Evangelion Movie 1: Jo

I'm assuming that you've already watched the original EVA series before watching the movie before reading this. If not, spoilers abound.

So yes, this is basically a retelling of the original Evangelion in movie mode, and it's the first of 4 movies. This first movie covers the first six episodes of the original series, therefore not exactly innovative or anything shockingly interesting about the story. However, they did remove most of Shinji's self-pitying/emo-ing/bitching moments, so it's definitely one improvement from the original series.

The art is simply fabulous. The original series already had excellent artwork for its generation, and they've managed to improve it. Introduction of ... CG was definitely a great move, and it made scenes even better, especially the fighting parts. They completely redid the scene with the Angel Ramiel, replacing traditional hand-drawn Ramiel with CG designs. Needless to say, that scene turned into absolute eye-candy. Other uses and integration of CG were more subtle, such as introducing it into the graphs, computer charts, and background. The human character designs were sharpened a bit from the original, but otherwise remained unchanged. But it was integration of CG into this remake which really stole the light.

The sound remained mostly the same, but they did add new sound effects, most notably to the EVAs and Angels, and an excellent new ending song.

Characters remained virtually the same, except they cut out a lot of Shinji's bitching/whining, so definitely a good move. Made the movie a lot more enjoyable, as we only seen about 5 minutes of whining, opposed to the half episodes of manbitching in the original series.

Seeing this movie was definitely fun to watch, because they basically took the original series, and remade with better graphics, with a few minor changes, so that it's enjoyable to watch without feeling it's the same as the original series, yet not different enough that it strays away from its original roots. This definitely will bring back nostalgic feelings from older fans whilst giving something new for them to watch and admire.

This movie is actually a good enough retelling that a newcomer to EVA can watch this instead of the original series, and will be able to know nearly everything that happened. (Of course, it's not really recommended, seeing how it's the original that was so profound and revolutionary.) After seeing this, I have high hopes for the following three movies, although I am a bit doubtful about the last one.

[NOTE: Mild SPOILERS in this review]

I just got back from seeing Evangelion 1.0 in theaters, and it was some experience. Though I didn't end up bringing the boom box playing a ripped CD of Prince's 1999 (and a bloody shame that is, too) it was still a real treat. The crowd was bigger than I had anticipated - I wondered if I might actually have the theater to myself, this being such a niche release and all, but it turns out I was dead wrong. While I wouldn't say every row was packed - it wasn't exactly a Transformers crowd (though one guy did have ... a Transformers T-shirt) - I would readily say that well over half the theater was filled out. Incidentally, I also believe I was one of roughly half the audience that was present who had bathed within the last 24 hours, and of that I am proud. There was some brief buzz and exchange before the movie started, but in quick manner, start it did.

Well, first things first: It shouldn't be hard to tell from the trailers alone, but I can confirm that this movie is absolutely gorgeous. The animation is silky smooth, the attention to detail is breathtakingly rich, the CG is (contrary to some early rumors) largely well-incorporated, the Sadamato character designs are as beautiful, expressive and subtle as ever, if not moreso. Everything from the Evas to the heavy machinery to Misato's lingerie is rendered in a level of painstaking detail that the budget of a now-multimillion-dollar franchise can allow for. (Although it seems their only revenue isn't just from moviegoers and anime fans - Doritos® brand corn-based snack chips™ from Frito Lay® are now prominently featured in Misato's apartment, and Tokyo-3 seems to have accepted a hefty investment from Pizza Hut®.) This is one visually eye-popping movie. Speaking of eye-popping, this has a shocking amount of T&A for a PG-13 movie - in addition to the most memorable fanservice shots from the show, prepare to see a lot of new takes on Shinji's and Rei's (and even Kaworu's) naked buttocks, not to mention several surprise nip-slips from the latter (Rei, that is).

Audio-wise, the music is extensively and suitably upgraded from the show's questionable production values. Shiro Sagisu's new score contains a satisfying mix of new themes, extensively reworked versions of classics (a choral version of "Angel Attack" is particularly memorable), and even some faithful rehashes of songs from the original that have earned their places in fans' hearts. His musical style is still decidedly... unconventional, and I'm still not sure if I personally prefer him to the likes of, say, Kenji Kawai or Kaoru Wada. But hey, he's Anno's choice for a composer, and I respect that. One certainly can't argue that the music for Evangelion isn't iconic. On the translation/voice acting side, there's likewise some new and some familiar (in fact, that statement could pretty much apply to anything about the movie). Spike Spencer and Allison Keith naturally steal the show with their leading roles that they only continue to perfect over time. The various newcomers all get the jobs done; I wouldn't necessarily pick them over the cast members they're replacing, but at least there aren't any stinkers (which is more than can be said for the last two times the show was recast...). Greg Ayres plays Kensuke a little too high-pitched (even by Greg Ayres standards), John Swasey is still no replacement for Tristan MacAvery, and while I'm generally a fan of Colleen Clinkenbeard, I'm just too used to Sue Ulu's voice as Ritsuko to really accept her; conversely, Brina Palencia did a far better job at Rei than I could have ever anticipated (even as REI, she still stands out), the new Keel Lorenz has the deep and foreboding voice that he always should have had, and the new Kaworu (from the maybe 3 lines of dialogue he speaks) seems to get the character just right. The translation is effective, but seems to lack just a little bit of that Woolsey-ish magic that made the original so memorable. This being a Funimation production, the general dialogue flows more smoothly and naturally than most dubs, but it's a little disappointing to see how they've altered a couple of iconic lines (fortunately, "I mustn't run away" isn't one of them). Also, SEELE no longer has fünky accents. Of this, I vehemently disapprove. It reminded me a lot of playing the newer, re-translated versions of classic video games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV; the translations may be more accurate and natural-sounding now, but they've lost a little bit of that 90's charm they once had. I wouldn't quite say it ruins the experience, though.

Now, for the most important part: the plot. For the first half of the movie, I really had one word going through my head: rushed. Because that's what it is. It really just seems like the movie is racing to knock off one highlight moment from the show's first four episodes after the next. The pacing and even the dialogue feels rushed. It's quite interesting, then, that by about the half-way mark (or what felt like the half-way mark, anyway - I wasn't keeping time) the movie suddenly slows down not to relish action sequences or even to recreate familiar scenes, but to linger on moments of character interaction and inflection. The familiar scenes range from painstakingly recreated to subtly altered in significant ways, but cleverly hidden among them are several new scenes that, while easy to miss, imply some crucial new angles on the plot. The shocking scenes with Lilith and the SEELE moon base have already been remarked upon by all who have seen them, but less widely noted - and, in my opinion, even more significant - is a new scene of interaction between Gendo and Fuyutsuki, in which Gendo explicitly states that "the Children are acting out the scripts we wrote for them 14 years ago." More chillingly still, he states that "soon Shinji will begin to get closer to Rei", among other predictions that seem to break the fourth wall. (Keep in mind, while in Evangelion's world "14 years ago" marked the beginning of Second Impact, in OUR world 14 years ago marked the beginning of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hmmmmmm......)

