Baki

My own synopsis: Phenomenon, an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person, thing, or occurrence. A phenomenon happened 100 years ago where nitroglycerin, which was supposed to be impossible to solidify, crystallized during a shipment overseas. This happened on a global scale ever since that day. Bringing it to the present day where once again another phenomenon has occurred. Five guys (not the burger joint) break out of some maximum security prisons across the world all in synchronicity: two from USA, one from Russia, one from France, and one from Japan. These men head to Tokyo in order to know what defeat truly is. My thoughts on Baki: To sum this anime up in a single sentence, this is the manliest anime I've ever watched. There's plenty of fighting and a touch of drama throughout, and it's not boring like One Piece where they stand around in some battle stance and talk for a whole episode while a semi-intense soundtrack plays then finish after a few moves the next episode or two. The protagonist was a little disappointing because the anime missed the whole point of the hype for him, but they still made him a badass for the most part. The anime, Baki, gives a lot of air time to each character which felt great to watch so it wasn't just all protagonist this protagonist that. In my opinion, I think the art was amazing. It's so aesthetic and detailed with nice color gradients and crisp lines. At the end of the season they basically hype up of a second season so I look forward to that.

Fans of “Baki” already know what to expect. Where the show becomes more interested in establishing a strange and improbable situation between fights, rather than martial arts, logic, sense of coherence and explanations or intense battles. One would wonder how it is possible that even serious injuries, which could be facial wounds or severed hands, can easily be handled if only using simple means like band aids and stitches. The show is not about blood loss or even death because here, there is a divine doctor who can even resurrect people from the threshold of death. The fights themselves, however are not all that inspiring and can be slow-paced, the CGI in some episodes leaves a lot to be desired. The dialogue can also be weird. However, if these eccentricities don't bother you, you may enjoy the show or appreciate its unusual style. In the second season, after winning the title of the strongest man in Japan and defeating his brother in a duel, Baki is challenged by five dangerous criminals who emerge from around the world due to "synchronicity." They come to Japan to fight the best in the underground arena, and the cycle continues for 24 episodes until the challengers finally understand the concept of defeat. Nonetheless, bad CGI battles and slow pacing make the fights not as exciting. Besides, there is an occasional interruption by a narrator with some nonsensical details, and that makes the show further confusing. Characters are not well developed and their relationships are shallow. They are somehow related to each other, however. The show has its own weird logic, for example the scene that sex enhances strength and also that blood loss is not a problem. Finally, there is an odd romance between Doyle and Retsu. The music itself is average and the animation quality ranges from mediocre to poor. The backgrounds and lighting effects are visually appealing, but the poor CGI in certain episodes becomes a weakness. In general, this season can be a hit or miss with viewers as some fights are interesting and others aren’t. Pacing, animation, and the absence of narrator are some areas that could have been better but like it boils down to being an acquired taste not so much due to its style itself but for what is done with the result.

Baki is a Japanese anime series that follows the story of Baki Hanma, a young martial artist who seeks to become the strongest fighter in the world. The show is a mix of action, martial arts, and drama, with a cast of colorful and eccentric characters. From the very first episode, I was immediately drawn into the intense and brutal world of Baki. The animation quality is top-notch, with incredibly detailed fight scenes that are both thrilling and satisfying to watch. The characters are equally impressive, with their unique fighting styles and backstories adding depth to the overall narrative. One of the show's strengths is its exploration of the human body and its limits. The series delves into the physiology of fighting and the mechanics of how a fighter can become stronger. It also explores the psychological toll that fighting can take on a person, which adds a layer of emotional depth to the show. Overall, Baki is a must-watch anime for fans of action and martial arts. The series' blend of intense fight scenes, intriguing characters, and exploration of the human body make it a fascinating and compelling watch. Although the show's violence may not be for everyone, if you're a fan of martial arts and anime, then Baki is definitely worth checking out.

