The first theatrical film based on the smash hit anime finally comes to the States, but does it go beyond? Produced by Toho Animation and released in English by Funimation, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is set between seasons 2 and 3 of the series. In it, young aspiring hero student Izuku “Deku” Midoriya joins his idol and mentor, legendary hero All Might, on a summer trip to the high tech I-Island to visit his old friend David Shield, and his young daughter Melissa. Of course, the other members of the cast from Izuku’s class show up and join in the fun. But when a villain named Wolfram and his fellow criminals enact a plot to take the island hostage, twists and battles abound as it falls to Izuku, his friends, and All Might to save the day.
The plot is somewhat average compared to how some of the series’ story arcs play out, but it works for a theatrical anime feature, given how those often are extra stories conceived specifically for the cinema so as to not mess with the events of the original series. And given how it results in a fun adventure with everyone’s heroes, it does it extremely well, starting slow and fun but kicking into high gear once the action starts. The emotional core of the story is the simultaneous friendships between All Might and David, and the parallel between Izuku and Melissa, and the love of heroism and the desire to help people. But if you’re not already familiar with the series, not much will help you know more about the main cast beyond what is seen here.
Funimation only provided a review copy for the dub, so I can’t comment on the Japanese cast’s performances. But that said, the dub is definitely of good quality, since Funimation has become one of the best in that regard. Erica Mendez, Ray Chase and Keith Silverstein provide the voices for movie-original characters Melissa Shield, her father David and villain Wolfram respectively, and all are great in their roles. That said, the standouts for this franchise’s dub still are Justin Briner and Christopher R. Sabat as Izuku and All Might, with Briner giving the young hero both nervous neurosis and solid determination, while Sabat fires on all cylinders to inject All Might with the right amount of epic heroism and fun cheesiness.
The animation is absolutely top notch, with the lighthearted moments being appropriately cheerful, and the action being gorgeously choreographed. The increased budget allows for the series’ creative fight scenes utilizing all the interesting powers to go even more over the top. This becomes even more enjoyable with the music, utilizing a lot of the beloved tracks from the series, especially one that certainly going to get the audience’s blood pumping. This is especially true of the gloriously epic climax, which I will not spoil, but is absolutely a franchise highlight that will delight fans. “Delight” is definitely the right word, because this film is absolutely joyous in how entertaining it is. At no point does it become boring or uninteresting, which is saying something.
There are of course flaws, such as how non-fans are probably not going to get much out of this film. Also, while a lot of the series cast has a lot to do, several characters end up being essentially just cameos, which if they happen to be a favorite of yours, will probably disappoint.
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is a fun, action-packed adventure that fans will enjoy, and filled with some great moments that will be remembered for a long time. If you’re already a fan, watching it is mandatory, and if you’re interested by the series, ask a friend who’s already a fan to take you.
