to you, but not without leaving an unsavoury afterthought about the convoluted pacing.

Even if you haven’t completed your assignment of finishing Solo Leveling Season 1 before sitting down for the recap film, it won’t take long to sense that something is amiss. Considering how the latest project focusses on mapping out a flow chart of some of the most consequential battles responsible for Jinwoo’s flight as a lethal force, the action-packed journey takes a lot away from the human side of the storytelling credited for breathing life into Jinwoo as a complex protagonist.

The movie is bent on serving as an initiation for those new to the lore. While it satisfactorily succeeds on that front to some extent by engaging the fresh batch of viewers with a slew of fights stacked after another, Solo Leveling - ReAwakening - leaves much to be desired. Those who’ve already embraced the initial chapters of the portal fantasy will desperately want to skip away to the titillating Season 2 preview featured in the latter half of the movie, primarily consumed by a prolonged, yet repressed, recap of Season 1.

Regardless of the pacing dilemma, it’s impossible to deny that the anime’s thrilling spectacle, represented in showdowns like the one against Blood-Red Commander Igris and Jinwoo’s dark power-ups, is extolled to cinematic grandeur, which gets you amped up. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in digging deeper into Jinwoo’s spiralling descent into an anti-hero figure while the lines of morality and conscience are gradually blurred, revisiting Season 1’s 20-episode run is recommended.

The ReAwakening film doesn’t necessarily make a good case for the show’s progression and Jinwoo’s unravelling character, erasing the possibilities of the new audience feeling something poignant for him despite his apparent underlying mental conflict. The same unsatisfying thread of elements also boils down to the erasure of other characters. By the time you’re done with the two-hour theatrical outing, Jinwoo is the only character you will remember, and that says something, especially since we fail to connect with him, too.

As long as you snag tickets for Solo Leveling - ReAwakening - with a levelled mindset, chucking out all heavy expectations attached to the film, there’s a good chance you may actually revel in what you see on the big screen. If anything, the anime film does the bare minimum of arousing enthusiasm for the highly anticipated second season slated for a January 2025 premiere.

Read Also: I Am Still: The Original review – BTS’ Jungkook gives us his film extension, the docu-series is warm yet heartbreaking

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON