Evangelion: 2.0 You Can Advance - Blu-ray

I won't say much about the plot of the movie because it has been detailed here in the two hundred plus reviews, but as they have stated, it is intense, fantastic and you should pick this movie up and the first one, even if you don't like anime or animation, or just want to see what the medium is capable of. There is some nudity, but I assume you people are mature and won't have an aneurism over it. Besides, there isn't much. On the art and animation front; the scenes and characters are well drawn and consistent, with the animation and movement of the characters and sets being fluid and smooth. I didn't find any one part of the film that seemed lower quality than another. The designs for the Evangellion (the giant robots) are by my standards, cool and interesting to look at. I am going to preface the part about the voice acting by saying I am one of those people who generally prefer subs to dubs, and this movie is no exception. By no means is the dub for this movie "bad" by any stretch of the imagination (it' won't make your ears bleed), I just think that the original voice cast with subtitles is the superior version. Honestly if you like a good story, don't mind some minor nudity, and are willing to give something that is animated rather than live action a chance, Evangellion is the movie for you. Take the plunge, you won't regret it. The DVD also comes with a pamphlet that details key terms (such as what an AT field is and what the Second Impact was) as well as slight character background. included also is the design process behind the characters, Evangellions, and angels. All in all, it's a cool little extra that will help you get a basic understanding if you are new to the franchise. (Please note that this is the second movie in the Evangelion series and preceded by "Evangellion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone), but if you read a synopsis of the first one it will make sense. Well, as much sense as "Evangellion" can be said to make) Tell your friends...

Most times, movie studios choose to make sequels because they either want to make a quick cash-in based on the popularity of a film franchise or continue the story the first installment established. Evangelion 2.22 is both yet it does not feel like a cheap quick-buck film nor does it feel rushed in regards to the pacing in its' story. The sequel expands on what the first film covered and continues to do so. To keep this review spoiler-free, I'll just explain what's already been known. We are introduced to new characters, specifically Mari Makinami, who you see at the very beginning of the film taking on one of the Angels, term given to alien beings that descend from space, in one of the most exciting and well-executed battles in the film. The second "new" character is Asuka Shikinami, who we see battle an angel around the first 15 minutes of the film. Like in the original series, Asuka sees herself as superior to Shinji and Rei concerning piloting an Eva and things don't start too well when they are first introduced. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari, Shinji's father, is still just as secretive as he was in the series and in the last film but as we progress into the film, more details surface concerning what he has planned for Nerv headquarters and to the world population. The film loosely covers episodes 8-19 of the original series. Old fans will notice several references and changes to the story around the first hour but the film then takes a very wild and unique direction near the final 15 minutes. Believe me when I say this, you'll be eager to know what happens next and wonder how the director and producers will be able to top this. Take note that the film does not have an MPAA rating like the first film did. Evangelion 1.11 was released with a PG-13 rating; this was released unrated so I'll list what you need to watch for if kids younger than 15 are watching. Concerning content, this film is very violent and the battles between the Evas and the Angels can get quite bloody especially the fight between Eva unit-01 and Eva unit-03. There is some profanity, some of it is audible and some is covered with sound effects. There is [only] one audible F word at the very beginning of the film, before the movie title shows up. There is no sex whatsoever in the film but there are a few scenes with little nudity but it is not presented in a sexual manner. There are thematic elements throughout the film, focused mostly on Shinji's distant relationship with his father, Asuka's social detachment from people, and Rei's attempts to reach Shinji in a emotional method. Overall, this was an excellent film that will attract even non-fans of the series and individuals who are even remotely interested in anime. And blu-ray is the way to go! Highly recommended!

I won't give any spoilers but this the second movie of four to be made, re-making the mid 1990s number one anime Neon Genesis Evangelion was worth the wait. Those of us in the USA have been waiting patiently for two years, since it's Japanese release, for it to be doubed in English and released in the states. It was well worth the wait! Doubed using most of the original US cast, and the imagery shown utilizing the latest in technology, breaths new life into the story. It it truly spectacular! As for the storyline, it continues to parallel the original story up to a point then you realize the Angels are more spectacular and more powerful. This adds more action to the full feature movie, not to mention the music. Yes, I must comment about the music. Even though I am a member of an orchestra, I feel everyone who sees the movie would agree that the powerful music written and conducted by Shiro Sagisu, is not over the top but adds to he drama and the spectacle of 60 foot tall giant bio-robots. Also, the storyline has been expanded and we get a better understanding of the characters...call it character development... Finally, for all the fans that waited for this release, there is an alternate audio track of commentary by the US cast and a second disk in the case that has 40 minutes of extras showing things like the technology behind the movie. Also there is a 20 page guidebook. The book is full of information to help those new to Evangelion to quickly catch up and understand this movie better (this anime is known for it's complex storyline combined with sporadic religious imagery). This second movie of the four movie series ends leaving the viewer wanting more and wets the appetite for the next movie: Evangelion: Q The Quickening.

