Geek of Oz

Suffice it to say there are MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO FILMS, as well as MINOR SPOILERS FOR THIS ONE. I'd honestly recommend you watch both before you get stuck into my wordiness. Long-time readers of the site will know that I was, to put it very mildly, pleasantly surprised by the first two Madoka Magica films. As someone who hadn't seen the anime but had had it recommended and praised to high heaven, it was gratifying to see a story as lauded as this that actually lived up to a lot of the hype. It might not be Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop , but dammit it if isn't still one hell of a great film. That was a great enough experience for me on its own. But then I found out there was a sequel. That had been released earlier in Japan. And was coming out here. In English. In 2015. If there was a thermometer for measuring how excited a guy can get, it would've burst its mercury at this point. But that also left me skeptical. The original movie ended quite fir...

Before you say it, yes, I'm aware Puella Magi Madoka Magica  (or PMMM for short, which sounds like a noise of satisfaction you'd make with a pinched nose) - the deconstruction of the Magical Girl anime genre that would spawn classics like Sailor Moon - started life as a 12-episode anime series followed by a successful series of manga adaptations. I'm also aware that the two discs that form this compilation movie are basically a retread of the series with some of the fatty bits trimmed off, much like what Evangelion did with Death and Rebirth  back in the day.  I am therefore aware that praises and criticisms I might level come with an asterisk floating beside them, as this is essentially like saying something about a trailer that judges the entire finished product (topical!). But I'm also firmly of the opinion that a movie - that is, a cinematic experience of visuals and sound intended to convey a story - needs to stand as its own thing, whether it's a recap, s...