VividSimon Simply Perfect

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

sneeka2 The 20th Century Boys trilogy shoves a science fiction story in your face, while actually telling a completely different story about a group of boys growing up in the 20th century. This is made plain by the title alone, but as with many Japanese works, what you see is not actually the important part. And yet it turns out it was all along. In fact, pretty much everything that happens after Kenji's school reunion in the film's timeline is practically irrelevant. There's a robot or two, (dysfunctional) laser guns, UFOs, epic explosions, a world-wide plot to extinguish mankind and lots of blood… but these things are all simply tools used to advance the real story.And the real story could barely be any more simple. It's the old human drama about what could have been, what should have been, mistakes that were made in the past that continue to haunt the children and the whole of mankind.The story is told by alternating between bits and pieces of the boys' youth and the consequences they bear in the future. There are many main characters, some mere caricatures and others more detailed. None of them is really elevated above the level of a stereotype though. "Tomodachi" creates a cult which grows to become a world-wide movement, Kenji becomes the legendary leading figure of the idea of resistance, Kanna the leader of a more tangible resistance group, Occho the lone wolf who does the hard work. And that's all you really need to know about them. Other characters play more or less important roles on the sidelines, but what exactly they do is rarely more than hinted at. In fact, what exactly the main characters do is also never really more than hinted at. Part of this may be due to the constraints of condensing the epic story of the manga into under 8 hours of film, but it doesn't really matter in the end. The appeal is in the why, not the what or the how. And the "why" is told through repeated important scenes in the characters' childhoods and subtle conversions between the children's future selfs.The movie is an homage to growing up in the 20th century, with 1960's Japan revived, throwing in many cultural references that viewers not very acquainted with Japan will simple overlook. It's a celebration of rock music and melancholy for the past, both the past of Japan in general and specifically the past of all characters involved. The movie is wearing the mask of a science-fiction/action movie, just as "Tomodachi" is wearing his mask, but what it's actually about is for the viewer to find out.

Brian Harris (wildsidecinema) 20th Century Boys has more twists and turns than you can count and it pulls no punches when it comes to waving "Bye-bye-bye" to main characters. Unfortunately, in my opinion, that was one of this film's drawbacks, the characters. There was at least a dozen characters to keep track of and it becomes a bit daunting figuring out which friend is which and who is who. It wasn't physics or anything but careful attention to the film will be required.Outside of that, 20th Century Boys was thrilling and the production design fantastic, my 11-year-old loved it and I was thoroughly entertained. Decent dialog? Check. Meaningful character arcs? Check. Heartwarming moments? Check.After having the privilege of watching the first and second films in this series, I'd say I'm a fan of the 20th Century Boys series and I'm undoubtedly looking forward to the third installment slated for fall. This first installment can indeed be a slippery beast if you don't pay attention but if attention span isn't a problem for you and a bevy of "Who the hell was that again?" characters don't bother you, you're in for some major entertainment! I honestly couldn't find anything that I didn't like about this film, really. Sure there were quite a few "childhood flashbacks" but they're necessary so suck it up, plug it in and have a ball! Hopefully when this hits the states it's not trimmed down by an hour for the ADHD crowd.

dbborroughs This story drifts backwards and forwards through time. Its the story of Kenji and his childhood friends who in 1969 and 1970 formed a club, created a flag and something called the Book of Prophecy, the tale of a foul villain who seeks to destroy mankind. Jump ahead to the dawn of the 21st century where at a grammar school reunion they discuss an new cult with a symbol that mimics almost exactly their old club symbol. Additionally strange deaths are being reported around the globe and it looks like the Apocalypse is upon us. Things turn darker as members of their childhood group begin to die and it looks like the cult is very interested in Kenji's niece as the chosen one...as events begin to slide toward the end, events based exactly on the "Book of Prophecy" Kenji and his friends realize that some one they know is "Friend" the head of the cult, and its up to them to stop the mad plans which look to wipe out mankind.Covering a large chunk of the first two volumes of the tale (I know I recently read them) this movie moves like the wind and still feels rushed. So much characterization has been left along the way in the name of telling this truly epic story which covers over 40 years of time. To be honest there were times that I felt lost, more so once the film moves away from the material I'm familiar with and on to the events surround 12/31/2000 date that is suppose to be the end. Plot holes develop and one is left to wonder why somethings happen (why and how did the near infant Kanna come back to the city alone?) To be honest while the film has great performances and great special effects, the script is very messy as is jumps all around and tries to compress the events into a bite size morsel, they've cut out a great deal of exposition from the books and you can feel it.(I was hoping that somethings might have been explained in Chapter 2, the second film, but they're not and thats another kettle of fish entirely). The one thing that bothered me the most is that this is the film of a thousand endings. Knowing that the film is going to end and be picked up by two later parts one is aware that the story is going to stop, and it does repeatedly only to pick up again and again and again. Its like watching half the cliff hangers for a TV series entire season, including fade out, in rapid succession, you keep getting up to leave but the story keeps going. This needed to be a miniseries.Over all its a good movie, but under no circumstances should you watch it figuring you'll get an ending, you don't and as the post credits teaser shows there is a great deal more to come.

kwtoh This show is about a group of young boys and a girl who while playing together, created their own sci-fi fantasy cartoon about the world in the future being destroyed slowly beginning with an unknown virus that destroys major cities and ending with giant robots and laser beams that would kill millions.Many many years later, 1 of the group decides to act out the child play fantasy and make it become reality. The story takes the viewpoint of Kenji and shows how he reunites with his childhood friends to discover who is the one behind the cult whose leader is known as friend.Overall i found the show to be completely ridiculous, full of plot holes and a comedy of errors. It is very obvious that the director or the script writer must have lacked a whole lot of common sense to have created a film like this.What made it worst was that the movie was 3 hour long. Above the 2 1/2hour mark you'd feel so infuriated at yourself for wasting money and time on such a crab lousy show.My word of advise... avoid at all costs! It'd be more entertaining watching my toe dance than to watch this show. Least watching my toe dance doesn't make me feel stupid!I rated this show 2/10, 1 for the chick in the movie so that the show wouldn't become a sausage feast and another for the creativity behind the really cool name they called their cartoon - The book of prophecies.