Visuals here were truly stunning. Pacing was good and brisk. Dialogue was sharp and smart. A pretty enjoyable watch overall.
That being said, I can kind of see where Sackett is coming from. Dialogue and plot events were a bit more breezy and maybe a touch less subtle here than in Bake, in my opinion. Everything seemed just a little bit louder, faster than how I remembered it in Bake. Still, this didn't bother me that much as the PV left me expecting such a change, so I will say that SHAFT gave fair warning here. Plus, prequels/sequels tend to amplify what made the original popular, imo. So it really is to be expected.
8/10 for Episode 1. Definitely looking forward to Episode 2.
