Rebuild of Evangelion

[Kagemane_no_Jutsu]

SPOILERS RAHHH

A sub for the cam is available here. Warning: the cam is absolutely horrendous and watching it will only convey the feeling of watching Eva 3.0 while blacking out on painkillers. A review follows this link and I will be openly discussing the film's content. Please don't read if you are concerned with spoilers although I like to think I can review something without sounding like a wikipedia plot summary. This paragraph intentionally too long to get you to stop reading if you don't like spoilers.

This is a tough film. I'm still not sure what I think of it, and the awful cam did not help. Eva 3.0 is pretty, as pretty as the last two movies anyway. I once again found the 3D CGI to be distracting and amateurish in its execution, although by this point I'm starting to see a kind of point in the juxtaposition of the unearthly, bizarre 3D construction of the Angels against the rest of the 2D animated world. The score is absolute lightning; I've been blasting it for days prior to watching the film. The surprisingly few action sequences were great, especially the opening orbital assault on Unit 01's containment unit, although it certainly helps that that's the only segment I saw in HD.

This movie, perhaps reflecting the tonal shift of the latter half of the television show, has by this point gone almost completely off the rails. The first two films were bog-standard adaptations of the material, largely with only the fight scenes sexed up. In this film, leading out from the ending of You Can (Not) Advance, Shinji is thrust into an unfamiliar and unwelcoming environment after being rescued from Unit 01, and it's reflected in the script as we follow Shinji, adrift and purposeless, throughout the first two acts of the movie. Now I'm personally a huge sucker for the introspective, psychological scenes from the TV show, but I think 3.0 suffers from including so much meandering, feeling an awful lot like the tail end of one of the TV episodes but without nearly as much room to breathe. The attempt to convey Shinji's alienation and confusion is successful, if a bit literal, but it chokes out time for developing Shinji's relationship with his father or even fleshing out much of the central relationship between him and Kaworu - I think they spend about as much time onscreen together as they did in the TV show for god's sake, where he was only there for a single episode. The first two films did so much good connecting us to these characters and making their lives seem more real and warm, and all that work is (deliberately?) tossed away or not continued in 3.0.

The film's title is now a direct indictment of itself - You Can (Not) Redo - and it's reflected in the very meta and self-referential script, with characters constantly having coded and symbolic conversations not giving a fuck about what's going on with the plot. Add that to the heavy homoerotic subtext (it's practically freakin' text at this point) and you'd figure this movie was a love letter to me. I just couldn't shake the feeling that the movie felt like the second to last episode of a series that hadn't done nearly enough legwork to get itself to this point and was deliberately obfuscating a lot of things to disguise that fact.

Yeah.... pretty much, yeah.

When the camrip first surfaced we didn't have a sub linked to the video yet. Even tho I downloaded the sub separately and set it up it would still freeze at points and so basically I was watching it with no subs then going back and reading it. If you look at the sub transcript you'd be surprised at just how little dialogue there is in this film. The bulk of it is obviously between Kowaru and Shinji.... but other than those two and the one short scene with Fuyutski and Shinji there is little to no actual cohesive conversation happening. In the Kaworu - Shinji scenes the dialogue is mostly vague, even when he's supposed to be explaining to us what we're all dying to find out, about the events after the ending of 2.0.

But unlike a lot of others I still thought this was a very fitting follow up. The world of Eva has never been one of clear coated black and white plot-lines, and if you came here expecting such then you deserve to be disappointed. I was of course hoping to see more Misato and Asuka's roles expanded as their characters were really reaching new heights in 2.0. In fact that could have been the reason Anno sought to reaffirm this as Shinji's story, and keeping us in the dark along with him was not a bad idea by any stretch.

I found that the overall theme of the movie came thru beautifully. Its right there in the title "You Can (Not) Redo". Shinji comes out of his 14 year hibernation and finds his decision to risk everything for one person has now completely changed his world. The people he abandoned in order to chase after Rei are no longer the people he left behind. Misato had yelled words of encouragement to him as he fought for what he wanted at the end of 2.0, but here he finds no such support. Shinji spends the entirety of the film either struggling with understanding his past, or trying to rectify his actions. Kaworu wanted to give Shinji his world back by turning back the damage done by the Eva's (somehow), but was unable to. In the next film I'd imagine we'll see Shinji use some of the knowledge instilled on him by Kowaru and try to move forward instead of changing his past.