Which brings me about to what is really the #1 theme of this movie, and which I suspect will become much, much more important down the road: recursion. The film simply does not stand on its own as an independent experience; I know I personally would hesitate before showing it to someone who hadn't seen the series already. It rushes through a lot of the crucial scenes, and skips vast amounts of exposition, to linger solely on moments that are particularly potent for those who have seen the series before. I've had my suspicions for a while, but after seeing the movie I'm now quite certain that this is absolutely not a mere retelling of the series; Anno clearly knew when making this that the vast majority of the audience would be people who had already seen the series, and while it seems to play coy with this fact on the outside, it doesn't take much digging (at least as far as I see it) to uncover that film is tossing a mocking wink and nod at viewers at every possible opportunity. In addition to the aforementioned altered and new scenes that drastically undermine the plot as we know it, there is that aforementioned theme of "recursion". On top of Gendo's dialogue with Fuyutsuki, motifs of "fate", "recurrence" and "rebirth" are rampant. One new visual motif many have noticed is the rainbow, which shows up at a number of crucial scenes and as far as I can see is a new symbol of recurrence and rebirth. SEELE's stepped-up logo now features actual, printed lyrics from the "Ode to Joy" - a song/poem that has quite a bit to say about fate. And with Kaworu's remarks in the final scene, he might as well be looking straight at the audience and quoting Homer Simpson: "Why are you paying to see in theaters what you could watch for free at home [or in this case, have already bought multiple times]?? If you ask me, everyone in this theater is a complete moron, especially YOUUUUUU!!!!!!" I've heard a number of things (probably too much) about the second movie, and all I can say is I am now 100% confident that the 4.0 will be a complete, unabashed mindf**k directed squarely at a base of viewers who, in Anno's opinion, should not still be paying to see essentially the same thing over and over anymore (in regards to the anime industry at large).

But like before, Anno's beloved brainchild is not merely a disgruntled, cynical commentary on the world and the anime industry. It's also a very personal journey and parable. For a good chunk of the movie I wondered if not even Evangelion could reach my heart anymore; it was once the case that I felt right there in Shinji's shoes, sharing all his struggles and tribulations. Now, at 18, I don't know if I can still relate to the 14-year-old character in the same way. I've developed differently over these years, and the struggles I face now are so different, yet so uncomfortably similar; yet all around, the ways in which I can and must face my troubles are different now. Maybe I felt so separated from the film for the same reasons I feel so separated from others; I've locked away my emotions, all my fear and sadness, and thrown away the key, someplace where even I can't find it. I can no longer be so open, so in touch with those things as Shinji is. But there were crucial parts of the film that, ultimately, made even me remember what I truly hope for in life. Those few, tender, tantalizing moments of closeness and understanding that Shinji has with Misato and Rei near the end of the film are a reminder, a reminder I needed so very, very much, about what can be truly beautiful about the interactions between people. That simple motif of holding hands spoke more than any words could...

And so, as an anime fan, as a film enthusiast, and as a person, I am proud to say that I am back in the world of Evangelion, and I will be eagerly following the progression of this new series. The themes of rebirth and dogged hope are those which are deeply relevant to me this time around, and while I try to put the cracked and shattered pieces of my life together, I look forward to making the journey to love and self-affirmation with my old friend Shinji once again.

Seeing as how I am a fanboy of the original series of Neon Genesis Evangelion, you will have to take everything I say with a grain of salt. That said, it is pretty much inevitable that everyone watching this is already a fan of Evangelion anyway. So let's begin by making this clear: This is not Evangelion. It may look like Evangelion, it may claim to be Evangelion, but it isn't.

The movie covers episodes 1 through 6, beginning in much the same way as the series did, and ending with the 5th Angel's attack. We see much of the scenes faithfully recreated, up until Misato ... comes to pick up Shinji, and they begin talking as fast as they possibly can. The dialogue moves by ridiculously fast, in an incredibly thinly-veiled attempt to cram as much of the series as they can into the space of a single movie, with horrible results. Their sacrifice of quality for the sake of quantity thoroughly destroys the pacing, which, upon retrospect, was a big part of what made Evangelion what it was. There were a lot of long, atmospheric shots that helped to build the tone of the series, and here, they're gone.

In fact, even the overall style feels different. It seems to opt for darker, richer colours than the original, which honestly doesn't suit the style of the original series at all. It could be argued that animation has since moved on from the original series, but then, look at End of Evangelion. That was fantastically animated, and kept with the style of the series perfectly.

Another thing it seems to have lost track of is the soundtrack. Another interesting part of how the original series was directed was how rarely they used background music, often opting for silence punctuated only by the cicadas. Here? Pretty much every scene has a musical score behind it. This is how normal shows function, not how Evangelion is supposed to function. And even then, some of it actually seems like something Gainax would have used in Gurren Lagann, as opposed to Eva. Even with their choice to use more music taken into account, it still feels like they could have done a better job, although this is a comparatively minor nitpick.

Another major point is that the dub is very badly done. Aside from the fact that all the acting is forcibly quite bad (although this is less the actors fault and more the fact that they have to talk very fast to keep up), one particularly noticeable thing is that most of the original cast has been replaced, mostly by much less fitting voice actors. Whilst some changes are welcome, for example Touji sounding considerably better than he ever did in the main series, most are very distracting. And even the ones who stayed don't sound remotely similar to how they did 14 years ago. The most noticeable example is Spike Spencer's performance as Shinji. For the first half of the movie, I was thoroughly convinced that they had replaced Shinji's voice actor. With a female one, no less. Shockingly, Spike is still in the role, but sounds absolutely nothing like he should. How this could happen is an absolute mystery, considering he's been playing nothing but Shinji and Shinji knockoffs for the last 14 years, but somehow he botched his performance quite badly.

Now, I know that a fairly basic argument against this is that it isn't trying to be like the original series. This is somewhat thwarted by the facts that A: Pretty much everyone who watches this will be judging it by the standards of the series, and B: It doesn't stand up very well on its own either. The pacing and dialogue have ruined any chance this had of being a replacement Evangelion in its own right, as well as the plot and directing being skimmed over. Considering the series always had a habit of throwing you in without knowing what the fuck was going on, imagine how that works when everything is thrown at you at a mile per minute. Hint: NOT VERY WELL. I can't imagine a newbie to the franchise would have the slightest clue what the fuck was going on.

