If Madhouse's Redline is a "flashy action ride", then Dead Leaves is a "nuts-to-the-wall flashy tripped-out action ride on speed". The movie's high-contrast comic book-like visuals had me expecting something unique, but I don't think I could properly have prepared myself for just how unique Dead Leaves turns out to be. The comic book style applies not only to the frequently grotesque characters and outlandish scenery, but also to the cinematography itself with several "panels" often being shown on screen at the same time, sound effects appearing as actual floating words, and unusual framing used to emphasize certain parts of the scenes. The narrative begins with the protagonists, Retro (a TV-headed man) and Pandy (a woman with a mysterious red spot over her right eye) waking up naked and without their memories only to go on a crime spree which gets them sent for life to a prison on the moon called Dead Leaves. Not for the straitlaced or faint of heart, Dead Leaves' mere 52 minutes zoom by at break-neck speed in a flurry of explosions, gore, sex and nudity, but if you can stomach the off-the-wall content you're in for a very enjoyable if lamentably brief anime experience.
Reviews
8 Reviews
Ponyo
(2008)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
Miyazaki was challenged by someone to make another movie with the true poignancy and magic that was captured in Totoro. By most accounts he has done just that. While not my absolute favorite Ghibli movie, this is certainly one of the better ones. The story tends to be a bit slower even than most other Ghibli movies, but as a whole it certainly doesn't plod or drag its proverbial heels, it just pleasantly takes its time. It follows a little goldfish-like girl thing called Ponyo and her sudden transformation into a human after tasting human blood accidentally while healing a cut on a little boy named Sosuke's finger. The turning point in the story is Ponyo's love of Sosuke and how that threatens to not only change her life permanently, but also the world at large. There is much to be seen with this movie's fantastic visual style, slightly different from previous Ghibli offerings with more pastels and simple shading. Wholly recommended to everyone, this is one of the Ghibli movies that you have to see.
Tales from Earthsea
(2006)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
Tales from Earthsea was the first Ghibli movie to be directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki. It ended up being an alright (if somewhat pedestrian) movie, especially considering that Hayao did not consider Goro ready for the responsibility of directing a Ghibli feature film. The story follows a boy named Arren who killed his father and stole his sword. Arren ends up getting caught in the crossfire of an age-old war that had been going on between a powerful wizard and a powerful witch. The story more or less plods aimlessly along throughout the movie, especially so when compared to Hayao's masterpieces. This movie didn't even hit North America until 2011, and then only on DVD in spite of Disney's recent Bluray distribution craze, which kind of shows that even they acknowledge this movie's mediocrity. With that said, Tales from Earthsea is still worth the watch, if only to see Studio Ghibli's beautiful art and to appreciate how far Goro Miyazaki has come as a director.
Wonderful Days
(2003)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
I'll admit that I was a little wary of this anime at first due to its Korean origins. It's nothing against the Koreans, but I was used to Japanese anime, and not keen to change things up at all. The first time I tried to watch this anime, I even stopped watching because the art style was so different than that to which I was accustomed. Both of these impressions were very much in error. Having watched the movie in its entirety several times now, I can definitely say that this movie is not inferior in any way to its Japanese counterparts. The art style is wonderful, the voices are good, in all technical aspects, this movie is notably above the average anime movie. Story-wise the movie is certainly solid, with a post-apocalyptic society struggling with a significantly polluted world and dissension between its social classes. It also deals with love that transcends these class boundaries and the complications there-in. A definite good time, not suggested for younger children, though, as there is a good deal of violence that may not agree with younger viewers. A shining example of how truly good anime doesn't have to be produced in Japan.
Redline
(2009)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
In spite of the praise that has been heaped upon Redline, I was not actually expecting it to be that good. The movie's over stylized and exaggerated characters brought Yoshiaki Kawajiri (incidentally a mentor of sorts for the movie's director, Takeshi Koike) immediately to mind, and I have never appreciated Kawajirisan's work. Within 20 minutes of starting to watch Redline, though, all of my reservations were blown away. The movie, which seems to be at least partially based on Kawajiri's similar Running Man segment from Neo Tokyo, follows a car racer named "Sweet JP" as he competes in two large races, the Yellowline and then the Redline. The Redline race happens to be held on a planet that doesn't want it to be, so the Redline racers have to dodge not only each other's artillery, but also that of the entire planet's military. While the characters are mostly light on meaningful personality, and the story is little more complex than "he's in these two races", the movie turns out to be a flashy action ride that should not be missed. While on the hostile planet for the Redline race, the story does take an Akira-style turn for the bizarre, but with all the other weird and crazy things assaulting your senses throughout the movie, it doesn't seem as out of place as it otherwise might. Do yourself a favor and catch Redline on Bluray some evening and enjoy a ride that you won't soon forget.
Ghost in the Shell
(1995)
Quick and short mini-review
29 June 2013
Both of Oshii's main GitS movies are extremely stylish and enjoyable, but there is a LOT of really uncalled for nudity in this one. The GitS movies revolve around the concept that there are very human-like robots and cyborgs that inhabit the earth and that they have souls, called Ghosts, that inhabit their outer robot shells. These Ghosts can not only communicate with each other telepathically, but can switch shells, go on the equivalent of the internet, and be hacked, thus changing the reality that they experience. This movie follows a team of the once-organic female Major Kusanagi and the male Batou cyborg/robots as they track down a Ghost hacker called the "Puppet Master". Good times are had by all, the visuals have aged very well and still look better than a lot of what's currently out there. A must-see for anime movie fans.
Castle in the Sky
(1986)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
The art direction is this movie is superb, it really brings the Castle in the Sky straight out of Gulliver's Travels and onto the movie screen. The bittersweet robots that inhabit and protect the garden may even end up being some of your favorite anime characters, not because they are amusing, but because of the care and dedication that they exude whenever you see them. Laputa revolves around a boy named Pazu and the girl that floats unceremoniously down from the sky into his life, Sheeta, and how they save Laputa and the world from corruption. An all-around solid anime movie with classic Ghibli humor and spirit, definitely recommended.
Summer Wars
(2009)
Quick and Short mini-review
29 June 2013
The second original full-length anime to come from the mind of Mamoru Hosoda. This film really does solidify Hosodasan as a huge contender in the anime movie genre if The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was not enough to convince some people. Presented in two very distinct styles (as pictured above), the story revolves around Kenji Koiso who is conscripted into "working" for one of the older girls at his school by accompanying her to the 90th birthday party of her grandmother out in the country. Taking place in a mildly fictionalized version of 2010 Japan, most everything is the same, except some mutant Facebook/Farmville/Animal Crossing/Second Life social network connects almost everyone (and everything) in Japan. The movie avoids dystopia by portraying this social network much like Facebook is today, enhancing people's lives and businesses instead of consuming them. Anyways, trouble happens both at the grandma's birthday and in the online world and Hosodasan is able to shape it into a wonderful portrayal of Japanese culture and the deep family/clan bonds that still largely remain from feudal times, while mixing in a very large helping of pleasant strangeness that can only come from anime. Perhaps Hosodasan will be able to fill the large shoes left by Satoshi Kon after his recent passing and become the premiere director of surreal (but not too surreal) anime. Touching, genuine, and enthralling from start to finish, you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn't watch this gem of contemporary anime. Recommended for anyone with a heart who wants to see a great story about the power of family.
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