Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Review

If you're an anime fan, you've definitely heard of Evangelion. It has been called legendary, infamous, and everything you can think of. Giant robot anime is nothing new, but Evangelion stands above many. For a new fan, going back and watching the original Neon Genesis show can seem a little daunting. This is where the Rebuild movies come in. Serving as a reboot/retelling of the series, it's supposed to be perfectly accessible for new viewers and an update for longtime fans. You Are (Not) Alone is the first film in the tetralogy. For someone first entering the Evangelion realm, it proves to be a very interesting watch. It's basically what you get if you combine Pacific Rim with Serial Experiments Lain. The result is a solid opener with plenty of great things but could definitely use a little more detail.

The story follows Shinji who reluctantly must pilot Eva Unit-01 to stop the sinister Angels from destroying mankind. Along the way he meets Rei, a mysterious 14 year old girl. While that miniature plot summary sounds simple, the actual story is a lot more in-depth without actually being in-depth. Shinji is established early on as a depressed individual, not sure what his role in the world is. The fact that his father basically considers him nothing other than a tool doesn't help matters. It's an interesting dynamic, since it seems like his father, Gendo, cares for Rei, but not for Shinji. Since the tetralogy is basically one long story, I will assume it'll explain why exactly there's no relationship between the two in the next one.

The opening 20 minutes is quite impressive. The Angels are definitely one of the more terrifying anime villains. The first Angel especially (technically in movie it's the 4th) is very cool to watch. The city destruction and subsequent battle with Eva Unit-01 is worthy to be called cinematic and just awesome. If it's one thing Evangelion 1.0 doesn't disappoint in, it's the Angels and level of destruction. The other Angels that appear aren't quite as scary as the fourth, but still were impressive. (You know you have a winner when a shape-shifting diamond thing, the Sixth Angel, makes for a good final antagonist.) Like a lot of mecha anime however, over half of the focus is on the problems of the main character and everything around him.

Things happen very quickly from the start. Shinji is almost forced into the cockpit of Eva-01, and by the end of the film the viewer is still not entirely sure why. Why does it seem like only kids can pilot the Evas? There's a large amount of vagueness throughout the movie. Of course, since there's a blunt "to be continued" at the end, it's natural to assume this series is one of those things where answers will present itself as it goes along. Still, the film could have benefited from a little more information. When Misato was showing Shinji Lilith, the Second Angel, and its role in the birth of humanity, I'm thinking, "Great, this is interesting! Tell me more!" But that scene is over before it began.

A lot of anime are known for its fan-service. Sadly, Evangelion falls culprit to in. Perhaps the original show had some of that, but it doesn't mean it's necessary for it to be in the movies. There's a few awkward scenes that truly don't belong. Keeping in mind that it happens to be kids...it's very strange. (Rei is 14, so I had to grimace and turn away from a certain scene...) Anyways, aside from Shinji, much of the focus is on Rei. She's rather quiet and alone, which perplexes Shinji. The bond they form and the end is nicely done. Misato is established early on as bubbly, but quickly becomes serious when leading the military group: NERV. It's interesting to see her happy personality in the home and then her military character on the job. The soundtrack is what you expect from a big budget theatrical anime film, quality stuff.

Evangelion's first Rebuild movie is a solid entry to get into the franchise. You Are (Not) Alone has great animation, an intriguing story, and epic fights. It however does lack a lot of information which will hopefully be explored in 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. The fan service is a bit jarring, but thankfully it isn't a focus and happens rarely. Hopefully the sequels don't escalate it. Overall, the film is a great way to enter one of anime's greatest stories.