All in all, I was somewhat worried that Hideaki Anno might have lost it, what with being sane now. And to my surprise, I was right. This has completely failed. It doesn't capture anything that made Evangelion a loveable series, and while it does clear out some of the faults it had, it doesn't balance things out nearly well enough. The only redeeming features are a handful of new scenes, all of which are quite good, and strangely more in the vein of the show than anything else in the movie, most notably the final scene that raises an enormous amount of questions about Kaworu, and promises that the single greatest reason to watch this movie is the promise that the next one will do things very differently.

Final Words: What a disappointment. Let's just hope 2.0 makes it worthwhile.

Animation/Graphics: 8/10
Story/Plot: 5/10
Music/Background: 5/10
Voice Acting: 2/10

Overall: 4/10

That's right, 10's across the board. I'll go in depth a little bit about each category further proving my point.

Story: The story, as a remake of the original series, is fantastic. The plot is the same thus far (as I'm sure it will change in the next movies to come). The story has changed slightly in some aspects. Depending on how well you watched the first one, you'll see minor changes, (like the new NERV and SEELE logos). Also, there is less character analysis. You focus on the main characters (Shinji, Misato and Rei up until now). You don't see Shinji in the classroom at ... all, there is very little interaction other than the important ones. The reason being; you should've watched the first series first. That would've given you a little more character background. One of the biggest changes as far as the story went, was the battle with Ramiel. In the original series, it was a simple shot of the sniper rifle... Ramiel had 2 attacks. Very basic. In the new movie, the battle lasts nearly two times longer, and even though Ramiel is still killed with a sniper rifle, Operation Yashima is MUCH more thought out. Rameil's arsenal now includes about 5 or 6 attacks (which, are all impressive to be seen with the CGI enhancement)...

Art: Like I just mentioned, there is CGI enhancement. They show it a lot during the battle with Rameil, but also, it's used a lot within the entry plug, and within NERV headquarters. It's very impressive and well done; it wasn't overdone to say the least. Just the right amount of enhancement. You still get the vibe you're watching a hand-drawn anime, but, with a little kick to it.

Sound: Very impressive, as is everything else. The music has changed up a little bit from the original series' line up. It has the classical music playing in more critical areas. Aside from the music, there is also the sound effects. The sounds of shots, rawrs from angels or evas, and even just small random effects; they are all in sync and all match the correct time to be matched with.

Character: The characters, are still spot on from the original series. In some instances, I believe Shinji is a little more masculine than the original series, but, I never had a problem with that to begin with (as most people who judge the series apparently do). Misato develops her affinity towards Shinji a lot sooner. She is already holding his hand in some instances, and in one scene slaps her self after scolding Shinji because she obviously had regret for doing so. The rest of the cast are roughly the same. Minor changes obviously, but nothing huge.

Enjoyment: I've watched it twice so far...a week apart from both. The original series (as well as the manga) are/is my favorite series. They are perfect in my mind, and with the upcoming of this new series, I see little reason to say it's flawed in any way. It's just as good as the original, and with all of the enhancements, it has the capability of being better...or at least tied, to satiate you old school lovers.

Overall: Well, through the 5 previous categories, I think I basically summed up my views and hopes for the series. I am avidly awaiting Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 : Division as I write this.

Thanks for reading,
Cory/Ikashashi

Rebuild of Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is the first movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, which aims at remaking the movies the way Anno wanted to make them originally and make it more accessible than previous versions. It was released in theatres on September 1st, 2007, and has yet to be licensed Stateside. It was produced by Studio Khara (the Rebuild series is their first major work), and directed by Hideaki Anno (famous for his work on the original Gunbuster OVA and His and Her Circumstances), Kazuya Tsurumaki (famous for his work on FLCL and the original Gunbuster OVA) and ... Masayuki (famous for his work on the Death segment of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth).

Rebuild of Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is essentially a recap of episodes 1 through 5 and a retelling of episode 6 in the original TV series. The reason I say that it's a recap of the first five episodes is that there are very little to no differences in the events of these episodes in the original TV continuity and the corresponding events in the movie. The most that is changed here is the location/timing of certain dialogues, and maybe a few changes in relatively minor events. This really kind of irritated me, as this was billed as a complete rebuild of the series, not a recap. The major changes to the story start coming around the point where they get to episode six, which corresponds to just over an hour into the movie.

And I have to say that I'm a bit ambiguous on the three big changes. Discussing them requires some SPOILERS, so read ahead at your own risk. The one that's probably going to end up altering the plot most, which is Misato showing Lilith to Shinji, doesn't make sense introduced at this point in the show, though it'll definitely have some interesting ramifications for the plot. The second most important plot change is very welcomed by me, as Kaoru was one of my favorite characters from the original series, and the fact that they chose to introduce him earlier will also do some very interesting things to the plot. The last change is mostly a change in how Operation Yashima plays out, and it frankly makes that entire event amazingly epic.

The animation for this, overall, is a lot more intricate, smoother, and, in general, fancier than Gainax's original animations. And I have to say that I really like it, even if there are a few extraneous shots which were more or less put in to say, "Look at us! We actually have a budget now! Look what we can do!". There's a lot of more emphasis on the Judeo-Christian symbolism we saw in the series, and more blood, hints about the true nature of the Evas and fanservice.

I have to call them on some continuities. Be sure you take a look at the NERV symbol when it first appears, and then compare it to scenes later on in the movie. Also, take a look at the mask on Lilith when she's first introduced and in the last few scenes in the movie. I don't know if this is on purpose or if it just slipped past the animators, but I'll wait till the next movie to make my decisions on that.

The music for this in general is quite awesome. It's, in general, very subtle reworkings of the original tracks from the series that give the series a whole new feel. Utada Hikaru also does the new ED theme, "Beautiful World", which I'm a bit ambiguous on at this point. It's a good song, but I kind of preferred "Fly Me to the Moon".

They also got all the seiyuu from the series back for the movie, so that just adds to the general quality.

All in all, the movie's not half bad. I am irritated that most of it was just a recap, and that there were some slight art continuity issues, but overall, it's a better animated piece of work and, in the cases where it's changed, better plotted than it's predecessor. Let's hope they can keep this up.

