GANTZ
Release Date: 12 May 2011
Rating: NC16
Misc: Budget – 3.4billion yen
Starring:
Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Thriller
Rating: 8/10
Plot:
Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato jumped onto a subway track to help a drunk man who had fell onto the subway track. After saving the man, both of them were ran over by the oncoming train. However, instead of dying a gruesome death, both Kurono and Kato were transported into a white apartment with a black orb called “Gantz”, but they were not alone. It was later discovered that everyone in that apartment were supposed to die due to various reasons, but they were still alive and breathing. Could that apartment be heaven?
All of a sudden, with most people in a state of confusion, the Gantz orb opens up, revealing suitcases with names, sitting a custom fitting black suit that gives them superhuman abilities and weapons. “Your lives have ended, and they now belong to me” appeared on the surface of Gantz. Gantz had gave them a mission - to exterminate aliens lurking on Earth within a time limit. A picture and brief information on the alien to be eliminated was shown, and everyone present in the apartment were transported to the location of the mission except for Gantz.
Only when the time limit is up, or when all the aliens are defeated, can the survivors return to their apartment where they will be transported back to their original homes again. Those who lost their lives during the missions will perish forever.
After every mission done, Gantz will distribute the points and give some sneering but hilarious remarks to every player. When one has gathered 100 points, he/she is able to revive one player who had lost his/her life during the mission, or leave the apartment with their memories (on the missions and Gantz) erased.
After various battles, Kurono had decided to battle, with the objective of reviving the players who had lost their lives. Will he be successful? In addition, “なぜ、戦うのかー。“ (Why are we fighting/what are we fighting for?) was a quote I saw on the official movie site. Will they finally get to know the reason for the phenomenon of being alive even though they were supposed to be dead? Will they get to know the reason for risking their lives to battle with aliens?
My guess is that these will be revealed in Gantz II Perfect Answer, the sequel to Gantz.
Trailer:
Personal opinion/Recommendation:
Gantz is not just about guns.
To be frank, I did not watch the movie because I knew that it was going to be such a mind-blowing movie. I watched this movie because I’m a fan of Ninomiya Kazunari (portraying Kei Kurono), Kenichi Matsuyama (portraying Masaru Kato) and Kanata Hongo (portraying Nishi). I had watched their previous movies and thought that they were good actors with solid acting.
I had no idea what was Gantz about, other than the fact that it was about the actors being in a tight suit and holding guns, possibly engaging in a war (as seen on the poster). Moreover, it was my NC16 movie, I didn’t know what to expect. However, after watching the movie, I was blown off my mind. I was pretty impressed by visual effects. I dropped my jaws from the start of the first mission to the end of the movie. Well, because of the amazing visual effects and also because of the gore, blood and violence. So some warning, it is NC16 for a reason. Lots of blood, lots of gore, but lots of awesomeness and actions packed into 131 minutes.
I began reading Gantz manga recently and realised they had followed the story line rather closely. The starring actors had also done a great job in portraying the personality of the characters.
Reviewed by: Chua Wan Ting
Summer Wars
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Story by: Mamoru Hosada
Release date: 1 August, 2009
Rating: [8/10]
Storyline: The show revolves around Kenji Koiso, a high-school math-genius who moderators the virtual reality world of OZ. He winds up staying with his senior, Natsuki Shinohara, to celebrate her great-grandmother’s (Sakae Jinnouchi) birthday. Suddenly, he received a mysterious email with a mathematical code which he managed to crack. Unbeknownst to him, it was sent by an artificial intelligence, Love Machine, who used Kenji’s account to hack into OZ’s main framework and cause havoc worldwide in reality. Do Kenji and the Jinnouchi family have what it takes to stop Love Machine?
Artwork: Unlike most animes with funky hair, exotic colour or exaggerated features, this movie manages to capture attention with characters that have simplistic oriental appearances but complex personalities. By contrast, the world of OZ is rendered in 3D, giving a more futuristic feel. The artwork surprises us with its fine details in over millions of unique avatars, and even more “virtual shopping items”. Animation wise, it impressed us with fast-paced action like when King Kazma rapidly dodged the obstacles.
Sound: Good use of sound effects for both virtual and reality realms. Narration was succinct and clear, although fast.
Concepts: It starts like a normal story with a bashful young hero, and proceeds to something more fresh and original. It is able to bring mind-boggling world-scale situations into relatable contexts. It is an excellent balance of corny science-fiction and sentimental slice-of-life.
Favourite Scene: The scene where the extended family got together for lunch, despite the time limits, made the show very heartwarming and nostalgic.
Favourite Character: Sakae Jinnouchi, the great-grandmother. Seeing an old lady calling up all her family members and associates in important emergency positions just to encourage them in the crisis, makes you respect her deeply. She is also quick to forgive her black-sheep son, Wabisuke, and is the driving force in reuniting him with the family.
Recommendations: Yes. I recommend this to everyone who enjoys good family shows. However, younger audiences may find it difficult to understand the narrations that move very quickly.
Review by: Marcus Quek
