Third Impact

New Evangelion 2.0 Trailer (crappy cam-quality)

This trailer is currently screening in Japanese theaters. A high quality version is, of course, expected shortly.

Evangelion/My Winnipeg Comparison (see asterisks)

Originally posted on The Grey Line

My Winnipeg Review

This pseudo-documentary is a lot like those introspective journeys in the anime masterpiece NG Evangelion.* Abstract and postmodern. Guy Maddin (director, played by Darcy Fehr) drowsily travels in a metaphorical train** as he reminisces and contemplates, at times abstractly and symbolically, his love-hate relationship with his hometown, Winnepeg. Intertitles aid the narrative’s progression, while also expressing Maddin’s emotions.*** Ann Savage stars as Maddin’s mother.

My Winnipeg’s surreality is not for most.

Watch the trailer.

*See episode 14, **16, or ***25.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone - Review

Originally posted on The Grey Line

No other series has awed me as deeply as Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion, anime or otherwise. I was enamored with the complexity of its narrative, full of references to philosophy and psychology, and its rich, emotionally stricken, characters. To this day I haven’t encountered anything that compares to the experience I’ve had with the story of Evangelion? Not even a live-action movie, and you know I love movies (it has a lot to do with the 2 hour structure of a feature film vs. the 10 hours of a 26 episode series).

As clearly expressed above I’m of fervent fan of NGE. An animated remake of the series, then, is titillating notion for me. When the Rebuild of Evangelion, a 4-part animated movie remake with an all new alternative conclusion, was announced I went off the walls both in doubt and excitement. The first of the movies, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone was released in Japanese theaters last year. Just weeks ago it made it to DVD (in Japan), as well as on P2P sites. At last, nearly 8 months after its Japanese release, I was able to watch this new take on Evangelion!

So what did I think of Evangelion Rebuilt: part 1? Well, I loved it. But, again, I am an Eva fanatic.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are Not Alone is a nearly step-by-step summation of the first 6 episodes of the original TV series. If you’ve seen the show you know the story: Shinji Ikari, an insecure 14-year-old boy, is chosen to pilot Evangelion Unit 01, a prototype humanoid weapon. His father Gendo Ikari is the head of NERV, a special organization assigned to protect Tokyo from the monstrous Angels, and also the producers of the Evangelions. Rei Ayanami, an emotionless 14-year-old girl, was the first chosen pilot. She joins Shinji, with her own Eva, to defend Tokyo 3. Misato Katsuragi—female, 29 years old, and NERV operational director—mentors the pilots and leads them into action.

The jargon above may give the impression that Evangelion is only for the sci-fi enthusiasts. The start of the series, and therefore this movie, mostly concentrates on the fight against the Angels. But let’s give it more thought. The notion of labeling the enemies as “Angels” alone is implication of something much deeper than the ordinary robot mech sci-fi narrative. Psychological motifs and allusions to philosophy are not apparent in NGE’s exposition, and since the movie only covers the first 6 episodes, there’s no focus of Evangelion’s deeper themes—save the brief mention of the hedgehog’s dilemma— in You Are (Not) Alone. Plus, at least 40 minutes of possibly insightful content from the original show is cut from the movie. This rundown version may result in a bland impression for anyone unfamiliar with the series.

The compression of events doesn’t affect the overall quality, really; it’s actually paced well, especially in the later half. As any devoted fan, I did notice when a scene was missing. Personally, I would have liked it if Hideaki had not left out the nuance of the seemingly insignificant scenes. Then again, I understand that a 90 min. film is far more appealing to a wider audience. As for the scenes that were not cut, they remained virtually untouched.

About 80% of the movie is identical to the what was seen in the original show, albeit redrawn. Some scenes, such as the Eva training simulator sequence, have been enhanced with computerized effects. Further detail is applied to the art but generally the animation and storyboard goes unchanged. One notable inclusion was that of Rei’s nipples, most visible in the famous scene where Shinji tumbles upon just-showered Rei. Aside from the Director’s Cut and End of Evangelion, such details as areolas were always vaguely drawn, if drawn at all.

The most noticeable alteration has to be the climactic battle with the 6th Angel Rameil (5th in original). While its diamond-like shape is still its primary form, Rameil is now shown in various transformations as it attacks and defends itself. No worry, this addition is a good one.

Completely new content, however, is sparse until the last half-hour of the movie, when two important plot tweaks present themselves (they’re partly done to hurry the plot). No big narrative shifts are present in You Are (Not) Alone. For that you’ll have to wait for Division, the sequel.

Just like in the TV show the movie ends with a “to be continued” message on a black screen and, following the credits, a peek at the next episode. This clip shows a new character. At its end it’ll leave every Eva fan exasperated with anticipation for the next film.

But I doubt non fans will feel the same. The movie is essentially for the fans. They’re the ones who are going to eat it up. Looking at the movie objectively, it looks like a long episode from a science fiction anime series and nothing else. There’s little sense of conclusion or accomplishment, unlike say in The Fellowship of the Ring, part of the LotR trilogy. Not much happens but the three battles with the three Angels, and there’s barely any development in the characters. It’s a drawback of adapting a TV series that doesn’t really kick off until its later half. I’m sure the sequels will be far better. I just don’t think that the first, You Are (Not) Alone, will provide enough incentive for anyone not in love with series or into sci-fi anime to continue with the later films.

Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone’s direction and art is of high quality because of its source material. It’s a good recap of the early episodes but there’s nothing too spectacular about it. If you’re going to watch it, I’d advise to first see the complete original series if you haven’t already. Though if you don’t have many hours to spare and want to know what all the rave for Evangelion is about, then watching the Rebuild film series is a good idea. Just know that you won’t be too ecstatic about Eva until the sequels arrive. Still, I’d recommend to watch the series afterwards. And if you are an avid fan like me then you need no convincing; Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone cannot be avoided.



Released in Japanese theaters Sept. 1, 2007
Past theatrical release dates… (US date incorrect)

DVD release (Japan only):
1.01 Limited Design Edition - April 25, 2008
Normal Edition - May 21, 2008
Blu-ray: ????

US DVD release: ???? not yet licensed - Prediction: Late ‘08 - Mid ‘09
Internet release: DVD-Rip fansub torrent available


Official Evangelion Site (Japanese)
Trailers
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (Wikipedia)

Other reviews (possible spoilers):
Heisei Democracy (by Shingo with alt. take by Shipon)
Swifty, Writing: Justin’s IM Chat Review
Japanator Review (by God Len)