NEONGENESIS EVANGELION 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE
October 27th 2011 22:22
Chief Director: Hideaki Anno
Directors: Masayuki & Kazuya Tsurumaki
Original Story/Screenplay by: Hideaki Anno
Producers: Hideaki Anno & Toshimichi Otsuki
Starring: Spike Spencer (Shinji Ikari), Brina Palencia (Rei), John Swasey (Gendo Ikari), Alison Keith (Misato Katsuragi), Tiffany Grant (Asuka Langley Shikinami), Trina Nishimura (Mari Makinami Illustrious), Jerry Jewell (Kaworu Nagisa), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Ritsuko Akagi), Kent Williams (Kouzou Fuyutsuki), Caitlin Glass (Maya Ibuki), Mike McFarland (Makoto Hyuga) ), J Michael Tatum (Ryoji Kaji), & Phil Parsons (Shigeru Aoba)
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 110 minutes Rating: PG
Well the second instalment in the rebuild of this particular legendary anime series is finally out on DVD here in the land down under. When I saw it in the local video chain store it was swiftly snatched up and purchased with some of my meagre spenduli as I had a feeling that like the first instalment this second chapter was going to be epic in scope, plot, action and drama. Apparently as the first movie the second was initially screened in cinemas in Japan to substantial audiences all of who were eager to see this next instalment in what is being billed as the rebuild of Neongenesis Evangelion.
Officially it’s the Evangelion New Theatrical Edition and this particular point in the saga is known as Break…why break well reading the notes that come with the DVD soon reveals the particular rationale behind this use of a subtitle. The first movie was according to the maker a retelling of the initial opening of the saga this new film is in fact a break away from the original. Of course it builds upon the story that was begun in the original film release but it is not simply a new and improved version of the original television series. In fact in making these films the makers were intending to move away from the initial story that unfolded on the small screen. So in essence it’s a rebuild rather than a remake, the key elements are still there but instead they’re being employed to tell a different tale than what was originally told.
The world is under threat from mysterious entities known as Angels…its unknown whether these creatures are alien or celestial in origin but they are certain harbingers of carnage and catastrophe on an epic scale. The world has already endured two impacts which have seen the oceans of the world devastated and turned into blood red liquid which has killed off all sea life and thus eliminating a major portion of the world ecosphere. Yet despite not having any significant source of seafood humanity still soldiers on, an organisation known as NERV which answers to the UN, defends the world from its headquarters deep within Tokyo 3 against the Angels. And the key weapons in the NERV arsenal are the giant robots known as EVAs, these machines are the only things capable of standing against the enigmatic Angels – conventional weapons just don’t rate.
Of course as with all things there is a catch to using the EVAs as the front line in the war against the Angels, they can only be piloted by children. This kind of adds a level of horror to the story, that in order for humanity to survive it can only do so seemingly through the sacrifice of the best and brightest of their offspring. Such an agenda though is nothing new sadly, down through the ages there have been child soldiers thrown into the machine of war in pursuit of various causes and agendas. Although there are some who pilot the EVAs who are quite happy with the situation as we are soon show in this instalment.
Action opens in this second film with an unknown pilot in an EVA designated provisional unit 05 beginning pre operational sequence checks. It seems that the pilot is finally getting her shot at piloting an EVA and at a crucial point; the remains of the Third Angel have somehow broken free and are causing carnage within Bethany Base, a remote facility located in the Arctic regions. But when the dust settles what exactly is all the impact of this particular drama well on the one hand we’re introduced to two new characters; Ryoji Kaji and Mari Makinami Illustrious a character who was not in the original Evangelion and whose appearance is solely due to the new storyline. She is unique in that unlike Shinji or Rei she actually relishes the piloting of an EVA and the action that comes from fighting Angels in such a machine. Perhaps there is something fundamentally wrong with her or could she have something right?
Naturally the drama and action don’t simply stop with the destruction of provisional unit 05 and Bethany Base no it just gets ramped up even further as the scene shifts back to Tokyo 3 and an impending attack by a rather surreal looking Angel that seems to resemble some kind of Dadaist executive desk toy. Unable to get to NERV in time Shinji who is en route to the HQ with Misato suddenly witnesses the appearance of EVA Unit 02 launched from the wings of a massive transport aircraft.
Falling from the sky like a bolt from the blue EVA Unit 2 manages to save the day whilst almost taking out Misato and Shinji in the aftermath. With the appearance of this new EVA we are introduced to Asuka, a character who was in the original incarnation although apparently in the films she has undergone some changes to her character. I have to admit I liked Asuka, she injected a bit of sass into things that seemed to liven things up story wise. She also provided a heartrending element of tragedy as well, something that was employed to devastating effect and again was another swerve from the original storyline.
And naturally throughout all this we see the key male protagonist Shinji struggling with what the heck is going on in his life and the world in general, trying to come to grips with such momentous concepts and just what exactly is his role in it all. A young guy thrown in the deep end he still struggles to maintain his head above water and in this film he is gradually keeping himself afloat as best he can in the situation he is in. Who wouldn’t flounder around and get gobsmacked when they’re confronted with the role of trying to save humanity from total annihilation. And then there’s his relationship with his father…this seems to be far more pivotal than is actually let on and one could almost say that the entire story is a metaphor for this seeming abyss between the two. It mimics the seeming abyss between mankind and the divine, the division between the material and the spiritual and the dichotomy that arise from such a division.
Certainly the entire film is rife with Christian spiritual imagery and terminology with a dose of seeming science fiction techno babble thrown in for good measure. You could say Evangelion is the thinking man’s mecha anime although it would probably appropriate to say that it’s an anime with a truly epic story, a story that has far more to it than just the good guys beating up the bad guys. And when all is said and done just exactly who are the bad guys in Evangelion? Is it the Angels? Is it this mysterious organisation known as SEELE? Is it in fact Shinji’s somewhat sinister looking old man? Or even the recent new comer Mari Makinami Illustrious who appears in Tokyo 3 unofficially and then pilots an EVA unit in a catastrophic confrontation with an Angel. Shadows abound in this film and you are left to wonder just what is going on…especially in the conclusion…definitely an eye opener there. Neongenesis Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance is a great film well worth tracking down and getting your hands on to watch.
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