Evangelion 1.01 You Are (Not) Alone Review
Directors: Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Hideaki Anno
Starring: JAPANESE: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara and Kotono Mitsuishi
ENGLISH: Spike Spencer, Allison Keith and Brina Palencia
Original Release Date: JAPAN September 1st 2007
NORTH AMERICA May 27th 2009
*Note this is a review of the DVD release 1.01
when I have the time/purchase 1.11 on Blu-Ray I'll review it then
Because of budget problems Hideaki Anno never really was able to demonstrate his true vision with Neon Genesis Evangelion. After a decade Anno was finally able to pull together the funds and the time to do Evangelion the way it was meant to be done, the new series is titled the Rebuild of Evangelion. Originally supposed to be a trilogy of three films which has now been separated into four Evangelion 1.01 You are (Not) Alone is the first of the epic retelling of the great series. The new series is promised a brand new story with new characters and I am very interested to see where the series is going to take us, of course before you can get to any of the new material you must get reacquainted with the series main character Shinji Ikari and his struggle against the Angels and himself.
This film is a retelling of the first six episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, there is new animation mixed in with animation from the original series, however you might not be able to tell what is new and what is not since the original animation has had a great HD revamp and looks better than ever although sometimes the color can be grainy and dark. Current technology has also really helped with the end result of this film, a myriad hybrid of cg animation mixed with traditional animation really shows the great technology that NERV has at its disposal. The entire original Japanese cast is back reprising their original roles, and even Funimation (who now has the rights to the series) was able to bring back some of the original cast for the English dub.
The story for this portion is exactly the same as the show, but for those who have not seen the original series this is a great start. The year is 2015 and the world has suffered a great catastrophe that has destroyed most of the planet and its ecosystem. With the oncoming terror and destruction a powerful alien race has descended on the planet and is starting to wage war with Earth's inhabitance, these giants have been called Angels and they are bent on the destruction of the human race. The only weapons that can defeat these giant creatures are the giant mechanized Evangelion unites. The only people who are capable of piloting the Evangelions are children between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Shinji Ikari has been chosen to pilot Evangelion Unit 01 however Shinji is not the most confident of individuals and piloting the Eva comes with its own personal and psychological problems for the young boy. Shinji must learn to find confidence within himself and confront both the Angels, his father, and more importantly himself.
Although this movie is just a rehash of the first six episodes it is still a fantastic film, it is composed in a fashion that does not feel rushed and does not muddle the original message from the show. In fact I think this films helps display the internal conflict of Shinji better than the original series did in those early episodes. Those who would whine and complain about Shinji’s faults might actually find themselves rooting for him by the end of the film. The movies climax against the fifth Angel really helps showcase the trauma Shinji has had to go through during each Angel fight and shows the great character growth that he develops as he understands that he is not alone with the burden of the planet.
The First Child Rei Ayanami also is showcased and developed quite well in this film, of course this is the portion of the series where she is just an emotional doll but the audience will be able to get a glimpse that there is a shred of humanity within her by the end of the film. Her relationship with Shinji is a very heartwarming and can show what Anno has planned for the duo in the next three films.
Angels themselves have also had their own revamps in the film, many of the fights against them are on a completely different scale than in the original series. One might actually find it hard to go back and rewatch the original series after watching the first Rebuild film. There are not many surprises if you have already seen the original series but the final fight in the film throws some unexpected (yet refreshing) curve balls to help spice up the fight and the film. The movies soundtrack is also very impressive, with many of the series original themes returning we are also given a look into some sweeping epic scores which add a more epic feel to the series. Of course this is also just a look at whats to come in the future.
I give Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone a
7/10
I cant really say much else about the film since it is only the first six episodes thrown together in one movie. Most of it feels like a teaser to something bigger (and thats the truth) that is on the horizon. From the plot to the soundtrack we are constantly teased by Anno (the biggest Troll) who has something truly grand up his sleeve. Fans are even teased at the end by a surprise cameo that was not fully expected in order to gain interest for the sequel. I highly recommend watching this film, it is a great way to start the new series and is also a good way to introduce a new fan to the Evangelion universe without sitting through six episodes of the show.
