Evangelion: 2.22 You Can [Not] Advance (Evangerion shin...: Ha) (Blu-ray) (2009)

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General		Extras
Category	Anime	Featurette-Rebuild of Evangelion Audio Commentary-English Voice Cast Alternative Version-Remixed Scene Deleted Scenes Trailer-Various Trailers and Spots
Rating
Year Of Production	2009
Running Time	112:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Masayuki Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Allison Keith Spike Spencer Tiffany Grant J. Michael Tatum John Swasey Colleen Clinkenbeard Trina Nishimura Caitlin Glass Brina Palencia Kent Williams
Case	?
RPI	$39.95	Music	Shirô Sagisu Hideaki Anno Daizen Komatsuda

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Japanese Dolby TrueHD 6.1 ES Matrix English Dolby TrueHD 6.1 ES Matrix English Dolby TrueHD 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     The Rebuild of Evangelion began with a bang in 2007 with the serious fun of You Are (Not) Alone. The second film, Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance has taken its sweet time to reach these shores. The film was shown in Australia as part of the Anime Festival in September 2010, not long after the first film arrived on Blu-ray. I mention this history only because as good as this film is, is really only makes perfect sense as part of the complete series, and there is an alarming lack of information about the release of the third and fourth parts of the story. As I write word has come through that the third instalment will be released in Japan in the Fall of 2012. Allowing for the delays in getting it in to our cinemas, and then on to home video, it could be another two years before we get to find out what has happened to our favourite mecha pilots!

For those who came in late, Evangelion is a classic anime story that began life as a television series. It tells of a World after the devastating Second Impact when the mighty cities of the Earth were all but destroyed by a meteorite hitting Antarctica. That was, untile, the Angels, bizarre multi-form creatures of huge size and power, began invading the remaining cities of the Earth, including Tokyo-3.The Third Impact looms in the ever approaching distance and the invasions by the awe inspiring Angels are intensifying. It takes all of humanity’s power to battle the Angels. Power that is, and a group of courageous kids piloting giant EVA units, battle robots of immense size and strength.

     As legend has it,the TV series was criticized for the vague and incomplete ending which led to a pair of movie length sequels. Not content with that, the studio has dug deep into the story again to produce four movies which re-tell the tale in a roundabout way. True fans of the series, who have watched the TV episodes in great detail, will be able to tell the ways in which the two media vary. As I understand it, not being a devotee of the original series, the first film kept fairly close to the TV show to satisfy the fans but introduced some major chances to mix things up a little. This second film, however, is largely new in its depiction of the spirited kids and devious adults fighting the mysterious angels.

     When Evangelion You Are(Not)Alone finished, the kids Shinji and Rei were tired of the responsibility of carrying the hopes of Tokyo-3 seemingly alone and in the face of adult hardness and lack of caring. Episode two introduces a couple of interesting characters to the mix. There is the very confident, very aggressive Asuka and the "what is she up to?" Mari Illustrious Marikani. The rift between the protagonist Shinji and his cold father widens and the possible relationship between the boy and the enigmatic Rei gets a meaningful advancement.

   Should you buy it? Fans of the films will have pre-ordered this anyway. For anime devotees it is a must purchase. More giant mecha battles and religious symbolism and inexplicable sub-sub-plots than you can poke a giant lance at. And while on that subject, remember to watch right to the end of the film , not just for a dramatic moment but a preview of the next thrilling instalment!

Video

     As with the earlier title Evangelion You Can (Not) Advance features a 1.78:1 transfer consistent with the original aspect ratio.

     Visually this remains a cutting edge anime series. To my eyes it is still a little short of the finest of Pixar but fans of the film will not be disappointed with the look of this Blu-ray. The colours are bold and stable without any colour bleeding.

The lines are tight and there is no evidence of aliasing or other visual defects.

The film is a combination of painted cells and CGI. Both are expertly conveyed without noticeable defects.

     There are subtitles in English for the Japanese Dub.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     You Can(Not)Advance features two Dolby True HD soundtracks, both 6.1.

     Anime fans love to debate the virtues of one particular dub over the other. Most prefer the Japanese voice work. Whether that is because the spirit of anime is more deeply ingrained in the Japanese actors or simply because it seems more authentic is hard to say. To my mind the English dub here is pretty good.

     The tracks themselves are full and dramatic. The dialogue can be heard clearly and there is a nice expanse to the surround sound. The sub-woofer engages constantly during the mecha battles, although it is not quite Transformers.

     Music is by Shiro Sagusi and, as with the earlier title, provides a blend of the dramatic, sickly sweet and occasionally inappropriate.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are a few extras on this Blu-ray although the weight of them is not great.

Audio Commentary - With the English dub crew and cast

     This is an interesting idea, which could have gone horribly wrong. Line producer and ADR Director >b>Mike McPharland introduces members of the English voice cast and talks to them about their thoughts about the film, their role and the difficulties of recording voice. Actually, not a bad listen.

Rebuild of Evangelion 2.02 (22.00)

     A series of animatics, storyboards and animation processes showing the process behind re-creating and creating the film from existing moments. Not narrated or even explained, this is pretty hard going even for fans.

"I Would Give You Anything" Scene, NOGUCHI version

     The song from the final scene remixed.

Omitted Scenes

     There are four brief omitted scenes on offer. In fact, they are not "scenes" as such but a combination of early animatics and storyboards with dialogue. Hard to appreciate how they would have fit into the final product. Particularly puzzling was one where Rei gets a medical check up with the doctor focussing on her old panties!

Trailers

     This Blu-ray includes a number of trailers and very short spots including the theatrical trailer, a train channel spot, and few Japanese TV spots.

  This is Region B only but reviews from Region A suggest that the content is the same.

     Evangelion :2.22 continues the course charted in the first film, amplifying and complicating the story. The addition of new characters and locations is sometimes dizzying but it probably doesn't matter; amongst the complexity is a driving action story that entertains for its two hour run time.

     The Blu-ray is another high quality transfer both in sound and vision terms. The extras are intriguing although I couldn't imagine non-fans delving too much beyond the film itself.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall