Customer Rating:      Summary: Worth watching!!! Comment: There's something wonderfully sublime about Japanese culture and anime is definitely one of the ultimate expressions of that indefinable "something" that makes Japan so alluring. Case and point is this film where everything is so incredibly layered and working on so many different levels. Paprika is definitely a high water mark for anime and all that it represents. The main character is especially interesting, sort of like a super hero with a split personality or something...I think...I'm still not sure exactly what's going on but I've only watched the movie twice. It's definitely a film you'll need to watch more than once.
The visuals are stunning, the sound track is amazing, everything comes together. There were one or two parts that dragged but besides that this was a perfect movie.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Lighthearted cyberpunk Comment: Paprika really disappointed me, after how impressed I was by the director's first film 'Perfect Blue'.
The animation in this film is done by one of my favorite animation houses, Mad House, and is really well done.
My problem with this film basically boils down to the lighthearted nature of it. It's supposed to be a bit of a thriller, where a detective is trying to find a guy who is hurting people by entering their dreams. I thought the premise sounded quite promising, but the execution was not to my tastes.
I thought I was going to have similar problems with 'Perfect Blue', due to it's Pop Idol backdrop, but the story was quite serious, and the threats were very dangerous and real.
In this film, I rarely felt like anything dangerous was really happening. The detective would be chasing a criminal, and would suddenly turn to Tarzan, and the film would go for a laugh. Then it would try to be serious again. It does this throughout the film, and I just couldn't get into it's "lighthearted thriller" vibe.
I respect what the director is doing, but it's really not for me. I'll stick to 'Perfect Blue', thank you.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Paprika = Amazing Comment: Paprika is one of my favorite movies! Amazing visuals. Awesome storyline. Fantastic music. Trippy, exciting, beautiful. I recommend it to everyone.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Think the movie The Cell with a little Matrix throw in Comment: This was a great movie. I am a big anime fan but not usually too big on this style of animation or this type of anime.
The premise of the movie is that a device has been developed that can be used to give people therapy through their dreams (think the movie The Cell). When one of these devices gets stolen suddenly strange things start happening. What happens if a dream becomes a virus and spreads? Suddenly everyone thinks their dreams are reality and their dreams become reality (a bit of the Matrix here).
This is something that could only be done with animation. The movie can get a tad bit confusing at times as to what is real reality and what is the dream reality. Towards the end of the movie it is impossible to distinguish between the two; but that's really the point.
The animation was very good, although not my favorite style. The style was a bit too bright and childlike for what I normally like. The writing was very well done as was the storyline.
The movie kept you hanging on until the end, holding your breath as to what would happen.
The really special thing about this movie is the greater question it asks the watchers. If everyone believes something is reality does that make it real? If you are the only person who knows that the current reality isn't real what does that make you?
This was an entertaining and thought provoking movie.
Customer Rating:      Summary: I HATE ANIME but loved Paprika! Comment: Totally great fun - also great for people who might not ordinarily do anime, like me. Definitely not in the least predictable.
basic, basic plot: Prototype machine used by psychotherapists to access clients' dreams for treatment gets stolen, hallucinogenic havoc ensues with dreams going haywire for everyone. Who's behind it, and why?
The animation is beautiful, and the colors are lovely. I caught the regular DVD, not high-def, and I was very happy with it. Good subtitles. It's a bit sci-fi but I think the mystery of dreaming - and the hope that dreaming holds some key to our own internal issues - is universally appealing, so don't be put off by the machine stuff.
nudity: Some nudity which occurs in a threatening situation, but nothing x-rated or sketchy. I'd say 12 and up, if you want to show it to a kid.
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