4/5

Why The Conjuring is a Step in the Right Direction for Horror Films

You'll find that horror is one of the most popular movie genres. Unfortunately the term 'horror' has been clitched too many times. Not only that, but logic seems absent in most of them. Hollywood loves to play the demonic angle. They love showcasing demonic possessions, demonic hauntings, and won't hesitate to have the characters completely eradicated by these entities. So what's missing? God is missing. Not too long ago I wrote an article on this. Hollywood loves to use demons for entertainment, but God or angelic intervention? Nowhere to be seen. Seriously, when I watch these movies I'm always wondering why no one whips out a Bible and does something. You would think that since the human characters know they're being haunted they would perhaps think a God exists too. But you won't find that for the majority of the time since Hollywood just wants to use the dark part of spiritual forces for entertainment.

The Conjuring surprised me.

The Conjuring came out back in July, and was surprisingly a huge hit. It made a lot of money and got pretty positive reviews, with some even calling it one of the best horror films of the decade. That's cause it gets so many things right. It's free of stereotypical clitches found in a lot of horror movies. It's apparently based on a true story, with the Perron family being haunted by a demonic entity, so they hire demonologists Ed and Loraine to expel the demon.

The first thing I want to get into is that this film had virtually no cursing and no nudity whatsoever. This was pretty amazing since you'll be hard-pressed to find a horror without one or the other. The Conjuring proves a film doesn't need that stuff and can survive simply on having a genuinely good, scary story. The second thing is that the family actually acts like real people and feel genuine. Often in horror films the characters are usually unlikable or jerks, but here they seem like a real family. Third, no main person dies. It has an actual ending, a nice one at that which is an extremely refreshing change of pace. Not all horror films must have a bitter ending. 

The main thing I want to get into is the portrayal of God. It was pretty interesting to see Ed use Him as a source to expel on the demon. "In the name of God, I command you back to Hell!" It's good to see someone using holy power against a demonic entity. It's not perfect however. The annoying thing that stood out was when Ed went to ask the Priest to get permission for the exorcism. The Priest didn't want to at first since the Perrons aren't members of the Catholic church. This to me is sad because I don't think God just wants us to help people in the church, we're called upon to help all people in time of need. So that stood out to me. The church God ordained will want to help out all people, not just members.

The part that made the film for me was the final line, a quote from Ed. "The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges on which we decide to follow." That's right, those words were stated in a theatrical Hollywood movie that thousands of people saw. It's an absolutely fantastic quote. The Conjuring is a great movie. It's a horror film the Christian can also appreciate. It's a step in the right direction for horror films, but unfortunately with Hollywood it's doubtful we'll get another movie like it anytime soon. 

On My Mind: A Lack of God in Horror Movies

I love a good horror movie.

Now when I say horror I'm not talking about slasher stories such as Friday the 13th or Texas Chainsaw, I'm not into gory slashers. The horror I'm talking about is combined with science fiction, like Alien or atmospheric supernatural stories. (Usually found footage related things.) Lately I can't say I'm truly into the genre, cause there's nothing really good anymore. But I'm not here to talk about the state of horror films, I'm here to talk about a lack of God in them.

The popular plot devices to use in horror movies are ghosts and demons. Demon possession is a very popular thing, always has been and always will be. Do you know what my problem is? God and angels are virtually never used in these movies. The word 'demon' seems to be overused and not fully understood by the people making these films. A demon is a fallen angel that sided with the Devil. Films like the Paranormal Activities highlight demonic attacks. Despite demons being used continually, you never see these characters seek out a Bible and want to learn how to protect themselves. Instead, the film is content with showing the characters' fear instead of them trying to grasp the situation. You would think being menaced by a demon would inspire them to crack open a Bible.

In all four Paranormal Activity movies, God isn't mentioned once. I find it interesting how the film industry is so eager to accept demons into their stories but won't allow Godly or angelic intervention. I also don't like how virtually all supernatural/demonic-attack movies never have happy endings. Instead of a character prevailing the attack through faith, they usually end up either completely possessed, or killed. Forbid if faith could be used in a positive light. And if there are demons, why can't angels come in? It's like the film industry doesn't want to add anything that represents Godliness and instead wants to focus on the evil. Interestingly, there was one movie three years ago called Legion. Actual angels appeared, but they are portrayed as the bad guys, sadistic, and they themselves were acting all demonic. (Even taunting the main characters.)

