Information:
Other Names: Evangelion Shin Gekijouban: Ha, Rebuild of Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion 2.22, ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破.
Studio: Khara
Writer: Hideaki Anno
Director: Hideaki Anno (chief), Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Music: Shirō Sagisu
Type: Reboot, Movie, Sequel
Length: 1 hour, 52 min
Genres: Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Rating: R-17+
Air Date: 27th July 2009
Recommendations: Madoka Magica Movies & Densetsu Kyojin Ideon: Hatsudou-hen
(Source: MAl & Wikipedia)
Synopsis:
In the earliest battles against the monstrous Angels, young Eva pilots Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity's hopes on their shoulders. Now, with the deadly onslaught of the Angels escalating and the apocalyptic Third Impact looming, Shinji and Rei find their burden shared by two new Eva pilots, the fiery Asuka and the mysterious Mari. Maneuvering their enormous Eva machines into combat, the four young souls fight desperately to save mankind from the heavens—but will they be able to save themselves? (Source: MAL)
Review:
What makes a good sequel and reboot? (especially in film) What I believe makes a good sequel is that it builds of the original, adding new ideas into the mix while staying true to the old ones, which can also be said for reboots. Does Evangelion 2.0 do this? Is it better than its predecessor or even the critically acclaimed Neon Genesis Evangelion? Well yes to the first and No to the second.
Why would I say this, well to start I'll go over the differences between this and the original series, well no not the differences but I'll be comparing them a lot as this film is where the true changes take place in the story unlike in the previous film.
One such change is the overall direction the film takes, with many events that happen earlier on and characters coming into light that either appear earlier on or are completely original, this isn't so bad if you haven't seen the original series before but if you have its up to you to decide whether you liked these changes or not, as for me I didn't mind most of the changes, however I felt the series lacked a bit in terms of the weirder aspects due to the dumbing down of the plot that occurs so new watchers can understand what is going on better, but as said before this takes away the experience the original gave us with its abstract story and strange mythology that made Evangelion, what it was.
Instead the plot is more watered done, having an easier storyline to follow which is great for the newcomers but fans of the TV series may feel disappointed at the result; though I must say that the world building is great in this film adding plenty of background lore to the scene that may even interest older fans.
But as said if you've never seen the original this won't bother you as much, so now for the story, the film takes place directly after the last film the characters fight another three more angels, so a very similar set up as well; the battles themselves I must also add, thanks to well done directing in that department with some good pacing to go alongside as each sequence feels different from the last with great changes in execution that I felt added to the film as a whole, greatly more than the previous film. This is also helped by the animation which is still as stunning as ever, even more so than its predecessor, that just keeps on getting better until the conclusion; this partnered with the refined art style is truly a treat for the eyes.
Similarly to this another aspect approved upon from the previous films is the stress from fighting angels having effects on the characters both in good and bad ways, creating a good amount of development for out three main characters Shiji, Rei and new characters Asuka, though I found Asuka development to be done a little to rushed especially in the romance department. While both Rei and Shinji get the better development over the course of 2 hour long film, having had prior development in the previous film it makes a nice addition. Additional in the Asuka department (this is purely for the older fans) she is much less annoying in this version, even if I must likeable which still partners well with her psychological problems even if they are not as strong as before.
But it's not just the main characters that deserve sometime in the spotlight, as they are performed well while also having a good role in the story rather than just being background characters, they actually help move the plot along and help the main characters through there developments. One in particular who I'd like to mention is Mari the new original character not featured in 1995 series, she is a great addition to the cast having a different viewpoint of the evas then our main cast of pilots, as she so far is the only character so far to enjoy piloting them which makes her quite a fun character.
The last point I would like to make is in reference to the sound, in both the "special effects" and soundtrack departments. Firstly the special effects is in the reference to the more basic sounds like running sounds, or gunfire, that sort of stuff; so in light of this I must say that the use of these sounds in well done throughout the film, in particular in the battle against the 8th angel, when all the evas are running the sounds used are a nice touch with realistic sounding water splash and tree breaking down as they crushed helps create a realistic feel to the machines and the sounds made when the evas run on the solid ground or metal plating helps create a sense of scale as to how bug the evas are.
The soundtrack is by far the jewel of the show as composer Shirō Sagisu takes control of the music again using new original songs that fit the tone of each scene well, while also sounding like something from the 1995 TV series which helps create the Evangelion feeling, while keeping older songs in to add to the experience. The insert songs and ending song was also a nice touch as they fit the tone of the show with their cold and depressing sounds that resonate well with that particular scene that they are placed in.
In conclusion Evangelion 2.0 is much watch for fans of the previous film and any Mecha fan to be honest thanks to directing that leads a great cast of character through a developing and interesting world even if that world ends on a cliff-hanger. Though on another hand fans of the original series be warned as it may be a bit of disappointment to you as it lacks the truly weird scenes and tone that made the original what it is.
Final scores:
Setting/Story: 8.5
Characters: 8.6
Art/Animation: 9.4
Sound: 9.6
Final Score: 9.1/10
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