super informal review incoming, i basically just needed to write my thoughts out somewhere lol. i've read the manga so i obviously knew what was going to happen, however, i still think there was elements of surprise or improvement.

story & characterisation
i think that the overall execution was solid, with a very strong balance of light hearted humour and intense drama. i always enjoy seeing the characters be just kids, because they really are despite being thru so much at so young, and these comedic moments often remind us of that. i think in general the film allowed us to see into the characters and their strengths a bit more, especially with rengoku and tanjiro.
i think that zenitsu was cast as comedic relief again and, save for his 5 seconds of lightning mode, he isn't allowed the same opportunity to showcase the depth of his character (WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS THERE... A GRACE DE KAIGAKU FIGHT...). this lack of depth was particularly frustrating when it came to what his "subconscious" took the form of, in comparison to the other character's wills. also he like passed out (not even in the lightning mode way) straight after and didn't wake up til the end.
inosuke, while not to the same extent as rengoku and tanjiro, also receives brilliant development with him showcasing his techniques and brain a bit more. i thought his speech at the end was particularly heartwarming and evident of the way his mind works. he was also just super cool when he was fighting enmu lol.
the demons were interesting and obviously strong, not letting us be deluded into a "the heroes always win" mind set. tanjiro's cries at the end, as the sun rises and akaza runs away echoed so many of my own frustrations, especially after losing such a strong character like rengoku.
overall, tanjiro and rengoku had very in depth characterisation, which honestly kept me hooked. i honestly admire him for having a resolve so strong when he's suffered so much. him having to say goodbye to his family again was truly sad, and it was almost scary to see how easy it was for him to almost kill himself in the real world when he almost chopped his head off (not in dream state). how is this guy like 16. i think there's a lot of nuance to him beyond the "patient and kind and hardworking" persona that he is often lumped into, and it was explored more deeply this movie thru his introspection and struggles and it's important for us to see that.
now with rengoku... god...RENGOKU. first off, i love his outfit. the flames being cut specifically are so nice. also, even with only a movie worth of screentime in the whole series his impact will not be forgotten... i think his resolve and morals especially are nice to see. he's a bit of a weirdo but he is so genuine, and his backstory was great in helping humanise him beyond this "intimidating hashira" persona. his acceptance of nezuko, and general approval of the trio was really nice to see too and i know they will carry his words and morals with them as they move on.

production elements
as for production elements.... i thought the music was good in general. it really helps communicate the mindset of the characters at the time. they reuse tanjiro's theme quite a bit but i think it's effective in establishing his resolve. for other scenes like akaza's.... i don't understand why they chose electronic music for his fight scene and then immediately followed it up with louder music when rengoku fought back. an absence of music would’ve been extreeeeemely effective (recall giyuu vs rui using calm) or the use of simple japanese instruments…as opposed to noise on top of noise on top of noise.
additionally, the cgi was remarkably misplaced and effectively drew you out of the experience. enmu’s head was seemingly just… a flat surface attached to a 3d worm and it looked horrendous. obviously cgi is cheaper in the long run to use over redrawing 2d movements, which is probably why they used it so much, but it basically alienated the audience and separated us from that immersive storytelling and world.
the misuse of cgi was a shame since the animation otherwise was gorgeous. groundbreaking. beautiful. the breathing technique scenes were intricate (as always) but even the smaller details like the faint lighting on skin when the sun finally rose or the fluidity of the character’s movements was mesmerising to watch.

imagery / setting / symbolism problems
there were a lot of missed opportunities for motifs or symbolism in the film as a whole. for instance, while i really liked akaza's "aesthetics" overall and how they were conveyed in the film i never really understood why his technique was a snowflake... it literally makes no sense. his eyes are cracked, like glass or ice, then he has all these markings on his skin.. i think a better symbol could have been used to tie everything better together.
in addition, in particular with the rengoku and akaza fight, because it happened at night the setting of a flat surface where we see no reactions or dust or anything just makes the understanding of the consequences of the fight fall short. if they had set the fight in the nearby forest for example then there could be levels and a proper showcase of how, despite rengoku's flame breathing, the real world isn't affected by breathing techniques and the forest wouldn't be burned down. this “unburned” forest could’ve been used as a contrast to rengoku’s subconscious in his dream state (which was just fire on concrete, though in this case a burning forest would complement it nicer).
with the final fight as well, while i appreciate them allowing rengoku to close his eyes for once, i think him opening his busted eye at least ONCE would’ve added extra pizzazz to what was happening and shown his fighting spirit/genuine soul.
the film essentially spoon-feeds you the story, as opposed to showing us elements to piece together. it would’ve been nice to be able to connect some symbolism or notice motifs ourselves, but of course this doesn’t happen.

overall it’s a good film, obviously. there’s nothing that makes it downright horrible but with a series as hyped as this that has so much anticipation behind it i think that there was just SO MUCH POTENTIAL to be just that much more perfect. so yeah it may sound like i'm picking on some technicalities but, in general, i really did enjoy it: i laughed, i went "awe", i gagged. it was fun. the film gets you excited for s3 obviously which is the overall end goal so… success lol.