So what happens you have a guy in a bout with depression direct a supposedly children’s super robot show? What you get my friends is what we call Neon Genesis Evangelion. Now flash-forward a few years and now said man is an accomplished director who is credited for making one of the most influential mecha anime to date. So of course he is happy as can be. Now said man intends to revisit his magnum opus yet again. What will became of this revisit soon to be called the Rebuild of Evangelion. The Rebuild of Evangelion was intended to introduce viewers previously unfamiliar with the ... series while at the same pleasing veterans. So how exactly does this first in this tetralogy measure up?

I will start off by saying that this first film is almost verbatim the first eight episodes of the original television series save for few minor changes here and there. This may frustrate some and may not bother others I am just saying this film isn’t particularly treading new ground for the franchise. This didn't bother me however since I haven’t seen the original series before watching the film. I probably should get around the watching the original show though. Personally, I feel that the film does well to welcome those who haven’t seen the original though they may be walking out of it with more questions than answers

Anyways, another problem with the film is that doesn't really feel like that it is simply one story but instead a string of interconnected stories that don’t really flow well into another. To elaborate upon this even further, you know how you have the basic story structure; Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and the Resolution? Well, this film does in so often that it feels like they just crammed eight episodes into a measly two hours instead of being an actual two hour film.

The movie looks phenomenal giving the show that already good for its time a much needed face-lift. I like the visual throughout the film, with the emphasis on mixture between traditional line animation and computer animation, gives the movie a sense of scale. Everything is a sight for sore eyes from the intricately detailed backgrounds to the choreographed robot fights. This movie does well to bring you into this post-post apocalyptic world as I call it. The music is nearly as phenomenal though many of the tracks used in film were take straight from the television series which isn't totally a bad thing I might add.

I can’t say too much about the plot or characters without going into spoiler territory but I will say the characters are human. Much of the film is devoted to Shinji’s plight and so far fares better than his original series counterpart. The story is riddled with many common tropes found in Super Robot anime however as with the original series tries its best to deconstruct them. By the words of TvTropes, a deconstruction usually means applying a more real-world causality to an idea or concept. This I feel along with its colorful cast of character lies the film’s greatest strength.

Overall, I liked Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone despite its flaws. The movie looked and sounded great but too bad that can’t help how the movie paces itself. I would definitely recommend to who haven’t seen the show but ultimately I just tell you to watch the original show as to better appreciate these new films.

So it was really just Evangelion with better animation and the long scenes cut out.

First the Bad. I didn't think that I would have prefered to have the long scenes in the anime over having them cut out. This is assuming that you have watched Neon Genesis before, if you haven't then you probably have no idea what I am talking about. But the lack of the long scenes in the from the original anime results in a lack of character development and really just makes Shinji look whiny instead of realistic. Another thing was the lack luster soundtrack, they went from classic compositions to ... generic action series music and a credits song that really lacks the calming quality of Fly Me to the Moon. Also, this was only the first part of the series, I'm assuming that once Asuka shows up in the next movie that I may like it a bit more. It does, in no way meet the production quality of End of Evangelion.

A good thing is probably the art, it got a massive upgrade in the animation department.

Final Verdict:
I didn't hate it, but it didn't meet the standard of the original. I would suggest the fans of Neon Genesis avoid it.

6/10

Unfortunately I have to introduce a little personal bias into this review. I have already seen the Neon Genesis Evangelion series in its entirety. Therefore there were dull moments in the first half of the film, given that 80% of the story was exactly the same as the original.

However the editing was executed in such a way as to eliminate some of the humor and fan-service, and various scenes were added to acheive a darker atmosphere, which better suits the overall theme of the series.

Some things to note for some of the original EVA fans is that subtle changes were made in order to connect ... more to the ending of the series. The ocean is now red with LCL, Kaworu is introduced earlier into the show (probably by request), Seele is introduced earlier, Misato knows about Lillith, etc..

The second half of the film is when the more notable changes start to occur. The battle with Sachiel (first Angel) and Shamshel (second Angel battle) used new animation cells, the battle with Ramiel (third Angel) is completely different in almost every aspect. Ramiel in the original series looked to be the product of budget cuts, but in Rebuild they managed to turn it into the most emotional and epic part of the film.

Rebuild of Evangelion does justice to the original intent of the series in terms of production values, plot development, and mood. I recommend this film to any anime viewer, that is when you get the opportunity.

Story - The story sets the groundwork for the finale much better than the original and the fights will keep you on the edge of your seat. 9/10
Art - The CG elements were seamlessly incorporated for the most part. Backgrounds are much more detailed and reflective of the second impact. The recycled animation, although remastered, leave something to be desired amongst the new scenes. 8/10
Sound - Just what you would expect from a theatrical experience. Personally I prefer the English voice actor, being that for whatever reason Shinji is voiced by a girl in the Japanese dub. However there's no guarantee Spike Spencer will voice the English dub. 8/10
Character - The characters are still multifaceted and interesting. Characters are a major component of the plot. 9/10
Enjoyment - 9/10
OVERALL - 9/10

I won't pretend I'm a master of story telling, or that I am the most observant anime fan, but this film left a bad taste in my proverbial mouth. It wreaked of a rush job, or if not that, of a film created solely as fan service. That is a slap in the face to long time fans.

Without going into detail, much of this film feels like it simply wants to rush through a good part of the original series. There are many moments during the first 30 minutes or though that I felt, "Oh... wow, that's probably the exact same angle, and scene from ... the TV series." I understand why this was here, for nostalgia, but after the first few cut and pastes it felt more like a gimmick to please some non-existent group of idiots who wanted this film to recapture the depth and complexity of the original. Instead, it comes off as shallow and cliche during much of the film. They were happy to cut out much of the character development, but yet they found it necessary to include a tremendous amount of technical jargon for the sake of having it there. I admit it builds tension during these scenes, but it falls flat due to the rest of the films' shortcomings.

Perhaps my biggest issue with the Evangelion "remakes" is the way they're being released. As a standalone film, 1.11 falls flat on its face. If this had been an OVA series, or simply another 26 episode anime series, then they could have given this story the treatment it deserves. Simply put, much of what made the original great simply wasn't there.

What it lacks most is soul.

Neon Genesis Evangelion, the show that was the one to introduce thousands of otakus (including me) to the world of anime is back. It's not like this classic from the '90s was ever truly left alone, for the constant parade of upgraded DVDs, Blu-Rays and whatnot special editions has made sure the cashcow known as Evangelion hasn't been forgotten by us for a moment. Thus slight reserve and revulsion was the natural reaction of many cynical fans when the entire four-part remake of the original series was announced years ago. Suffering from the same inhibitions it was only now that I, a long-time admirer of ... the original work, finally took the time to watch and see what had become of my favourite show when presented with the technology of 2000s.

