Forum - View topicREVIEW: Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo Blu-Ray
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16941 |
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Alright penguintruth the soap boxing can stop now please. I removed your 3rd post in this thread. You've made your point as you always do when the topic of Evangelion comes up. You were allowed off moderation but you know our policy on soapboxing and you've been warned about it before in regards to Evangelion (among other topics). So don't push it with more soapboxing. Thank you.
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FenixFiesta
Posts: 2581 |
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If we take EoE to be the "canonical" original ending, no, Shinji waking up at the end simply allows Third impact to occur. Even in the original series the original conclusion is ambiguous at best as the staff wasted money throughout the production. Now if we say Shinji's "intent" was to save the world, sure I could give you that even in the original ending and EoE Shinji INTENDED to save the world and certainly was trying to save himself. This of course bleeds into 3.0, Shinji honestly believes his actions will save the world redeeming him of his previous failures, it of course does not. The character of Shinji was always on a path of tragedy, making the tragedy on the scale of literally ending the world in just something Anno just went along with to run away with the madness (and based on some of the interviews it might have been also to spite the insane death threat ranting fans of the time). |
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Kitsunelaine
 Posts: 123 |
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spoiler[I actually think that would be a great cap to Rei Q's story in that film. Having usually always refused to do things unless they were ordered to her, she would stop to pick up a symbol of other's dependence, and turn it into a symbol of independence in the process.] So, regarding other points in the review; I really think the film is presented in this way very intentionally. The focus is on Shinji's depression, his isolation, and his struggle-- Wouldn't that ring hollow if we were given answers he wasn't? If the audience was put in a separate emotional state from the character it's trying to get us to empathize with? I feel like the bombastic, confusing nature of the opening forty minutes-- the feeling that we were jumping into the middle of a story in progress that we have no idea where it starts or where it ends-- is on purpose. And I think that makes me able to forgive it, because it serves a purpose. The launch of the Wunder feels like it's the climax of a missing middle film between 2.22 and 3.33, and Shinji's been away for a good fourteen years. It gives a sense that things are moving on without him, that things don't need him to progress, that the world has continued rolling without his input, without him being there, without him needing to "save" anyone-- The Wunder team can handle things by themselves, thank you very much. And as we're pretty firmly placed in the shoes of Shinji throughout the entirety of the film, I think it giving any more information or presenting it in another way would actually have broken the emotional narrative. So I can kind of understand why they went this way. I also feel like Shinji was given all the information he asked for, to the best of the Wunder team's knowledge. It was just given bluntly, and sharply, with layers and layers of distrust and bitterness because of what Shinji did at the end of 2.22. Shinji couldn't comprehend that in the short amount of time he had to work with, so he lashed out. |
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Manwards
 Posts: 194 Location: Leicester, England |
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Joking aside, it's difficult to judge 3.33 without having seen the future fourth film. It does feel incomplete, but then, it IS. Without seeing what it was building up to, it becomes difficult for me to say anything definitely one way or the other.
This was a good review. There are a lot of things I enjoy about the film, and a lot of things I don't get. (Why introduce Mari in 2.22 if she isn't going to do anything?) Mostly, though, I just respect the film for throwing the baby out with the bathwater, even if the finished product isn't perfect, or even close to it. End of Evangelion is one of my favourite films of all time, anime or otherwise, and while I really enjoyed 1.11 for the shiny, more concise remakes they were, part of me rebelled against Eva becoming so safe and predictable and marketable. Catapulting Shinji into a hostile future where everyone hates him and the world has already ended is devastating, both for him and the viewer. The first time I saw it, I was waiting for it to be a dream sequence from inside Unit-01, and I was pleasantly surprised when they stuck with it. Call 3.33 anything you want, but it isn't lazy and it isn't safe. It's Evangelion being Evangelion again: unpredictable, frustrating and depressing. Whether that's a good thing or not is a matter of interpretation. I'm just patiently waiting for 4.44, or whatever it will be called. Only then can the Rebuild series be properly judged. |
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Gasero
 Posts: 939 Location: USA |
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Perhaps it took Funimation 3 years to understand just what the heck they were trying to translate. Eva's plot is a mess.
