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Directed by: Masayuki Ochiai Starring: A bunch of japanese people My friend had suggested this movie to me. He had a bootleg version he bought a few years ago, but recently ADV films licensed it, so I took it for a go on Netflix. This movie is nothing like the video game. There is no police officer in it. Instead, it's about a scientist who studies mitochondria and treatements to use the DNA from mitochondria to cure illnesses. Apparantly the mitochondria, which integrated with our cells a billion years ago, have been waiting, apparantly intelligent enough to manipulate the minds of humans, who possess the evil, patient, kniving mitochondria in their cells, into a series of human action and events that result in the mitochondria taking over. I have no idea how closely this film follows the book of the same title as I do not know how to read japanese. RATING: 4.2 PROS: It has quite an accurate portrayal of biology, and the story is very, very unique, Carrie meets the blob CONS: The film has a few corny cg shots. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119860/
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Jun 3, 2005 18:50
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 10:44 |
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The video game in question is based very loosely on a book. Having never read the book myself (not available in the US/in English print, to my knowledge), it's hard to determine how accurate the game is to the book, or this movie to the book. But it's my understanding that the Squaresoft game is more like a sequel to the book, rather than an adaptation. It has been a while since I've seen this movie, so I apologize in advance if I am mistaken in some of my comments. But I felt this review needed some more clarification. Parasaito Ivu is essentially about a scientist by the name of Toshiaki. His work involves the cultivation of mitochondria cells. Only after a year of being married, his wife, Kiyomi, is involved in a fatal car accident. Utterly devastated, Toshiaki ends up falling into a delusion that he might reincarnate his wife using the mitochondria cells from her liver. Well, he's half right. The story is more an emotional tale than one of horror or even science fiction, at least for the first half of the film. Scenes of Toshiaki and Kiyomi's budding relationship up to their marriage are interspersed throughout the film, really building on the emotional severity his wife's death has on Toshiaki. You really feel a strong emotional connection between these two characters, and you find yourself very sympathetic to Toshiaki's situation and his actions. He's not malicious in his intentions; He just wants his wife back. The film is wrapped up in scientific details regarding cell cultivation and mitochondria and other related mumbo jumbo. But the film does a very good job in making those details important to the story, while not weighing the movie down in long discussions of things that go over your head; The dialogue is spoken, you get the gist, and you understand what is going on in the film. And while this movie is considered a horror film, it really isn’t. The eventual manifestation of the mitochondria gives off a very eerie feeling, as the mitochondria speaks softly, floats along the ground, and wrecks havoc with only a mere thought. And there is something very unsettling about cells within your own body suddenly causing you to burst into flames. There just really isn’t enough of that kind of element here to classify the film as horror. I'd say the only downsides to this movie are its appeal, and a few of the special effects. Its slow pace and emphasis on drama over horror makes this a sci-fi film that many will probably have a hard time getting into. While the film's story is EXCELLENT, it doesn't really offer a strong "hook" to get people interested, if they didn't start off interested. It's a niche film, made even more so with it being Japanese (in regards to American audiences). And as I mentioned, the special effects have a problem or two. While blatant CG is not used too often, the use of liquid/gelatinous orange goop has a "low-budget" feel that is distracting. Other special effects, such as burning bodies, ethereal glows, and such are all done very nicely. But then once the goop returns, it just brings you out of the movie. But orange Jell-O aside, the film is wonderfully done. And to top it all off, a beautifully understated score that comes in and out of the film when needed. Fans of Japanese film, the Parasite Eve video game, and slower-paced sci-fi should all give this film a chance. Score: 4.0 Pros - Convincing and involving emotional story; Intriguing science fiction plot. Cons - Might be too slow-paced/dramatic for some; Some distracting CG moments.
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Jun 13, 2005 19:00
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