Doragon heddo

What is really disappointing about this movie is that the art direction is so fantastic, it makes the inane acting so upsetting to watch. Seriously, 3/4 of this movie focuses on the main character stumbling around, falling down, and then waddling around on the ground like an invalid. None of the characters act at all rational, and yet they are all surrounded by amazing sets and brilliantly realized visions of the apocalypse. If only the director could have things move faster, or have people stop falling over. I thought to myself, "if I took a drink every time someone falls down to the ground, I'd be dead." It might make a fun time at a party of with some friends, but if you're looking to enjoy a good movie, I would skip out on this tumbling mess.

Yes, the two leads are rather dull and the complete breakdown of society in about 48 hours, while explained by a few throwaway lines of dialog is a little hard to swallow. Still, Dragon Head is a success. A story where 2 high school kids emerge from what they think was an underground train wreck to find a natural disaster has decimated the entire countryside. Their immediate goal is to get to their homes in Tokyo. Along the way, the encounter the dregs of what remains of the populace, escaping death several times. The two youngsters also learn, that despite losing everything, in this new world, having each other is their most important possession. The ending is anti-climatic, but thanks to some nice special effects and upbeat music leaves off on a hopeful, if not positive note.

I really liked this movie. It is a "catastrophe" movie, even though it has nothing to do with the typical western idea of such a happening. It does not indulge in the process of reversing the trauma, it rather centers it's plot on surviving the drama. The characters are not typical western heroes, willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the collective. They are merely humans trying to survive in a world suddenly so different and hostile. It covers the bonds between the survivors, the human will to live, and the human will to just let go. An excellent movie, with some forms of dialogue typical for Japanese movies, and fond of human relations. It has great effects, but it's not a Hoolywood blockbuster movie with stupid plot. The disaster is just described, some ideas are given, but there is not detailed description of what happened. And there is no turning back.

Yes, the manga-inspired art direction is very fine. Too bad there's no plot, and it's paced slower than a Bergman film, and there's not a single actor in it who knows how to convey distress without shouting, whining and falling down. Literally, they spend most of the movie doing those three things, over and over and over, until you wonder why they don't all kill one another and drink one another's blood--not to survive, but just to shut everyone up. For a post- apocalyptic sci-fi type film, it's amazing how very little else happens in its very s- l-o-w two hours. And yet for all its ponderous and portentous stylings, it says nothing to us about survival or friendship or civilization or etc.--all the Big Issues this type of movie is supposed to have us ponder--that we don't get from airheaded Hollywood blockbusters like "Armageddon" and "War of the Worlds."

This movie is what you come up with if you take Armaggedon and you mix it with Die Hard. You remove Bruce Willis and make the main character die even harder, but not save anyone. You add a little Lord of the Flies and make it Japanese. Voila!

This is a movie that could have been a little shorter. It felt really long at its two hours, however it was surprisingly good. It's a disaster movie where people act disastrously, as the calamity that occurred is affecting the human brain as well.

The effects were nice, the emotions in the movie were rather violent for my taste, and I blamed it on Japanese cinema, but it was the magnetic field's fault (or was it? :) ). The script was well done and I thought the actors played well.

It's worth a watch, it may surprise you. It was very close to an 8, but the accent put too strongly on human insanity and the length dropped it to 7.