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Jupiter77
 Posts: 22 |
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I thought the second half was great. (first half did not feel like it belonged in eva and most of the new characters where lousy). It had an end of eva apocalyptic vibe to it. Movie is great looking to. All an all as a long time eva fan I was happy with the film
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Jayhosh
 Posts: 972 Location: Millmont, Pennsylvania |
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Regarding the actual review: Very well put, Zac! I really appreciated your blunt and to the point analysis of the film and the effect its had on fans and viewers in general. I feel almost exactly the same way about the film. The fact that we're still talking about it nearly 4 years later, still interested after a full two year delay on Funimation and Khara's behalf, it's just crazy. But that's how Evangelion works I suppose.
The very essence of the series, I think above all else, was definitely expressed with this film. And while I personally got a lot of enjoyment out of it, it's also not a perfect film, not by any means. So the disdain towards it is completely reasonable (although except maybe not in extreme cases such as penguintruth's, but that goes for pretty much anything). However it also, as you mentioned, felt very much like the first half of a full movie, which would definitely explain a lot. And the story is that was actually the case initially, but plans changed. So now all we can do is wait! And we may very well be waiting quite a long time, especially given Anno's recent commitment to Godzilla Resurgence. But regardless, people such as penguintruth will still likely end up flocking to watch it. Why? Because it's Evangelion. Me? I think I'm going to go watch it for the third time. That animation just looks SO good in HD. But I actually have a question? Does the audio for the US release seem a bit... muted, to anyone else? Maybe it's just me, but I felt like I had to blast the volume to its maximum just to be able to discern the film's awesome score. And with such a long time to prepare the release, faulty audio mastering seems kind of like a not-possibility to me. {Edit: Responding to someone who was told to drop the topic is disingenuous at best, completely trollish at worst. Penguintruth was told to drop the soapboxing and move along. That does not mean that you, or anyone else, can then take shots at him. Next time leave out the insults yourself. ~ Psycho 101} Last edited by Jayhosh on Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:26 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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MakoMori
 Posts: 19 Location: Switzerland |
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Great review!
I might have to rewatch the movie. I didn't hate it when I saw it about a year ago, but I was pretty disappointed. That might also be cause I was never a huge fan of Kaworu's. He may have been underused in the original series, but I always thought that he did what his role was supposed to do: kick Shinji when he's already down. But Rebuild isn't the TV show, after all. I think there are some things I didn't pick up on on my first viewing, so I'll give it another shot. Great excuse to have an Evangelion marathon 
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Touma
 Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
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This review confirms something that I have suspected about Evangelion in general:
The things that make it good for Zac are the things that I do not like about it. Those that he says are bad are the parts that I enjoy. This review has convinced me that I should avoid this movie, even though I might like the first 40 minutes. I generally enjoyed the first movie, and I liked the second movie more mostly because of Asuka, but I think that I should stop there. The discussion in the forum just confirms that. I think that this was a very good review. At first it looked like a big, intimidating wall of text, but it was actually easy for me to read and understand it. It gives me information that allows me to make an informed decision about how to spend my time and money. That is all that I really need from any review. All of this talk about Evangelion makes me want to try watching the series again. Fortunately I own all of it on DVD, and the first two rebuild movies on Blu-ray. |
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residentgrigo
 Posts: 2443 Location: Germany |
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I have nothing much to add to my opinion and the main reason why i don´t care in any direction for 3.33 is because i like and will continued to like the TV shows, the manga and EoE.
Khara had no idea what they were doing as the apparently decided to abandon the original concept of the 3d film and the state of the sequel is just prove of that. And no i have not "forgotten" what the original takes of the franchise were about. I have read most interview the team gave out (i own THE book about Gainax) and also got my hands on all the art-books back in the day. I was a fan before it was cool or hipster cool. Eva was the first manga i ever bough  ! I even once considered to get the Nerv Logo as a tattoo before i went with my Brand of Sacrifice. (I still want to get it.)
