Review: Rebuild of Evangelion 1
Penguin September 3rd, 2008
Rating: 4/4 stars
I remember the first time I saw Neon Genesis Evangelion. I was in Taiwan with my cousin. My cousin bought a VHS and was disappointed when he discovered it was pirated, but we watched it anyway. It wouldn’t be until much later that I would learn I had just watched End of Evangelion. And it was like nothing I had seen before. I wouldn’t know it was Evangelion until years later when it finally made its way to the states on the antique that is VHS.
When I finally saw the entire series, I was blown away.
Over the years, I’ve done marathon viewings of the series. Sure, there were episodes that didn’t do much for the overall narrative. And then there was the original episode 26.
Now, Gainax has gone back to what put it on the map and gives us a glorious retelling of the story.
For the most part, the movie is almost a shot for shot reproduction of the first 6 episodes of the series. There are a few places where enhancements are obvious. Such as when they first reveal Unit 01 in all its glory, ceremoniously being released from its various restraints. But for the most part, they blend almost seamlessly into the film. If I weren’t so familiar with the series, I’d be hard pressed to identify the new sequences.
The movie is gorgeous. I actually went back and watched it again just so I can absorb the beautiful shot composition, lighting, and color. I could easily follow the story without knowing a lick of Japanese. The cinematics are breath taking.
If you’re an Eva fan, it’s definitely worth your attention. If you like anime, you have to watch what changed the game forever.
- Penguin
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