Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2014

The latest YA fantasy franchise wannabe, aimed solely at separating from their allowances the mostly ‘tweeners who’ve read the Cassandra Clare books, is a hodgepodge of elements recycled from better (or just earlier) movies. Before I stopped counting, I spotted rip-offs of Harry Potter, Twilight, Men in Black, Buffy, and even Star Wars. Vampires, werewolves, demons, warlocks, a romantic triangle, a magic cup bestowing immense power, etc., all sewn up with seemingly endless exposition into an incomprehensible, way-too-long whole. Bad news: There are five more books. Good news: I’ll be ignoring them. Japanese title: Shadow Hunter. (130 min)