Baki - 2018 Anyone who knows Baki or has read the manga knows what they are getting into. The story of Baki is not about martial arts, rationality, logic, explanations, or good fights. It's all about the silliest and most bizarre scenario possible that you can write while making a fight. That's about how Baki can be put into words. Is your face gone? Don't worry, band-aids will take care of it. Your hand is gone? Let's stitch it up! Did you lose 40 liters of blood? Don't worry, just a drop! Have you suffered a fatal injury or are you even dead? Your doctor is your friend and Son of God, he will help you. Combine that with relatively unambitious combat, slow pacing, and at the beginning horrible CGI (EP 5-12) and some of the dumbest dialogue around? Then you have BAKI. If this still doesn't put anyone off, then you'll either learn to like the anime or you're a masochist and like naked men like I do. [Story 2] After winning the tournament from season 2 and defeating his brother in a duel, Baki was considered the strongest man/teenager in Japan. Through the fascinating effect of "synchronicity", 5 extremely dangerous criminals broke out worldwide to challenge Baki because they wanted to taste "defeat". They came to Japan to show everyone their dirty little tricks (including Dorian's talented voice). Successive battles ensued between the best of the underground arena and the 5 challengers. This repeated over and over for 24 episodes until at some point all 5 had lost so many times that even their brains realized it. Apparently, they have a very different definition of "defeat" which is why it's hard to convince them to do it, otherwise, this season would only have 8 episodes. If the fights had at least been well-animated there would have been more to enjoy. Unfortunately, several horrible CGI fights put even Beserk 2016 to shame. The pacing itself was also horribly slow, making it hard to enjoy these fights. And if that's not the worst of it, the narrator also came in and started explaining every possible nonsense for 2 minutes. I thought soon he was going to explain how to breathe. [Characters 3] It's Baki, a series in which men fight because they can and befriend each other afterward, exchanging Whats App messages to break their jaws again. Anyone who came here for character writing, good conversation, or relationships is pretty much in the wrong place. There's none of that here, it's all very half-hearted and, surprisingly, the characters are somehow connected all. [Baki Logic 10] Don't forget, humans have an infinite blood reserve, don't worry about something as irrelevant as strawberry juice, you can always top it up. Sex makes you stronger, that's why there are chads and normal mortals. So never forget the "PeePee Training" as Yujiro put it. Did they have 32x of sex in one night? Counted that many tissues. Doyle and Retsu have the best romance. [Music 5 / Animation 4] The opening and outro are average. The Osts on the other hand decent, unfortunately very rarely heard. Predominantly, only the same ost ever plays. The animations vary from average to very bad. The backgrounds are at least good to look at and the lighting effects. From the second half of the season, the CGI has fortunately been removed. [Conclusion 3] This season had nothing worth mentioning. Just back-to-back fights between the inmates and the fighters. Some confrontations were okay, while others were very boring. With better pacing, and animations, and without the narrator, the whole thing could have been a bit better. But Baki being Baki, there's nothing you can do about it. [Enjoyment 4]

Before I make a review I'm reviewing for both the netflix baki shows baki hanma and baki not the previous ones. The story was cool it is very simplistic but I needed the break from complicated storyline from anime so it was good. I know many stuff doesn't make sense and it doesn't need to be. The manga is crazier but I won't touch on that. Even if you haven't watched the past animes you will still understand the plot and anyways I like the story. The art is cool quite unique but I don't like some cgi parts but in the later seasons they haven't used it much, so they have improved and most stuff looks pretty natural so it's cool. The sounds is one of my favorite parts even if they reuse it a lot I love the soundtracks they totally match the theme the VA's did a good job voicing the characters and it flows really well. The characters are cool they make it pretty memorable enough to make me remember some side characters like unchained and hanayama mostly because of the fights. I don't think they made the inmates more memorable but they are coming back so maybe we'll get more lore out of them. I enjoyed the whole show the fights has a lot of hype and they always go out with a bang anyways it was really good. Overall its a whacky show with its own logics and really simplistic but intriguing storyline and can't wait for new seasons for the anime. Also I really think they should readapt the first baki animes for better quality.

Don't let these other fuck heads deter you from watchin this show, it's a masterpiece when it comes to this particular genre. (and no, it's not an anime directed towards homos) that's like sayin boxing and mma are directed towards gays. (no malice towards the other side of the court, what you do in you're life is a-ok in my book, power to you my homo and lesbo readers) im just reassuring that this anime is badass no matter what other people think about it. if you want a show purely about the worlds strongest mothafucka, this is the show for you. 10/10 added bonus----if you like this show check out Kengan Ashure and records of Ragnarök.

