Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Awesome Movie

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This well animated film treads the same nature versus technology ground that Hayao Miyazaki films often do, and in the beginning it is pretty good, with a reasonably interesting premise and very nice, visually striking animation.There are some minor problems in the plotting early on. Most notably, it's unclear why bringing civilization back is a bad idea. Eventually it does become clear why, but the movie just kind of assumes it must be a bad idea without taking much pains to persuade the audience.Still, I was enjoying the movie until perhaps the last 20 minutes, when it becomes ridiculous. It turns out that, rather than restoring the world, the final solution will, as best I could tell, return the earth to the state of burning lava. How is that a good idea? And how would anyone survive? Next, why is the volcano weaponized? If it is just designed to reformat the earth, why does it need defensive weapons? I'm also unclear on why it needs to move. Does it simply destroy a little of the planet at a time? (In which case I suppose the planet could be reformatted piecemeal, which would explain how people could survive.) Lastly, why, if you shut down the volcano, would it self destruct? What possible sense would that make? And how would any personnel in the volcano actually leave? And get far enough away.Towards the end the movie also gets way too sincere and preachy. So that what should be the emotional, uplifting finale feels like a huge let down.All that being said, it's a nice looking, perfectly enjoyable movie if you can accept its flaws.

Well, the movie began with a great start. The art is AMAZING! Absolutely breathtaking CGI mixed with beautiful cell animation. The opening sequence alone is worth seeing the movie for, and the music that plays over it is riveting.The classic struggle of Man Vs Nature is displayed very well with the crumbling town, the militaristic city, and the dangerous forest. "Modern" humanity as we know it is represented by a man and a girl who have each reawakened to this distorted future where man is at war with nature.However, the good stuff basically ends there. In short, this movie is great visually, but it doesn't have much of a plot. If you're watching this and expecting something like Hayao Miyazaki than think again.*SPOILERS* The first have of the movie is great, but the second half is terrible. Basically, this guy chases this girl for a while and screams her name a few times. Then he realizes that everyone can be at peace by just changing their perspective and guess what? Everyone else agrees with him and they all become better people. Sure, there's a bit of originality throughout the whole thing, but that doesn't change the fact that the ending is incredibly lacking. Everyone just kind of changes their perspectives, but no one really changes.Oh, and the characters that are supposed to be driving the action of the whole thing just fall flat. Romance? Heck no. Friendship? Well, I'll admit that I wouldn't make a deal with the forest twins and chase after just anyone, but would it have been so horrible for GONZO to throw in a few bonding scenes? Just stating that you like the guy does NOT mean you've developed a deep lasting bond. *SPOILER END* Conclusion: If you're looking for a movie with a complex and engrossing plot, look somewhere else. However, if you're looking for a movie with great visuals and a... well a story to tell, then you'll probably enjoy this one. I personally loved the art enough to buy it, and the story isn't so bad that it can't be swallowed. So give it a chance, but don't expect too much out of it.

Somehow i begun viewing this anime with a feeling of deja seen ... Hopefully somehow i was wrong ... The anime is really good even if the plot seems like an old plate out of the fridge and heated again it still holds something that few anime could be proud to have one of those is the charisma behind Agito the main character don't be prepared for a Miyazaki and at the end you will be facing something worth of his talent. Even if it's not the anime of the year nor even the best story, it's still a treasure worth to watch. There is a whole world to discover, and you take pleasure to discover it viewing pictures that stay in your memory.

The first noticeable thing about Gin-iro no kami no Agito is its visual excellence. From the first look at the exploding moon over the lush greens of the great forest to the magnificent views of the broken cities of Earth, the production values for this movie are nothing short of stunning. Studio Gonzo sure knew how to make the best of its budget, seamlessly mixing CGI and more traditional art. A wonderfully engrossing, orchestral soundtrack by Iwasaki Taku tops this all off, making this movie a memorable experience, especially when viewed on the big screen High production values alone do not make a good movie, but fortunately, Gin-iro no kami no Agito also has an entertaining, if maybe a little stereotypical, action plot. There are those that wish to coexist with nature and those who want to destroy it; guess who's good and who's bad? Still, the addition of Tula and, to a lesser extent, Shunak brings a bit of depth into the conflict. After all, both sides have reasonable motives for their actions and are equally fanatic. All in all, the plot could even be called interesting...... were it not borrowed shamelessly from Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. Humanity struggling with a dangerous environment? Check. Conflict between peaceful and militaristic people? Check. An ancient, technological relic that could turn the tide in the conflict? Check. The hero making a sacrifice in the end to achieve victory? Check. Even the structure of this movie's (The first noticeable thing about Origin ~Spirits of the Past~ is its visual excellence. From the first look at the exploding moon over the lush greens of the great forest to the magnificent views of the broken cities of Earth, the production values for this movie are nothing short of stunning. Studio Gonzo sure knew how to make the best of its budget, seamlessly mixing CGI and more traditional art. A wonderfully engrossing, orchestral soundtrack by Iwasaki Taku tops this all off, making this movie a memorable experience, especially when viewed on the big screen High production values alone do not make a good movie, but fortunately, Origin ~Spirits of the Past~ also has an entertaining, if maybe a little stereotypical, action plot. There are those that wish to coexist with nature and those who want to destroy it; guess who's good and who's bad? Still, the addition of Tula and, to a lesser extent, Shunak brings a bit of depth into the conflict. After all, both sides have reasonable motives for their actions and are equally fanatic. All in all, the plot could even be called interesting...... were it not borrowed shamelessly from Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind. Humanity struggling with a dangerous environment? Check. Conflict between peaceful and militaristic people? Check. An ancient, technological relic that could turn the tide in the conflict? Check. The hero making a sacrifice in the end to achieve victory? Check. Even the structure of this movie's Japanese name (Gin-iro no Kami no Agito) reminds us of Miyazaki's early masterpiece. The name "Shunak" sounds suspiciously as though someone rearranged the syllables in the name of Nausicaä's opponent, Kushana. There's hardly an original element in the story, except for one, and that doesn't really fit into the setting; around the middle of the movie, Agito gains superpowers. The way these powers are bestowed upon him is a little... anticlimactic, so to speak, but the bigger problem is that the entire plot would have been much more exciting without this little addition. A virtually undefeatable hero doesn't make for good drama, does he?) reminds us of Miyazaki's early masterpiece. The name "Shunak" sounds suspiciously as though someone rearranged the syllables in the name of Nausicaä's opponent, Kushana. There's hardly an original element in the story, except for one, and that doesn't really fit into the setting; around the middle of the movie, Agito gains superpowers. The way these powers are bestowed upon him is a little... anticlimactic, so to speak, but the bigger problem is that the entire plot would have been much more exciting without this little addition. A virtually undefeatable hero doesn't make for good drama, does he?