What had it become, indeed? Short answer: better than ever.

Everything we remember from the original work is there: a cast of compelling characters, a unique scifi-setting, and an underlying story dealing with the various psychological issues of Ikari Shinji, his ruthless father Gendo, his self-imposed guardian Misato Katsuragi, and all the other personalities you either remember from before or will become acquainted with soon enough.

But that's just confirming all the good qualities from the original are there, which should be obvious with the given overall grade of 9, right? So what's making this worth watching even for someone who has seen the original piece, possibly even multiple times? The fact that this is better. Better in animation, better in characterization, better in storyline. In everything.

Times sure have changed since 1995. As an un-expert of the more finer workings of animation, I suppose I'm not one to start blabbering about all the little technological aspects involved here, but that's fine. Me, you, no-one needn't be a professional to see the difference between what was then and what is now. To surmise it in as few words as possible, the animation seems so much more fluent and beautiful overall in this first installment of the Rebuild-series in comparison to the original one. The colors are more soft and natural looking (Misato's new near-black hair ftw!), the overall motion more graceful thanks to the moderate incorporation of 3D-technology, and the upgraded character design which makes Shinji, Rei, Misato, and co. look better than ever. Even the Angels have been modified here, now with bone-chilling superhuman sounds and wackier designs. An extra mention for all the sceneries as well; from the hilly forests to the urban vastness with its neon-lights and skyscrapers, everything looks fresh, new, and better.

Characterization-wise, no major changes have been done here. Shinji is still the psychologically unstable 14-year-old-boy unsure of what he wants, Rei the cold and distant commander's favourite, Misato the both cheerful drunk and tough professional, and so on. The slight difference for the better that can be seen is the way these characters have been given a tad more depth compared to the original series. Rei is just a bit more sardonic, Misato somewhat more daring in her ways, and Gendo...hoo boy. Let's just say that if there was anyone at the beginning of the original show who could've believed this man might prove to be even a decent father later on, there won't be this time. It's THAT strongly that this guy's bastardness has been underlined here.

When considering what's changed for the better since 1995, the renewed plotting of You Are (Not) Alone isn't either left in the shadows of animation and characters. The storyline that is set here in the first movie of the Rebuild-series seems to be a pleasant mixture of both old and new. Except for one or two glaring differences no drastic changes have been made, but the hour and a half the movie takes is filled with some fascinating makeovers that'll be interesting for the old viewers to spot - and easy for the new ones to grasp. And about those one or two glaring differences...yeah, they're already big enough to suggest we'll be in for one hell of a ride later on.

If you wished to complain about something, it would have to be the over-the-top pompousness in some of the details. As I said earlier the Angels' designs have been tinkered around to appear all-around more cool, which is nice all right. But the downright artistic shape-shifting the sixth (not the fifth as in the original) angel Ramiel does gets a tad ridiculous. The Christian symbology familiar from the 1995 series has been taken to the level where even most of the explosions are cross-shaped, and such toying does not work for the film's credibility in my book. The as of yet unexplained...redness of the oceans in Rebuild arises some questions as well.

Old-school fans might lean on the nostalgic value of the original Evangelion, claiming the show is legendary only as its mid-'90s version. But the honest truth is that modern animation technology, the sufficient budget to tell the story that was originally meant to be told, and no doubt the fresh ideas that have matured in the creators' minds over the past two decades have culminated in this first part of Rebuild and made it a start of what'll undoubtedly be a superior re-telling well worth the time of any old and few fans alike.

Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.01 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE is the first of 4 movie adaptations to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The movie series is not to be taken as a complete retelling of the original NGE series as it will eventually contain new content never before seen in the original. The first movie starts off relatively similar to the first few episodes of NGE up to the 6th Angel's battle.

Story: Ikari Shinji is the 14 year old son of Ikari Gendo, the commander of NERV. Shinji arrives at Tokyo-3 to find out he will be piloting Eva Unit 01 to fight off against the ... Angels. He questions why he is doing this but pilots Eva anyway in an attempt to find the answer to his question. The movie ends with the decisive battle against Ramiel, the 6th Angel.

The story removes plenty of excess interaction Shinji had in his school in the original show. The story still flows well though, all the important scenes are still in place. Ramiel's battle had the most change when compared to original battle. Operation Yashima was lengthened and more refined. It definitely gave the movie a worthy finale battle. The movie ends with the introduction of Seele and Kaworu (who was introduced late in the original series), to open up a more refined transition to Rebuild 2.0.

Art: The art was completely upgraded with today's animation and there are several small changes that brings the life of Evangelion through even more. The movie makes use of subtle CGI effects and makes the animation seem more natural when flipping through the CGI scenes. The scenery is much more apocalyptic looking to really drive in the world of Eva.

Sound: Most of the NGE music can be found in the movie as well as new tracks. The music playing during Ramiel's fight probably stands out the most for me. The movie also included Utada Hikaru's Beautiful World as its theme.

Character: Shinji once again returns as the emotional and distraught young man along with Rei and the original cast. The relationship between Misato and Shinji is shown more apparent and earlier than the original series did. There didn't seem to be too much of Rei interaction in the movie though as compared to the original.

Enjoyment/Overall: I am not a huge Eva fan as a lot of other people are. I personally did not find NGE super amazing but the movie does well in transitioning a decade+ old show into the new age. I will be looking forward to Rebuild 2.0 and hopefully there will not be as much inner-soul-seeking-distraught-emotional-journeys as the original series had in its final episodes.

More then a decade ago, the world was graced with one of the most influential anime to ever come to air, Neon Genesis Evangelion, written and directed by Hideki Anno. Jump ahead a decade. A new generation of fans, and old alike, are revisited with a revised and, well, rebuilt version of the legendary anime, the aptly titled Rebuild of Evangelion.

Evangelion 1.0, You Are (Not) Alone, is the first film in the tetraology forming the Rebuild. Anno has been known to call this series the way Evangelion "as he wanted it to be." 1.0 adapts the roughly the first eight episodes of the series, but ... adds new story points, new 3D CGI technology, and a different idea in what the series is doing.

Story: As stated above, Evangelion 1.0 adapts the first eight episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and for the most part, it does this extremely well, giving us a new way to look at the opening salvos of the series. Shinji and Rei still battle the same Angels, Shinji still wants his father's love, Misato is still Misatio, etc. For the most part, the film retells the story in mostly the same fashion; at some moments, the story takes a different direction, which will interest old viewers looking for a new story. This dedicated view at retelling roughly a third of the series is both a strengths, and arguably the greatest flaw of the movie.

