Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

I watched Evangelion as a teenager and liked many aspects of it. However the series was very weak and repetitive in the middle and clearly suffered production difficulties near the end. The movies didn't do much for me after the initial epic-scope aesthetics of End of Evangelion had worn off. Now more than 10 years later I'm pretty happy that things have been reordered and re-rendered to make the series into what it should really have been in the first place.

I don't like the fact than Anno Hideaki has been able to milk the somewhat unfinished series for so much cash and so many editions (not to mention pachinko machines) so far, but taking 1.0 and 2.0 as stand-alone works (and ignoring their pretentious titles) is pretty satisfying.

Story 8/10 Good: much more than a rehash of the series. The story is fleshed out in some of the most necessary places and feels so much tighter and more concentrated than anything that has come before. Some awesome new snippets of what is to come later in the series add some satisfying excitement.

However, there is still an element of "here comes the next baddie" which gets a little tiresome. It is dealt with much more effectively here than the series, but it's still predictable. Nevertheless, despite giving the impression of being about to enter the full-on "monster of the week" barrage, it never really does, which is a blessed relief. The interactions of the characters are becoming more believable, and individual personalities are being better exposed and explained.

But, and it's a necessary but, what's the deal with the fan-service? Come on, man. Take yourself seriously, won't you? Animation 9/10 Well, it teetered between absolutely superb and a little disappointing. The budget was clearly insanely high. Action sequences are fantastically detailed and choreographed for the main part, although suffer from gratuitous flailing of limbs and ridiculous acrobats which unfortunately dumb it down a little. Backgrounds are simply amazing. The detail and range is incredible. The failings lie in the characters. Sometimes character faces and expressions look out of place by their simplicity. The broad pen pines and over-simple shading are a bit of a let-down.

Sound 7.5/10 Not particularly amazing. Again we see the technique of using a mixture of classical and children's music for depth and vulnerability. I'm surprised at some of the choices though. For example, one of the children's songs used is very popular in Japan and often used in elementary schools. The manner in which it is normally used makes its appearance in the film almost comical; which can't have been the intention. Not really knowing many Japanese people who care that much about anime I haven't been able to ask what they though, but it seemed a bit silly to me.

The Japanese people speaking English throughout the film are incredibly embarrassing. What a huge mis-calculation. How hard is it to train people to say a small number of lines in a natural way? Characters 8.5 Although some of the characters (particularly Asuka) seem to have become even less likable, for the most part the big-hitters have only improved. Although there is little time left for the minor-characters to develop or even really be involved, the well-developed personalities of the leads take somewhat new directions in their relations to one another. The relationship between teen-sap Shinji and his father has a more satisfying and somewhat relatable edge to it now, and Rei's annoyingly hyperbolic meekness has been flatted out to something more forgiving. All in all, satisfying.

And the new lead, Mari, is much better than (at least I) predicted. She has a very interesting relationship with herself, and pain. I am definitely looking forward to her future development.

Eva designs seem to have changed slightly around the waist which was a curious choice, and doesn't add much to their attractiveness. In contrast, the Angels have been changed for the better. The old, sometimes Ultraman-ish designs were sometimes a little... Ultraman-ish. The reduced number and better designs have helped things along well.

Overall 8.5/10 Overall satisfying. For me the film didn't quite have the intensity ascribed to it by others, and the ending I thought actually lacked a little emotional attachment. I also thought that the amazing animation and choreography discussed above wasn't nearly as good near the end as it was earlier in the feature. But despite this, as a whole this movie blows the series out of the water. So much which was unsatisfactory is now shiny and new. Whether or not I would feel this way about the film without having seen the rest of the franchise is anyone's guess, but I really enjoyed it. Good work, keep it up.

So opposed to my review of the first film, this is written after watching the entire rebuild series. As I suspected, this (and the first entry) are improved retroactively by the final film, which I absolutely adored.

Here, we're treated to a scene that's brand new. Where the first film followed the series with about 80% accuracy, from the get-go here we're treated to a major change, and a greater split starting around halfway through. This is where the rebuilds begin to lift the curtain, and slowly unravel where the series is going. I really liked it.

The animation here is gorgeous. 3D for the machinery and logistical aspects of the city allow them to show a lot more than the original series. And the 2D elements on top blend in very well. It's not the 90s anymore, the merging of styles looks great.

However the new character that's introduced is rather shallow. She's interesting retroactively, but she still marred my first viewing experience. I didn't really understand why she was taking over character actions from the original series-actions that could be done by the actual original characters within this very film. But it was really the only slight on the story (excluding the convoluted nature that's just an Evangelion trademark at this point).

