Anime Reviews & News

[Shan]

Jags, only in selected cities. Now watch that be in another
city and not near enough for us to go see it.

Any idea why they are realing it only in selected cities?

I saw where it was suppose to be for all ages and I had
really hoped to take the girls to see it. Maybe we will luck
out though.

Shan

[philster]

You're more likely to see limited theater releases if you live near a big city. I, for instance, live near Knoxville, the biggest city in East Tennessee, and they have at least two theaters for these kind of movies. So I'm not worrying about it too much.

However there is another problem: my deafness. So I usually wait for them to come out on DVDs. Or take interpreters with me. I like foreign movies at theaters because they already have the captions on the screen... but Howl's apparently will be translated, of course.

[janggut]

hey Phil, are u joking? i mean, are u really deaf or just a bit hard on hearing? i'm sorry if my questions seem insensitive but i am pathetically curious & wonder about how would u rate a film when it's watched without sound?

[philster]

Fair question; it's for that reason I decided to hold off on a final opinion on Star Wars 3 actually, I was only able to read lips at that movie. It was a bit confusing, especially considering all the high-speed battling, but I got the gist of the story by questioning my date both during the movie and afterwards. Most of the time I have somebody who can interpret the movie along, between reading the lips and the watching my interpreter friend (sometimes my mom) out of the corner of my eye, I can understand the story and dialogue well enough.

There is a mall in Knoxville, also, with a theater that will caption chosen movies on a weekly basis. I watched Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, Pirates of the Caribbean, Matrix 3, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and the Lord of the Rings movies that way. Sometimes I will wait a few weeks after the initial release is out and see if that theater will caption it. They didn't even have Star Wars 3 AT ALL, though, so I decided to go ahead and see that one since it was evident it wasn't going to be captioned at the theater.

Foreign movies, however, I have no problem with, for obvious reasons. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the first movie I was ever able to watch with captions (subtitles) at the theater, and it was a thrilling experience not have to worry about what was said. A while ago I watched House of Flying Daggers in a similar way with a deaf girlfriend. Though that night was the beginning of the end of our relationship...

Anyway, but I digress.

[philster]

And I am profoundly deaf, not just hard of hearing. I cannot hear anything unless it's very loud and close by, such as a passing train. (Which I had to deal with oftentimes living by a railroad in central Illinois!)

[philster]

Back on topic;

Cartoons and anime I do have trouble watching at the theater, obviously their mouths won't be moving according to what you're hearing if it's in English, because it was originally Japanese words. So I do wait until I rent these on DVDs and have subtitles.

[janggut]

thanks for being so patient & not get mad at me, Phil. & i'm sorry if i made u feel even slightly uncomfortable.

as for animes as well as cartoons, i do the same; watching them on dvd. cinemas in malaysia don't show animes especially so i always have to buy them in dvd or vcd (on cd but quality is medium to low quality of VHS).

i hope u won't get angry with me if i ask u one more very sensitive question? do the captions help or the subtitles are just as good? i have watched dvd movies & tried both subs & CC (closed captions) but i always wonder if the cues on music or sound help for those who are born without hearing ability? or maybe they can sense the vibration made by the sound?

[philster]

Malaysia! Wow.

No discomfort here at all Jags, no problem.

The captions and subtitles usually follow the dialogue perfectly, I'm told. Sometimes there is a problem with the words (usually white) against white backgrounds, but otherwise it's ok.

With sound effects it's ok, sometimes it will say something like [Doorbell] or [Crash] and stuff like that, sometimes not. With music if it's background music, I'm told, like in LoTR, the captions won't follow it, but if it's music being played by the characters, the captions will usually follow it.

Loud special effects (such as the roar of the orc at the start of Fellowship of the Ring, whoa) I usually do feel by the vibration at the theater, and I knew he roared even though the captions didn't show it.

Even when the captions don't show sounds that I don't feel either, I still manage OK because I can tell by the facial expressions of the character (usually turning of heads) something noisy just happened.

[Sir Ped of Ro]

you people still haven't see Howl's moving castle???!!!
it opened here it's been some long months...it's very good, but imho it isn't at the same level as the masterpieces of Chiiro or Mononole and even farer of my all time fav. Myazaki My neighbourg Totoro (one of the best anime movies ever made imho)...

regards

[Shan]

Howl's Moving Castle still hasn't been around here.
I am still hoping that it will though, because I would like to take the girls to see.

