Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time – UK Premiere

Crossover; it’s a word that gets any fan, regardless of franchise, excited. But such a word is best used on special occasions, and what better occasion could it be used but for Yu-Gi-Oh!’s 10th Anniversary. Yes, it’s been over 10 years since the anime that spawned the world’s most popular trading card game hit Japanese screens, and eventually became a hit across the world. Further generating video games, manga, various TV sequels, and now the familiar faces of the first 3 flagship series come together in a movie special to celebrate its legacy entitled; Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time. I was fortunate enough to attend the UK premiere, taking place on Saturday 7th May in Apollo cinema on Regent Street in London.

I was one of the first to arrive at the cinema, so I witnessed the gradual flow of attendants ranging from children to adults. Whilst waiting for the film to start, a stall was set up next to the bar allowing demonstrations of the famous Duel Monsters card game, I decided to brush of my (lack of) skills and was surprised by how much I managed to remember considering I haven’t played the game since 2002. The Konami’s employees provided decks to help new players learn the rules but also allowed the more veteran players to play with their own cards. The decks had a great mix of new and older cards (recognising the Dark Magician in my hand straight away) and gave a great friendly atmosphere for the children to get involved; to the point they started duelling each other outside the theatre! Inside the cinema we were provided free drinks and popcorn as well as a mini raffle to win prizes such as movie posters, the film started though before my sad face could form from not winning anything.

The film opened with a much appreciated recap of the previous series; introducing the main 3 heroes of the franchise – Yugi Mutou, the King of Games, Jaden Yuki – star student of Duel Academy, and the futuristic dueller – Yusei Fudo, as well as providing brief looks at their greatest battles across their respective series. The story begins with Yusei cruising the city when a mysterious duellist named ‘Paradox’ challenges him. But before he can say “It’s time to duel!” his favourite card, the Stardust Dragon, is stolen from him. It’s not long after that his world starts crumbling before his eyes and realizes that the past is being changed by this mysterious new enemy. Using the power of the Crimson Dragon, he travels back in time to meet Jaden, saving him from the same enemy. Upon learning Paradox’s plan to wipe out the Duel Monsters card game from history itself, they enlist the help of the one and only Yugi. Can the power of the 3 heroes combined overcome Paradox’s Malefic deck?

Despite the recap at the beginning, the time is mostly spent on looking at the hero’s profiles and personalities, and not much else. So important plot point such as why Jaden has different coloured eyes or Yusei’s trials regarding his father are merely glossed over. The film apparently takes place during the beginning of 5D’s season 4, a season I’m not entirely positive has shown in the UK yet, and GX’s 4th season has never been shown outside Japan, but thankfully none of the events played during those seasons play too much into the film’s plot progression.

At an hour long, the film moves at a brisk pace; not stopping long to relish in your favourite characters and getting as much exposition in as possible until the main attraction of the flick – the 3 of them duelling together against their greatest foe – takes up the most of the running time. Even the time travelling aspect of the film is given the easy breezy treatment with Jaden quoting; “We’re from the future, no big whoop!” As the 5D’s universe tops and tails the film, it means that your beloved side characters from older series get little to no screen time; no Chazz, no Joey, and Kaiba gets a sole line squeezed in. But this is compromised by flashes of the best cards from the 3 generations of decks, including Blue Eyes White Dragon and Karibo, plus Maximillion Pegasus’ presenceis a welcomed addition. We also get some witty one-liners here and there that poke fun at the franchise which long term fans will enjoy, including a quote about Yugi’s infamous hair style and Paradox making fun of the ‘heart of the cards’ speeches that come aplenty in the film.

Audio was dubbed and redone for Western audiences, recycling some older tunes for the opening scenes of the film – providing a nostalgic feel – plus most of the original cast return to reprise their roles, including Dan Green who slips back into the character of Yugi with incrediable ease. Also Matthew Charles does a great job of re-capturing the positive attitude that made Jaden very likeable in the GX series.   

The most surprising aspect of the film was the 3D presentation; I can honestly say it’s one of my favourite films I’ve seen in 3D. Every frame of the 60 minutes is rendered in 3D, including the opening montage of older footage from the first Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes; it’s really refreshing see the now stale scene where Yugi summons Exodia to obliterate Kaiba’s dragon in 3D, making the victory all the more epic and grand. Although there’s not many instances where the film takes full advantage of things flying out at you for that ‘wow’ factor, it’s subtle use of bringing the monsters to life, adding depth to the magic and trap cards, and giving Jaden’s spirit monsters that ghostly aura to them, all really work. It’s not poorly done or underused; a perfect balance to give the film that edge to it throughout.

The film ends with a montage of famous Duel Monsters card flying across the screen and the English dub opening themes from all 3 series played back to back. The hour long ride is light, to the point and nothing overly amazing, but it provides a fun duel, utilising the famous moves of the heroes to satisfy casual fans as well as golden oldies. An entertaining watch for all enthusiasts, even for me who hasn’t been highly invested in Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise since the original series ended in 2006. Although with my goodie bag containing the first GX manga book, a 5D’s pen and a Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon trading card, I think I may need to reacquaint myself with an old friend.

Many thanks to Manga Entertainment and Konami for providing a fun preview for all ages, and to 4Kids for help in bringing the film to Western screens. Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time will be screened in Picturehouse Cinemas across the UK on Saturday 14th and 21st May, refer to the Manga website for details. The DVD and Bluray (the latter including the first UK anime 3D release) will be released on July 25th.