Yes, that is supposed to be one of God's angels. Great going Hollywood.

Really though, in today's world none of this comes as a surprise. Hollywood is so eager to use anything that would keep people's interest, but at the same time eliminate anything that is considered Spiritual or 'Biblically correct.' I'm not saying all the movies have to be preaching to the viewer, but it's sad that virtually none of the characters in these flicks knows what a demon truly is, which of course is the writer's fault. The movie House, which is based on the same book by Christian author Frank Peretti, shows us how well a dark and serious horror movie with a Christian touch works.Another example is the movie Priest, which is a dark, but really fun action movie with a Christian touch.

I'm 99% sure nothing will change. We'll keep getting movies with demonic possession without the characters thinking of asking God for help. My respect for Hollywood keeps dwindling.

Future Ghost Rider Movie Ideas: Heaven's on Fire

So I was at Comic Book Jones a few days ago. They had sent me their yearly 30% birthday coupon, so I headed there. My main comic place had sold out of Detective Comics, so I was hoping this place would have it. Thankfully, I found a copy. (My review here: http://destroyers-editorialsandreviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/detective-comics-1-review.html) Since I had such a great coupon, I headed to the back issue bins. But time had ran out, it was 6:11 and I had to be back in New Jersey by 6:45. I quickly zoomed in to the Spidey ones, where they had NOTHING, just newer issues I already have. With the time against me, I quickly dove into the Ghost Rider section. (Ever since my revisit to the film, I have been eager to check out some of his series.) They didn't have much, (this place needs to really re-invent their bins) but I saw this thing called "Heaven's on Fire." It was a six issue issue limited series according to the front. I wanted to buy all of them, but 4.50$ was the price for every single one, so I ended up just buying number six. (For those wondering, I made it back in time.)

The cover of this issue was what really grabbed me. As seen above, it shows two Ghost Riders, and this awesome looking black-winged angel. I've always liked how Ghost Rider meshed with theology, so I love this cover. (Definitely in top ten best, maybe even top five.) I honestly had no clue what it was about, or what year was it from. I found out the ladder when I opened it, seeing an advertisement for Siege, which meant this mini-series came out just last year. Of course, before I read the issue, I looked up what had happened before. Here's the plot in my words.

So it turns out that the being responsible for the Ghost Riders is NOT who they thought it was. It turns out that a renegade angel, Zadkiel, is responsible. This rebel wants to take over the the throne of Heaven itself, claiming that he himself is God. Meanwhile, the actual Anti-Christ, calling himself Kid Blackheart, leads an assault on Heaven. Zadkiel wants to erase this being from existence, so Revelation could go out the window and he could write the future. In the midst of all of this, the two Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, journey into Heaven to send Zadkiel to Hell.

Tell me that doesn't sound awesome. I wish I would have delved in sooner to this franchise. Hey, I'm not here to give a review, I'm here to talk about these great ideas I had for future movies.

Alright, Spirit of Vengeance opens next year. I don't see it succeeding in the box office. Sure, with Nicolas Cage being in it, it will attract some viewers, but I honestly don't see it becoming a hit. The first one came out five years back, and no one seemed to like it. (Save for a few, such as myself.) So I can see Sony giving up, for Ghost Rider isn't mainstream. Like with Punisher, I can see the rights reverting back to Marvel, and then the fun begins.

Now, I greatly enjoyed the first Ghost Rider film, but the movie I want to see is with him on his motorcycle slaying monstrous creatures from Hell. I think Sony is too shy, for already Spirit of Vengeance looks to have non-demonic villains. The first film made Blackheart a Twilight-esque looking character! Marvel Studios wouldn't be shy to unleash some Hellish creatures in the film. Now, for my idea.

