Evangerion shin gekijôban: Ha (2009) Reviews

• A Nutshell Review: You Can (Not) Advance

  DICK STEEL2009-11-15

  It's been a long wait, but better late than never I'd say. One of the classic mecha science fiction anime now undergoing a revamp of its own, and despite not having much background knowledge of where the series has headed toward, I still found this installment engaging enough to leave me wanting more especially since it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, even though it's yet another long wait before the third film hit the screens over here. Evangelion continues where we last left off in its cinematic version, and the Earth is now under protection by the EVA robots around the world, still piloted by children. There are plans now underway to be more humane though, in piloting the EVAs like unmanned drones from afar, thus keeping the kids out of harm's way. But then there are other plans brewing at sinister levels, which only get hinted at here, clearly sowing the seeds in this installment for something more to come in the future films. Elements from the earlier film have become staple, and repeated, such as the cheeky way the female characters always get portrayed in teasing the audience / fanboys with various states of dress / near wardrobe malfunction, and hey, besides lead character Shinji Ikari (voiced by Megumi Ogata), every one of his peer pilot seem to be female, and in the opening we're introduced to the pilot for EVA No 5 to start off the film literally with a bang, and EVA No 2's pilot Asuka Langley Shikinami (Yuko Miyamura) in her bright red robot and uniform, in an instant confirming the suspicion that here's one hot chili who isn't afraid to speak her mind. I like this feisty character, who brings a breath of fresh air from the quiet Rei Ayanami (Megumi Hayashibara) and Shinji's pessimism. Other elements would include the countless religious imagery, which is now more in-your-face, and I suppose it should all make sense once the final film rolls around. The narrative found perfect balance to go a little deeper into the motivation of the various characters, though the kid pilots leave more room as intended for future growth, since Rei is a quiet enigma, Shinji still being the reluctant hero, and Asuka the live-wire who doesn't mince her words, even if criticizing her Japanese counterparts quite pointedly and in some ways, offensively too. A large chunk of the story got devoted to a suggestion of a love triangle that didn't manage to play itself out due to the constant alien threat, but got to a point enough to affect the events that follow, and to make them a sledgehammer for emotions. Then there's the action sequences, which are still as spectacular. The Angels' designs get weirder, and their attack more powerful of course, though the EVAs have a few more tricks up their sleeves, brought about by really pushing the envelope beyond what has so far been permissible. With humans at the helm of technology, we are always in control and can add that aspect of humanity without allowing technology itself from going berserk. This gets explored and discussed somewhat, especially when a dummy module gets its field day when called upon to override some human inaction, and I assure you your jaw will drop and how enemies get pulverized, which is something which I least expected, in an action-packed, yet moving scene which will get you all riled up. Then again this shows how important it is to have a human mind in control, over something else which dictates its actions through set rules, and executed without a soul of thought. As a follow up film, this one lived up to the potential set by its predecessor, and expanded upon that universe with more Evangelion protocols, new and improved mecha capabilities, and characters you feel for, while still keeping a lid on the intrigue posed by the organizations NERV and Seele. No prior knowledge of the earlier film is required, though you would be better off to know some basics to enjoy the film a lot more. Needless to say the fans would lap this up, especially when the trailer for the 3rd film gets played after the end credits that offered that sneak peek into what's next, and that antagonizing wait for it to actually happen.

• Anno has truly changed Evangelion for the better

  axelbirgir2010-06-13

  The first Rebuild Of Evangelion gave audiences and fans just about the first 6 episodes of the original series with some small differences but showed promise and pointed to the fact that Anno might be heading to a different direction with the Rebuild series than his original Anime show. You Can (Not) Advance does take the series into a completely new direction and actually changes situations that fans of the original series are familiar with for the better and actually drops the angsty over-philosophical dribble that hurt his original engaging creation. Characters develop new relationships and interact differently from the show. The three EVA pilots from the original series get some great development here and differ a lot from NGE in a very good way. New characters are introduced, stakes are raised and the film has a lot of build up which boils down to one hell of a climax. The film has a more intense tone this time around and is very fast paced. The action is incredibly engaging and the film is the first in a while that has gotten my heart beating like crazy during the intense action on-screen. The film does give you breathing space with lighthearted interactions between characters and humor and thus makes it less heavy overall than NGE and EOE even though it certainly is more gruesome and still has it's moments of pure nightmare fuel. The Score of Evangelion is at it's best in this film and truly delivers. It varies from beautifully orchestrated racing score to sweet and engaging J-pop and Anno sure makes the out-of-place songs fit as well as he did in the show and EOE. The entire experience watching this addition to the series is unforgettable and gives me much hope for even more improvement in the next two installments. Overall the film is a vast improvement for the series and hints at better things to come with it's significant changes and has raised the stakes for the Evangelion universe. Anno seems to have gotten over his depression completely and bloomed into a true crafter of worlds and emotionally charged storytelling.

