Casshern (2004)

Really Surprised!

Please don't spend money on this.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Having no experience in Asian movies or anime, I decided to give it a try to this interesting movie cover I saw in the video shop. Glad I did. This is not the typical sci-fi action movie; this is a high quality piece of art. A story about stories, supported by a profound plot, original storyline and mesmerizing visual effects, Casshern blew me away. This is just for open-minded people, who can connect the sequence of the film as the pieces of a puzzle, and who can use their imagination to make possible the impossible. I must admit that I felt a little lost at the beginning because I never read anything about the movie, or saw the 70's original anime, but as the story evolves it was sort of easy get in tune with it.From the beginning of the film you can appreciate the amazing visuals, the intriguing story, and some fighting scenes (that are too anime for my taste) introduced by strange rock music. This, but nothing else can be logically perceived until the end, when a twist gives sense to everything. At the end I cried, an unexpected cry that lasted hours; seriously. This movie is not for kids or juveniles, but for very mature adults who can understand and give it the deserved value. Understanding his message is the true legacy of this incredible but underrated film.

It frustrates me enormously to write a negative review about this movie because there are parts of Casshern that are mind-blowingly good. As a spectacle it is unmatched - as others have said on this site, visually the film is on another level. In this respect I don't think comparisons to Crouching Tiger et al really do it justice. If anything the experience reminded me of the feeling I got when I played Final Fantasy VII for the first time - that sometimes uneasy mix of CGI and "real-life" footage that just makes you sit up and go !wow! The visuals are truly astonishing and the director takes the viewer through colour, monochrome, animation, stills and film in one breathless journey. The imagination poured into the robots, battles and all of the main characters was first rate, and even better was the characterisation of the main villain - balanced by malice, hatred and regret; extremely memorable. The acting was also pretty solid considering the hokey subject matter and some scenes generate a great emotive feel - aided by an atmospheric score that perfectly captured the mood.I was trying so hard to love this film because it is quite rare to see something unique amid the copycat sequels of cinema these days. The problem is that Casshern is far too self-indulgent and as a result is a frustrating experience to watch. Half the time I had no clue what was going on. Events were barely explained, there were huge jumps in chronology and location that presumably fans of the original would pick up on, but these were lost on me. Similarly you could drive a bus through some of the holes in the plot, and whilst the action was pretty good it was so OTT as to be unbelievable (...and yes I mean that even in the context of a war between cyborg mutants and a reincarnated human god...) The dialogue fluctuated between beautifully poetic and extreme ropyiness, but most unforgivable for me was the length of the film. It weighs in at 2 1/2 hours and feels every minute of it by the end. Much of this comprises unnecessary dream sequences and a tighter edit would have benefited this movie enormously (especially the end which A.I. style, pointlessly comes about 20 mins too late).I would definitely still recommend that you watch Casshern, but this is a missed opportunity for me. Hopefully the director will have learned his lessons for the next project and deliver us a true masterpiece...

Casshern is a hyper-stylized science fiction with some very strong action elements. If you realize that director Kiriya, who also penned the screenplay, is primarily known for directing music videos you'll have a good understanding of where he's coming from in making this film. Indeed, Casshern is at its best when the on screen action is complimented by the energetic music of veteran composer Shirou Sagisu. Several of the film's strongest segments are montage-like action sequences, yet action is not its primary focus, and action fans may feel a bit let down.Sci-fi fans, on the other hand, will have much to love. The film's retro-futuristic steampunk aesthetic is appealing and completely realized. The story, while plainly told, is interesting and has that rare mystical quality that leaves you wanting to know more. This film can be described as thoughtful, though this aspect of it seems a bit forced at times. The catastrophic ending with resolution is so common in Japanese film as to be trite, and it appears here as well, is less odious for some reason than it could have been.A note on subtitles: the American DVD released by Dreamworks comes with subtitles that are grossly inaccurate. Yet at the same time they do a better job of explaining the story than a strict "hard" may have done. Whether this is a positive thing or not comes down to whether your philosophy favors a completely faithful translation or one that better conveys the spirit of the film with clarity. As a proponent of the former, I was a bit disappointed in the subtitles, but those with no understanding of Japanese will not be led astray.In all, I found Casshern to be an enjoyable film, but may not please viewers who expect more of it than they should.

I just have to say most of the negative reviews posted are quite shallow, debasing the entire film simply the entire film simply because the plot line isn't so straightforward? Or because the musical score is 'generic'?I don't know if its just me but i feel that, at its essence, film is an art form that lends a little insight on the world. Sure there are times in the film where an unlikely chain of events happens, but isn't that the beauty of film? That we are able to free ourselves from the shackles of reality and express our perspectives in a different manner? If it's possible to have talking animals in films, why shouldn't it be possible for a group of refugees to stumble upon a castle?For me, the film offered some very provocative ideas from the age old questions on the human condition to modern questions on equity, science and many others. It provided a dynamic mix that i found very original and potent in todays society. The cinematography was very well done (although one can argue that it was generic), the musical score was brilliant at setting the mood, the story line coherent.All in all, if you're looking for an average run of the mill 'unique' story, with some flashy action scenes and are quite discriminative about what's on the surface, this movie will probably not be for you. However if you want a provocative piece of art that lends you a unique perspective i'd strongly recommend this movie.