If you've seen the series before, if you were to skip right ahead to Evangelion 2.0, you would not be missing out on much story whatsoever. When it comes down to it, only one scene springs to mind that is needed to fully experience the rest of the Rebuild. So, in essence, the story is told as excellently as in the television series, does not bring much more to the table.

Art and Sound: One of the biggest changes introduced within Evangelion 1.0 is the updated graphics and sound brought in. I'm very picky when it comes to CGI; it can be done very well, but it can also ruin the film completely. Luckily, it is done masterfully within this film. The climatic battle at the end of the film is one of the best animated scenes I've seen in a long time, and is probably the best use of CGI I have seen in an anime.

The sound is also an improvement over the original series; a scene involving Shinji simply travelling is masterfully improved, due to the somber music playing throughout the scene. Rousing orchestral tracks during battles against the Angels creates a wonderful sense of scale that is truly fitting for these gigantic fights.

Characters: My personal favorite aspect of Evangelion as a whole, but also suffers from the same issues of the story; it's the exact same as the series, but that is not really a bad thing. Shinji still falls on Rei, so that gives it a point already. Anyways, the character all still got through the same experiences, Shinji is still depressed. All in all there is not a whole lot to say here that has already not been said in regards to story, besides the fact that the film still captures the reason these characters are so popular.

Overall: In closing, Evangelion 1.0, You Are (Not) Alone, is an excellent opening salvo in The Rebuild of Evangelion, recreating the magic of the Evangelion series for possibly a new legion of fans. Sure, it might not diverge much from the first 8 episodes of the series, but for what it does, it does almost perfectly. It has enough to attract the old fanbase to regale in old memories, while it has the potency to attract a whole new group of fans to expierance the legendary anime series for the first time. And they should be excited, because it only gets better from here!

My history with Eva is a bit interesting. I watched the tv series about two years ago; I was somewhat impressed by it, and somewhat unimpressed at the same time. I opted to skip the End of Evangelion, and with good reason. Then I discovered the manga by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto; I really liked it. Reading the manga is what turned me into a fan of Eva. I heard that the Rebuild series would be like the tv shows, but with the unnecessary filler excised (much like the manga cut out a lot of filler, also), and so, with Blu-ray in hand, I just watched this ... on my PS3. Suffice to say, I am a bigger Eva fan now than ever before.

Story: Eva is pretty well known on MAL, so I'll just give you a Cliff's Note version: these things called Angels are trying to blow up Tokyo-3, and the only people who can stop them are teenage kids that can pilot these things called Evangelions, or Evas for short. This first movie is pretty much a redo of the first 6 episodes of the tv series, with some scenes added, some scenes omitted, and some new scenes that don't appear in either the tv canon nor manga canon. My only complaint is that some of the scenes of Shinji in school were either cut out or shortened; these scenes did have some good exposition, but otherwise, it's not bad at all. Some scenes are handled better here than they were in the earlier versions. 9/10.

Artwork: The Eva tv show was actually pretty good-looking for its time, but it could've also used improvement, and boy, did Hideaki Anno improve the visuals now. Everything is redrawn, and for the better; the animation is smoother, the colors more vivid, the backgrounds more beautiful, and now there is flawless integration of CGI with the hand-drawn cells. This, quite honestly, rivals the artistry of Ghibli films, and certainly looks better than most anime today. The Blu-ray version is a must-own, especially if you have a widescreen HD monitor. 10/10

Sound: The music certainly sounds a lot better than the tv version. Many of the scores are just remixes of tracks from the tv series, except now, they come in 6.1 and have the orchestration you would expect from a Hollywood feature. The music that plays when Shinji's Eva first activates gave me goosebumps when I first heard it here; it's that good. The ending credits song is great; a perfect way to send off the film.

The Japanese dub is, much like the tv series, top-notch. Then again, it has the same cast, and you can't go wrong with that. As for the English dub . . . well, it is better than the ADV dubs of old, (I compared Youtube videos prior to watching this) but unfortunately, the English voices of Shinji, Misato, and Gendo still sound out of place, and considering how important those three characters are, that's a serious detriment in my book. Basically, unless if you absolutely have to hear Colleen Clinkenbeard as Ritsuko Akagi, this is one I recommend subbed. 9/10.

Character: I won't go into too much detail, because again, this is Eva we're talking about, so I'll just talk about how Rebuild portrays them. Shinji still starts off cowardly and angsty, but his angst is downplayed somewhat, and I think he's more realistic like this. (He's not as lighthearted as he was in the manga, though, that was a bummer.) You also get a better impression of Misato's character in this movie than the earlier portions of the tv and manga canon, but everyone else is still pretty much the same, for better or worse. I like the characterization of Eva, and I only took off one point for two reasons: Touji and Kensuke have less screentime, and Asuka has yet to appear. 9/10

Enjoyment: Even despite the (relatively) few flaws, seeing Eva on a widescreen tv is like nothing else; the tension of the NERV headquarters, Shinji's isolation, the terror of the Angels and Evas, Rei's quiet dignity, these things and more come alive in a way they never did in the tv and manga series. I get the feeling that this is supposed to be the true version of Eva, and that every other version is just a phony. 10/10.

I am now anxious for Eva 2.0; I hear it's supposed to be better than Eva 1.0. I just have to see how this series will unfold. For now, the Blu-ray cut of Eva 1.0 is a great start, just . . . mind the bloodshed and boob shots.

<<This is a review from somebody that has never yet watched the actual NGE series, so I'm mostly writing this to warn people like me that dive into the movie thinking it's ultimately the same thing just with newer animation.>>

Avoid this movie at all costs ( and potentially the next ones if you didn't already like or get intrigued by this one). At best, just go watch the actual NGE and if you like it then only THEN come back and watch this movie. Don't under any means watch it without knowing anything of NGE.

Why? Was it that horrible despite the very high ratings ... on MAL?
Yes. And here are my justifications.

Story & characters - 4

I honestly still have no idea how to put my finger on what I had to deal with in 1 hour and 40 minutes of this movie. During the first 30 or 40 minutes I was still scratching my head wondering what the hell I was even watching and why nobody even wanted or cared to explain, only for me to suddenly be bombed with information middle way through, which...still didn't explain much. Don't get me wrong, I honestly appreciate when a show tries to tell a story by using images rather than words, yet in this case it just didn't cut it. (EDIT: After watching the first two episodes of NGE I can say how it is done way better even though they still don't tell you what's going on, but the message was sent perfectly). In other words, pacing just threw itself out the window and committed suicide.

