Inception can suck it
♥!
This is the definition of a film that is all about style over substance and dragged down by a poorly executed story.
The main story was supposed be a mystery thriller where the protagonists are forced to try and find and apprehend the dangerous thief who stole a DC Mini, but it was all over the place. It was full of clichés, plot twists that could be seen a mile away, character revelations that came out of nowhere and a romantic subplot that was so out of the blue. It felt like it was trying to do too much in a short period of time, and sadly its detective Toshimi psychotherapy subplot (which is a problem in itself; a film with a complex plot and a 1 hour and half run time does not have the time to expend on subplots) was more focused and engaging than its main storyline.
"The Internet and dreams are similar. They're areas where the repressed conscious mind escapes."
Not for children or the faint of heart.
'Paprika' doesn't hesitate when descending into a trippy nightmare with it's untamed imagination. It's like an anime comic book coming to life in a Salvador Dali style of surreal. Even the square frame can't contain the madness of the dreamworld.
Once the song 'Susumu Hirasawa - Parade' started playing, I knew that things were gonna get weird, real fast.
However, not to say the movie doesn't hold any beauty in it's dreamlike setup. All colors and animation aside, the beauty itself comes from the imagination and the amount of detail Satoshi put into the movie, which was mesmerizing.
The soundtrack's great as well. It's so full of energy and joy that it doesn't matter if I didn't know what the lyrics are actually saying.
I think director Satoshi Kon said it better himself:
"If you look at a dream overall, it's very difficult to discern the meaning. However, as time goes on, there might be certain meanings in the background. Movies that you can watch once and understand entirely -- that is the type of movie that I don't really like. However, if you are able to understand 70 to 80 percent of what's being relayed, and there's still some percentage left that would allow for your own interpretation . . . that's the type of movie that I do like. There might be a certain part that you don't quite understand, but there is a portion that rests in your heart."
R.I.P
I gave this a six out of ten because it never stopped being entertaining, while at the same time, nothing was happening. The hell does that mean? Well, the movie is a mind bender of visual delights, but I never had a clue what was going on.
I mean, the story kind of makes sense, however there is no world building. It's like this is a sequel to a movie that doesn't exist. Maybe this was adapted from a manga, I don't know. Regardless, it is still the filmmaker's job to tell a complete story.
After I watched Paprika I read the synopsis, like, "oh, is that what I just watched?"
Let's see if I can break this down: Paprika is an anime, sci-fi thriller. It operates on literal dream logic, so it is insanity from start to finish. The obvious comparison is going to be Inception, which came out four years after this. So, in that regard, Inception is a better version of this movie. I can also tell that Everything, Everywhere, All at Once was inspired by this.
I get the sense that this movie has a loyal fanbase who love it dearly, but I just didn't get it. I didn't get to know the characters, so I never cared about them. I didn't understand the villain's motivation.
Seriously, I know if this were a series that explored the people and the world within, I'd really like it.
As is, it's just a mess. If you have ADHD, and enjoy bright colors, one-dimensional characters, and don't need a plot, you're in for a treat.
The original title of the film is Papurika.
In a distant, familiar future, our dreams can be breached, shared and "hacked" via a specialized piece of hardware. This seems to function as a potent means of psychotherapy, but when a prototype falls into unknown hands, the ramifications are potentially catastrophic. Sure enough, before we've even narrowed down a list of suspects, the line between fantasy and reality grows blurred, smudged beyond all recognition. Surreal, trippy phantoms invade the waking world, drawing fistfuls of unsuspecting day-sleepers happily down the rabbit hole in their hallucinogenic parade through the city. Even more experienced staff members, such as the titular dream agent Paprika, can't always discern tangible from artificial, which makes for some unpredictable twists and a playful relationship with the viewer's perceptions.
The last film of Satoshi Kon's tragically short career, it should go without saying that Paprika is gorgeously animated, with a ridiculous level of detail and a very pronounced, unusually fluid sense of motion. Anime can often lean too much on sudden movements and long, lingering static shots, but Kon's cast is constantly doing something. Their world feels lived-in and awake, even when its contents are a mere illusion. Ferociously creative, proudly odd and unrestrainedly beautiful, my biggest complaints are that the dialog is often smothered by rambling, incoherent victims and, as a result, the plot can be quite difficult to follow. A wonderful experiment, overflowing with ripe ideas and memorable scenes, but a good fifty percent of the subtitles can be ignored and the resolution leaves something to be desired. Would be a fantastic film to experience on psychoactive drugs.
only been watching for half an hour, already can give it a ten, a movie like transition between time and space, ahead of its time, if time ever exists...paving the way for Inception
DAMN
U
CHRISTOPHER
NOLAN
WTF
I liked the ideas behind the plot even though the presentation could have been better. It's nothing too complicated, but the surreal elements explained poorly, and the flow of the narration is a bit hard to follow at times. The charm of this film is the way it visually alternates and blends completely different domains of imagination during the dream sequences. It's really something that would be almost impossible to do in a live-action film.
The real problems arise in the last thirty minutes, when all expectations get brutally raped and killed as everything is resolved with a good vs evil showdown full of anime stereotypes (Godzilla-sized king of the darkness, semi-apocalyptic setting with skyscrapers falling apart, boobs in the air, etc.). And to make things even worse, they even decided to paint the ending with the colors of love and add a completely random romantic subplot in the last five minutes.
Still worth a watch for the visuals and concept, but felt like a wasted opportunity.
Good movie with a lot of interesting visuals and ideas. However, I feel like they had to introduce so much for the audience to understand what was going on that there wasn't enough time to invest in the actual emotional part of the movie. The idea that these people had to reconcile with their dreams and thus themselves is interesting, but again it felt like there was little time to fully delve into that idea.
• The imagination is remarkable; Christopher Nolan must have been influenced by this animated film when shooting "Inception."
• The procession is grand, magnificent, and intimidating.
• It's a pity that the love story feels a bit forced; where did the romance come from for the chubby character?
• Share: https://www.alipan.com/s/WMq1ch3ohmb
chaotically amazing! masterpiece huh:smirk:
Usually I hate paprika (the fruit), but god-damn, this was very delicious!
it was so bizarre i loved but damn i felt illiterate because it was hella confusing lol
what in the giddy hell did i just watch?
It gets confusing at times but I admire its boldness and big ideas.
Paprika goes a little too hard for my taste and I'm not a fan of "Inception-themed" movies, as I classify everything that dives too deep in the dream realm.
Overall is a beautiful piece, colorful and somehow overwhelming.
Not my first choice, as I said, but it's not hard to figure out why people make a big deal out of it.
So bloated and boring, meh...
Shout by Joe SimpsonBlockedParent2013-03-05T19:40:57Z
Woah. This is really cool :)
It is a little crazy, but it is just beautifully complex and just so good