3.5/5
The Uprising.
7 Episodes. Directors: Hiroyuki Hayashi & Jae-hong Kim.
Here in my sophomore year new and second home of Yokohama in the Far East of Japan in this Tokyo 2020 year of the Olympics that has also seen the main event of 'Godzilla vs Kong' fight for the podium, there's even more mech than that movies third act. A giant robot looms over the city with his finger to the sky...RUN FOR YOUR MOTHERF#####G LIVES!! Even bigger than the tyre famous cities Landmark Tower or the 'Attack on Titan' promotional campaign in the town that recently surrounded it. But never fear, it's Gundam that's here. Looking over the city. Keeping watch. Holding guard. He comes in peace, not to lay waste like those who put general trash in plastic PET bottle bins. Bigger than Shaq this giant goliath of machinery is a sight to behold, even if your only exposure to robot wars is rock 'em, sock' em. This hits everybody and the 'Gundam Factory' in Yokohama will have you visiting the unicorn one in Tokyo's Odaiba between the Olympic climbing arena and the Marine Park rings set out to sea with skateboarders surfing the hardwood nearby. In typical sweet Japanese fashion, there's even a written apology, sincerely sorry for the fact that it moves but doesn't walk (it's too top heavy. It would topple over). Trust us Japan, you've done enough. The only bow that is needed is one for our appreciation. It's safe to say that the steam coming out of this hotter than the hell of this humid summer installation has us more interested in the nuts and bolts of robots than 'Transformers' director Michael Bay has in explosions by sunset.
'Uprising' was undeniable fun with 'Star Wars' star John Boyega. But Hiroyuki Hayashi and Jae-hong Kim's Japanese/American anime 'Pacific Rim: The Black' is the sequel the cancelled apocalypse of Idris Elba's movie deserved. A meeting of the minds that gives a neural handshake to iconic director Guillermo del Toro's classic creation that's now canon for comics, toys, games and everything kids can get their hands or their Christmas money on. How about this one for a franchise in development? Because there's enough tinkering going on here under the 'bots hood to be fresh and original...all whilst staying true to the original. And that's why after seven seals of epic episodes a second season is in the works for Legendary Pictures television. The Pacific Rim takes everyone in and this time the kaiju who will never be the king of the monsters next to Japan's real God are saying "g'day mate" to Australia where they're wreaking more havoc than a Mad Max 'Fury Road' playing AC/DC. STREWTH! Now we follow anime looking teen siblings Taylor and Hayley Travis who piloting the Jaeger (which still can't stop me from thinking about a British designer clothing store my Mum used to work at) are coming of age and to terms with all they've lost and all the can do. Are their parents gone? Are they somewhere in Sydney? Can they do this alone, together? Who is this Mei? And just what is up with that boy that doesn't speak in anime cliché?
Netflix have plenty of amazing anime to ba-bum stream during this socially distant home quarantine which can makes us relate to this Travis post-apocalypse plight down under in the desert. 'Godzilla: Singual Point' was much more than just the one, big main attraction. Whilst the metal and vegetation garden of 'Eden' was endearingly compelling, classic science fiction reflecting today's fact storytelling. Hey, there's even a 'Transformers' series from the smartphone service of television for your next train trip to work when it comes to these traditional twentysomething minute episodes meeting modern minds. The animation is amazing. From the digital display at console control inside the metal skeleton operated by humans, all the way to the big as skyscraper budget worthy cinematic fights between these awe-inspiring androids that don't count electric sheep, more a lot of dark memories of minds trying to come together like Lennon and McCartney. Vivid visuals take this anime art form even further, just wait for the mesmerizing manga. Add actual serious storytelling to this expansion pack of world building that now takes on a whole other continent in the Pacific and this does anything but rim out. This is the real uprising...and it's not about to fade to black. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Pacific Rim', 'Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045', 'Godzilla: Singular Point'.
No comments:
Post a Comment