The characters weren't the saving grace of this movie either with Shinji constantly being a drama queen. I have no issue with characters trying to act pitiful, I can understand how a 14 years old kid with a father complex can find the situation too much for himself, however, it developed too fast for me to remotely care. No, actually there was a lack of development to it altogether, however much I tried to justify it. I can see what it was that the directors tried to show, yet it just came out as "detached".
Rei, i saw too little of her to care or even question, though I give her that she could potentially be an interesting character, while Kaworu was the only character that I was remotely interested in basing myself on the last 20 seconds of the movie and out of my own superficial reasons (Akira Ishida *coughs*), which is actually quite sad.

I also heard that this first movie covers the first 6 episodes of NGE...so...6x23min = 138 min = 2 hours and 18 minutes of content translated into 1 hour and 40 minutes. With just 38 minutes of difference (one episode and a half) between the two, they managed to do a lot worst than the actual series (taking for granted that the series is better)? Congrats ! Achievement "Focusing on the wrong things" unlocked !


Animation & Sound: 5,5

It was nice, though looking at the footage of the old series I don't think that it looks any better. Maybe smoother, but not really better. Actually, I don't even think a remake or retelling (or whatever this is) was needed, unless it was meant to serve as eyecandy for those that already watched the original Evangelion. Though, yes, the combat actually does look better.

The sound was quite forgettable and actually quite unfitting at some points, so I have no idea what happened there or what atmosphere they wanted to establish.

Enjoyment & Overall- 3,5 (rounded off to 4 )

Unfortunately, because of all mentioned above it was very hard to even give a shit of what was going on anymore so that summarizes my enjoyment on point. I was really baffled that what I was watching, Neon Genesis Evangelion, THAT Evangelion, revolutionized the anime market because from this movie I just couldn't see it even if I tried to somehow justify it for being a "new concept". I just couldn't.
But since my bafflement was so high, I decided to give a chance to the original NGE. Just to save you the pain though, I can assure you that you, Eva-newbie, miss nothing from not watching this movie.

I usually check the reviewers&rsquo; anime compatibility to see if I'm likely to enjoy the anime or not. One of the highest compatibility to this anime was 38.8% which should have flagged me early on since they've ALL given it high ratings. So I'm writing a small review simply to add yet another one. To warn off people.

I'd like to say that I've watched the series and what I liked the most, was probably the story.
But this movie is bad. Really bad.

They've completely ruined the story.

They haven't changed the art in any way. It&rsquo;s more or less a hideous AMW of the series.

The sound was ... so-so.

They've made the characters out as either insane or emo.

Unfortunately, I don't like the things I wrote above. So the enjoyment was pathetic.

Even if it receives so many 1s, I'll give it a 2 because I COULD imagine something worse. Even though it's hard to.

This is the 1st of 4 movies (3 released so far) that are to be made as remakes of the somewhat legendary mecha anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion". While I haven't watched the show I was meaning to check out this movie for quite a long time & really was expecting a lot from it as a matter of fact from all the hype over the internet, but also had a bit of irritating fear that it might not turn out to be as good as it promises to be. Well, it had its flows but it is also an experience to be greatly enjoyed indeed.

This ... is the story of a futuristic version of Japan where a global catastrophe named the Second Impact left half of world's population dead & the rest in constant war with beings called Angel who are immensely powerful. The story begins with our protagonist Shinji waiting to be picked up by Misato who is sent to get him to humanity's main defense force against Angels NERV's headquarters by his father. Next he is somewhat forced to pilot Evangelion Unit 01 against the Angel. The story then progresses through his struggles against Angels, against his own depression & desire to be appreciated or even accepted by his father who left him in his childhood. In the course of the story he gets introduced with Eva Unit 00's pilot Rei Ayanami who both intrigues him by her actions & makes him jealous by her relationship with his father, which he himself desires. Shinji constantly battles his depression and fears while also trying to find motivations behind his need to pilot Eva 01. And through this the movie somehow shades the shell of a mere mecha anime among so much others and into a really emotional yet exciting journey of a defective yet realistic hero.
The story is really told quite nicely, although I would have liked a bit more explanation here and there it gets 9 out of 10 from me.

The anime could have really truly shined if some of the other characters had as much care as was put into Shinji or in some cases Rei. But unfortunately it was not so. While the character of Shinji is that you might not like him or even hate him for his quite irrational behavior sometimes, it has to be said that the writer really created him with so much care. All his anguishes, his false hopes and desires, his struggle with the new forced reality which he has to face, his fascination with Rei & his emotions toward his father everything was done so perfectly that is really rare in anime format. Rei also shows some emotional bits that are done very artistically, like how can someone forget that line, "I have nothing else". All other characters are not really well developed or even seems kind of out of place compared to the mains that it really becomes a weak point for the movie. Characters get 8 out of 10 from me.

The art & animation were really detailed and top-notch, and truly it seems almost flawless. I don't know how it was back in 1995 when the original show aired but this movie's animation was really so smooth and enjoyable that it really makes the fights that much more exciting. The directors and the studio did really fine work in this regard and needs to be praised. In fact there was a scene close to the end of the movie which I liked so much that I watched it may be 3-4 times. This gets 9 out of 10.

In the regard of the sound, the in-movie music was really well done, and really complimented the emotional bits very nicely. Specially the sound effects used where we see Shinji's emotional turmoils really adds much more depth to the real experience and Shiro Sagisu needs to be praised for this. But I really didn't like the ending song "Beautiful World" by Utada Hikaru. It really felt out of place and in fact I was quite annoyed by it. That deducts a few points, so the music gets 8 out of 10.

The progression was done quite well and really it leaves so much to look forward for the next movies. Although I would have liked a little bit more character development for the side characters and a bit more explanation about the Angels and the past I will definitely check out the sequels. Although this has its fair share of flaws but I have to agree it is a cut above the rest and is almost a masterpiece .
Overall score -
8.5 out of 10.

[As Originally Written on AnimeNfo.com] - Via Kyzoryn


Essentially it is a recap of the original Genesis Evangelion which aired in Japan back in ’95. Though I haven’t watched the original series, this movie does a good job clearly telling its story and developing each character sufficiently.

With the latest graphics and CGI the animation and fight scenes excellent, and at moments just take your breath away – that is if you’re watching the movie with high quality. The amount of detail integrated in the foreground, mecha, and characters (not just the main characters) are tremendous. The sound does an effective job of enhancing each theme provoked ... by the series.

