spiral_nemesis

First of all, there aren't a ton of good Horrors out there that are truly original. I'm not saying this movie is one of them, but that lack of originality shouldn't be the reason to give any movie a lower score. Bringing fresh ideas to the Horror genre is difficult, mostly because it's difficult to find new ways to scare people. There aren't a ton of moments that make you jump, but I think the genre isn't really about making people jump anymore. Audiences have gotten good at predicting when these moments happen.

Where this movie does well, along with the rest of my favorite horror movies, is atmosphere. For me, having a dark, creepy atmosphere is far more important to success in this genre than getting people to leap out of their seats. The shaky-cam, found-footage style isn't that much of an issue for me either. Actually, I think still does a good job portraying realism, despite being a bit disorienting and annoying.

Story-wise, I'd say it's pretty unique. How many other horrors involving descent into the earth to find historical relics can you think of off the top of your head? One, two maybe... How many horrors can you think of off the top of your head involving a haunted house, a possessed child or doll, exorcism, a guy with a mask, or a cabin in the woods? 100? Not to say this is bad, but I'll gladly welcome anything outside traditional horror settings and scenarios. It does dip into the realm of ridiculousness as some points, but nothing too over-the-top and far-fetched for the situation. The acting is good and the characters are believable for the most part. I would have cleaned up the final act a little bit more, but it was good enough to keep me satisfied.

Not sure what the critics are bashing it for. If there is anything to really complain about it's not this movie, but the genre itself. That being said, lower your expectations and you might like it. I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.

If anything, the story of Berserk needs to be expanded upon, not shortened. Basically, they are taking a 10-hour long show, improving the visuals, and reducing to the story to 3-4 hours. I'm curious who thought this would be a good idea. Many pivotal moments that occurred during the series were completely glossed over in this movie, and in many cases, left out entirely. What was great about the show was the emphasis on the story and character development. How can you develop the characters when you're cramming everything into such a short amount of time? Sure, the re-imagined action sequences and animation are great to look at, but that was only ever a small part of what made the series so good. Berserk being my favorite (if not, second favorite) anime of all time, this was doomed to fail for me. This first part is entertaining, sure, but doesn't do justice to the original series. It's just not possible.

That being said, it might be a decent watch if you're a first time viewer of Berserk, but for true fans of the show, I don't see how this could be acceptable. They should have just redone the entire series and gave it a proper ending. Or, continued the show from where the original left off. I'm certain either of these options would please fans more, rather than giving them cheapened, hyped-up movies. I'll watch the rest of the movies just to see how they turn out, but I suspect I'll be disappointed with the rest. I can only give the first part a biased 5 out of 10.