20th Century Boys - The Complete Saga [DVD] [2010]

Expectations are one thing, delivering a trilogy of films based upon Naoki Urasawa's masterpiece is an altogether more terrifying proposition. 20th Century Boys tells the tale of a group of children who hang out together in a grassy den after school. They create a book that depicts future Armageddon; they call it the Book of Prophecy. Sometime later the grown ups meet at a school reunion, people are dying at the hands of a sinister cult led by a mysterious leader known only as `Friend', it soon becomes apparent that the time they spent together as children is having a major influence on current events. Their predictions are coming true and the mysterious cult is using the symbol they created as their logo. Worse than that, it soon becomes apparent that the nine grown ups are also responsible for the future of mankind and only they can save Earth from destruction.

The first film is almost two and a half hours long, and it's fair to say that not an awful lot actually happens. There's very little action to speak of (though the finale sets up part two rather nicely) apart from a giant robot ripping through Japanese city streets. That's over two hours into the movie though, before then we are witness to character development and foundations being laid. There are elements of Stephen King in there, maybe that's just down to the structure, but there are similarities between this opening chapter and King's It, without the rubbish spider of course. The characters and structure are engaging and the central plot is such a doozy that you'll find it incredibly hard to resist the films lure; it should definitely find a friend in you.

The second film, or rather `the terrifying second act', was always going to be a hard sell. There's no beginning and no end, but Yukihiko Tsutsumi has to do enough to keep the viewer engrossed if he wants them back for part three. The Last Hope kicks off 15 years after the events of the first film, introducing us to a country that has fallen under the spell of cult leader Friend. Kenji (Karasawa Toshiaki), has been missing since the bloody New Year's Eve showdown, and is branded a terrorist along with his classmates. Kenji's niece Kanna (Taira Airi), the cute kid in the baseball cap from part one, has grown up into a spunky high school student who still looks cute in a baseball cap. For her rebellious behaviour, Kanna is sent to `Friend Land' for indoctrination, and earns the chance to enter a virtual reality world that holds the secret to Friend's identity. Which basically amounts to a bunch of girls playing light gun games and blasting computer-generated renditions of Kenji and his friends, a challenge that doesn't go down too well at first. With Kanna's life in danger, faces from the past emerge from the shadows, but can they save the world from oblivion once more? Who exactly is Friend, and what does his New Book of Prophecy have in store for the rest of the world? Also, is this in any way related to the smoke monster from Lost?

Taira Airi's Kanna carries much of the films weight, taking over from uncle Kenji in part one, and it's a refreshing change of pace to follow events from a young girls perspective. There are fewer flashbacks to be found here, much of the movie takes place in future Japan, so the story is a little more linear this time around. Don't worry if you like your movies knee deep in conspiracy though, there are plenty of questions raised in part two, its very much business as usual with The Last Hope. There's not much action to speak of, plenty of exposition to wade through, and any explanations are provided with the same slow burning tease. If you weren't impressed with the style and execution of part one, don't even bother taking a chance on part two. Performances are strong, future Japan is striking and the returning themes of friendship, trust and honour are ever present.

The final chapter brings Kenji back to the heart of the movie; Kanna is relegated to sidekick and even more characters are introduced. With so many characters and story arcs, you'll need to have the previous movies fresh in your mind before taking on this intriguing, not to mention baffling, finale. There are lots of flashbacks and most of the loose ends are tied up in a satisfactory manner. In an unlikely twist, Friend is given room to grow; his welcome back-story weaves a fascinating tale of loneliness and heartache. The effects are more effective than ever, used sparingly but worth every penny. Lets be honest though, who doesn't like giant robots destroying entire city landscapes? Every movie should have at least one, and 20th Century Boys manages two, colour me very happy indeed. We'll leave the flying saucers for another time. The final chapter closes with a different ending to the manga, so don't go thinking it's time for a brew when the final credits roll. There are another fifteen minutes to play out yet, and the films ending is both surprising and quietly affecting.

20th Century Boys is a wonderful trilogy of films, engrossing and intoxicating in equal measures. It's not perfect and it does require patience at times, the pedestrian nature of the films plotting might put some viewers off, but for a manga/movie adaptation that was considered by many to be unfilmable, 20th Century Boys can be considered a considerable success. Mixing science fiction, giant robots and Stephen King sensibilities, this is eight hours of your life well spent. Like all good things, it has to come to an end, and the final reveal is well worth the wait, not just because you can finally get on with your life either. Here's hoping the makers of Lost can do the same thing, now that really would be something... "24framespersecond"

Well having heard about these films in France over 2 years ago and finally seeing a UK release date, I couldnt resist. It rivals any Big Hollywood blockbuster and even stomp on some outings (personal opinion there). If you like your mecha and sci-fi then this right up your street. The ending surprised me a lot and not something I expected at all. The way the films are done, filmed and the continuity is pursued is well established, even the flashbacks which I sometimes find tiresome in films were a pre-requesite. Like any Janese films I have seen so far (quite a few), this also seems to have a hiden meaning which may seem blatnat at times but will surprise you. In short well worht the pruchase. 20th Century Boys - an epic story told on an equally epic scale. Tomodachi

The first film is ok, with a nice cast, a lovely soundtrack (the title song is perfect, even if it was reported at being a "horrible song" by some characters in the manga), a fast-paced, entertaining and intelligent script.
On the other side, the second and the third don't make up to the expectations raised by the manga and the first film: the story is absolutely incomprehensible for those who didn't read the manga and the script is annoying as it swaps "manga-like" from one situation to the other, but without giving the appropriate information and developing some important aspects of the story and the characters.
Four stars for the first movie and two for the others.