X - The Movie
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Movie Reviews of X - The Movie
Movie Review: This Movie could of been better
Summary: 4 Stars
I like this alot ,but the first 20 minutes goes by slow, but after a while it gets good,I reccomend this to any anime fans,I also reccomend to check out the X series. it is way better than the movieMovie Review: This Movie could of been better
Summary: 4 Stars
I like this alot ,but the first 20 minutes goes by slow, but after a while it gets good,I reccomend this to any anime fans,I also reccomend to check out the X series. it is way better than the movieMovie Review: Lackluster
Summary: 3 Stars
X / B00000JL4L
*Spoilers*
First off, if you're not familiar with the X manga, I can honestly say that it is essential for you to brush up on the basics before attempting to watch this movie or you will be completely lost and confused. Unfortunately, the problem with this movie is that once you've brushed up on the manga (say, by reading the Wikipedia entry on it), you've already reached the level of immersion this movie offers. The beginning of the movie sets the scene - the main character's nude and dead (dying?) mother shows up in a dream and explains that the apocalypse is coming, he's the chosen one to prevent it, and a list of the seven trustworthy heroes that will fight along side him is as follows...etc., etc.
And that's fine as far as it goes - bland but standard scene setting focusing on avoiding character development as much as possible and cutting straight to the action. Unfortunately, the seven heroes are almost immediately reduced to ancillary support characters, where "support" is loosely defined as "die as quickly and as stupidly as possible", which is a shame because the battles are really the only thing this movie has to hang its hat on.
Well, that's not entirely true - the one other driving plot point in this movie is that the main character and his childhood friend are destined to oppose each other - whichever side the main character chooses to aid (humanity and technology vs. extinction and nature, basically), his friend will be compelled to oppose him from the other side. While this particular aspect is interesting, intriguing, and potentially tragic, it breaks down in two major respects. Firstly, the main character is so poorly characterized that it is difficult to feel any real resonance with him. He repeatedly protests that he absolutely *will not* fight to save the world because, he says, he "only want to protect my friends!" The problem, of course, being that he never puts together that the end of humanity will eventually entail the end of his pals as well.
Indeed, as an aside, I have to say that this anime seems unique in the sense that I actually ended up rooting for the "bad" guys - even though I strongly got the impression that I wasn't 'supposed' to - because they generally seemed more good than the "good" guys. The bad guys at least threw themselves into their work, rather than passively reacting constantly like the good guys did. They'd put thought and preparation into their training and strategy, while it seemed that the good guys had sat around on their thumbs all day. And the bad guys seemed to genuinely believe in their cause - intending to wipe out all humanity, including themselves, for the good of the planet - as opposed to the lackluster enthusiasm of the good guys who basically said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Things may not be so great nowadays, but my kids don't seem to know the difference." There's a rallying cry.
Which brings me neatly to the second problem with the "Destined Tragedy" plot. The writers seem to realize, about half-way through the movie, that the hero's foil is intensely more likable than the cardboard cut-out main character and decide to remedy this by immediately switching the foil character over to an insane, homicidal madman who kills friends and allies alike with a single blow. And it is this character shift - a desperate attempt to steer the story back on track and explain *why* the two characters can't just sit down and talk it out over a latte - that completely kills the movie because it's a gimmicky contrivance that removes drama (as well as all the remaining ancillary characters) instantly.
Tragedies aren't tragic because someone we don't care about dies - if "X" had truly wanted to be tragic and thought provoking, then the two foil characters should have both chosen a side they truly believe in and then fought for that side with a heavy heart (a la Suikoden II). Instead, the writers try to have their cake and eat it to by making the hero a soggy "I don't want to be involved" cardboard cut-out and the anti-hero a stereotypical madman on a murder spree, thus allowing them to dodge any moral questions about the nature of mankind and our affect on the earth. Unfortunately, if you want a tragedy, you can't dodge moral questions like that.
Having said all that, I have to now admit that I still found the movie oddly interesting - enough to maybe watch it again, hence my rating. One of my guilty pleasures is the "Dragonball Z" series, mostly because I think the subtext behind the writing is genuinely interesting, but I will admit that the spectacle fighting can be pleasant to watch. And that's kind of what this movie feels like - like someone took a manga about two opposing groups with super heroes, paired them all off, and told them to have at it. If that was all "X" was, I would have likely enjoyed it on those merits alone, but it still shoots itself in the foot by having the fights be terminally short and by making the characters die for stupid, suicidal reasons.
To wrap this review up, there's two more things worth noting. First, there's definitely nudity and violence in this movie, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you. Second, there is something rather 'off' with the English subtitles for the hearing impaired - not only do they not match the actual English dialogue (something I've come to expect from most anime), there are huge stretches of dialogue that isn't subtitled *at all*. I can't say that the lack of subtitles would hamper your understanding of the movie, but that's mostly an indictment on the bland dialogue itself rather than an excuse.
