Eva 1.0, Launch!
Hah, yes, look at me, aren't I witty!
Seriously though. Owing to reasons both various and sundry, it was only Meagan and I who attended tonight's showing of Evangelion 1.0, You Are (Not) Alone, though we did spy a member of the local anime club's executive committee amongst the rather (sadly) sparse attendees. I have no regrets about going in such numerically reduced company, however, because the show was utterly and totally rewarding. And this, despite a mounting that could have been equalled, if not outdone completely, by OSAMU; a slight tilt to the image, a lack of trailers and the basic projector commands appearing onscreen. Yes, tonight's utter awesomeness was based entirely on the sheer, fantastic, mind-blowing content of Evangelion 1.0.
The highlight of the highlights, of course, is the repulsion of Ramiel. This set piece makes up the film's climactic action, and good gravy does it deliver. Whereas Ramiel was a rather dull blue diamond in the original Evangelion, with a generic cross-shaped exploding beam and a drill that appeared to have been bought and then attached to the angel, here it is a creature of screaming terror and constant alterations. Ramiel shifts and spins, expands and contracts. It extrudes the drill from itself as a single, integral part, and its body, always made up of simple geometric shapes, alters to reflect both its offensive and defensive postures and even its mood; after the first, failed shot, it's impossible not to read the angel's huge and spiky growth as anything other than utter rage at the temerity of humanity's attack.
Interestingly, one of the best changes is to the character of Shinji Ikari. While still weak and flawed, he's no longer unmoved by his situation, giving in to a rather impressive rage while dealing with Shamshel and displaying real courage, repeatedly, in the fight against Ramiel. And his whiny nature is a little easier to take here simply because the adults' utter uselessness comes across more strongly; even when Shinji succeeds he's slapped down for not doing it the right way, and the closest anyone in the entire film comes to offering him any sort of positive reinforcement is a brief 'good job' from Misato, after his recovery from the battle with Sachiel. Given how utterly bereft he is of meaningful emotional support (save from a very nice phone message from Toji and Kensuke) it would be unrealistic to expect him to be anything else. That he manages what he does is a testament to his own abilities; that he can't give more can be laid utterly at the feet of the adults that surround him.
My only real complaint is something of a general one, not specific to Evangelion 1.0 but owing to all action movies these days. Is it really necessary for the action scenes to be so damnably loud? Every bullet fired, rocket launched, beam projected and bomb exploded is an assault on the ears, and believe me, there are a lot of them. I haven't been so aurally punished as I was watching the conventional military try to hold off Ramiel since Tom Hanks stormed Juno Beach in Saving Private Ryan. Really, we get it, war is big and loud and impressive. Now, could we please at least bring the knob back from 11?
Seriously though. Owing to reasons both various and sundry, it was only Meagan and I who attended tonight's showing of Evangelion 1.0, You Are (Not) Alone, though we did spy a member of the local anime club's executive committee amongst the rather (sadly) sparse attendees. I have no regrets about going in such numerically reduced company, however, because the show was utterly and totally rewarding. And this, despite a mounting that could have been equalled, if not outdone completely, by OSAMU; a slight tilt to the image, a lack of trailers and the basic projector commands appearing onscreen. Yes, tonight's utter awesomeness was based entirely on the sheer, fantastic, mind-blowing content of Evangelion 1.0.
The highlight of the highlights, of course, is the repulsion of Ramiel. This set piece makes up the film's climactic action, and good gravy does it deliver. Whereas Ramiel was a rather dull blue diamond in the original Evangelion, with a generic cross-shaped exploding beam and a drill that appeared to have been bought and then attached to the angel, here it is a creature of screaming terror and constant alterations. Ramiel shifts and spins, expands and contracts. It extrudes the drill from itself as a single, integral part, and its body, always made up of simple geometric shapes, alters to reflect both its offensive and defensive postures and even its mood; after the first, failed shot, it's impossible not to read the angel's huge and spiky growth as anything other than utter rage at the temerity of humanity's attack.
Interestingly, one of the best changes is to the character of Shinji Ikari. While still weak and flawed, he's no longer unmoved by his situation, giving in to a rather impressive rage while dealing with Shamshel and displaying real courage, repeatedly, in the fight against Ramiel. And his whiny nature is a little easier to take here simply because the adults' utter uselessness comes across more strongly; even when Shinji succeeds he's slapped down for not doing it the right way, and the closest anyone in the entire film comes to offering him any sort of positive reinforcement is a brief 'good job' from Misato, after his recovery from the battle with Sachiel. Given how utterly bereft he is of meaningful emotional support (save from a very nice phone message from Toji and Kensuke) it would be unrealistic to expect him to be anything else. That he manages what he does is a testament to his own abilities; that he can't give more can be laid utterly at the feet of the adults that surround him.
My only real complaint is something of a general one, not specific to Evangelion 1.0 but owing to all action movies these days. Is it really necessary for the action scenes to be so damnably loud? Every bullet fired, rocket launched, beam projected and bomb exploded is an assault on the ears, and believe me, there are a lot of them. I haven't been so aurally punished as I was watching the conventional military try to hold off Ramiel since Tom Hanks stormed Juno Beach in Saving Private Ryan. Really, we get it, war is big and loud and impressive. Now, could we please at least bring the knob back from 11?