Starring: JAPANESE: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara and Kotono Mitsuishi
ENGLISH: Spike Spencer, Allison Keith and Brina Palencia
Original Release Date: JAPAN September 1st 2007
NORTH AMERICA May 27th 2009
*Note this is a review of the DVD release 1.01
when I have the time/purchase 1.11 on Blu-Ray I'll review it then
Because of budget problems Hideaki Anno never really was able to demonstrate his true vision with Neon Genesis Evangelion. After a decade Anno was finally able to pull together the funds and the time to do Evangelion the way it was meant to be done, the new series is titled the Rebuild of Evangelion. Originally supposed to be a trilogy of three films which has now been separated into four Evangelion 1.01 You are (Not) Alone is the first of the epic retelling of the great series. The new series is promised a brand new story with new characters and I am very interested to see where the series is going to take us, of course before you can get to any of the new material you must get reacquainted with the series main character Shinji Ikari and his struggle against the Angels and himself.
This film is a retelling of the first six episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, there is new animation mixed in with animation from the original series, however you might not be able to tell what is new and what is not since the original animation has had a great HD revamp and looks better than ever although sometimes the color can be grainy and dark. Current technology has also really helped with the end result of this film, a myriad hybrid of cg animation mixed with traditional animation really shows the great technology that NERV has at its disposal. The entire original Japanese cast is back reprising their original roles, and even Funimation (who now has the rights to the series) was able to bring back some of the original cast for the English dub.
The story for this portion is exactly the same as the show, but for those who have not seen the original series this is a great start. The year is 2015 and the world has suffered a great catastrophe that has destroyed most of the planet and its ecosystem. With the oncoming terror and destruction a powerful alien race has descended on the planet and is starting to wage war with Earth's inhabitance, these giants have been called Angels and they are bent on the destruction of the human race. The only weapons that can defeat these giant creatures are the giant mechanized Evangelion unites. The only people who are capable of piloting the Evangelions are children between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Shinji Ikari has been chosen to pilot Evangelion Unit 01 however Shinji is not the most confident of individuals and piloting the Eva comes with its own personal and psychological problems for the young boy. Shinji must learn to find confidence within himself and confront both the Angels, his father, and more importantly himself.
Although this movie is just a rehash of the first six episodes it is still a fantastic film, it is composed in a fashion that does not feel rushed and does not muddle the original message from the show. In fact I think this films helps display the internal conflict of Shinji better than the original series did in those early episodes. Those who would whine and complain about Shinji’s faults might actually find themselves rooting for him by the end of the film. The movies climax against the fifth Angel really helps showcase the trauma Shinji has had to go through during each Angel fight and shows the great character growth that he develops as he understands that he is not alone with the burden of the planet.
The First Child Rei Ayanami also is showcased and developed quite well in this film, of course this is the portion of the series where she is just an emotional doll but the audience will be able to get a glimpse that there is a shred of humanity within her by the end of the film. Her relationship with Shinji is a very heartwarming and can show what Anno has planned for the duo in the next three films.
Angels themselves have also had their own revamps in the film, many of the fights against them are on a completely different scale than in the original series. One might actually find it hard to go back and rewatch the original series after watching the first Rebuild film. There are not many surprises if you have already seen the original series but the final fight in the film throws some unexpected (yet refreshing) curve balls to help spice up the fight and the film. The movies soundtrack is also very impressive, with many of the series original themes returning we are also given a look into some sweeping epic scores which add a more epic feel to the series. Of course this is also just a look at whats to come in the future.
I give Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone a
7/10
I cant really say much else about the film since it is only the first six episodes thrown together in one movie. Most of it feels like a teaser to something bigger (and thats the truth) that is on the horizon. From the plot to the soundtrack we are constantly teased by Anno (the biggest Troll) who has something truly grand up his sleeve. Fans are even teased at the end by a surprise cameo that was not fully expected in order to gain interest for the sequel. I highly recommend watching this film, it is a great way to start the new series and is also a good way to introduce a new fan to the Evangelion universe without sitting through six episodes of the show.
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