The biggest problem with 3.33 is that there is nothing underneath the deeply flawed concepts or all the money. The emperor has no clothes! Zac couldn´t dig up anything interesting (which "new" grounds are being covered again?), neither could any web "analyst" and my second slog though the film was my final. How does one make a big budget Evangelion boring? I frankly prefer Campus Apocalypse... 3.33 isn´t shit and neither is the film good. The film just exists. Like a dead animal trapped under the floor that will forever haunt us all. 4.44 is will be fascinating anyway. DKR III somehow isn´t despite being a redemption to bring that comparison to a close. Please don´t be boring 4.44. Forgot: @Jayhosh I wouldn´t call it a second half with no induction. The film felt more like a prolonged 2nd act with nothing to buffer it or to even introduce concepts. I would be surprised if the "last" (i still don´t by that) will continue seamlessly. I somehow expect 2 parallel universe stories running against each other. Last edited by residentgrigo on Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:42 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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You know I actually did notice this a little on my copy, but testing it on other systems gave me mixed results so I didn't mark it down as a thing, but yeah - especially during the Shogi match with Fuyutsuki. The dialogue is pretty soft. |
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Touma
Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
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In regards to the muted audio, I have that problem with all Funimation Blu-rays. I always need to turn the volume on my TV up to the maximum, and still have trouble understand some of the dialog.
Since I had not seen anybody else mention it before I figured it was caused by my equipment, even though other Blu-rays do not have the problem. I have had enough experience with hardware and software to know that it is possible for problems caused by one particular combination to be rare, or even unique. It has been so bad that now when I have a Funimation combo release a always watch the DVD, which has normal sound on my system, unless I want to see some particular scene with better definition. |
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Paul D. Atreides
 Posts: 128 |
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Analysing Evangelion sure is a delight, isn't it Zac?
This film series is my favourite anime ever. The reason being that the original is the anime that has had the biggest emotional impact on me, and this film series takes everything I loved about the original and not only expands upon it but also embellish it. This film is no exception. When I first saw it I was actually hoping that it would be dark and confusing. I was quite fed up with people going on and on about how the Rebuild was: What the original should have been because it's finally happy and sane! So when this film came out turned that argument on its head I was like: Victory! I know that's childish but I was childish back then. What can I say, I like my Evangelion depressing and grotesque 
I have to admit though, it is kind of funny how since this movie people have gone from being like: Rebuild of Evangelion is the salvation of the franchise! Into some more more like: Stop milking it please I beg you! |
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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I found the movie mostly uneventful and unexciting, with a giant dull second act that meant nothing for me because I've never cared for Kowaru, what he represents, or what he means to Shinji.
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CoreSignal
 Posts: 727 Location: California, USA |
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Great review that pretty much nails what was good and bad about 3.33. This third rebuild movie is pretty much a disaster from a narrative standpoint: the timeskip, new characters, old characters acting completely different, plot progression, etc. It's basically like the last two eps of the TV series where they pretty much throw out/fast-forward everything but the characters. But I agree with Zac that what make this movie work for me is that the emotional aspect that Eva is known for is still there.
I personally never cared for Kaoru either, but his character in both the original and in here works as an emotional complement to Shinji. Of course, it's a great looking film as well. I'm probably in the minority but I actually enjoy the first 30 mins. just as a cool-looking action setpiece and the action scenes were pretty specatular with some crazy imagery. I liked the ending as well, at least it didn't feel like the total cliffhanger in the second movie. The second Rebuild movie is still my favorite so far, but honestly, 2.22 is very much a popcorn movie and despite the new stuff it still plays it safe, which can both good or bad. 3.33 is an absolute mess as a follow up to 2.22 and as part of the Rebuild quadrilogy, and from a narrative standpoint in general but I liked it as a stand alone arthouse mecha movie.
This is precisely why Evangelion is a classic. If the original series didn't go off the rails then it would've been another generic mecha show from the 90s that nobody would be talking about 20 years later.
For better or worse, Anno has never been a conventional anime industry figure and I doubt he ever will. In any case, after 3.33 I have absolutely no idea how the final Rebuild movie will down but I'm definitely looking forward to it. |
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