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MOVIE REVIEW
Metropolis
(2002)
Voices:
Jamieson Price, Toshio Furukawa,
et al.
Director: Rintaro,
Tarô Rin
Rating: PG-13
Studio:
Columbia
Review
Posted: 1.28.02
Spoilers:
Minor
By
Angelo
In an updated version of the
Bible’s Tower of Babel, “Metropolis” ambitiously delves into the
dark side of humanity and into the very greed that makes some
aspire for God-like control. In what is being hailed as the new
standard in Japanese animation, “Metropolis” proves that whether
it be political, racial or fanatical religious takeovers,
history indelibly repeats itself.
“Metropolis” opens with the public celebration of the Ziggurat,
a towering structure of grand scale that hovers over the city
and its citizens. In a remarkable display of its visual feat,
the Ziggurat reaches to the sky and unabashedly humbles
everybody. Built by Duke Red to showcase human progress and
ingenuity, the function of the Ziggurat remains a mystery.
Little did anyone know that in an attempt to take over control
of the city, the Duke has commissioned to have an artificial
deity built, Tima. This robotic being would ascend the
Ziggurat’s throne and take control of the world. However, things
get a bit complicated when a laboratory fire causes Tima to
escape, and a heated political atmosphere concerning the
relationship between humans and robots causes city uproar.
The last decade or so has indeed been great times for animation.
With the breaking visual achievements of recent films such as
“Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” (2001) and the incorporation
of highly complex and philosophical issues as seen in “Ghost in
the Shell” (1996) and “Princess Mononoke” (1999), modern anime
has had more of a refreshing impact in today’s cinema than any
other. There is no doubt that “Metropolis” will be ranked as one
of the best in the genre in terms of visuals. The landscapes and
scenic panoramas that the film presents us is nothing short of
astonishing. Just as the Ziggurat instilled awe into its
citizens, “Metropolis” does the same to us. From the heavenly
heights of its towers to the lowly underground zones, the film
is a feast for the eyes.
However, visuals can only go so far, for “Metropolis” suffers
from a terribly plodding pace. The middle hour is so unengaging
uneven that I shamelessly dozed off for maybe about five
minutes. The initial setup was uniquely fascinating, but after
about half an hour, the plot jumped off its high towers and
freefell with endless chases, dry dialogues, repetitive themes
and dull characters. It wasn’t until its last half hour that the
film regained its momentum and shone for the rest of its
duration.
With a movie that deals with a man versus machine mentality, one
would think that the human characters would be brimming with
genuine emotions to separate our kind from artificiality, but
this is not the case. The human characters are mechanical, and
the robots are the ones that end up having the personalities and
charm. Maybe this is the whole point of the movie. Maybe this
whole concept of man versus machine is a bogus distraction; for
it could be that we ourselves are our enemies. We are what we
make, and robots are just the scapegoats for our dysfunctions
and weaknesses. Nevertheless, this does not absolve a film from
having someone or something to root for. “Metropolis” has the
glitter, but no bite.
I would only recommend “Metropolis” to the most ardent of anime
fans, but definitely not for any beginners. Watching this as an
introduction to the genre would be a daunting chore for it hooks
us with the visuals, but leaves us with nothing else.
Film
Rating: 2/4
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