As an outside observer with no previous connection to the series, I found it more than a little confusing to get started with _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. The original series ran for a single season in 95/96, then was condensed and re-worked into a feature film a year later, then circled around again to produce an alternate ending, and has now returned to the well once more for yet another revival of roughly the same material at a new animation house. There's also been sporadic talk of a live-action rendition, though that seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent years. I figured I'd start with this, the newest model, and... well, to put it nicely, it feels like something that's been left in the oven for too long. If there's passion and energy and enthusiasm to any of the earlier iterations, they were lost somewhere between here and there. The whole production is empty and soulless, like a husk just going through the motions and winking desperately at the audience. Maybe that works for the die-hards, who've already memorized the crucial storytelling beats and can relish the new perspective, but it doesn't offer a lot of meat for the uninitiated. Everything is vague and understated, from the young protagonist (literally plucked from a street corner and deposited in a skyscraper-sized mech, sans-training, to save the city) to his peers and support staff (a group of hyper-stereotypical anime girls) to the monolithic hulks that use him as a punching bag (a trio of imaginative, but dull, forces of nature). It's just so emotionally flat, so excruciatingly blasé about everything, that even the spectacular concept of a giant robot at war with a hovering, six-mile-wide jellyfish feels bland. That these big metal exoskeletons are almost singularly employed to shoot really big guns doesn't help the case. Those ridiculously large sniper rifles might as well be mounted to a rooftop turret or something. At least the animation looks nice, if perhaps a bit too reliant on abstract mechanics and twirling gears, and the character designs remain sharp and memorable. A lot of time and money went into this, not to mention the three ensuing sequels (as of this writing, one remains unreleased), and I can't honestly say that either investment was worthwhile.

As a longtime Evangelion fan, this first Rebuild film is a satisfying return to familiar ground. It's a faithful retelling of the early episodes of the original series, but polished with a flashy, modern edge. The upgraded animation is gorgeous and fluid, watching iconic moments reimagined with new technology is a real treat. That said, while it looks stunning, some of the gritty, psychologically intense charm of the original is lost in translation. This version feels more action-oriented and less meditative. The emotional tone is still present, just dialed back a bit. The mystery and quiet tension that made the original feel so hauntingly special is replaced by something faster-paced and more overt. Characters are still memorable, and Shinji is portrayed well, though he doesn’t have the same layered nuance as in the original. Knowing the deeper context behind why the Rebuild films exist really helps, this isn’t just a remake but a part of a broader, looping narrative. And for fans who complete all the Rebuild films and dig into the fan interpretations of the timeline, there’s added value and thematic depth. This isn’t a replacement for the original, but a complementary experience. I’m glad it exists, and it holds up well on rewatch. Definitely worth checking out for any Eva fan.

It a fine enough watch, but I can't help but feel like the arcs featured here work better as TV Episodes than a feature length film. Certainly because of the amount of times Shinji wants to call things quits.

Some scenes are a little longer than they needed to be and could have been condensed or omitted entirely. Other scenes felt rushed and it ruined some of the emotion the scene was supposed to bring out. Overall a pretty good movie but more or less a faithful retelling of the original series, you'll have to hold on and watch the 2nd if you really want to see things start to go off the rails.

Mostly just a reanimation of the first six episodes of NGE but condensed with some new scenes and visual upgrade or downgrade how you look at it. Since this the first of the rebuilds and soon after that is gonna diverge from tv show even more. Overall guess a good introduction just not on same tier as original show.