Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance
Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance DVD & BluRay (Manga Entertainment)
Continuing the re-invention of a classic Anime series, this is the second in a planned quartet of movies based on the cult Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s still written by Hideaki Anno (original Evangelion creator) and directed by the regular director Kazuya Tsurumaki. This film introduces two new pilots of the giant robot mechs – called Eva machines – a fiery Asuka and a mysterious Mari to the original pilots Shinji and Rei, together they are forced to battle the monstrous Angels. It’s a monster versus robot anime epic! Woooo! Fight, fight, fight, fight! This is a gorgeous-to-look-at anime film, it has moments of sheer confusion where there’s just too much happening on screen to digest, but compared to most other mech movies out there this is a sumptuous thing to look at, the creepy alien force being a highlight. The aliens are a mixture of whirling coloured spheres, discs, twirls, scrolls and long spikes, and so other-worldly I hope there’s some kind of an award that the designers could win for their originality. By comparison the mechs are a little bit by-the-book and a little disappointing, but why break a winning formula I guess, and the choice of the gore and blood as a way of showing the death of a giant alien machine is curious but works well. The main characters have a lot to them, they have the fiery temperaments befitting Japanese teenagers, and although these character moments are used as comedic relief to mixed results, when the odd sad moment comes along it does wrong-foot you and causes some poignancy. There’s a lot of heart and metaphysical weirdness here to entertain the true fans of this series, but for newcomers there’s a lot to enjoy and puzzle at. A little uneven in tone but worth checking out. ALEX
