It appears this film is the first in a series of film which will conclude in 2018. If I knew that I wouldn't have watched it. The following review will be for both the first and second films. From what I read, the third is supposed to be awesome but I haven't been able to get my hands on it. The first film in the series is extremely lacking because it simply acts an introduction or reintroduction. Plus there is hardly has any action in it.

I was really looking forward to this. I don't know how much would newcomers enjoy this. The plot is pretty simple but we don't get a proper introduction to the characters, which is odd because we haven't seen these characters in years. Last time we saw Taichi was on Xros Wars, that's true, but he didn't do much, he was just there for fanservice. Even if is easy to tell who is who even if you haven't watch the series, you better do it because you'll miss everything. At least you got to know an idea of who are the characters and some of the lore because if you don't you'll be completely lost.The cast has become older but they're the same characters we've met in the first season. Age is the only thing that's changed, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'd like seeing an older version of our beloved characters. Everyone's in their highschool years and we've seen a lot of that in so many shows. One of the characters thinks other is hot now that she's a teenager, others clash because of testosterone (this isn't new though, we've seen this before in Digimon in very single season and is too damn old), etc. This movie has a different tone, it's not Adventure but much more similar to the other Digimon movies. Not so childish, characters face more grown-up problems (or at least Taichi does), even if they're not explored as much as I'd like to.If you're an old fan of the series you'll like it, for sure. The thing is, besides some nostalgic movies, not much happens in this movie. We're introduced to an older version of the characters we already know, they face a new foe we know nothing about to, they win and that's it. The animation is good, not the best thing we've seen in an anime but better than any of the Digimon seasons. The animation is much fluid and we notice this especially during fights, we don't get static shots or reused ones (I've noticed this a lot during Digimon Frontier when I rewatched it not long ago and it was really annoying). Also some characters have suffered some re-designs, nothing major but it helps building the new tone. The digivolve scenes have been renewed too, in a good way.The pacing is pretty difficult to rate because of the way this OVA was released. If we rate it as episodes, probably might get a good rating, as the pace is totally different than any of the Digimon series. Is slower but refreshing in a way, as the episodes don't have the same structure as it used to happen in all the Digimon episodes. I'll watch the next two movies and give and overall opinion, but this felt too much like an introduction and not much more, there's not an actual plot and we don't get any of the answers we wanted to get. Who's Alphamon and why is he attacking the real world? What's up with the infected Digimons, who's doing that and why? Also we don't have any real threat or menace during the whole movie. Kuwagamon might be interesting for us in a nostalgic way, but even if there's more of them and they have new abilities, we already know the good guys are going to win. Alphamon, in the other hand, is the typical invincible Digimon that requires extreme measures... that means Omnimon, because of course, an indestructible Digimon can be defeated just by another indestructible Digimon. Overall, I enjoyed this movie/episodes much more than anything on Savers or Xros Wars. Was it a great movie? No, but I'm looking forward for the other two and that's exactly what this movie tries to do. There's not enough character development and the plot is weak but the opening theme may be enough to make up for it. If you're an old Digimon fan, at least for the first season, you have to watch this, you won't regret it.

I was a fan of Digimon as a kid, but unlike Dragon Ball Z and Escaflowne, I'm not a fan as an adult. Digimon just doesn't hit that sweet spot anymore I guess. I was expecting stellar animation like that which was in the previously theatrically released Digimon: The Movie, and safe to say I was disappointed. In this new film the animation was choppy, the facial and eye artwork was sloppy, the sound design was jarring, and overall the pacing was way too slow. A 96 minute long movie never felt so long.And yes, I know Digimon: The Movie was three short films edited together to make a full length movie. And yes, I know that most fans don't like the English version of this movie because of the bad editing. But it still has stellar animation, no matter what Fox Kids did to it. I saw this movie in the English special theatre release. I liked the voice acting, though Vic Mignogna as Matt was jarring because Matt is blonde haired and blue eyed, which just made me think of Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist the whole time. I get that this isn't technically a movie, it's the first four episodes of a new series. In any case, it's still slow and choppy. I get too that it only had a small budget, which was obvious in the amount of still shots in the movie, but even so, the artists could try a little harder on the faces.