I'm not going to give anything away. The new character, Maki, adds an extra layer of excitement and mystery to a story already full of these elements. Old characters get personality makeovers, and the whole story just fits together in a tighter way. Other reviews have explained the Rebuild project, so I'll skip that. As a fan of the original TV anime and the movies, I went into this second installment thinking that despite the changes, I knew what was coming. WRONG. The visuals are improved in every possible way. The Eva battles are more...more fluid in animation, more colorful, more exciting, just all around improved. New characters, and new takes on old characters give the old story the perfect facelift. As fan of Gainax and Evangelion, the attention to detail and the music in this movie makes me feel like the movie truly was designed with fans in mind. It does help to see the first movie, but its not entirely necessary, the plot and characters are pretty self-evident. I recommend this movie to fans of the old series and anyone who's just looking for an experience in mind-bending science fiction. The quality of the animation is top-notch, the English voice acting is good, the soundtrack fits perfectly, it's just an excellent movie all around. 5 stars!

Great update to a great anime.

Let me start out by saying that this film is just incredible. Dare I say...perfect? Yes I'd go as far as to call it the quintessence of perfection. I was absolutely blown away watching this. When a film can leave you feeling the same emotions of excitement and thrill that riding a roller coaster gives you, you know you're either crazy or it's just that GOOD. Hopefully it's the latter rather than the former. But being completely serious...this film is just ASTOUNDING in it's own right. The film starts off right where the last one (Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone) ends, but in truth it skips episode 07 of the televised series so episode 08 and continues from there to episode 19. Now since this film was released I've picked up the first film mentioned above and loved it, it was enough for me to pre-order Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance and also purchase the complete original series. What this film brings to the table is a mix of some new and refreshing plot with a mix of the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion storyline which isn't a bad thing. The film weaves the new story it's trying to tell with the old and does so in a way that makes it feel familiar while still being new and just as exciting. There's several additions to the Evangelion universe that they add in the film. One such addition is the new Eva pilot Mari who makes a great addition at that. The best way to describe her is well...crazy, but a good crazy she's just a blast to watch piloting and the scenes that do include her feel upbeat and fun. Let's just say she enters the story with a bit of a bang. Also the film changes some aspects that were pivotal in the series. For instance several new Eva's enter in the film while still being true to the series. The film also introduces Asuka Langley Shikinami, her surname changed from Soryu for some reason, but it's never clear why. Other than that not much changes between the main pilots from the original series which are: Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. The only exception is Toji is no longer selected as a pilot, which you'll later see why. Asuka is still the same old self-centered person who can't be honest with herself and her feelings, Shinji still needs a reason(s) to pilot the Eva and deal with his father complex, and Rei is still a mystery in her own right who needs help feeling emotions in my opinion. Between those 3 just like in the original show you have the tsundere (love hate) relationship between Asuka towards Shinji and the underlying relationship between Shinji and Rei the latter of which is more emphasized in this film rather than in the series where you have a lot of attention being focused on Asuka and Shinji. There's some minor changes to the film as well with the enemies or Angels that they face off against. For instance in the series the episode 09 "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!", where you have Asuka and Shinji working together to take out an angel that has the ability to separate it's core into two. Instead you have a somewhat similar ending to the fight in the way that the Eva attacks the lone Angel which does not split it's core and looks completely different from what the series depicted. But you also have some similar Angels such as an Angel attempting to crush Nerv HQ by dropping itself from orbit which would vaporize Tokyo-III. Other than that there isn't much change to the Angels they face except for the last one before the film ends. There's a lot that feels new to this film that makes it stand out while still retaining the original NGE story feel. Another great aspect of the film is the voice acting, now I've watched the original series in the English dub and really liked the voices. A few have changed and some aren't for the better such as Kaji's voice which in my opinion doesn't suit him at all. But those that are present a lot in the film such as the pilots, their voice acting is spot on. The actors really came through with delivering each line making the full emotion they're trying to portray evident in the way they inflict each line. This ties into what I said about it being a roller coaster thrill ride to watch because the actors carry you through the film with such emotion that it gets you excited, or makes you feel whatever each particular scene is trying to convey. Now the film itself is also in my opinion just completely beautiful. The colors, the artwork, the environments, heck even watching an Evangelion run through the city is just amazing to watch. And I mean that last part, watching the simple animation of an Evangelion running was just spectacular. And it should be the development for these films is top notch and a great and honest homage to the series that it rebuilds. So from here my suggestion to you would be check it out or do a little digging and see for yourself. FUNimation has a channel on YouTube where they've posted about 8 clips of Evangelion 2.22 in HD of certain scenes in the movie. I've watched all of them and they range from anywhere to 2 minutes to 9 minutes. Even still you won't be spoiling much watching those, they really give you a sense of what the film has to offer without spoiling the plot. I still was surprised as to what happens even after watching Clip 6 *hint* *hint* it almost made me cry...really. Heck you can even purchase the first film Evangelion 1.11 in Blu-ray for around $10. If you do and you like that one then you'll absolutely love this. Period. Final words...this film is worth it to any long time standing Neon Genesis Evangelion fan for what it offers and what it does for the series. I personally feel as though I'm watching the televised series for the first time all over again as a kid (or really the full series about a month ago). The film has some minor changes but just enough to make it feel original but yet familiar at the same time. It really invokes a senses of nostalgia. The artwork, animation, voice acting, plot, everything about this film is just spectacular. I would recommend it to anyone even if you're not a fan, I think it'd be enough to turn you into one. So that's my say on the film.