There were certain art work or animation that involved using CGI, or whatever the animation it was that Berserk (2016) used, in certain fights. At the same time, it was not too bad, which is why I gave it a 9/10. As for character, I gave it a 9/10 because at first, the villains come out so strong that certain characters are not able to beat them. Of course, in the end, they are getting beat up pretty easily. Sure, there were some struggles, but in the end, they got beat up to where we see them as weak characters. I still give it a 10/10 overall. I still love it. Hopefully, Season 2 does not make that one character weak when he fights Baki.

Baki is another martial arts anime, and I'm kind of a sucker for them. Just simple violence and a simple plot. The 2D animation is nice, and the 3D animation is used quite heavily for animating fights. Although characters looked quite robotic in their "default stance." My biggest gripe, although nit picky, are how these 3D animators don't know enough about martial arts in my opinion. It annoyed me how these are the "greatest" fighters in the world, but they don't know they should NOT drop their arm(s) while doing a high roundhouse kick. Many times a character would throw a kick, for example their right leg. But their right arm would be thrown straight back behind their hip, while the left arm is still up acting as a guard. But for what? If the opponent caught the kick, your same side arm is dropped. A weak guard. Or the opponent blocks the kick and at the same time responds with a left hook, you couldn't block because your guard is dropped. A beginner would make this mistake, throwing your arm back while kicking, because it gives the illusion of power. I know I sure did when I first joined my Muay Thai gym. But I thankfully was corrected and learned how to properly use my arms, legs and hips while kicking either high or low. Not just that but most of the fighters are flat foot, maybe it's a difference in style but in my opinion it's still wrong. I think you should always be on the balls of your feet because it would make it much easier to turn your feet for any move that requires you to use your hips, for those who don't know almost all punches and kicks (including elbows and knees) require some kind of hip turning, and should be used since it's free power. Hell you can turn your hips while throwing a jab to get a free inch or two on your range since it sticks your shoulder forward a bit. Smaller things that I think a professional would heavily take advantage of, no less the "greatest" fighters in the world. But that is me nit picking. Despite that I think it's an okay anime. I didn't really watch this because of the story, I knew nothing about the Baki franchise before discovering this Netflix anime. I just watched it because it was a simple fighting anime, and I'm kind of a sucker for those.

