Reviewed for Amazon Vine http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003PHT5W4/

As a big fan of The Professor Layton DS games having completed both The Curious Village and Pandora’s Box I was very interested to see how the DVD would compare without the interactivity of the games and if the moving storylines would continue into the movie. Although the movie is based on the games, it’s really not essential to have played them to understand it.

The movie follows Professor Layton and his Apprentice (Number 1) Luke as they recall a case from three years ago helping opera singer Janice Quatlane. Invited to the opera, the Professor and Luke find themselves in a game with the winner receiving a gift which everyone in the audience wants to win. Getting a puzzle wrong means game over but who is behind these games and why?

There are recognisable characters from the games and it looks like Claudia the cat even makes an appearance from Pandora’s Box. Unlike the games though, there are only 4 puzzles to be solved. I was a little disappointed in them as they weren’t as puzzling as the games although this makes them a little more accessible to the younger audience. I’d recommend pausing the DVD shortly after the puzzle is given out however as it’s not too long before a solution is found. I did like the fact they are titled 001 etc like the game. While the puzzles are completed quite early on in the movie there is still a lot to be discovered and there is quite a nice overall message. You need to keep watching past the credits too as the story links back to the beginning.

The animation is very true to the game and flows better than them as they do get broken up quite a bit having to solve so many puzzles before the story can move on. The buildings are instantly recognisable as those similar to the games and although a couple scenes in the movie are something more likely to be seen in a Sonic game with CGI effects, works well overall. While the movie is quite serious and includes a characters coping with death, there are some comedic moments bound to get a laugh.

Is it the toughest puzzle for Professor Layton? I wouldn’t really say it was but it was still well worth watching. Unfortunately there are no extras included on the DVD – might have been nice to have a few puzzles to solve other than just chapter selection and Japanese/English audio options. It’s rated U with some mild violence but I don’t think young children are going to understand much of it. If you are considering whether to get the DVD or one of the games, I’d recommend a game.

D