20TH CENTURY BOYS Review
[It's one of the more anticipated films of the year, one of Japan's biggest budget offerings of the year, and one that's caused me some stress with a pair of underwhelming trailers. It's Yukihioko Tsutsumi's adaptation of popular manga 20th Century Boys, it just released in Japanese theaters, and ScreenAnarchy reader Brad Wilson has seen it. Here are his thoughts.]
'Cue classic riff'
Friends say it's fine, friends say it's good
Ev'rybody says it's just like rock'n'roll
I move like a cat, talk like a rat
Sting like a bee, babe I wanna be your man
Well it's plain to see you were meant for me, yeah
I'm your boy, your 20th century toy.....
Yes, the famous song that has long been attached to car commercials and the like now takes on a new meaning, through the form of a seminal manga and it's big screen counterpart. Speculation has been rampant for this, Yukihiko Tsutsumi's big budget, multi film adaption of Naoki Urasawa's crazy popular manga.
Does the flick live up to it's written father?
Do random Japanese people say the word 'Friend' alot?
Are there any schoolgirls in it?
Read on after the break....
Part 'Stand By Me, part 'It' and part 'Manchurian Candidate', 20th Century Boys [Nijuuseki Shonen] is a tale about the mistakes you make as a child and the the consequences we pay for as an adult.
A huge part of enjoying 20th is simply not knowing what's going on. It starts out so quiet and it's great to be able to involve yourself in the growing mystery of it all. For those who need a bit more of an understanding, read on [some mild spoilers but nothing crucial] or skip to the end if you wanna be surprised
20th Century Boys centers around normal, average guy Kenji [Casshern's Toshiaki Karasawa], who has turned into a mere shadow of his rebellious, determined childhood self. He runs a failing convenience Store [the backbone of Japanese Society surely] with his battleaxe of a mother and a part time employee with a disastrous inflection. His life is boring and simple, even his sister has run away, leaving him to care for her baby, Kanna.
Everything changes when he goes to a School Reunion and awkwardly meets his friends from the good ol' days of 1973, when rock is revolutionary and 'things mattered'. While nostalgia should be setting in, Kenji gets involved in a conversation about a certain new 'religious' group that people are flocking to. Not just that, but a killer virus has been sweeping the globe, wiping out all who come into contact with it. Disillusioned, Kenji thinks nothing of it until he discovers that this new religion, calling itself the 'Friend Group' is using the exact same symbol he and his childhood mates used back in the day when they swore to 'Protect The World'. In fact, this group and their leader 'Friend' seem to be enacting every single idea he and his friends though of when they were younger. Such horrible, deadly things they thought of...
Soon, Kenji and everyone he loves must join together and fight to save the world before 01/01/2000.
See?
Big doesn't even describe this one.
End Mild Spoilers.
I loved this film and almost everthing about it was a home run for me...almost.
"Just what the hell is this story about?" This is a common phrase uttered by most before, during or after watching the film and I'd like to say that this is due to 20th's huge, twisting narrative or complex character developments or even the skillful fusing of several genres but sadly, this may be the fault of the editor.
We all know the drill. When you adapt a novel [or something of equal size, say the 22 volume run 20th's Manga had], you have to cut and trim your way to the true story. Sure, Peter Jackson proved you can still get most of it all in there but even he in all his bearded glory, had to do away with characters and plot events.
20th is no different but where LOTR made sense from beginning to end, some things just don't add up in 20th and after re-reading the Manga...it's due to what's been left out.
Basically, this movie is wonderful and completely involving but as a fan of the Manga, my view is kinda clouded. For a review from someone who has not read the manga, check out Jason Gray's thoughts here: http://jasongray.blogspot.com/2008/08/20th-century-boys-trex-of-j-cinema.html.
As I was watching, I could fill in all the missing gaps but after I spoke to several people, they had no idea about several keys elements, elements which should have been obvious but no cinematic groundwork was laid.
In the climax, there is a massive reveal [the moneyshot basically] and the audience had no idea of it's relevance to the story...as the all important scene detailing this...wasn't in the film [but heavily mentioned in the Manga]. Other little moments, tiny character bits which tells you why they spur into action, or how the antagonist's group act have been cut and I feel it's the stuff which is vital to such an epic, yet focused tale. Perhaps the dvd will have the 'extended scenes' bit and that'll work for sure.
Also, on the whole director Yukihiko Tsutsumi plays it out masterfully but some shots are so bland, I wondered if they ran out of money somewhere along the production, especially when the copious CG is really nice!
Oh, and allow me to praise the Casting Director too. I have never seen such explicit, perfect casting in a film before...every actor looks EXACTLY like their Manga counterparts...so much so, it's really,
really creepy. Oh sure, one or two people don't work but this is a cast of 20 or 30 people....I can let it slide. Costume, set design....everything has been faithfully lifted from the Manga, it's amazing to see such respect and a humble 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it idea' applied to Japan's biggest movie of the year.
All in all, a great film and a fantastic start to an epic trilogy. Supreme bonus points to the film's score, verging on John Williams sometimes then right back to creepy atmospheric which the Japanese do so well.
So, for those who are baited, go here and read the manga. It's all there but be warned...it's big.
Review by Brad Wilson
