Slayers: The Motion Picture

This very silly feature centers on sorceress Lina Inverse and her greatest and closest rival, Nahga the Serpent, who use their magical powers to zap anyone who annoys them. Two discount tickets take the heroines to the mist-shrouded Island of Mipross, where they take on a mysterious jellyfish cult, a sinister hypnotist, and a pickpocket. Lina's dreams lead her into the conflict between the ancient sage, Rowdy, and the demon Joyrock, who has one of the most grating laughs in recent anime. The battle escalates into a weird war that unsuccessfully blends slapstick comedy with grisly images that recall Night of the Living Dead. The plot grows even more convoluted when Lina travels back in time to battle Joyrock before he destroyed an elfin village and absorbed their power. The outcome of their struggle changes the future and the present. Her hot temper and inordinate love of food mark Lina as a typical anime outrageous girl, although she serves as the butt of a lot of jokes about her height and "amazingly small breasts." The rather dim, overly endowed Nahga runs around in minuscule leather outfits borrowed from Boris Vallejo paintings. It's all extremely silly--and certainly not PC. (Ages 13 and older for violence, occasional profanity, and sexual humor) --Charles Solomon