Attack on Titan (2015)
Starring Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongô, Satomi Ishihara
Directed by Shinji Higuchi
The world is in ruins. Mammoth man-eating predators known as Titans trample the land, devouring human beings with zero regard for anything, other than the rumbling in their bellies and the need to satiate their personal desires. They’re a dominant and enormous species that essentially hold the fate of mankind in their colossal paws. Men fear them, women fear them. Children cower, praying that they’re not the next meal. All the while Titans swoop in, seize the helpless and chomp away, bones splintering like feeble toothpicks, blood spraying in a variety of directions, copious amounts of crimson flying this way and that – final cries of anguish fading into the maniacal cackle of the Titans themselves. But how can man combat such an unstoppable force? How can the Titans possibly be exterminated?
Those are questions that are answered as this harrowing tale of survival unfolds at break-neck speed. Eren, Armin and Mikasa, three friends who sought only to survive in a doomed existence but were ultimately separated during an unexpected attack by the Titans, will once more find themselves together (two years distanced from the opening onslaught), battling alongside the surviving resilient members of a broken community, desperately searching for the answer to extermination. And one of the three, Mikasa, who disappeared in the opening act of the film, has developed a means to bring these monsters to their knees, never to rise and hunt again. Once she, Eren and Armin finally do reunite, a plan is put into place. Advanced weaponry and a recently discovered weakness of the Titans provides hope. But hope only floats for so long, especially when one wrong maneuver can leave you spinning in the acidic insides of a 100-foot tall monster, drowning helplessly.
There’s an unorganized military presence in the picture that adds a startlingly realistic element to such a fantastical story. The believability of it all comes in the fact that even military officials are falling apart, their mental fortitude cracking, splitting in the face of imminent danger. It could, in some ways, be considered a much more extreme example of some of the military problems the United States has faced at times of unrelenting war. It’s difficult to keep your wits when the world feels as though it’s falling apart around you, and that’s a sensation hammered home time and again in Attack on Titan.
While there’s a certain degree of perseverance that these rag-tag survivors exhibit, in the end initial hope falls on the shoulders of Mikasa, whose knowledge and fearlessness of the Titans is all but worshiped. And while the people look up to the woman and her abilities, and while they’ve placed their eggs in her basket, a surprise waits in store, as true hope for a brighter day suddenly boils down to the heart and desire of Eren – who himself juggles a number of emotions throughout the film, given a strong sexual attraction he harbors for Mikasa. Eren is on the cusp of a transformation of epic proportions (no, we won’t spoil this revelation for you!), a transformation that, while shocking, may end up being the only thing that can ensure the safety of his people.
Despite the action-heavy veneer and the overbearing monster assaults, there’s a lot more to this picture than stunning visuals. And for the record, yes, those visuals are indeed mind-blowing. But it’s the humanity that keeps the viewer glued to the screen. There are characters here to invest in, characters that we truly want to see survive these horrors. Eren is a wonderfully sympathetic character thanks to a pitch-perfect performance from Haruma Miura. Armin is an excellent sidekick with balls, a persona that actor Kanata Hongô sells with conviction. And finally, major kudos must be extended in Kiko Mizuhara’s direction. Her depiction of Mikasa is multi-layered, and while the mysterious element of her demeanor shines the brightest, she’s got the look of a woman with a great number of layers to peel back and admire. This is an amazing cast who do a superb job of transcending the enormous impact of the visuals.
Sultamedia FX gives us some astonishing creatures to look at, and while there’s a very Godzilla vibe to the story, it never once feels anywhere near reminiscent of Ishirō Honda’s legendary monster. Perhaps it is because these Titans look marginally more menacing, with their split grins and frantic expressions, or perhaps it’s simply the fact that their resemblance to the casual man or woman is deeply unsettling. Imagine seeing one of these freaks tearing through your city. That would be enough to leave countless citizens keeling over, clutching the left side of their torso, mouthing inaudibly, my heart!
Anime fans and longtime followers of all things Attack on Titan are more than likely going to adore this film. It’s big, it’s brutal and it’s totally and completely engaging. It also feels quite atypical for a giant-monster-versus-city concept. This is an idea we rarely see brought to life on the big screen, and the execution is damn extraordinary. You may spot a cheesy sequence here or there, but as a whole director Shinji Higuchi does a top-notch job with Yûsuke Watanabe and Tomohiro Machiyama’s mesmerizing script. When Attack on Titan officially lands in theaters Stateside, do yourself a favor and check it out. This is an amazing, balls-to-the wall adventure of shock, awe, terror and human resilience. A masterpiece of mega monster movies!
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