~ Ana Mardoll
Movie Review: The Movie vs. The Manga (comic)
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw X first on a fansub, then I saw it on the big screen (in English) when it was released in the US.ANIMATION------
Overall, I loved the detail, motion, and setting. It was elegentaly done and very realistic. Most of the symbolic imagery was handled fairly well. Unfortunatley the manga goes into a bit more detail, or better handles some of the symbolic imagery. For animation however, it was the best the animators could have done.
TRANSLATION ------ (Subtitle vs. English)
The subtitling I felt was closer to how the manga was written. However, it only gave you enough detail to progress the story in the movie. A lot of little details were left out. The english version is a bit more basic, and I think anyone of the age 13+ could easily understand it. (It was TOO basic, and almost treated the audience like they were dumb)
STORYLINE />The manga's ending hasn't yet been revealed in the American released comics. However, the basic underlying storyline is the same for both. A young teenage boy is chosen (by fate perhaps) to become the one who will decide the future of the earth. The future can follow two paths, the path where mankind is dominant (yet does not overstep his boundaries by destroying the earth), or where earth tries to reclaim herself (man is removed through the picture through certain events). The outcome in the movie was pretty quick, and brutal (I'm not saying which one it is :P ).
WHERE THE MOVIE SUFFERED THE MOST --------
1) The gradual build of suspense... it isn't quite there. The movie is a 2 hour rush of 12+ (graphic novel) issues. The pace of the movie has a few slow scenes where some of the emotion and symbology are shown, and then rushes through other scenes (some combat scene's that's expected, but they don't leave you time to think during some of the more intellectual momements).
2) Character developement. The "cast" of characters is enormous. Excluding one or two small differences, the characters in the movie are essentially the same as the ones in the manga. In the movie you are introduced to them in bunches and too rapidly to form any kind of attachment or understanding of them. Only one or two key traces of their personality shine through, but that's not enough to make you really feel for the good guys. In the manga, there is more than enough time to see the humor, sadness, and profound impact of the potential future within the characters expressions and interactions. Sorata is extremley charasmatic and funny, but other than one or two quick-witted comments, you don't see that in the movie.
------- WHAT THE MANGA SUFFERS FROM -----
It's a bit too drawn out. As much as I love any forms of symbology (which they were all well done), they are repeated too many times. Instead of balancing the repetitive symbology with weight according to its depth/importance, the symbology for most everything is repeated so much it numbs you to the stories depth. This is especially with Kamui, and Fuuma. The foreshadowing is almost as blindingly apparent in the manga as in the comic. The storyline had some heavy overtones, but with this foreshadowing they take away some of the impact of Kamui and Fuuma's situation.
Other than that, I love the manga (and its Kabbalistic comparisons & allusions). I also own every issue released here in the US.
Lastly.....
I RECOMMEND THE MANGA. HOWEVER IF YOU LOVE ANIME, WAIT UNTIL THE OVA IS RELEASED IN THE US. I only recommend buying the movie for die-hard Clamp fans, or "X" fans.
Movie Review: The TV series is better
Summary: 3 Stars
I don't have the DVD for this anime, but I have seen the anime itself a couple of times. Hey c'mon now, the anime's DVD features isn't what's important here, but rather, the anime itself overall.What can we say about, X? I'd say, it's definitely not for the discretion of the weak. Everything in this anime is geared towards adults. The story-telling, the character personas and the art/scene portrayals. This is one animation that is truly sadistic and depressive...in a great point of concept and perspective. It's just like watching your favorite day-to-day soap opera or a full-length romance film, only it adds a sinister twisted elements of betrayal, agony and violence.
X, tells the story about a young boy who must decide the fate of Earth and of humans; He could either destroy it, or spare and save this corrupted world. Kamui Shirou, the protagonist, has been away and hasn't seen the only 2 people (and closefriends) he ever cares about for 6 years. He made a promise to protect and love them no matter what through eternity. And just who are these 2 individuals Kamui loves? Fuuma and Kotori Monou, 2 siblings who has known Kamui ever since they were little kids.
6 yrs. later, Kamui returns to Tokyo to fulfill his destiny and to prepare for this menacing threat he was foretold about. But that's not the worst part of it... For Kamui Shirou, it's himself. It's his soul's matter of 'fate vs. faith', being thorned apart by his own will and destiny...leading to his eventual loneliness in the end. Along with Kamui are these other psionic characters who also wields the vigorous potentials of psychokenesis, being able to come into people's mind and their dreams, freezing time and so fort. Definitely cool and unique fictional characters with super-unatural powers.
The movie version from my opinion, only summarizes what the anime's storyline/plot is really about. But there's a few missing puzzles there and you can only understand it by watching the television series (X/1999) including characters not in the movie and an even more detailed story. The movie isn't that bad, except maybe for the bad English-dubbing part?