Overall, this film justifies the rebuilds existence much more than the first one. It's what I've come to expect when an original creator revisits an earlier work. I want to see their adaptation of what they want to show after having grown, and maturing.

There's a similar instance with the Final Fantasy VII remake. If it's the original writer/s, let them shake things up. It's much more interesting.

The second movie of the evangelion rebuild. I have to say it was one rollercoaster ride.Though it seemed less "thematic" or less "psychological" the directors certainly took quiet a different approach in this movie and I was really happy with the outcome.

Story was very good and took a interesting turn compared to the series and oh my did I love it. With it somehow a good pacing which was consistent. They added and removed some scenes and changed up the dialouge quiet a bit and these were all changes that I was pretty happy with. The city scenes which just made the world feel so much more alive and real. And they removed some of the "disturbing" scenes which I was fine with. The transitions between atmospheres were well done, one moment they are upbeat and happy and the next they are sad and lost but it's not in an instant, they do it gradually. Also they add some new worldbuilding details.

Asuka's characterization is a bit different in rebuild and I mean a good different she seems far less annoying and has some new traits that make her quiet different from the original. And we are introduced to a new character that wasnt in the rebuild which is Mari and even though she probably had the least screentime she was a very interesting character and the oddball from the rest of the pack. We also get some new background details on some of the characters and some changes to characters's relationships.

The visuals and music were well done. The animation, the lighting it was pretty much in par with the prequel but a bit better especially with the action scenes which were awesome. Though I hate Unit 00's color scheme. The music was quiet different in this movie and it had a more upbeat and chill vibe to it though some of the action scenes's music was just crazy and hype and the songs were well picked.

Overall a very enjoyable movie. Somehow similar yet different to the series. They certainly invested the audience emotionally in a different way compared to the series and they did it excellently.

"The Third Impact is beginning. This is the end of the world."

Evangelion 2.0 is a much bigger departure from the original series than the first movie was, and it's an incredible anime feature, as a result. Everything is bigger and better, and it feels much more like a movie than just a collection of episodes. 

The animation is once again fantastic, the new battle scenes and Angel designs are impressive, and all the story/character additions and character changes are absolutely for the best. The writing and flow of the story has been notably improved, to the benefit of all of the main characters. I also have to mention how great the music is; it serves as a perfect compliment and counter-point to what's happening on screen, and at times demands as much of your attention as the visuals do. 

Casual Evangelion fans, die-hards, and newcomers should not hesitate to check out these movies. It's completely accessible to a new audience, while retaining and expanding upon the core of why this series is one of the most popular and influential. I'm no Evangelion fanatic, but I can't deny the quality of what I'm seeing in progress. 1.0 was great, and 2.0 is fantastic. I CANNOT wait to see where the third movie takes us, next. This is one of the best movies (animated or otherwise) that I've seen in quite a while.

The first Rebuild Of Evangelion gave audiences and fans just about the first 6 episodes of the original series with some small differences but showed promise and pointed to the fact that Anno might be heading to a different direction with the Rebuild series than his original Anime show.

You Can (Not) Advance does take the series into a completely new direction and actually changes situations that fans of the original series are familiar with for the better and actually drops the angsty over-philosophical dribble that hurt his original engaging creation. Characters develop new relationships and interact differently from the show. The three EVA pilots from the original series get some great development here and differ a lot from NGE in a very good way. New characters are introduced, stakes are raised and the film has a lot of build up which boils down to one hell of a climax.

The film has a more intense tone this time around and is very fast paced. The action is incredibly engaging and the film is the first in a while that has gotten my heart beating like crazy during the intense action on-screen. The film does give you breathing space with lighthearted interactions between characters and humor and thus makes it less heavy overall than NGE and EOE even though it certainly is more gruesome and still has it's moments of pure nightmare fuel.

The Score of Evangelion is at it's best in this film and truly delivers. It varies from beautifully orchestrated racing score to sweet and engaging J-pop and Anno sure makes the out-of-place songs fit as well as he did in the show and EOE. The entire experience watching this addition to the series is unforgettable and gives me much hope for even more improvement in the next two installments.

Overall the film is a vast improvement for the series and hints at better things to come with it's significant changes and has raised the stakes for the Evangelion universe. Anno seems to have gotten over his depression completely and bloomed into a true crafter of worlds and emotionally charged storytelling.