I see what Y is saying about homosexual undertones.... To me its more about being a human and not allowing male of female distinctions to come between you and another person having a connection. And if you really care for someone you should not be afraid to embrace them.

What I'm seeing overall here is largely exposition. Anno needed a transition into his final act and he has to fit in as much as he could..... although I feel like there was a lot of scenes that could have been shortened or even cut to allow more time for character development. Mari is still just sorta there and I'm dying to see a real interaction between Asuka and her while not in their Eva's. But again this was Shinji's story, and now that he's with Asuke I'm expecting a lot of this in 4.0. Sortof sucks tho that it took an entire film to get to that ending. Almost reminded me of The Hobbit's ending. How long you think we'll have to wait? 2 years at least, yeah? Hopefully not more this time around.

[Y]

This is still a post with spoilers about Evangelion 3.0 in it. Don't read this post if the previous sentence is describing a post you don't want to read.

When the camrip first surfaced ...

Yeah I think a lot of the choices made in this movie are done to send up conventional narrative structure - the cutest trick is that the preview at the end of 2.0 is for a movie that does not exist, an in-between movie after the events of 2.0 but before Shinji is rescused at the beginning of 3.0. Eva has always lied with its previews, of course (the "service" line is less a gag and more a statement about empty promises) but a totally false preview is very interesting. See also the fact that Shinji is the "damsel in distress" at the beginning of the film.

But unlike a lot of others I still thought this was a very fitting follow up. The world of Eva has never been one of clear coated black and white plot-lines, and if you came here expecting such then you deserve to be disappointed. I was of course hoping to see more Misato and Asuka's roles expanded as their characters were really reaching new heights in 2.0. In fact that could have been the reason Anno sought to reaffirm this as Shinji's story, and keeping us in the dark along with him was not a bad idea by any stretch.

Yeah but I don't think the most effective way to do this was to once again make moves to distance us from Shinji, by making him even more alienated and withdrawn. Misato and Asuka have changed their perspective on Shinji entirely, but we have to do a lot of work ourselves to make their characters proceed from the point we last saw them up to now. I think he's made a smart enough decision - usually time skips are just an excuse to make changes to peoples' relationships without actually developing those changes, and refusing to elaborate at all and just having these people continue to live their lives around Shinji works better than having long exposition scenes where Misato or Asuka just explain their changed attitudes.

I found that the overall theme of the movie came thru beautifully.

In a way I think it was done almost too strongly. The themes of this movie are practically all the characters talk about! There is almost no actual character development between Kaworu and Shinji because their conversations are just coded discussion aboout the show/movie series, the value of a remake, fanboyism, etc. For example the "Curse of Eva" that keeps Evangelion pilots trapped in their youth is almost insultingly simplistic in its symbolism, and doesn't really serve the narrative in any way.

I see what Y is saying about homosexual undertones....

Sure, I was just being cheeky.

What I'm seeing overall here is largely exposition. Anno needed a transition...

I think that's the biggest weakness - this movie is so obviously a transitory work, with a big ol Part One stamped on its forehead, that I can't judge it in a vacuum without watching the final film. The first two movies had a much more conventional structure and were more approachable as a result. Recall that this and the final movie were originally intended as a dual feature, and I think it explains a lot of the weird narrative choices. It also can't decide whether it wants to be a rollicking actioner or go down the road that leads to Shinji in the folding chair being berated by voices for his bad life choices.

EDIT:

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was a bad movie. I think it's a tough movie to go all fanboy gaga over, which 2.0 was not. That doesn't make it worse, just different and less approachable.

[MFauli]

dammit, when´s a good quality-subbed version coming out? not reading your spoiler-posts

[Y]

dammit, when´s a good quality-subbed version coming out? not reading your spoiler-posts

See you in June - at the earliest.

[Inazuma]

Daaaamnnn SEXY GENDO

[Y]

More Eva 3.0 spoilers although they are really tiny.