Whenever I see a movie get too much praise, I have a tendency to hate it just because of such--not true for Evangelion 2.22. While the series has been synonymous with the terms "overrated" and "pretentious" at times, that's not to say that such things are completely true. Partially, maybe, but not completely. I first watched the movie subbed (and in not the best of quality), having to sort through all the technobabble I was reading from the subtitles and piece together a story, resulting in not the best of experiences for me. That said, watching it dubbed made things significantly easier to follow on my part. Though, at the end of the day, both versions are essentially the same, the dub keeping as close to the original Japanese script as possible, while taking some liberties here and there for the sake of better expressing the characters for English-speaking audiences (ie: expressing Mari's character through stronger swears). As for the story itself, I am glad that things are finally stemming away from the original 26-episode series. The problem I had with the first "Rebuild" movie was how close it stuck to the scenes in the original anime, while keeping the pacing rather slow, especially during the sluggish buildup to the climax. This time around, we get a good mix of old material and new material, keeping oldentime fans as well as newbies on their toes as to just exactly what will happen next. And if the movie itself wasn't enough, the special features will definitely warrant the buy. Not only is there an audio commentary for the movie, but original Japanese trailers for the movie and DVD release, deleted scenes, and additional behind the scenes work, showing scenes as the make it from the drawing board to animated form. One minor complaint would be the inclusion of a "play all" option for the trailers, but not for other features, such as the deleted scenes. Being sent back to the main menu after 2 or so minutes only to select another 2 minute clip can be a pain after a while. The picture quality is also excellent--one of the few animated movies that deserves to be seen in high definition, what with its mix of 3D-style animation alongside detailed 2D backgrounds. Definitely worth the purchase!

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance may just be one of my favorite films of all time. After watching It I felt like I needed a nap, the Intensity of everything from beginning to end was just an experience I wasn't ready for! Everything the first film did was outdone by the 2nd, drama, action, animation.. It was all there In a near 2 hour package of pure bliss. The stakes were higher, the action was high octane resulting In third degree burns from fight one to the last, very rarely am I ever so In tune with characters In an animated film, but Evangelion broke that barrier with It's middle and ending acts. First off, Animation : The animation was simply a thing of beauty, the attention to new details In this film was so spot on that I felt like I was there! Seeing the workings of Tokyo III was engaging and awe-inspiring! The Eva x Angel fights In this film was like clock-work.. textbook perfection! Sound : The film seemed to opt for some Godzilla sound-bites with the first angel's screams being reminiscent of Megaguirus and Misato Katsuragi's ringtone was King Ghidorah's roar, seems Hideaki Anno had an eye for Gojira long before the plans of Shin-Gojira. Again the sounds of Evas and Angels were fantastic and let off a more animalistic side of the Evas while the Angels were kept at a rather unsettling edge. Story : The story was heartbreaking, there was loss, blooming love, betrayal & then some. It was hard to watch a few scenes In both the action segments and non action segments, they hit really close to heart and.. honestly It was beautiful. Characters : I fell In love Rei and Shinji In this film. They both seemed to crack a bit out of their shells and what lead to the ending of the film had me In tears and yelling at the screen "GO GET 'EM SHINJI" I was completely Into the scenes with the two and It left quite the Impression. Of corse we were Introduced to a few new characters as well, such as Asuka Langley Shikinami the hot headed captain Eva pilot which the movie opens up with, she kicks some.. well ALL THE ASS and set the opening of the movie up PERFECTLY. Like to a damn T PERFECTLY. While her character did get under my skin a few times, seeing her evolve under the short amount of time was enjoyable! More so with her than your average "tough as nails" characters & the mysterious Mari Illustrious Makinami who came In out of nowhere! This character, she's Interesting to say the least! And what she was able to do with her Eva (at least before Shinji's final act) was baffling and left me speechless, Mari has guts and the potential to really carry a series all her own. Over-all : I'm keeping these reviews spoiler free, but leaving enough In them to get those who've yet to watch these films to make the attempt with them! I've honestly found a top 10 favorite movie by my sheer curiosity and holy hell do I mean that.. holy hell does It mean something. It takes a lot for me to like a movie, but to LOVE a movie.. this film managed to get me to that point at the 40 minute mark, both through characters and the action Implemented. Plus It helps that Utada came back yet again to give us the Acoustic Mix of Beautiful World which only added to the tears after the film's end. Evangelion 2.0 Is currently my favorite anime film of all time, yes before AKIRA & ALL of Ghibli's films.. this one just took the cake and ate It too. I can't help but sing It's praises. Rating : 5/5 Recommendation : Highest I could ever possibly stress. Watch these movies. You will NOT regret It.