If you don't know Gantz, the movie does a good job setting the stage in proper Gantz fashion. Like those in the Gantz game, you're thrust into it with little explanation and told to survive. The issue is keeping that level of anxiety consistent. Unlike early Gantz content, this film takes place in the middle of the manga and animates one of the most memorable arcs. The difficult part about going over this arc is that it introduces other "teams" playing the Gantz game who are far more advanced than the team you are introduced to in the film. Not only does the main team we follow feel relieved that other teams are cleaning up, you as a viewer lose any sense of dread you might have otherwise experienced.
One might argue that this sets up how nutso things get in the end. Sure, I guess I can understand that, and to those who KNOW Gantz they will find themselves guessing along since there are significant differences between the manga and this interpretation of the arc, but this doesn't eliminate the fact that the audience has grown used to watching people kick butt.
Part of what made the arc in the manga so impactful was the fact that your main characters were being wiped left and right. There was a big surprise in seeing other teams that succeeded in surviving. That's what made the ending of the arc so powerful, the fact that things were much more than expected. However, in an hour and a half, it's hard to cover that kind of content, and since the film even separates itself from the horrid anime adaption, it's even more disjointed than it possibly should be.
Now, in regards to changes, anyone and everyone should find it easy to excuse them. This is an alternate telling of an exciting arc that still remains quite as exciting. In fact, I'd argue that the film is much easier to enjoy solely because of this. The changes made make exposition feel natural, it makes the heroism of characters seem believable, and it adds a level of excitement that I am glad I got to experience despite having read Gantz. These changes, all in all, made a film adaption possible. Could it have been better? Sure, if you gave the movie another half hour to work with, or perhaps split it into 2 films, but I'm not so sure it needed that. Some of the things that were cut make the film all the more watchable (to those who have read the manga, you know what I'm talking about).
To backpedal a little, there probably needed to be a little more expository dialogue than there was in the film. It all felt rather genuine in the film, but a little more would have been helpful. The reason is this: The final fight feels like a JRPG final boss except without explanation. I can't get into detail without spoilers, but it'd make sense to maybe make reference to similar aliens in previous games. Maybe mention the Onion alien and how the target wasn't actually X it was Y. Something like that would make things flow better and not feel so "because movie" to non-Gantz fans.
Art:
AMAZING animation. I'm talking FANTASTIC. The choice to make a 3DCG film with this quality of animation was perfect. It made the aliens feel much more realistic. When a live-action film has CGI, no matter how good it looks, it is still CGI and disconnected from reality. However, when the reality of the narrative is entirely 3DCG, it makes the monsters feel grounded and real. This added a whole new level to the experience that I didn't expect, as well as brought new horror to enemies I had already come to fear.
Something really great is the lighting in this film. Not only does it have excellent effects for all of its lighting but there are also very "film"-esque lighting. For instance, there is eye lighting. In film, this is the act of putting a light on the eyes despite it not likely making sense in the real world. This is something I love. A scene can be crowded and busy but not only are we greeted with someone's face and their reaction, we're drawn to it with more focus solely because there's a light source reflecting against their eyes and skin. It's so classic noir but it feels great to see this employed in an animated feature, no less.
The film also does a good job of being gory without being explicit. For instance, heads explode, bodies break, limbs are missing, but it never gets exploitative, something the manga felt quite often. It wasn't ever ridiculously tasteless and there was still impact to the events that unfolded based on what took place. You felt the damage that characters felt, you didn't necessarily need to see it.
Sound:
The OST is forgettable and didn't have much of a theme at all. I'm not quite sure why this was the case. There could have been some kind of theme. I would have really liked that. However, the OST does its job and isn't invasive and doesn't detract from the film at all.
VA work is great, as to be expected from an anime.
Character:
Likely the weakest point. Characters aren't fleshed out all that well. That said, I got to see one of my favorite characters in animated film (I'm sure you can guess who!) despite his character being a hard-support rather than taking the mantel in any fashion.
In fact, a lot of characters take a hard support role and aren't really given a lot of screen time. That's the difficulty of having a story that tries to feel big but doesn't really succeed. You have so many characters and by the end of the film I turned to my friend and asked, "Who are these people, again?"
Enjoyment:
Pretty enjoyable and the animation alone makes for a great experience. I'd recommend it to anyone due to how solid everything looks paired with the fact that it's a fun action flick. I'll definitely be seeing this film again and might even purchase a Blu-ray in the future. It's a cool film and super accessible.
((If you liked this review, feel free to check out my others! I review most manga and anime I finish!))