• Double the intensity with half the Asuka

  tinulthin2009-06-30

  (PARTIAL SPOILERS) The first Rebuild of Evangelion, You Are (Not) Alone (a.k.a. Evangelion Shin-gekijoban: Jo), was essentially an upgraded distillation of the first six episodes of the original Shin Seiki Evangelion television series. Little was lost or added, and key scenes were recreated shot-for-shot, all the way down to the most famous "fan service" peek-a-boo angles. The second installation of the four-part Rebuild series, You Can (Not) Advance, sets itself an almost impossible task: To condense seven hours of the TV anime, episodes 7 to 20, into a single 108-minute feature. Continuing the tradition from the first Rebuild film, upgrades are everywhere. Both the bomb-Angel Sahaquiel and the satellite defenses deployed against it are unfurled with aplomb, and there's a fresh exhilaration to the Eva units desperately sprinting to the Angel's projected point of landfall. The preamble to the battle against the infected Unit 3 has been shortened, favoring instead an extended sequence of bloody desecration accompanied by a chillingly ironic selection of background music. The film concludes with a disturbingly metamorphic version of the unstoppable Angel Zeruel, and when Rei attempts to blow it up at close range, this time her N-2 bomb isn't just a cute little canister. Beyond these three points, however, the film is more an impressionistic retelling of the series than a literal one. In place of those strained scenes where Anno had characters stand stock-still for long, awkward moments, we have elaborate images of people moving about and living in Tokyo 3, and there's a pleasant sub-plot written in to unite all the main characters. Shinji is allowed to be slightly stronger, even revealing a useful domestic skill, and we lose much of his protracted soul-searching, though we still get a taste of it toward the end of the film. While the TV series was sometimes criticized for its tendency to stop and navel-gaze, with the reduced run-time there is inevitably a rushed feeling to You Can (Not) Advance, and nobody suffers for it more than Asuka. Asuka arrives frenetically and with minimal introduction, seeming to have been given license to chew the scenery in exchange for the little time she's allowed on it. Her "Sohryu" inexplicably replaced by "Shikinami," Asuka retains variants of a few of her most memorable scenes, but her early arguments with Shinji feel forced, and we lose delightful sequences like the synchronized battle against the splitting Angel Israfel. Asuka shows more depth more quickly than she did in the series, but it feels as though she has to fight for every moment of screen time. Rather than bringing anything unique to the franchise, new character Makinami Mari Illustrious seems to be little more than a bloodthirsty stand-in for Asuka. Where Asuka has been toned down, Mari has gone over-the-top, and her scenes could just as easily have been written for the redheaded half-German girl. Sadly, while the TV series had remarkably good incidental English (if horrible incidental German), You Can (Not) Advance opens with a lengthy sequence dubbed by English speakers who were clearly phoning it in. Kaji gives it his best shot, but he's given lines that are well beyond the capabilities of seiyu Yamadera Koichi. Like its predecessor, You Can (Not) Advance aims for nothing less than shock-and-awe. The lack of breathing time, coupled with some wrenching twists to the original story, enhance the intensity tenfold. Be sure to stick around until the end of the credits, where you will find not only an ad for the next film, but a very important concluding scene as well.

• Intense and engaging.

  lewiskendell2011-05-06

  "The Third Impact is beginning. This is the end of the world." Evangelion 2.0 is a much bigger departure from the original series than the first movie was, and it's an incredible anime feature, as a result. Everything is bigger and better, and it feels much more like a movie than just a collection of episodes.  The animation is once again fantastic, the new battle scenes and Angel designs are impressive, and all the story/character additions and character changes are absolutely for the best. The writing and flow of the story has been notably improved, to the benefit of all of the main characters. I also have to mention how great the music is; it serves as a perfect compliment and counter-point to what's happening on screen, and at times demands as much of your attention as the visuals do.  Casual Evangelion fans, die-hards, and newcomers should not hesitate to check out these movies. It's completely accessible to a new audience, while retaining and expanding upon the core of why this series is one of the most popular and influential. I'm no Evangelion fanatic, but I can't deny the quality of what I'm seeing in progress. 1.0 was great, and 2.0 is fantastic. I CANNOT wait to see where the third movie takes us, next. This is one of the best movies (animated or otherwise) that I've seen in quite a while. 

• Very good "rebuilds" 1.0 and 2.0

  mmushrm2011-01-12

  First let me state that I was not a fan of the Neo Genisis Evangelion series. I found the main character's constant self pitying weak and annoying. Hence I couldn't connect with the character which of course affected the story and the philosophy behind the story. Out of boredom I decided to watch the rebuilds 1.0 and 2.0 (this a review for both). The rebuilds basically takes story archs from the series to make into a new movie with some new graphics, new characters and new story arch. I found the new graphics and the new story arch very interesting as its faster pace and of course with new graphics. It also left out a lot of Shinji's self pitying patheticness which allowed me to actually connect with the story instead of trying not to throw up with disgust. The battle scenes are superb. I cant wait for rebuild 3.0 and 4.0