Heaven's on Fire I think is the perfect story to adapt. Of course, here are my two ways of doing it. Now, if they were to go the long route, (most likely fans would prefer it) this would be the way to do it in my humble opinion.

At the start of the film, Blaze realizes that the Ghost Rider needs to move on to a new host, and it has picked one: Danny Ketch. What follows is Blaze showing Ketch the ropes, and for the villain, I would like for them to bring back Blackheart in his REAL demonic form. Then in the next film, it is revealed that Zadkiel was the one responsible for the Ghost Rider, so Blaze becomes the Ghost Rider again, (he would still have some of the spirit within) and they both go after Zadkiel. Thus Heaven's on Fire. I doubt they could adapt it completely, too many characters to introduce, but the general idea would work soundly.

The other idea is more likely. Instead of introducing the Ketch dynamic, cut him out completely. I think the story would work, keep the general idea with Heaven's on Fire, but make the necessary changes. A real Ghost Rider film with a battle in Heaven with angels and demons would be something else, wouldn't it? I think Heaven's on Fire, or elements of it, would make the perfect Ghost Rider film for after Spirit of Vengeance.

What do you think?

Interlude: Legion

Two years ago I came across the trailer for supernatural horror film LEGION. It looked interesting, I thought it was about demon possessed people with some angels thrown in for good measure. (I was wrong on all accounts.) I didn't really follow the film, it came, and it went. (It kinda bombed in the box office.) Fast forward a year later and I see this short clip from the film with two angels fighting, and I decide I will one day put this on Netflix. That day was yesterday, and......well, read on.

The plot as follows.

Apparently God doesn't like us anymore, so He's going to destroy all of humanity again. The archangel Micheal however sees hope for us, so he leaves Heaven. Meanwhile, there's this woman carrying this child that is said to be "humanity's last hope."

Yeah, it's as confusing as it sounds.

Archangel Micheal states that "God once sent a flood because He lost faith in humanity. Now he's doing it again with angels." Alright, true with the Flood but Genesis 8:21 clearly states that "Never again will I destroy all living creatures." So basically the whole premise of this film is inaccurate. I also don't get why Micheal and Gabriel show their forms while the other angels possess people. Speaking of that....

It would have made a heck lot more sense if those were demons instead of angels. Like, a lot them taunt the characters, I don't think angels from Heaven would taunt the humans. And what's with this baby?!

According to the Netflix description, the woman is carrying "the Messiah." I don't buy that, it was never said in the film. Even if it was, what on earth is that supposed to mean? Does this film take place after the End Times and that's supposed to represent the Second Coming? That doesn't make sense either, Revelation clearly states how He will come, and it's not like that.

I don't know if the script writers were making this without reading some of the Scripture for accuracy. There's a lot of references if you look deep. The guy that is the father of the baby is technically not really the father, but steps up to the plate anyway. (Reference: Joseph.) The part with the senior citizen lady saying that "All of them will burn." (Reference: King Herod.) So this film has a lot of those things, but it still doesn't make any sense. O_O

This film is interesting because we get to see the archangels painted in a new light. They each have character, and it was fascinating. Micheal is the general, but is really attached to the humans. Some great backstory he gives about being the first one other than the big G to witness the humans come about. Gabriel is the loyal one, eager to prove himself. It's quite interesting with these dynamics, I've never seen something where the angels have roles such as this.

Overall, Legion is interesting and has some pretty cool scenes. (One scene I'll never forget is the one with the ice cream man.) But the film itself doesn't make much sense and will have you scratching your head for the accuracy of it all. The film is trying to say something, but the only thing I got out of it was that don't lose hope, no matter how bleak the situation looks. Maybe this whole thing was just a test of faith for the characters?

With a little more backstory and explaining, LEGION could have been a really good biblical action horror film. It has a lot of hidden references, but whatever it's trying to tell you, it gets lost in the mess. Go watch Priest instead.