Gantz: O

Remember that old video game format of beat the boss, but wait - he's back again and this time he's bigger! You know the type: The kind of game that you have to battle the same boss again and again, wondering if this time he's really gone. That's Gantz in a nutshell, only it's a game you'd never want to play because the weapons are illogical, frustrating garbage, and because it would be a real nightmare. As others have said, the cgi animation is on a different level and is stunning in its execution. Creative camera angles and use of lighting make the environments and characters pop with a distinct style that is reminiscent of the final fantasy movies, only with more demons and a lot more blood; buckets of blood. The story centres around a young man who dies, only to find himself resurrected in a deadly game where he and others are pitted against demons, given the glimmer of hope that he can be reunited with his brother if he does well. Taking place over the course of only one session of the game, the film does a decent job of introducing the mysterious black ball that bears the name Gantz and the rules of the game. Unfortunately, the game itself becomes more interesting than any of the characters themselves, and the viewer learns quickly not to be attached to most of them in the process. Despite having a story that is simplistic, it is not that which detracts most from the experience, but the tedious delay with which most elements of the action suffer. The guns used by the players, for example, are not projectile weapons but energy based and have an infuriating delay between firing the weapon and producing any result. Characters stand for long periods of time, pointing, but not using their weapons, at the enemies around them. More than incompetence, the delays seem to be deliberate decisions by the director to increase tension, but these delays instead result in breaking the viewer out of the moment. The heroic and emotional death of one character becomes comedy as he succeeds in killing his opponent, but only seconds after he has already died. Taking into account the style and visual power Gantz brings to the table, the film comes out ahead as a worthy addition to the Gantz anime family. It's a story that is easy to forget, but an experience that will likely make an impression, even if only for its bizarre renditions of Japanese demons.

Great animation - particularly of human action movements and camera work. Great CGI - wonderfully varied monsters and weaponry, although the appearance of the Mech in my opinion was almost too much eye candy. The screen suddenly got so busy I didn't know which where to look - a bit like Transformers, at times there's so much going on you lose any real focal point. Visually, this is a gorgeous movie. But that's where it stops. The script is not just utterly devoid of anything intelligent or meaningful, it's far worse. The squeaky, repetitive, persistent dialogue from Anzu, and her (combined with Reika) constant failure to pull the trigger on ANY weapon at ANY time (apart from the end) will have you ripping your hair out. The absolute lack of any character development will leave you wondering who these people were. Kato at least has some background fill, but the rest are basically empty shells with voice cords. In a sense, the movie remains true to the original comics which had very sparse dialogue. But I can't help feel that director Kawamura completely failed to support such a visual feast with at least a moderate script. This one could have been written in block capitals on the back of a postage stamp. Watch once, for the fabulous weaponry, the wicked suits (especially Reika's of course) and the cracking animation. Then I'll pretty much guarantee you'll be consigning the movie to a dusty back shelf, or your digital equivalent.

have been a fan of the manga/anime for years; it's one of the few series that does not rely on the overused tropes in Japanese animation. It is not afraid to tell a depressing story that ends on a sour note, and it does not shy away from killing even the seemingly most important characters. This is an action movie with an anime fan in mind; it starts at 10 and rarely lets up. The animation, the character designs, the motion capture; everything culminates into such a thoroughly engrossing experience, that I did not want to blink in case I might miss something. As a fan of movies, it is impressive. As a fan of anime/manga, it is impressive. As a fan of both, you will be hard pressed to find movies that are this well done and this entertaining from any country, in any genre. One of the best movies I have seen so far this year, it deserves to be seen by anyone who just appreciates a good time. A treat from start to finish, I will be buying it on bluray, I loved it so much.