According to Gizmodo, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is a 90-minute theatrical compilation film that serves as a preview for the anime’s upcoming third season. The film, released by GKids, follows protagonist Yuji Itadori in a state of anguish after a devastating event, but the review argues it only brushes the surface of those heavy emotions. It uniquely exposes the series’ narrative weaknesses while failing to deliver its famous fight scenes with proper impact, instead presenting an endless, exhausting onslaught. The second half previews the major showdown between Yuji and Yuta Okkotsu from Jujutsu Kaisen 0, but the fight’s emotional context is stripped away. Ultimately, the film is positioned as a disappointing median between a full recap and a novel cinematic experience, leaving audiences on an awkward cliffhanger until the season proper airs.
The compilation film problem
Here’s the thing: this isn’t really a new problem. Gizmodo points out that ever since GKids (and really, the success of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train) repopularized these theatrical preview events, we’ve been stuck in a weird cycle. Studios take a few episodes, stitch them together, and call it a “movie.” And fans, not wanting to miss out, pay theater prices for what’s essentially a glorified recap with a sneak peek tacked on.
But Execution had a chance to be better. The series already has a proper, full-arc film under its belt. So why does this feel so thin? It seems like it’s trying to do two jobs at once—rearranging events to feel film-like while also serving as a “best of” reel—and it fails at both. Compared to something like the structured approach of a true arc film, this is just a half measure. It’s the median of a Venn diagram where no one wins.
Stripping context kills the spectacle
JJK’s biggest strength is its fights. We all know this. But Gizmodo’s critique hits the nail on the head: turning those battles into a supercut is a terrible idea. You lose all the buildup, the spatial awareness, the reason we care in the first place. The review calls the result “vapid”—just forty minutes of pretty highlights with no backbone.
And the worst part? The film then dumps a ton of new exposition and rules for the upcoming Culling Game arc on you. We’re talking paragraphs of text flashing on screen, explaining a complex power system at a speed you can’t possibly read. After an hour of non-stop, context-less action, who has the mental bandwidth for that? It’s like being given a complex math problem after running a marathon. Your brain just checks out.
A broken preview model
The second half’s preview of the Yuji vs. Yuta fight should be the main event. But by the time you get there, the review says the emotional stakes are completely gone. It feels less like grand drama and “more like watching a kid do a flip on a trampoline.” That’s a brutal, but probably accurate, description. The format has drained all the meaning from the clash.
So what’s the point? If the spectacle is hollow and the story is incoherent, why drag people to theaters? Gizmodo suggests this might be the “last straw” for this kind of release. And I think they’re right. If you’re going to make a theatrical event, make it a real, self-contained story arc. Don’t give us a jigsaw puzzle that never fits together.
Better skipped than essential
Look, I get the FOMO. No one wants to feel left out of the hype. But Gizmodo’s final take is pretty clear: this is “ultimately better skipped than treated as essential viewing.” It’s a messy, exhausting experiment that underscores the series’ weaknesses instead of playing to its strengths.
Basically, it’s a warning to studios. Fans are getting wise to the compilation-preview chimera. We can tell when we’re being sold a fragmented product disguised as an event. Maybe it’s time to move on and give these stories the proper cinematic treatment they deserve, or just save the previews for a streaming event. This middle ground isn’t working for anyone.