Five men, all considered some of the most violent and dangerous criminals in the world await death row. Each one locked in high-security prisons across several continents unbeknownst to each other and, as if by sheer coincidence, break out from their penitentiaries and head for Tokyo Japan. Their goal: to challenge the fighting champion of the underground Baki Hanma in the hopes of finally tasting defeat. Baki is somewhat of an anomaly when talking about the series in depth. On the surface Baki comes across as the stereotypical shounen following a teenage boy training to become the world’s strongest fighter, a label currently held by his father Yujiro Hanma. However, when delving deeper into the story, Baki manages to encapsulate the concept of fighting and the themes that tie with such. The struggles, sacrifices and suffering felt when facing an almost unachievable goal, the unbridled enjoyment of experiencing your passion to the fullest and even the jaded, dreary perception that can set in when constantly at the pinnacle of one’s field of interest – all are just some of the core ideas the series is firmly rooted in and all remain prevalent in this adaptation of Baki. This version is set shortly after the Maximum Tournament arc, acting as a direct continuation to the past TV adaptations of Baki almost 2 decades ago, but still serves a solid entry point for newcomers of the franchise. The first OP gives enough backstory on its own – Baki wins a fighting tournament and is crowned the world champion, but that title behaves more like a proverbial target on his back, attracting the group of convicts whose unmatched strength had led each to grow bored of life and now seek to challenge the young prodigy. This premise eventually leads to a showdown between the death row inmates and Baki alongside other underground martial artists prominent in past seasons; a 5-on-5 no holds barred match where fights are free to run amok between fighters anytime and anyplace, which would also include various other characters in this battle between discipline and technique against sheer brutality and ability. It’s an arc that easily creates excitement and anticipation as to how such a story will play out, but the execution of this turns out to be a mixed bag depending on your expectations for the anime. The plot for this arc, while it may seem grand on paper is actually fairly simplistic; progression and development are both dependent on fights between martial artists with at least one character gaining something from each encounter, from a newfound strategy to beat an opponent if they ever fight again to realizing weaknesses that keep themselves from becoming stronger. One would think this approach would make each fight more meaningful and hold more weight, except that when reflecting back most fights in this show came off forgettable and even sporadic, the latter being the result of very poor structure and pacing. Baki has a habit of introducing new characters and flashbacks at random points in the story, with some flashbacks being as long as 10 minutes in the middle of a match. It’s a habit that seriously disengages the viewer from the tension and unpredictability that this arc is founded upon, to an unpardonable extent with how often this is bound to happen. This kind of storyboarding is what constantly brings down my engrossment of the narrative here as it continues onward, meanwhile the eventual outcome of this arc is seriously underwhelming given how each of the five criminals are written off so unevenly. The lack of a succinct structure results in some antagonists being beaten in quick fashion in order to build towards the next arc of Baki and thus required bringing past characters back into the mix to do just that. Narratively, it looked to be full of ideas and potential develop but lacked a clear direction and framework to present the arc in a carefully planned and orderly manner. The character development for Baki is also lacklustre to an extent. Characters in Baki can often be considered embodiments of their chosen martial arts style, with the values and overarching philosophy of each forging the minds, bodies and souls of their practitioners. Through this understanding the show probably appears to be stacked with many distinct personalities to play with at the writer’s leisure, yet it remains difficult for many to leave a strong impression on the audience. Partly due to awkward plotting as stated earlier, but also apparent is a lack in clear focus and development to keep most characters important. The events are often made out as more vital than the characters taking part in them. This leads to not only a declining interest in the fights as the series continues, but also makes the majority of characters used here more likely to be lost in the shuffle and only used when convenient. Baki as a whole has always been primarily about Baki Hanma, the protagonist, and his father Yujiro, the strongest creature on Earth both feared and respected by all. These two are constantly integral parts to the overall story as they should be, yet to witness so many side characters be treated so sparingly can be disheartening to say the least. However, my biggest problem with this adaptation when it comes to characters is with its handling of the main character Baki Hanma. This is a problem that I feel is more prominent to those who have followed the series from the beginning and have seen Baki grow from the hot-headed impulsive gifted brat to an exceptional fighter worthy of being called a champion. But in this arc, Baki appears…. different. Not only is his personality more laid-back but his train of thought and subsequent actions at times come off somewhat autistic. It’s a take on the character that I had never envisioned or pictured, not only acting as the cause for several awkward moments, but also frankly feeling like a betrayal of the character that I remembered watching and reading. Baki still receives his own development throughout this arc, moving from a reserved anxious style of fight to the spirited, confident attitude that made him such a force to be reckoned with. Except for when you find out this change and increase of strength is solely due to Baki losing his virginity. I wish I was making that up. If you were to read Baki in its manga counterpart, one of the first aspects that would catch your eye would be the artstyle. There is a keen eye for detail in not only making each technique such a crucial part of the series, but in making the character designs such exaggerated portraits of strength in the human anatomy. A clear expression of weight and power through this absurdist aesthetic creates a strangely beautiful sense of art that further pushes Baki from the standard shounen manga series. If you were to watch this version of Baki, the visuals would easily be the first part that grabs your attention. But unfortunately, the visuals here are kind of trash. It is certainly an improvement from previous installments, but comparing it to the quality of its contemporaries, this has so many glaring issues. Designs have a habit of appearing out of perspective on different angles, animation for the most part is cheap and the juxtaposition of 2D and 3D animation is so god awful it is near impossible for viewers to take most fights seriously. It also doesn’t help that the fight choreography makes the battles come across more turn-based than a Pokemon game. For one of the most jarring experiences I have ever had for watching an anime. I’m honestly surprised how I can say a show with so many technical issues can still be tolerable, but here’s the crazy thing: I actually enjoyed the show. Earlier I called Baki an anomaly, and this entry in the franchise is no different. Baki (2018) is honestly an insane show that should not be so entertaining to watch, from both faults in production and writing. But here we are, with a series seemingly unbridled in taking action and martial…

