Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - The Hollow Shrine (2008)

So little happens in the fourth Kara no Kyoukai movie that it's easy to forget it exists at all. Nearly every scene we see could have been worked into another film, and it seems like there's not enough story here to justify a full film.

Still, there's something I really like about The Hollow Shrine. I'm a sucker for an eerie hospital, and the ending fight scene is one of my favorites in the entire series. The content here doesn't stand on its own at all, but the scenes themselves are still pretty good. The ending is excellent, and makes you want to start the next movie almost immediately after. As long as you're committed to watching the whole Kara no Kyoukai saga, it's an enjoyable ride.

2 occultists posing as therapists out of 5.

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - Remaining Sense of Pain (2008)

The Kara no Kyoukai films were adapted from a series of novels, and in this entry, I really feel like something was lost in translation. It has an interesting storyline, but characters feel underdeveloped, plot points feel rushed, and many scenes feel like they're missing their emotional punch. The way director Mitsuru Obunai portrays certain scenes doesn't help, and I think the film almost certainly would have been better in the hands of something else.

The best aspects of the Kara no Kyoukai series are still on full display here. There's a terrifically choreographed fight scene, the animation is wonderful, and the backgrounds are gorgeous. If you can ignore the problematic elements, it's still a reasonably entertaining watch. If you're turned off by the opening scene, you might just want to skip this one.

2 reasons kids shouldn't play with knives out of 5.

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - A Study in Murder: Part 1 (2007)

While the first Kara no Kyoukai movie sets up the series, the second film is where you really get an idea of what it's going to be like. It's primarily a character study, but it also introduces one of the major mysteries of the series. Mikaya was mostly missing in action in the last movie, but he gets plenty of focus here, and his scenes help give perspective to many of the moments that came before.

At times, the pacing can be so slow that you might wonder if you accidentally hit the pause button. Enormous amounts of time are dedicated to small, simple scenes. For some, the gorgeous scenery might be enough to keep them interested, but some folks will probably be bored. Just keep in mind that some of these little moments pay off later on.

2.5 people humming Singing in the Rain in the rain out of five

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - Overlooking View (2007)

Overlooking View is the first in a series of seven films, and when I began to watch it I thought I may have started with the wrong one. You're dropped straight into the lives of these characters, and left to figure out what's going on on your own. The pacing is extremely slow, and it takes a long time to get a sense of the universe and its characters.

From a technical standpoint, the movie is fantastic. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed and the animation is top-notch, especially during the unfortunately brief fight scenes. The music is excellent, and the world is wonderfully atmospheric. But as a standalone film, it falls short. The story has a defined beginning, middle and end, but it's really pure build-up. Each scene is there to make scenes in later films feel more powerful. Unless you're really in the mood for nice animation, this isn't worth watching unless you plan to take on the whole series.

2 cartons of Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream out of 5