Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)

[ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版：Q]

Director: Hideaki Anno, Masayuki, Mahiro Maeda, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Starring: Megumi Ogata, Akira Ishida, Yuko Miyamura

Synopsis:
Shinji wakes up and finds himself in the custody of the anti-NERV organization WILLE.

Impressions:
The delays in the Rebuild series are second perhaps to The Song of Ice and Fire. (At least the Rebuild franchise managed to finish.) If the preview from the previous movie is any indication, the story changed significantly in the intervening years. Apparently Anno had another breakdown and the audience had to pay for it. There's no real way to talk about this movie without going into spoiler territory, so if you haven't seen it yet and are wanting to have a fresh experience, go ahead and see it first.

So, let's get started. Boy, was I ticked when I first saw this thing. I'd been wondering what they'd do with two movies to cover about the same span as the first film alone. I certainly never expected this. There were a number of significant changes to the story in the last film and here we go off in a completely different direction. Upon rewatching the film (something I haven't done since seeing it the first time), I can better appreciate what was being attempted, but I still feel that more was lost than gained in the execution. Shinji needed to be isolated in order drive him into Kaoru's arms, but most of the cast comes off terribly in the exchange (especially Misato and Asuka). The audience viscerally feels the same sense of confusion and unfairness as Shinji and I can at least compliment the filmmakers for accomplishing that. All of the good that was built up in the previous movie is lost but that loss, that sense of futility, is exactly what is supposed to be conveyed. You don't have to like it and I sincerely doubt you're supposed to. It's a fine theory from a storytelling standpoint, but not so great as far as marketing is concerned. A lot of viewers were rightfully angry and it's probably a good thing it took nine years for the fourth film to come out so they could cool their heads. One highlight I'll mention is that the Shinji-Kaoru relationship is executed well, something that was botched in the manga adaptation.

On a technical level, I don't have much to complain about. The action set pieces are well done and except for some occasionally dodgy CG, the animation meets the high standard you would expect from the series. Of course, if you like many others take serious issue with the narrative, you won't have as much appreciation for the film's technical accomplishments.

In the final tally, I'm not annoyed with the movie as I was when I first saw it. I can see more of the good in it, but I still consider it a misfire on the whole that wasted the potential of the second film and set the franchise on the track to a less than satisfying conclusion. It's the hand we were dealt, I suppose. Personally, I think it's worth seeing, but in light of how much went wrong, I'll say take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50