Reviews

Aug 11, 2019
Alright. Let's talk about the Code Geass movie. Mild spoilers.

I... did not hate it. In fact... I kinda liked it! How about that? The first sequel project to not completely disgust me! And why is that? Well, for one, it didn't feel contrived. While the enemies were kinda just okay (while still making sense), all the characters felt true to their roots. Their motivations were all consistent and their roles and actions felt like natural extensions of who they were in the original series. Seeing old characters again did not feel like deliberate nostalgia fanwanks. Instead, it was great to see what all of them were up to after all this time and most of them had rather significant roles to play. C.C. was definitely the star of the movie with Kallen still being my personal favorite. I also absolutely loved the fact that the movie built upon the themes, ideas and mythos of the original, proving and disproving fan theories along the way. It actually added to the original, instead of being just a shameless retread.

The story, just like the enemies, was really nothing special, but it got the job done. It was rather barebones, but it did what it did to get all the pieces moving and in place. There were quite a number of pivotal moments that really harkened back to the feeling of the original with clever tactics, use of powers and twists.

If there is one criticism that I have about the movie, it's that they didn't have enough time to properly showcase all the characters and the new Knightmares. As mentioned, while most of them had great standout moments, a couple of them only had minor cutaways and that's it. I was really looking forward to the new Lancelot and Guren, but the fights were really short and somewhat anticlimactic. In addition, while most of the scenes were beautiful 2D mecha action, there were some really bad 3DCG scenes interspersed throughout... sigh... this is the first time I wished we could have had more of a sequel project.

Last but not least, for the uninitiated, this movie is not canon to the original series. The compilation movies that came before this changed some key events (nothing TOO major) and, in doing so, created a new timeline. This movie is a sequel to those compilation movies. So, in essence, this movie a sequel that's both canon and not canon at the same time, essentially letting you have your cake and eat it. Brilliant.

In conclusion, this movie did something that Digimon, Cardcaptor and Yu-Gi-Oh! did not. This movie was not made for the fans, but for the characters. And that is why it succeeded. You could tell that the creators not only understood the characters, but loved them as well. While the original series had a perfect ending story-wise, this movie was a love letter to the characters, giving them a chance to experience a cathartic resolution to their emotional arcs, allowing them to have a happily ever after that they deserve after all they have been through. And that, I think, is something that most fans would agree with as well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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