The characters, though a bit underdeveloped, are far from cliché and go through many self-conflicts as well as the obvious angels. Regarding the underdeveloped characters, this is okay, because there are three more movies to build and develop each character. You are (not) Alone serves as an introduction, but beyond that focuses on essential theme of loneliness.

Yes, loneliness, the world in You are (not) Alone is nearly lifeless in comparison to our present world, which has not undergone a Armageddon during the human era. Society is alone, but not alone, as there are far distant societies. Shinji the main character, suffers depression and feels worthless to his father. With these conditions we watch as he grows and for anyone that has ever battled the feeling a loneliness and/or worthlessness, then like me, you will greatly understand and appreciate Shinji the main character. Ayanami , another main character is slightly mysterious, but it is obvious we will learn more about her in the coming movies.

The story itself is quite simple, they are battling to stay alive, but it goes beyond this simple plot, into the lives of each and every character –what drives them to keep surviving, keep living and what has created who they are right now. It also explores futuristic features of society and often introduces confusingly psychological ideas – which are poorly developed and/or explained. This would be the one major flaw throught the Evangelion series, but at the same token it makes it somewhat of a mystery anime as well.

Overall: Excellent, definitely worth
watching. Amazing Graphics and sound. A storyline and characters with depth that leaves a different impression upon a vast array of viewers.

Weakness: Underdevoloped and/or poorly explained psychological concepts, or plot holes which are never addressed, may leave viewer confused.

Subtitles/Dub: Dub isn’t bad, but defiantly prefer subtitles.

If you are only one who can save mankind could you save it?

Evangelion: 1.0 is update version for TV-series and previous movies , it's start of new EVA series that includes also 3 other movies too. Even this movie recaps some stuff, there is some new stuff to also look.

Story - 9

It's still same enjoyable Evangelion story with some plot twist changes, and it's still has deep and psychological moments in it.

I think honestly this story explained much more, than original 1-6 episodes did, which these movie was based. I liked it also that's why a lot more.

Pacing was maybe little too quick, but I ... don't think it was problem, because it was meant to be recap movie overall.

Art - 10

DAMN! Is this really Evangelion what I saw o.o animation made like huge changes from SD to HD quality.

It's beautifully detailed EVA's with Neon colors added, and it made nice color splash with bright and soft colors. It also used nice reflecting effect and some light flashes.

I liked a lot how they made flashbacks look, but major changes were seen in Angels. 3th Angel looked actually scarier than in Tv-Series , but 6th Angel was just creative work they used for updating his model. That design, OMG it was so awesome. Those were mostly cold colors but that blue ice colors gotta love it.

Not so much impact with bombs but smoke effect were also nice bonus. I also think background art will also get's mentioned here, It's just superb.

Sound - 10

Music also had major improvements, like instruments updated with live music it sounded more clearer and nicer too.

However I kind of liked that old battle theme they had with original Tv-Series I didn't so much liked this new one. But other than that it was great listening experience.

Ending theme was also enjoyable, because it describes this movie really well with words that it has to offer. Kind of catchy song I would have to say, and nicely paced with drums.

The Characters - 8

The Characters maintained it original position, like they should be in EVA series. There wasn't any major happenings with them. But I noticed that Gendo was maybe a little more kind, than he was in Tv-Series.

Also, if people says Shinji is whining crybaby in Tv-Series, I would say that he wasn't so crybaby in this one all the time. Of course he had still hard time and problems, but still maintained his position well.

Enjoyment - 10

Have to say I really enjoyed this movie. It gives nice atmosphere for viewer and, also explains some stuff better than what Tv-series did. And who wouldn't liked those stunning effects, which they totally delivered and emotional music.

Overall - 10

Overall Evangelion 1.0 is nice rebirth for EVA series, and with it's updated concept it promises to deliver those same EVA moments, but with even better than usually. It's definitely can make series feel uneasy after those changes, and also give some new hope for upcoming movies.

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion a Masterpiece!? Why is this regarded so highly in the Anime world?

I tried to watch the TV series but it just got too boring after 12 episodes. To sum it up: Whiny fuckin EMO kids mixed with MECH Battles and Illuminati Symbolism!

How is the upgraded blu-ray "Rebuild of Evangelion 1.11"? the same fucking shit but way better animation, don't get me wrong it looks fuckin cool and slick. I actually enjoyed it more than the TV series. Whiny EMO kids at least with underage nudity exists, and the MECH battles look cooler in "HD", but nothing really ... engaging about the characters or story.

I WILL watch the other remakes just to see how plot develops.

But honestly...this is some overrated shit!

I'm not going to write about the plot of this movie since its essentially a remake of the first 6 episodes of the show shot for shot but with better animation and crisper visuals. But let me get one thing out of the way first, I FREAKING LOVED the original EVA series. Here we were with our boring and repetetive mech shows, and there came EVA to turn it all upside down along with all of anime. Also, End of Evangelion is not only an anime masterpiece, but a masterpiece in pure animation filmmaking.

I'm going to jump right in and tell whats different in this ... remake. Not a lot actually. The first 2/3s of the film are essentially hi-def remakes of the first 4 episodes. Its not until the last 1/3 when the sniper angel fight is fought where the changes start coming at you. The final angel fight is way different, and almost better than the original. Some important stuff is revealed to Shinji a lot earlier than before, and Kaoru has a grand entrance on the moon. Yep, you heard me, on the MOON (that big object in outerspace that orbits the earth, in case I didnt EMPHASIZE that last point enough.)

The best thing about this film is revisiting this universe. Hideaki Anno, the show's creator, is striving to reinterpret his masterpiece with this new set of moives, and this first one does a great job of setting up new material to come, while at the same time remaining completely faithful about what EVA is really all about.

However, that's also where part of the movie's problems lie. Most of the movie is nothing new though, and you'll have to wait unitl the next 2 movies and the finale to really see the drastic changes Anno is making in this reinterpreted version of EVA. Also, this really isn't an issue, but as such a fan of the original series, this new movie set will never replace the original. The original Evangelion series inspired me to study animation filmmaking, and this new set of films simply doesnt have the same effect. Its still REALLY DAMN GOOD, just not as meaningful or revolutionary as before.

In conclusion, Rebuild of Evangelion 01 does its job and sets up the overhaul of the EVA series that Anno is striving to do. Its not at all revolutionary like the show, but it is still an interesting experiment in filmmaking, and I'm definately intrigued by how this story can be reinterpretted by Anno after all the stuff he went through making the show and End of EVA (mental breakdown and all). Watch the original series and End of EVA first in order to appreciate what these movies are really trying to do as a requirement though.