X - The Movie
by Rintaro
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Actor: Adam Henderson, Alan Marriott, Denica Fairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, Stacey JeffersonDirector: Rintaro
Writer: Rintaro
Producer: Kazuhiko Ikeguchi
Writer: Mami Watanabe
Writer: Mick Nekoi
Writer: Mokona Apapa
Writer: Nanase Ôkawa
Writer: Satsuki Igarashi
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Japanese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-09-25
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Manga Video
DVD Reviews of X - The Movie
DVD Review: Lackluster
Summary: 3 Stars
X / B00000JL4L
*Spoilers*
First off, if you're not familiar with the X manga, I can honestly say that it is essential for you to brush up on the basics before attempting to watch this movie or you will be completely lost and confused. Unfortunately, the problem with this movie is that once you've brushed up on the manga (say, by reading the Wikipedia entry on it), you've already reached the level of immersion this movie offers. The beginning of the movie sets the scene - the main character's nude and dead (dying?) mother shows up in a dream and explains that the apocalypse is coming, he's the chosen one to prevent it, and a list of the seven trustworthy heroes that will fight along side him is as follows...etc., etc.
And that's fine as far as it goes - bland but standard scene setting focusing on avoiding character development as much as possible and cutting straight to the action. Unfortunately, the seven heroes are almost immediately reduced to ancillary support characters, where "support" is loosely defined as "die as quickly and as stupidly as possible", which is a shame because the battles are really the only thing this movie has to hang its hat on.
Well, that's not entirely true - the one other driving plot point in this movie is that the main character and his childhood friend are destined to oppose each other - whichever side the main character chooses to aid (humanity and technology vs. extinction and nature, basically), his friend will be compelled to oppose him from the other side. While this particular aspect is interesting, intriguing, and potentially tragic, it breaks down in two major respects. Firstly, the main character is so poorly characterized that it is difficult to feel any real resonance with him. He repeatedly protests that he absolutely *will not* fight to save the world because, he says, he "only want to protect my friends!" The problem, of course, being that he never puts together that the end of humanity will eventually entail the end of his pals as well.
Indeed, as an aside, I have to say that this anime seems unique in the sense that I actually ended up rooting for the "bad" guys - even though I strongly got the impression that I wasn't 'supposed' to - because they generally seemed more good than the "good" guys. The bad guys at least threw themselves into their work, rather than passively reacting constantly like the good guys did. They'd put thought and preparation into their training and strategy, while it seemed that the good guys had sat around on their thumbs all day. And the bad guys seemed to genuinely believe in their cause - intending to wipe out all humanity, including themselves, for the good of the planet - as opposed to the lackluster enthusiasm of the good guys who basically said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Things may not be so great nowadays, but my kids don't seem to know the difference." There's a rallying cry.
Which brings me neatly to the second problem with the "Destined Tragedy" plot. The writers seem to realize, about half-way through the movie, that the hero's foil is intensely more likable than the cardboard cut-out main character and decide to remedy this by immediately switching the foil character over to an insane, homicidal madman who kills friends and allies alike with a single blow. And it is this character shift - a desperate attempt to steer the story back on track and explain *why* the two characters can't just sit down and talk it out over a latte - that completely kills the movie because it's a gimmicky contrivance that removes drama (as well as all the remaining ancillary characters) instantly.
Tragedies aren't tragic because someone we don't care about dies - if "X" had truly wanted to be tragic and thought provoking, then the two foil characters should have both chosen a side they truly believe in and then fought for that side with a heavy heart (a la Suikoden II). Instead, the writers try to have their cake and eat it to by making the hero a soggy "I don't want to be involved" cardboard cut-out and the anti-hero a stereotypical madman on a murder spree, thus allowing them to dodge any moral questions about the nature of mankind and our affect on the earth. Unfortunately, if you want a tragedy, you can't dodge moral questions like that.
Having said all that, I have to now admit that I still found the movie oddly interesting - enough to maybe watch it again, hence my rating. One of my guilty pleasures is the "Dragonball Z" series, mostly because I think the subtext behind the writing is genuinely interesting, but I will admit that the spectacle fighting can be pleasant to watch. And that's kind of what this movie feels like - like someone took a manga about two opposing groups with super heroes, paired them all off, and told them to have at it. If that was all "X" was, I would have likely enjoyed it on those merits alone, but it still shoots itself in the foot by having the fights be terminally short and by making the characters die for stupid, suicidal reasons.
To wrap this review up, there's two more things worth noting. First, there's definitely nudity and violence in this movie, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you. Second, there is something rather 'off' with the English subtitles for the hearing impaired - not only do they not match the actual English dialogue (something I've come to expect from most anime), there are huge stretches of dialogue that isn't subtitled *at all*. I can't say that the lack of subtitles would hamper your understanding of the movie, but that's mostly an indictment on the bland dialogue itself rather than an excuse.
~ Ana Mardoll
Description of X - The Movie
Tokyo is the city where the final battle between the Dragon of Earth and the Dragon of Heaven will take place in the Japanese anime film X, directed by Rintaro (a.k.a. Tarô Rin; Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion) and written by the all-woman writing team Clamp. The Dragon of Earth wants to wipe out humankind because of the damage people have inflicted on the Earth, while the Dragon of Heaven is fighting to protect civilization. At the center of all this is Kamui, the chosen one, who must pick a dragon to fight for.Full of dreams and flashbacks that pop up out of nowhere, the structure of X could be considered confusing and needlessly complex--if the story weren't so simple. Obviously, we're supposed to root for the Dragon of Heaven to win and save mankind, but the funny thing is, the Dragon of Earth has the better argument. If it were a debate, humanity would lose. But it's not a debate, it's an action film, and many of Tokyo's most famous buildings get destroyed in the battles. As with most anime, the women are either girlishly cute or slutty, but luckily in X, there are no graphic rapes; the love interest is merely crucified three or four times. It may not be the greatest anime film out there, but at least it's never boring. --Andy Spletzer
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