Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni (1997) Reviews

• Simply stunning!

  Fiss1999-10-29

  Finally, after long last, I have managed to watch the End of Evangelion. It was worth any wait. Those not familiar with the series will have no clue what's happening, so you should at least watch the first 24 episodes. End of Eva takes place as an alternative to the last 25 and 26th episodes. It may sound confusing, but trust me, if you just sit back and enjoy the ride, everything makes sense...even if not right away. The final Angel has been killed. The 'hero' of the story, Shinji Ikari, now regrets doing it, as he was the only person who seemed to ever like him for who he was. But there is no time to lament on personal demons, as the shadowy puppet masters in SEELE have set the final stage of their plan in motion. The dreaded Third Impact. What's even more surprising is that the entire series shows one, giant plan to actually SPEED ALONG the Third Impact, as it could lead Humanity to it's next evolutionary step. And so, Humanity will now rely on a weak savior who may or may not lead humanity to it's oblivion. A hero who must first fight his own inner dragons, and come to terms with life, and love from himself and from others. As a response to the public outcry that the last 2 episodes were someone strange and had no "Mecha Combat", the End of Eva has enough of both combat, AND philosophical scenes. A strange, but wonderful mix. Asuka's fight against 9 Evas is absolutely the most STUNNING visual fight sequence I have ever seen. The energy and awesome scope of the battle is impossible to convey through words alone. Though Asuka's character is as flawed as Shinji's, she finds redemption in this movie. Again, an amazing testimony of the Human Spirit and our will to live. The emotional impact of this movie is also quite amazing. It brings reality and the mind to question, and asks us if being individuals is better than being a whole. Is life just a dream, and can we ever be Gods of our own Reality? Those who have watched the last two episodes of the series will see instances where the movie and episodes combine and compliment each other. Finally, the animation is wonderful. Creepy and breathtaking. Powerfully deep, but also amazing on the physical conflict level as well. This movie is EASILY a match for Akira and is an instant classic. Watch it with an open mind, and be prepared to be stunned. Be ready to question yourself. Be ready to use your mind in ways you may have not before. This is truly the End, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

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• The Magnus Opus of anime

  etg17012006-03-19

  I am at a loss for words to describe this work. It does for anime what Beethoven's 9th or Wagner's Ring cycle did for classical music. End of Evangelion combines intense action with emotional drama superbly. A number of scenes depicting graphic violence and sexual content will probably bother some viewers. These scenes, however, serve to underscore the themes of the movie for the most part. The animation is excellent and the music is great (and features a number of nice works by Bach) and the symbolism is truly rich and elaborate, involving many elements of Christianity and Judaism as the entire series is sort of a take on the Apocalypse. However, as many have already mentioned, watching the anime series before hand is necessary to even remotely understand what is going on.

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• The best movie ever.

  Vegeta-21999-04-11

  Never before has a movie put me through so many emotions. Anger, joy, fear, depression, hope, all flowed through me as the epic film unfolded before me. I was left emotionally wrung out the first time I watched it, and my view of life has been changed forever because of it. Just be warned, if you haven't seen all the TV episodes, you will be totally lost by this movie. Oh, and hope you haven't developed too much of an emotional attachment to the characters.

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• DEEP!

  stanteau2001-04-28

  Going into this movie I had just finished the EVA series and was mentally drained.The first part,Air,left me totally stunned visually and emotionally.All my favorite characters were dying!Than came End of EVA ............Shinji's scream epitomizes the entire movie.It delves into the deepest,darkest human emotion and experience.From the amazing choking scene to the heart drenching "Farewell mother" scene EoE is perfect.I rewatched Kaoru and Rei's speech 3 times in a row.And Yui's advice to Shinji left me in complete tears.As the credits rolled there I sat,tears strolling down my eyes,wide eyed,with my mouth wide open. People complain that it made no sense and they are right......to an extent.EoE makes you create your own movie.It is very mental as to what is happening.But what everyone (even Asuka) says to Shinji is so......deep and profound.....I will never see anything more meaningful,artistic,or emotional for as long as I live.

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• Well... that sure was a... thing

  artur-artborg2018-07-17

  A short transcript of my oral reaction to the opening of the second part of "The End of Evangelion": "Uhm...? Uhm...? Uhm...? Uhm? Uhm!? UHM!? UHM!?!?!?" Er, did... Did Lars von Trier write this? 'cause I feel like Lars von Trier wrote this. Did... Has anyone ever seen Hideaki Anno and von Trier in the same room? "The End of Evangelion" is a messed-up trainwreck of a masterpiece. It makes "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" and "Sedmikrásky" look like rational slice-of-life dramas. It is utterly insane. But also quite brilliant. This film certainly isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy watching minds unravel in insanity on-screen then boy is this movie for you. I give it 9 [Shinji's Crazed Screaming] out of 10

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