Gendo putting on the head SEELE guy's glasses is just great on every level. It's a metafictional reference (Gendo is ascending to more of a producer role, like SEELE was in the first half of the series, and leaving the directing to Fuyutski), it's a reflection of the fixation on Gendo's glasses by Rei and then Shinji from the original series which says something about Gendo's relationship with SEELE, and it demonstrates literally Gendo's desire to usurp any and all authority in the world in service of his goals.

[MFauli]

Spoiler regarding 3.0 ahead!

Watched it. Goddamn!

Clearly, you´re all right, this is a transitional movie, leading into the final part. But the lack of any meaningful character development was kinda disappointing. The only bit we got were Shinji meeting Kaoru and Shinji meeting Fuyutsuki. The former didn´t have as much impact to me as it had in the original anime, and the latter wasn´t really any clever character development, as much more a mere trigger.

It also sucked that Shinji never got a chance from those that hold a grudge against his past actions. Misato, Asuka,they´re all just plain mean to him. And as a result, it lead to no development, either.

Of course, the visuals of this movie are gorgeous, and I´m looking forward to rewatching it in perfect full HD-quality.

Now I have no idea, though, what another movie will be about. No more angels. So will it be about the advent of god himself? For fucks sake, that´s why I don´t like watching anime with such themes ... I´m writing a story with similar themes myself, and I don´t want to be thought as a copycat, ugh. The whole Awakening stuff and all ... Wouldn´t be surprised if movie #4 really introduces the concept of gods, with Shinji becoming/being one of them. (yes, of them", plural. As opposed to the tv-series´ ending, the movies could expand the god-theme. But that´s just my guess)

Oh, but I have to mention this, wondering if I´m the only one that got this like that: The whole beginning with Misato´s ship suddenly being able to fly, the music ... that´s a super-direct homage to Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water. Right?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgYj-H7AXQE

<3

[Inazuma]

Thank you Mfauli, this link brought me back to a time I had no pubes and my first anime ever.

[MFauli]

Btw I just read on some other boards, and there seems to the question as to WHY there had to be a 14-year time skip.

Couldn´t it be that Shinji´s body somehow dissolved inside his cockpit capsule, and magc-timey-whimey-stuff rebuilt his body in real-time? After all, Shinji is 14 years old, isn´t he?

[Buffalobiian]

Keep Up the spoiler tags in each post please.

[Y]

Not a spoiler: The Eva 3.0 Bluray release is being fast-tracked (for Japan) and is set to land on April 24th as a late birthday present for me
.
Spoiler: The rest of the post after that.

Oh, but I have to mention this, wondering if I´m the only one that got this like that: The whole beginning with Misato´s ship suddenly being able to fly, the music ... that´s a super-direct homage to Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water. Right?!

I've never watched Nadia but most of the main themes from this movie are redone pieces of music from that show, and as Nadia was one of Anno's first works it makes sense that with how meta this show is it would contain a bunch of references to it and some of his other early stuff. I read Kaworu and Shinji copiloting Eva-13 as a nod to the Gunbuster as well.

[Inazuma]

We have liftoff !

http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=view&tid=426845

I feel depressed as fuck now.

[FelixZeroAlastor]

Think I'll hold out for a subbed BD version.

[Inazuma]

This is subbed and 1080

[shinta|hikari]

The first parts aren't subbed though?

[Y]

The Evangelion 3.33 Bluray begins with a 10 minute live action short film about a completely unrelated franchise. It isn't subbed because it isn't part of the actual movie and will likely be excised from "scene" releases.

[shinta|hikari]

I guess I'll have to verbally translate those parts to my friends when we watch 3.33 tomorrow night.

[Y]

I guess? You should just skip it though. It's like an advertisement for something else basically.

[vejita613]

W.T.F.

(In other words...business as usual with Evangelion)

[Alhuin]

I wish I lived near people that enjoyed anime as much as I did so I could have a viewing party. /foreveralone

I plan on watching all three films if I have the time tomorrow. The first I don't really need to see, but it's been so long on 2.22 that I've forgotten most of it, so I figured I'd just marathon them. Then only another 3-4 years for the ending.