Story - 9
Although the story is something that has been told, and retold countless times and in various different ways, Origin: Spirits of the Past took a unique approach set in a distant future with memories of yet another future we haven't seen yet.
Art - 10
Perhaps the most compelling feature of the film, it was definitely what made me want to watch it. The world in this movie is simply gorgeous and the characters designs are great as well. The highlights would definitely be the forest scenes that mesmerizing and beautiful.
Sound - 9
The movie actually opens up with an amazing song that only promises more stupendous music to follow suit. Luckily, it doesn't let down. The score for this film is great and perhaps the second best part of the movie. I would not mind buying the soundtrack and listen to it independently for enjoyment at practically any moment.
Character - 5
There should have been so much depth... so much emotion. Yet we are met with very mediocre characters as cliche and watered-downed as possible. You never really get the sense that you knew anyone in this movie. This is where your imagination really has to kick to retell the tale to better suit what it was meant to be.
Enjoyment - 7
Amazing art, splendid music, and an intriguing plot. Please hold just a bit longer for an explanation...
...So what happened?
Overall - 7
Stellar art an music paired with a great storyline. Why did it have to ultimately flop? I know many people have compared it to a Miyazaki movie or even more specifically to Princess Mononoke. The animation and scenery was perhaps more beautiful than any Miyazaki movie, but what it lacked the most was its emotion. It was a great story, very poorly presented. It's demise clearly centers around the characters. Although I would prefer not to compare, to help explain what I mean, I will compare it to Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky. The premise of how the two main characters met are very similar: a young boy deep underground, and a sleeping girl with a "magical" necklace. What sets them apart, however, is that the characters in Laputa are allowed to grow and spend a lot more time together. Their relationship and their affection for each other is believable and charming. In Origin, the two characters have one significant scene where they seem to be pushed to be together. Not long after, they are separated and hardly ever even speak to or mention each other for quite a while, yet we are left to believe that there was a special connection between the two that was never presented in a good way. Sure Agito has an outburst where it seems he confesses he likes Toola, but that is as far as it goes. Particularly with Toola, there are very, very little hints that she actually cares or likes Agito at least a bit.
This also isn't an issue of the length of the movie. Though I wouldn't disagree with a suggestion of a longer movie to play up the characters, there were many unnecessary scenes that were elongated, and some very short ones that needed to be expanded on for the sake of the story. For example (minor spoiler ahead), there is a scene where a character goes through a transformation and becomes a stronger being and we are left to believe that the transformation was really something brilliant within no more than 3 or so minutes.
As I mentioned before, I really wanted to like this movie. The beginning was very interesting, but it remained dull and lifeless throughout most of the film, forcing it to lose it's charm.
I guess in one word, the best way to describe the loss of the movie would be lifeless.
The characters seemed interesting, but were never played-up or presented as relatable beings. The setting for the story was brilliant, but it ran across far too many under-worked scenes and dialogue sequence that made it come across as cliche.
This is not a bad movie or story. It is simply very un-enthusiastically or monotonously told.
