neoxman

Here is a film with a very basic plot that has been written and directed in a unique style unlike anything we have ever seen. M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most amazing cinema storytellers, he has grown to become one of my favorite writer/director in recent years. His latest dramatic sci-fi thriller `SIGNS' has proven that Mr. Night can create so much with so little. `SIGNS' tells a basic `alien invasion story', but M. Night is NOT going to show us 20 different flying space ships blowing things up here and there, instead he is going to put us inside a family home with characters that are suffering real emotions to those that the audience can relate to. The suspense is well balanced with the comedic and dramatic side of the story. The most amazing thing about this film is how M. Night has us (the audience) paying attention to every little detail and how we are deeply seeing something when there is nothing to see, the suspense scenes don't reveal the horror right in our faces but rather in our minds. The director leaves a shot long enough for us to imagine the unthinkable by providing sounds of what we can NOT see. `SIGNS' is not a film about crop circles nor aliens; that is just a background to what the real meaning of the plot is, which in an M. NIGHT style it builds up to an answer revealed at the end of the film. This is my #1 film for 2002. And to conclude I recommend seeing this film in theatres since the sound FX's and soundtrack will compliment your viewing.

Visually Astonishing, Dark and Original is what best describes Katshuiro Otomo's Masterpiece `AKIRA'. Now here is an animated film that is way ahead of his time, the film was released in 1988 even before Disney created computer FX's in their animated features. AKIRA is one of my favorite movies of all time it has beautiful visuals, great animation, an extraordinary story and a wicked soundtrack. I have read the entire AKIRA manga comics and yes it makes the movie that much easier to understand but with the new DVD edition which contains the correct dubbed version that allows the viewer to understand the film a little easier. I first saw AKIRA back in 1994 when I was 14 years old and ever since then I have collected great anime, at first I was confused but yet intrigued and consumed by the plot, I wanted to know what the story was about. Finally after 4 times viewing the film I understood the plot and the message Otomo wanted to deliver in this feature. The story is fascinating it takes place in the future in the city of NEO-TOKYO were citizens live in a constant chaos of an urban revolution, while the youth lives reckless on the dark streets gathering in bike gangs the government proceeds with the so called `akira project'; a mayor step in scientific discovery based on human energy.

AKIRA is a movie about betrayal, love, loyalty, anger, and fiction. For those who do not understand it is a movie about the universe and how us humans connect with it, we use about 11% of our brains but what if we were able to use 40% or even 100% of it, what then? And what if some of that percentage was damaged by hate, depression, or anger, this is the case of TETSUO who is the center character of this film. The possibilities are far from anything we can imagine, `AKIRA' provides a fictional possibility that self energy exists within all of us and that is just as delicate as it is powerful.

This is an epic proportion animated feature, the action sequences are creatively amazing, the plot is very intriguing, dark and character driven like no other film. It is one of a kind and even after 14 years we have yet to see anything like it whether is an animated or a feature film.