Baki tells us a story of strong men who fight to the death with all their masculinity. It is a great fighting anime, the anime is no realistic, it is purely fantastic, there is each blow that literally seems as if you threw a truck at a person and then they survive and continue fighting as if nothing happened; Despite their lacking realism it is extremely entertaining to watch these impressive fights. Our protagonist Hanma Baki is involved in numerous battles throughout this series, evolving personally and physically throughout this series. His main motivation in life is to be together with a girl from his institute with whom he is in love and to defeat in a fight his father, known worldwide as "The strongest man on earth" or as "The Ogre". Numerous characters appear throughout the series, each with their respective personality and fighting style, this includes from a boxing expert to grenade-spitting people, modified bodies in which they have blades all over their body to even an old decrepit who throws 100-kilo giants as if it was nothing and a guy capable of ripping the face of anyone with the slap. The anime has an animation which is somewhat different due to its character design, some relate it to the JoJos characters for having such slender and strong bodies, with highly marked muscles down to the last detail. The animations in the fights can highlight something in particular, how violent they are, blood everywhere, crushed bones and severed body parts; something that if you love blood and violence like me you will love it. Beyond its highly muscular characters sculpted by the gods and their violence, the series has a peculiar animation, which may not please anyone, but it achieves its mission, which is to show a pure beefy male beating himself to exhaustion or death.

No spoilers: If you watch this you'll gain 50 pounds and confidence from the get go! The story itself is pretty narrow and straight forward and really focus on character introduction and "cool" vibes all around, its a muscular thing! it really captures the essence of hard work, and it sure pays off! what set this apart from other series are outstanding character design and atmosphere, if you like tense moments this is your jam. If you're the type that wants a deep story and twists, look away because honestly this is nothing more than testosterone and manliness in its purest form. It's a one trick pony but a damn good one!

Baki is a fun fight show with some flaws Baki is essentially the 3rd season of a "Baki the Grappler" from the early 2000's so anyone who hasn't watched those first two seasons or read the manga up until "Most Deadly Death Row Inmates" may have some questions regarding the the context regarding what's going on, but the show does go out of its way to introduce each important character and provide flashbacks for important story elements (although I hesitate to call the use of flashbacks a good thing.) After that you have a decent, if simple, story about dangerous men punching each other. Specific story beats can get pretty wacky, which I can appreciate but can see being a bother to viewers who just want to see anime fights. Having said all that the story knows how to sell the BIG fights, almost each of which had my blood pumping with adrenaline and excitement. The art style is fine enough, it's set in Japan so there aren't any wild fantastical elements about the world they live in aside from the characters therein. The animation is serviceable but not the best in the business, but the CG is genuinely awful. Every time a fight scene goes into CG, it breaks any immersion one might have from the set up to the fight. That said, when a fight uses very little or no CG, it can be very satisfying. All in all, if you can get past the CG of the series, there's a lot of fun to be had in this high intensity martial arts anime.

Disclaimer: haven't seen the original series. Had high hopes for this series the first couple of episodes. Fairly basic premise. Five escaped convicts versus the main character Baki and 4 other fighters. Seems like it's setting up a five on five death match, with no rules. Which it is. Until they introduce another character to the "good guys" side, then another one, then another one, then another one. Some of them showing up solely to defeat a criminal with no lead up or introduction. Some of the master fighter criminals go down with barely any resistance in the later episodes. Baki is barely involved in most episodes, and completely absent from several. Most of his screen time revolves around him and his girlfriend, culminating in them sleeping together which gives him a big power boost for some reason. Overall, cannot recommend.

Baki" is a compelling anime with well-developed supporting characters that gradually build up over time. The series benefits from impressive animations and an engaging storyline. I appreciate how each character has their own goals, and the show isn't afraid to dedicate entire episodes to exploring these side characters. However, there are moments where the animation quality dips, possibly due to budget constraints, which can be a bit distracting. I understand why some people might find it trash with the frequent fight scenes or the amount of dialogue between battles. While I personally enjoyt, I can see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Despite these criticisms, "Baki" still offers a unique and entertaining experience, especially for fans of MMA and martial arts. If you're into those themes and can overlook some of the show's shortcomings, I'd say it's worth giving it a shot.

If you're looking for a show that is rich in story then...look somewhere else. The story, while entertaining, isn't the best in Baki. However, I will say everything else is amazing if you enjoy shows that are over-the-top. The characters, their personalities, the fighting, and the plot is pretty ridiculous, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Despite the negative reviews, I gave the show a chance and I had a hard time taking my eyes off the television. Its not a comedy, but don't expect it to be dark. Give the first 3 episodes a try, and if that doesn't do the trick then move on.

