Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

Director(s) - Hideaki Anno (Cutie Honey, Gamera 1999) and Kazuya Tsurumaki (Revival of Evangelion, The Dragon Dentist)

Starring - MEgumi Ogata (Vampire Princess Miyu, Hell Teacher Nube: The Movie), Megumi Hayashibara (Gundam vs Hello Kitty, Blue Exorcist), and Yuko Miyamura (Hyper Police, Spectral Force)

Release Date - 1997

Genre - Sci-Fi/Action

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Neon Genesis Evangelion has really opened up the door for me to the world of anime.  Since I've started this weird and wild journey I've found myself creating a wishlist on Amazon and setting up queues on Hulu.  I seriously enjoyed the series and need more of this in my life.  When Shout Factory sent over the release I noticed that there was two film in the set.  After watching the series I quickly made my way to the first film and was very disappointed.  Read my review for that film if you want to know why.  This made me hesitant to watch the second film but curiosity got the best of me and I finally caved in.  It was solid but it was nowhere near as fun as the series.

     The film picks up with the Eva pilots who learn about a secret group within themselves hellbent on triggering a global killer known as the third impact.  As they fight to survive they uncover the true nature behind the Eva project and what the angels really are.

     The End of Evagelion is not as good as the series but it is leagues better than the abomination that was the first film.  I liked the direction that the film took but the writing just felt lazy.  There could have been so much more to this film than it was.  The voice acting follows right in line with the series.  The same cast returns to voice the characters from the series.  The voice acting isn't bad but a lot of the voices just doesn't match the characters that well.  I didn't hate it but the fact that the characters had voices that seemed a little silly did bring some of the scenes down.  The story for this one tries to fix the ending that was delivered in the show but it doesn't fully explore the idea it lays before us.  They either lost the budget for a second season or just didn't have the time to do it right but the film feels like such a missed opportunity.  I like where it when with solving the ending of the series and how half assed it was but it feels almost cheap.  Finally, the animation is in the same style as the series but not as bloody and oozy as the series.  IF you are looking for something a little darker then you will be disappointed.  Overall, The End of Evangelion is a superior film to the first and does a decent enough job at expanding the series but it still falls a bit short in my opinion.  The series had such a great idea and the movie only builds upon it but it doesn't go to the depths the series does.  It's worth a watch but don't expect a film as great as the show.