I'm glad to hear that it is good, Makes me hope that we will get to see it soon.

Shan

[philster]

Cool to hear, Pedro.

[Shan]

And I am still waiting to see if it is going to be shown around here.

Has it opened in your area yet, Phil?

Shan

[philster]

Not to my knowledge?

Edit: Pedro lives in France though.

[janggut]

Review of Metropolis

i have heard of Fritz Lang's version of Metropolis though sadly yet to be watched. According to an article that i have read on Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy, Leo the Lion etc) who is said to be Walt Disney of manga, the two different versions of Metropolis (Fritz Lang's film & Osamu Tezuka's manga) are only a few months apart in release. Tezuka was said to have taken some inspiration from Fritz Lang only from press release & such, then built his own version of Metropolis in the form of manga.

The anime film is an adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's version, which was said to be made without his blessings. the legendary man passed away around the time this film was still in production. It is said that this film is a blasphemy & at the same time a great tribute to the godfather of manga. The film is helmed by the director, Rintaro who has directed series such as Astro Boy, Leo the Lion & X with Katsuhiro Otomo doing the screenplay. Otomo is a manga artist who's work includes the famous Akira, Memories & Steam Boy.

Premise:
It is future. The stage is a thriving metropolis which politically seems to be a city state. the metropolis itself is divided into a few stages; the surface which is the city itself, the second level where workers & those of lower class live. The third level is the maintenance level or sewers where only robots are present to do the dirty jobs no humans would do, with minimal human supervision.

Discrimination towards robots is very glaring, so much so that those who abhor presence of robots tend to be destructive.

Characters:
There are quite a number of characters in this film but not too much that may make things confusing. Kenichi & his uncle, both from japan, are on an investigation to find an unethical scientist who is wanted for his crimes. From the city itself, there is Duke Red, who is an enterpreneur whose popularity makes those in power uncomfortable & yet they need him. His subordinate; Rock, who looks up to Duke Red as his father though Duke Red doesn't reciprocate, heads a robot-hating group that seem to be more powerful than the police.

& there is Tima, a girl found by Kenichi during his investigation in the metropolis who is deeply attached to Kenichi but not as how i first expected. She somehow has connection to many of the characters in the film, making her the central character.

Story:
After watching so many Ghibli films, which are often laced with environmental concerns, children, romantic love, straightforward relationship, Metropolis is somewhat very different in delivery & style as well as emphasis.

My first impression of the story within the first half-hour is that the film feels cold & grim. It may be because of yours truly being laced with too much Ghibli lovey-dovey themes & deliveries. But then it can be attributed to the brutality against a robot shown early in the film.

However, after finishing it, i definitely can say this film is about relationship, either in its simplest form or most complex; father & child, romantic love, humans & robots, rivalry in love, allies & enemies etc.

How relationships are in the beginning, how they change (either blossom or deteriorate) & how truth is revealed between those having relationships; that is the beauty of this film. If i have to pick a feeling or emotion to describe this film, it will be love. Yes, it is a love story. But not the typical romance movie, which i personally loath.

Animation:
Top-notch quality that can be expected from the really incredible animation studio, Madhouse, which is famous for Rurouni Kenshiin OVA (the quality is like that of a painting) & some of Satoshi Kon's films. The characters are drawn in a retro style which may remind viewers of Betty Boop. As this film is an adaptation of the manga godfather's work, it is only fitting to have it that way. & it is done most wonderfully. Classical manga drawing fused with breath-taking CG, this film has the making of a classic.

Sound:
Since i watched this film on dvd, the sound quality as well as placement (when it comes to 5.1 channel audio) is incredibly wonderful. Crisp, clear, immersive; this is one of the best-sounding anime on dvd.

Music:
Normally i would lump this with sound together but the music of this film is so unique & wonderful that it demands its own section. Composed by Toshiyuki Honda, this soundtrack is very much retro - dixieland jazz. Let me tell u my first impression; the music of the intro is truly astounding, so much that even the impressive animation plays second fiddle. Due to the impressive music, this dvd begs to be played & enjoyed loud. There is a key scene in the climactic part of the film that makes use of Ray Charles's I Can't Stop Loving You, & believe me; there is no other song more suitable for it. One of the most lasting impression on how powerful & full of impact music can be in a film. My heart just melt thinking of that scene coupled with Ray Charles's song. (note: sadly Ray Charles's song was not included in the soundtrack cd due to unknown reasons)

Overall, this film is a joy to watch & collect in dvd format. It is science fiction, it has that retro feel to the characters, it has breath-taking CG, the sound is impressive; but ultimately it is a story about love.