I'm not sure if this anime is supposed to be as funny as I found it, but it was funny nonetheless. If you're looking for total nonsense to fill the dull void of a sensible world, look no further. Here you'll find crazy animation, crazy characters and a crazy, violence-filled plot. It's not an anime you can take seriously or get too invested in and when it does attempt sincerity i.e. the romantic subplot, it fails quite ridiculously but that is exactly its charm (though I wonder whether said subplot was an attempt at all considering the level of hilarity involved - Baki likens her to his mother, a cavity, wrestle-kisses her and each time her eyes sparkle with joy because it's obvs the most romantic - to name a small fraction of the 'lol' moments). Sometimes the same fight drags on for multiple episodes, there's a weird 3D attempt in a few of them and the funnies die down as the series drags on which are downsides to it. Other than that it was decent. (Baki felt strangely reminiscent of Arakawa Under the Bridge to me in that it is a tale of multiple (adult male) Stellas).

This anime makes me question who I should root for because of how interesting the characters are, it doesn't matter if it's a crazy psychopath, he's awesome and I want him to win. Once again, Baki proves to be a super creative and captivating work; all the episodes are exciting and dramatic. Ridiculous anatomy? Impossible moves? Immortal people? Baki has it all and it's amazing. The art style isn't just bizarre, it's the soul of the anime; it works so well with the characters' personalities and abilities. Everyone is incredibly quirky and makes crazy faces. They are wild animals, they NEED to be bizarre. If your nickname is OGRE, I don't expect you to be human anyway.

I think Baki gets overlooked because most people don’t really know how to approach it... It's pretty extreme and often makes no sense. And while that’s true, that’s also kind of the point. Everything is exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Human anatomy, dialogue, expressions. The fights are ridiculous and the character designs look illegal. The dialogue constantly escalates like it’s daring itself to go further, with that being its sole purpose. Sometimes things get so ridiculously aggressive that it's just funny. There’s a certain fight involving 99999999 punches that ends with a single decisive hit. That for me is the embodiment of this series. Best fight in the anime imo, made me LMAO harder than I probably should have There aren't many anime I watch just "for the fights" but with Baki that's different. Every fight escalates until it borders on parody. It’s overly dramatic, hyper violent, and very theatrical. The way techniques and fights get vizualized is so insane it circles back to being funny. Baki is unpredictable in a way that feels rare. It’s pure spectacle, very brutal, and surprisingly funny because of this. Clearly created by someone with a rich imagination and way too much testosterone. Give it a shot. Worst case, you’re confused the whole time. Best case, you’re confused and having a blast. 10/10 display of human anatomy and sheer strength.

It's a wild show. They got the most ridiculous things happening, and straight up lies about physics/science to try and back it up. It's quite entertaining, but a lot of fights kinda just drag. It's basically taking turns basically killing the other person, then they retreat and do it all again a few more times. During the show, I felt like I was supposed to know a lot of these characters already. I admit, I never saw the previous Baki series, and I suffered for it it seems. New characters are contently coming up, and it feels like we're supposed to already know them from the previous show. So maybe it would be better to watch that first. Even with the ridiculous fights, the show overall did drag a bit, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get through the next part, but we'll see.

Baki is an adrenaline-fueled martial arts anime that dives headfirst into a world where strength is everything. The series follows Baki Hanma's relentless quest to surpass his legendary father and become the world's strongest fighter. Strengths: Action Packed: Jaw-dropping fight scenes and bone-crunching combat maneuvers keep viewers engaged throughout. Character Dynamics: A diverse cast of formidable opponents with unique fighting styles adds depth and intensity to each battle. Themes of Resilience: Explores themes of determination and the relentless pursuit of strength, making each victory resonate. Considerations: Hyper-Violent: May not appeal to all audiences due to its intense violence and focus on spectacle over narrative depth. Emphasis on Action: While character backstories are explored, the series prioritizes action-packed sequences over nuanced storytelling. Visuals: Detailed character designs and fluid animation enhance the impact of martial arts encounters, capturing the raw power and agility of the fighters. Overall: Baki is a thrilling martial arts anime that delivers on adrenaline, intense combat, and compelling rivalries. It's a must-watch for fans seeking high-octane action and the exhilaration of seeing characters push their limits in the pursuit of greatness.