This rebuild is very different from the first since it actually has new stuff in it instead of being a condensed version of the first few episodes of the original series. It does include a handful of scenes from the show, but it quickly diverges into a strange alternate timeline that sees different angels, different characters, and different circumstances unfold. For instance, we are introduced to a previously unknown Eva pilot by the name of Mari. I don’t really see why we needed another Eva pilot, especially since the dynamic between Rei, Asuka, and Shinji is already pretty damn good in my opinion, but she’s not in too many scenes so I don’t really care all that much. What I noticed about this movie is how it is fundamentally different from the events in the show. However, it utilizes the same ideas/moments; it simply repackages them if you will. For example, Shinji refusing to fight Asuka’s Eva in this movie replaces when Shinji refuses to fight Toji’s Eva in the show. Same ideas, same moment in a way, but I do think that Shinji being told to fight Asuka has more gravitas to it than when he was asked to fight Toji. I feel like there is more emotional weight between Asuka and Shinji than there is between Shinji and Toji. Also, another thing I really like about this movie is how Rei and Shinji seem to have a much more fleshed out relationship. Rei tries to bring Shinji and his father closer together by throwing a dinner party (which is interrupted by angels and whatnot but it’s the thought that counts), while Shinji literally saves Rei from the core of an angel in an emotional sequence near the end of the movie. I just love how much they both care about each other. Shinji’s daddy issues are very much on display in this film as it was in the show and I mean how could it not be, it’s basically the foundation for the whole show. The ending kind of took me off guard since I didn’t expect the end of it all to come so soon but we’ll see what the third rebuild has to offer. Overall, the animation, colors, visuals, and story of this movie are very impressive. My favorite sequence is definitely the one that takes place in the aquarium because we get to see a mix of silliness (when they are all eating together) and seriousness (when Shinji says he feels bad for the fish because they are in a contained space, yet Rei counters this statement by saying that they wouldn’t be able to survive in the ocean and in that sense, she is like the fish). There are a lot of cool ideas thrown around in this and I really like seeing how far Anno has strayed from the original show. I wonder how much further he will stray. I do like this movie, but I really don’t like how it sexualizes characters such as Asuka, who is 14 years old for crying out loud. It’s really not necessary and the fact that they added scenes that sexualize her in this that weren’t previously in the show is just gross. They had 10+ years to fix that aspect of the show and they decided not to. If it weren’t for those moments, this could very well be a five star movie. By the way, every scene with Kaworu Nagisa is amazing and I am very excited to see what role he plays in the next two rebuilds.
This rebuild is very different from the first since it actually has new stuff in it instead of being a condensed version of the first few episodes of the original series. It does include a handful of scenes from the show, but it quickly diverges into a strange alternate timeline that sees different angels, different characters, and different circumstances unfold. For instance, we are introduced to a previously unknown Eva pilot by the name of Mari. I don’t really see why we needed another Eva pilot, especially since the dynamic between Rei, Asuka, and Shinji is already pretty damn good in my opinion, but she’s not in too many scenes so I don’t really care all that much. What I noticed about this movie is how it is fundamentally different from the events in the show. However, it utilizes the same ideas/moments; it simply repackages them if you will. For example, Shinji refusing to fight Asuka’s Eva in this movie replaces when Shinji refuses to fight Toji’s Eva in the show. Same ideas, same moment in a way, but I do think that Shinji being told to fight Asuka has more gravitas to it than when he was asked to fight Toji. I feel like there is more emotional weight between Asuka and Shinji than there is between Shinji and Toji. Also, another thing I really like about this movie is how Rei and Shinji seem to have a much more fleshed out relationship. Rei tries to bring Shinji and his father closer together by throwing a dinner party (which is interrupted by angels and whatnot but it’s the thought that counts), while Shinji literally saves Rei from the core of an angel in an emotional sequence near the end of the movie. I just love how much they both care about each other. Shinji’s daddy issues are very much on display in this film as it was in the show and I mean how could it not be, it’s basically the foundation for the whole show. The ending kind of took me off guard since I didn’t expect the end of it all to come so soon but we’ll see what the third rebuild has to offer. Overall, the animation, colors, visuals, and story of this movie are very impressive. My favorite sequence is definitely the one that takes place in the aquarium because we get to see a mix of silliness (when they are all eating together) and seriousness (when Shinji says he feels bad for the fish because they are in a contained space, yet Rei counters this statement by saying that they wouldn’t be able to survive in the ocean and in that sense, she is like the fish). There are a lot of cool ideas thrown around in this and I really like seeing how far Anno has strayed from the original show. I wonder how much further he will stray. I do like this movie, but I really don’t like how it sexualizes characters such as Asuka, who is 14 years old for crying out loud. It’s really not necessary and the fact that they added scenes that sexualize her in this that weren’t previously in the show is just gross. They had 10+ years to fix that aspect of the show and they decided not to. If it weren’t for those moments, this could very well be a five star movie. By the way, every scene with Kaworu Nagisa is amazing and I am very excited to see what role he plays in the next two rebuilds.
