Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

dasmacht The storyline of this film is essentially that of a superhero movie. Set in some dystopian future in the fading stages of a great world war a scientist develops a cell culture system for creating new body parts. Only his experiments go wrong and create - the villains (sort of) - a group of superhuman mutants (called the Neuroids) that after being persecuted by the human race set out to destroy it. After the scientist son is killed in the war he uses his cell culture system to resurrect him and he becomes the films super hero. As the film progresses our hero develops a purpose and identity becoming Casshern.As a superhero movie this film matches if not exceeds many western films of the same genre. However I would not necessarily recommend this film to marvel film fans. Although this film follows a super hero trajectory it is set in a dark sci fi world and explores issues such as fascism, the nature of humanity, and the fallacy of war. The films aesthetic and visual effects are more akin to films such as Brazil.The quality of this film in terms of its dialogue, action sequences, acting and visuals fluctuates from gripping through to B movie. There are some scenes where you connect with the characters and feel immersed in the CG scapes and violence, and others when things seem less imaginative and you realise everything is made out of plastic.I give this film 7/10 but i'd say it isn't for everyone. Some people will see a B movie, others something out of this world.

otaking241 Casshern is a hyper-stylized science fiction with some very strong action elements. If you realize that director Kiriya, who also penned the screenplay, is primarily known for directing music videos you'll have a good understanding of where he's coming from in making this film. Indeed, Casshern is at its best when the on screen action is complimented by the energetic music of veteran composer Shirou Sagisu. Several of the film's strongest segments are montage-like action sequences, yet action is not its primary focus, and action fans may feel a bit let down.Sci-fi fans, on the other hand, will have much to love. The film's retro-futuristic steampunk aesthetic is appealing and completely realized. The story, while plainly told, is interesting and has that rare mystical quality that leaves you wanting to know more. This film can be described as thoughtful, though this aspect of it seems a bit forced at times. The catastrophic ending with resolution is so common in Japanese film as to be trite, and it appears here as well, is less odious for some reason than it could have been.A note on subtitles: the American DVD released by Dreamworks comes with subtitles that are grossly inaccurate. Yet at the same time they do a better job of explaining the story than a strict "hard" may have done. Whether this is a positive thing or not comes down to whether your philosophy favors a completely faithful translation or one that better conveys the spirit of the film with clarity. As a proponent of the former, I was a bit disappointed in the subtitles, but those with no understanding of Japanese will not be led astray.In all, I found Casshern to be an enjoyable film, but may not please viewers who expect more of it than they should.

mark_waters01 I/ve just watched this film on SBS at 2am. This film will go down as a Japanese classic simply because it covers so many aspects of life outside the film than in. The ending left me speechless and i cannot wait to see this film on a surround sound set up. Truly one of the best modern sci fi classics i have seen in a long time. Brilliant. 10 out of 10. I loved how they used the theme that humans were the ones to blame for the existence of the human race. Kinda calling the kettle black. Plus blaming ancestors for the way the world is today is a bit harsh. Evolution is evolution. But the old us versus them debate once again became the center of the movie were simple existence between the two is the simple answer!

peter-leah I'm astounded by some of the low scores for this movie. I watched in awe as a quasi-fascist future was brilliantly brought to life in a highly stylised manner. I was taken in by the visuals from the off and found the story constantly gripping and well considered. The ideas regarding the origins of humanity are even more disturbing than the "battery" idea from the Matrix!! I found the action sequences were superbly done, but by no means were these the be-all and end-all of this movie experience, indeed most of the film is given over to monologues and evocative imagery, rather than the high octane thrill provided by Hollywood. Maybe this is the reason for the low score, it doesn't necessarily do what it says on the tin...but blame the marketing men for that, rather than detracting from a stunning movie experience.