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Parents' Guide to

Promare

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Epic anime adventure has frenetic violence, heavy themes.

Movie PG-13 2019 111 minutes
Promare Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

nduns
nduns Adult
September 29, 2019
age 13+

Surprise masterpiece

Simply put, this movie is a masterpiece. I am not in the least bit sarcastic when I say this is my favorite film to come out this year so far. Coming from Studio Trigger, it contains a lot of their usual trademarks. It's energized, it's frantic, it's action-packed, it's bright, it's colorful, it's vibrant. But on top of that, it's also brilliant, it's heartfelt, it's hilarious, it's genuine, it's sweet, it's touching, it's gripping. Basically, this film has a little bit of everything in it, and it all fits together so beautifully. Behind all the high-paced action is a really engaging story with really likable leads and a great message attached to it all. The characters and their interactions are great. And the main lead is just perfect to me. He's a very good role model but also has a ton of flaws that even he himself is fully aware of and content with. And his relationship with the female lead is handled very well. But of course, the main plot itself is centered around the relationship between him and the leader of the 'terrorist group' he's been hired to fight. I won't spoil where they go with this, but it's a really good twist. And the film has this great blend of humor and drama. Much like many of Studio Trigger's other works, it also contains a lot satire that you just know is purposely in your face. Seriously, the big machine that's meant to stop the film's major threat is literally called 'Deus X Machina'. I'm not even kidding. I guess if there is anything negative I can say about the film, it's that the action scenes do throw a lot at you, like, A LOT, even by Trigger standards. While it's all very well done, there are moments where if you blink for even a second, you might not be able to follow along with what's happening. It's not as obnoxious as Michael Bay's use of shaky cam, but it's still a lot to take in. Nevertheless, I still strongly recommend seeing this, but only if you're over the age of 13.
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What's the Story?

PROMARE opens with unknown events triggering human combustion in certain people around the world, leading to the population-devastating Great World Blaze. It then fast-forwards to 30 years later, when these fire mutants are considered the armed and dangerous "Burnish." The Burnish are kept in check by an elite team of firefighters called Burning Rescue, whose main rivals are the Mad Burnish, a group of Burnish vigilantes who want to let their flames burn and free their kind. The Burning Rescue's arrogant, fearsome young firefighter Galo Thymos (voiced by Billy Kametz) confronts Mad Burnish leader Lio Fotia (Johnny Yong Bosch), who explains that the Burnish aren't evil fire-starters and that Governor Kray Foresight (who, naturally, owns a tech lab) experiments on the Burnish in inhumane ways. As both young men learn to tentatively trust each other, they must work together to save Primeopolis -- and the world -- from being destroyed.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This adrenaline-packed anime adventure isn't just for established genre fans -- it's a substantive story about prejudice and teamwork. It's also just a blast to watch, with death-defying battle sequences, colorful animation, charismatic protagonists, and enough humor to keep audiences engaged for the full 111 minutes. Galo and Lio are fabulous foils, opposites who claim to despise each other but have an obvious chemistry that permeates all of their scenes together (they often look like they're on the verge of either fighting or kissing). Younger viewers may not pick up on that tension, but adults will see it straightaway, adding to the humor of their dialogue.

The animation is vibrant and thrilling, with a pace that's fast but not confusing. The only downside is that viewers don't get to know the entire Burning Rescue team as well as Galo, because they all seem like compelling characters. There's also not quite enough exposition to explain the circumstances and conditions in which the Burnish live. But considering this is Studio Trigger's first feature, it's likely that they'll return to this universe in future films, which would be welcome.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the amount of violence in Promare. Is it necessary to the story? Does animated violence impact audiences differently than live-action violence?

  • Anime films often depict women in a hypersexualized way. What do you think of the women characters in this movie? What role do they play? How are they viewed?

  • What do you think about the romantic tension between Galo and Lio? Is it obvious or subtle? How does their enemies-to-allies connection drive the plot?

  • Who, if anyone, is a role model in the movie, and what character strengths do they display?

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