Harmagedon: Genma Wars (1983)

I think I am beginning to realize that I cannot wrap my mind around both sports movies as well as, now, Anime movies. I don't know when this happened, but the last two films that I have watched I just couldn't find the power, or interest in continuing with them. As I write this review, "Harmagedon" continues to play in the background as our story gets further and further convoluted and NOW they are saving fawns and rabbits instead of the human race. That is the un-detailed depth of this film. Considered pioneering for its time for bringing "real" life places within the fictional world, "Harmagedon" introduces a plethora of multi-cultural characters into this struggle to save the planet Earth from destruction from a being known only to eat full universes. Using powers of the mind, this rag tag bunch of characters cause mayhem and chaos throughout the planet, bringing hope to the remaining peoples left on Earth. While it sounds like a great concept, it just didn't work in the 132-minute format. I think doing this as a series, the opportunity to really flesh out the different characters, would have benefited this story greatly. While I loved the concept, it was the execution that failed with this film. Here I am, at the 100-minute mark and we are still being introduced to new characters, characters that will be used for the pen-ultimate battle that we are building up. Why would you do this? Why introduce characters, words that we are supposed to feel emotion for, when there is no time for development? Utter failure on the part of "Harmagedon".

Being a fan of "Akira", I thought this would fall in line, and there are images and techniques used in this that will obviously be used in "Akira", but where this is different than "Akira" is the story. I felt nothing for our characters or the plot. Interested, but never quite developed. We spend nearly an hour and a half with two focused characters, yet we are to follow at least seven of them to the ends of the battle. It just didn't work. Also, there were moments that were too over-dramatic even for me. In Anime, I expect things to be a bit over the top - watching "Hamtaro", there were parts that were just a bit too zany, but it worked due to the brevity of the episodes I was comfortable with what was happening. That should have been the case here. Shorter episodes may have built a better world - by the end, which I am coming up to now, we just don't have enough time for anything. Characters are forgotten, past experiences have come short, and overall it just seemed like a flash in the pan instead of an epic story. I wanted to like "Harmagedon", but nothing peaked my interest - like a sports film, it felt like old techniques used over and over again. Boredom settled early with this film, and it never let go.

If it isn't obvious, this film is getting a yellow highlight with black mark. Maybe suggested to the die-hard Anime watchers only, this would be a tough suggestion to the amateur eye. Found in my "500 Essential Anime Movies" book, I cannot see why (outside of the historical element) this made the list. It was dull, void of emotion, and what should have been a 13-part series packed into two hours. There just wasn't enough time or energy to build the connections that needed to build the final climax. Overall, I just got bored. Not a fan of this film, and Anime as a whole is making me nervous.