Enjoy!

Rating: due to violence, this film isn't suitable for children. PG-13 perhaps?

Official site link: www.sonypictures.com/cthv/metropolis/

[janggut]

Review of Beyond The Clouds

(full name: Beyond The Clouds, The Promised Place. direct translation from the japanese title: The Place Promised In Our Early Days)

Even after watching quite a number of anime films & series, there will always be some which are truly amazing, either in delivery of plot or story, or in terms of visual or animation, even sound or music. In this case, it's the storyline plus the beautiful colours.

Be forewarned though; this film moves at a very slow pace so those with no patience nor time should skip or better yet, reserve a time when you are most receptive to such films. For me, such time is after dinner with no plans for the evening. Having nobody to disturb or pester you (e.g. honey can you take a look at the kitchen sink, or mommy how do you spell the word distraction?) helps a lot too, i think.

Storyline: At a glance, which is very unfair to this film, one can simply say that it is science fiction. However it is more than just that. After watching the whole film, i feel that it is primarily a love story with heavy doses of science fiction (something about quantum waves & parallel dimensions).

The story is set in a fictional situation where Japan is divided into two with both sides at war with each other. Two friends are re-building an aircraft with hope to fly to the mysterious tower in the north, which can be seen reaching far up to the sky without end. Another friend later on joins them & the three make a promise to fly together to the tower.

The film is about the promise.

While slow moving, it is simply a beautiful film about friendship, promise, coming of age, & love. Never mind the sci-fi bit if you do not understand it as it doesn't make the film any less enjoyable. For someone who hates love stories & romance movies (chick flick if you like), somehow i enjoy anime love stories.

Visual: It is like watching painting in motion, the colours are so rich & beautiful. Every shot is with artistic angle & rich with details. The first impression i had when i first watched the film was - WOW! This is certainly one of the best-looking anime films with minimal or no CG.

Animation: As the film has many lingering shots & monologues, animation is relatively sparse compared to other anime but never awkward. This can be seen in facial expressions, grass blown by the wind, fast-paced ice skating etc.

Sound: This film is a quiet film as well but with very good ambience. the train station with trains passing by, the train along the track, the windy hills, hillside with insects; the sound is crafted into the film with loving detail.

Music: Again the word sparse comes to mind but music plays it role well in the film, especially at the parts where the characters are still in their schooldays.

Overall this film is great for anyone's anime DVD library as it is unique, artistic & beautiful. But more than those; i love it for its love story which has an uplifting ending.

Enjoy!

Rating: safe for kids to watch though they may not understand the sci-fi bits as well as the issues. mild violence.

[Shan]

Hey Jags, we finally saw Castle in the Clouds.

You aren't going to believe this. I ended up crying over the robots. That part was so sad.

Shan

[janggut]

Castle In The Sky, Shan. the intro music is one of my most fav music ever. really heart melting.

at least Pazu & Sheeta have each other.

[Shan]

Oops, yeah, that's what I meant "Castle in the Sky."

I don't know why for some reason everytime I mention that movie I want to call it Castle in the Clouds. Maybe because it was hid in the clouds in the movie.

Yeah, they do still have each other. I thought it would be cool though if they could have ended up living up there.

I love the pirates. They were so funny and really cool.

Shan

[janggut]

those pirates are really bad but with golden hearts. ;D

did u notice that the geezer minding the engines of the pirates' airship look a lot like Kamaji in spirited away? also Mother (pirates' leader) looks a lot like Yu Baba?

[Shan]

those pirates are really bad but with golden hearts. ;D

did u notice that the geezer minding the engines of the pirates' airship look a lot like Kamaji in spirited away? also Mother (pirates' leader) looks a lot like Yu Baba?

Yeah, I started off hating the pirates, but ended up laughing and really liking them.

Now that you mention it, the Mother pirate did look alot like Yu Baba. I hadn't thought about that before. As for the other guy, I don't remember what either one of them looked like. Was this intentional (that they look alike)?

Shan