The story of "Reunion" has two objectives, both of which are fulfilled adequately: to set the status quo and get the audience primed for the next chapter. To an extent, it amalgamates the styles of the first and third seasons. The gradually introduced plot points hearken back to "Tamers", while the minimal detail or follow-through on character points hearkens back to the first arc of "Adventure". Combining these approaches alternates between intriguing and frustrating, especially since the narrative hops so frequently between subplots that very little gains momentum. Not to mention, government agencies and enigmatic appearances of wild digimon have been incorporated before. But, enough is left open that the ultimate impression is of intrigue; whether the intentions of the agency and Alphamon are benevolent or malevolent in nature is ambiguous. At its core, though, the story is really a vehicle for the real selling point of "Digimon" (aside from the monsters themselves).The staff had the unenviable task of reintroducing the characters that got most people interested in this franchise, and whether they succeeded or not largely depends on keeping the right perspective. Most of these guys are re-established well enough, with their general traits from the series apparent; admittedly, simply seeing them after more than a decade is in and of itself a treat. However, all things considered, perhaps it was inevitable that some of them would largely end up on the sidelines. Adherence to convention causes issues at points. Matt has no true purpose beyond causing friction with Tai, which feels obligatory and regressive, and doesn't take advantage of the former's increased maturity in the second season. The only interesting detail is a reversal in view: once before he invited change and is now only wary about it. Joe, meanwhile, just does what he has done in nearly every "movie", only with a little more frustration. The three that get the best treatment are Tai, Izzy and, surprisingly, Mimi. The latter was consistently endearing in the second season, and many of her base-attributes shine through here. She remains ebullient and upbeat, and the scene where she gives everyone souvenirs had me smiling. Along with Sora's stuff, it's a testament to the charisma of these guys and the impact they can make with minimal material. Tai comes closest to being dominant, being more level-headed than in his younger days but retaining some of his laid back demeanor. Over the course of the story, he wrestles with fear of the collateral damage that is caused by the conflicts with enemy monsters, which he believes he and his friends are responsible for. It's a little contrived and not the most compelling matter he has dealt; maybe the whole "heroes possibly doing more harm than good" thing is growing stale (Gamera 3, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, most Batman movies, half of the recent Marvel movies, Watchmen). But, it provides introspection, complements his role in the group and advances his viewpoint. It even yields one of the best lines: "Now I see more, and understand less". Here's to hoping that theme catches on.Izzy is perhaps most successful. His usual technical prowess is on full display and has apparently evolved (a little too much, some might say). Beyond that, his newfound interest in Mimi allows this episode to do what I hope will become more frequent: take advantage of the stage in these guys' lives. Watching him so awkwardly try to make himself more presentable or impressive for her is pure joy. True, it essentially comes out of left field, since Izzy has mostly been apathetic towards Mimi since their one episode together, but it's an acceptable development for a guy fixated on technology for most of his life. Furthermore, it provides some surprisingly observant moments. My favorite (non-action) scene may be when Izzy imparts his reasons for resorting to online shopping. It's wonderfully honest, done in the spirit of the original series. On the technical level, "Reunion" excels in its own line. It's not exactly the pinnacle of animation in this franchise, but it is very satisfying to see "Digimon" finally be consistently up to par with most anime. The kids are all expressive and faithful to their earlier looks, though at several points I had difficulty telling Matt and T.K. apart. The digimon themselves look great, with sleek new transformation footage, greater range in movement and a feeling of force when they utilize their powers, all of which benefit the two big action sequences; Kuwagamon even manages a surprising level of menace thanks to size and an impressive roar. In the words of Chris Mcfeely, "I confess to getting all giddy" in seeing all of these guys again, especially the iconic Omnimon. Clear improvements are also evident in the backdrops, which are detailed and varied. There's a particularly sublime scene where Tai and Agumon are pondering at a river.Several fun nods to the series are included. The broken bridge from an early attack recalls the original Highton View Terrace incident, Kuwagamon mirrors his role in the premiere episode, Tai's class-book is titled "One Vision", one of the main songs in "Tamers", and the commemorative photo from the first season finale makes a few obscured appearances. My favorite little detail is perhaps the blog that T.K. briefly writes on. It's a nicely understated way to adapt an old plot point into the modern day.For this seasoned fan, "Reunion" is a satisfying experience. One could argue that the "set-up" objective was overly emphasized or that time should have been better allocated amongst the kids. Yet, these issues are less significant when keeping in mind that this is intended as only the first step in a larger story. Regardless, the target audience can at least be jubilant about one thing: there is now something new to look forward to. Digimon is back, so let's make the most of it.