REVIEW: ‘Golden Kamuy 3: Assault On Abashiri Prison’ Undercuts Its Drama With Poorly Implemented Humor

Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison follows the latest leg of “The Immortal” Saichi Sugimoto’s (Kento Yamazaki,  Alice in Borderland) journey as he helps his friend Asirpa (Anna Yamada) reach Abashiri Prison so she can learn if Noppera-bo is indeed her father. But danger lurks all around every corner as Lieutenant Tokushirou Tsurimi (Hiroshi Tamaki, Last Samurai Standing) seeks to trap them and learn where the Ainu gold is hidden. 

Having spent all of a full season of television working their way across Hokkaido to reach Abashiri Prison, this film seeks to deliver a payoff on that journey, as it unfolds the final steps to, and the eventual break-in of, the facility. However, there are far too many side trips along the way, creating a fractured narrative that often feels scatterbrained. The need to jump all around between the handful of different groups leads to plot beats that are frequently unnecessary and often are woven into the story at the worst possible moment. 

The best example of Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison‘s ill-considered timing comes early in the film. As Asirpa learns a startling possibility she will struggle with for the rest of the movie, her dramatic moment overlaps with a scene in which several of her male companions, hopped up on fish pheromones, decide to wrestle in their underwear. The scene tries to be funny but fails, and it also undercuts the emotional moment Asirpa has alongside it. 

Tsurimi’s new minions are always weak-willed weirdos.

Another spot where the film wastes far too much time is with LT. Tsurimi and his troops in the 7th Division. Whenever the franchise introduces a new minion of Tsurimi’s, the entire outfit becomes a bit less scary. Every one of his troopers is portrayed as weak-willed weirdos whose only life goal is to be physically near Tsurimi. The assembled clowns couldn’t find water if they jumped in the ocean, and the fact that Tsurimi tolerates them does nothing to raise his stock as a supposedly nefarious villain. Surrounding yourself with sycophantic yes men does not make you look intimidating.

The other side plot that rings hollow for its goal is the budding romance between Tanigaki (Ryôhei Ohtani) and Inkarmat (Maryjun Takahashi). Despite spending a fair amount of time on screen together, both here and in the franchise’s previous release, the fact that they could be in love enough to risk their lives for each other is never sold well. They are missing that critical moment when they go from being close to being in love. 

While their love story feels rushed, Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison does a far better job of pacing Sugimoto and Asirpa’s growing affections. The film does a great job of delivering on their growth together without a big romantic beat or declaration. It simply happens. It’s right there; the characters see it as plainly as we do. It is a natural progression that gels wonderfully with the main plot, making it the movie’s most effective subplot.

Hijilata steals the show in the finale of Golden Kamuy 3.

While there are plenty of misses here, the narrative eventually locks in and lands some of its biggest beats. As the break-in plays out, betrayal, murder, and old grudges unfold. Final moments play out, frequently with fantastic success. The most surprising of these comes from Hijikata’s (Hiroshi Tachi, Full Metal Alchemist: Final Alchemy) big moment. 

Hijilata steals the show in the finale of Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison. The ally of convenience takes on a far deeper role in the film, as his past as a samurai and his choices at the end of the Meiji Restoration come around as he squares off to duel a fellow former warrior from his time. The moment is given an incredible amount of gravitas as the fight plays out.

Tachi delivers a huge performance as he pushes all the determination and passion he can from his character. The chosen situation also adds to the weight of the moment, as the special circumstances created by the scene demand that one of the combatants must fall for the other to walk away. 

Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison is a mixed bag.

Despite this high at the end of the movie, the conclusion as a whole mostly peters out. Rather than coming to a narrative rest, allowing the film to feel like a complete story within a larger narrative, the events at Abashiri Prison flow without pause into the next leg of the journey. This leaves the film lacking a sense of resolution. 

Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison is a mixed bag. At its best, it grows its central characters and delivers some high drama that can captivate. At its worst, it is obnoxious with its portrayal of its antagonists and tries to do too much, leaving many things feeling rushed. 

Golden Kamuy 3: Assault on Abashiri Prison is streaming now on Netflix.