By now I’m sure all anime fans are well aware of the Rebuild of Evangelion, so I won’t waste much time with introductions here. All you need to know is that it’s a four-movie retelling and re-imagining of the groundbreaking anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s supposed to be a way for existing fans to see the series in a new way while also giving newcomers a more streamlined narrative. Let’s get straight into it to see what sort of the first film, 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, makes of that aim.
1.0 pretty much starts with a bang and gets straight to the point. Shinji Ikari has just arrived in Tokyo-3 at his father’s request, and just over a minute into the film we see Sachiel – a monstrous creature known as one of the “Angels” – begin its attack on the city. Shinji is picked up by Misato Katsuragi and they head off to see his father as the military tries to hold off the Angel. On the way we learn that Shinji’s relationship with his father is distant (if there even is a relationship to speak of), and their meeting certainly confirms that. It’s at this point – around 10 minutes into the film – that Evangelion Unit-01 is revealed to Shinji: a giant humanoid robot designed for combat. Before the 15 minute mark, he’s reluctantly agreed to pilot it into battle against the Angel, and the first real action sequence begins.
The film up to this point – and indeed, throughout – is an incredibly faithful reconstruction of the first six episodes of the original series, which is why I won’t be going too far into plot or characters in this review. Side by side frame comparisons would regularly attest to that, though certain revelations from later in the series are brought forward and there are a few scenes of less familiar material. You may ask, then, “What’s in it for existing fans?” There are various reasons, but I’ll give you three. First, the animation on display is, of course, crisper and more vibrant than the series and that alone should be reason enough; no doubt the advancements in animation were a factor in deciding to make these new films at all. 1.0 is a joy to watch, remaining faithful to the original characters designs and storyboards while bringing pleasant refinements and some truly stunning moments.
Secondly – and excuse me for foreshadowing my review of 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance here – there is the promise that the Rebuild will offer more deviance from the series’ plot in the following instalments. Yes, 1.0 is basically episodes 1-6 of the series with a shiny new coat of paint, but let me tell you: things start to get shaken up in 2.0. The final reason I’ll give is extremely flippant, but it works for me: come on, it’s Evangelion. You’re telling me you don’t want new Evangelion? I couldn’t be happier to see the franchise revived and doing it like this – a Rebuild rather than a completely new story – is the best way I can see to do it.
There are, of course, inherent issues with such a close and faithful recreation. There’s little tension here for anyone who’s seen the series; you know where it’s going at almost all times and it rarely surprises you with plot. However, I can’t help but think that they’ve achieved exactly what they wanted with this first entry in the Rebuild: new viewers can enjoy a somewhat more accessible narrative, and fans can revel in seeing these scenes recreated with today’s animation standards. This is a hugely enjoyable and effective start to the tetralogy; in the end, the important thing is that this is a story worth retelling, and there’s plenty to love (and very little not to) for fans and newcomers alike.
No comments:
Post a Comment