20th Century Boys 2: the Last Hope

20^th Century Boys 2: the Last Hope

(Viz Media, 140 Minutes)

www.20thboysfilms.com

By Chris Zimmerman

Compressing a story as large and complex as Naoki Urasawa’s manga series “20^th Century Boys” is no easy task. The task would be daunting for any filmmaker; thankfully, director Yukihiko Tsutsumi was more than up to the task, taking the Peter Jackson route and condensing the series into a trilogy that is meant to be viewed as one massive film.

It’s never easy being the middle component of a trilogy but “the Last Hope” fulfils its role very well, bridging the gap between the first and third movie while pushing the plot forward while still maintaining an identity of its own.

Jumping forward 15 years after the events of the previous film, now referred to as “bloody new years eve”, the enigmatic friend has consolidated his power and expanded his influence over all of Japan. Kenji Endo, the protagonist from the first movie is dubbed a terrorist and presumed dead. Most of his comrades who banded together to stop friend and prevent the “book of prophesy” from being fulfilled have either been captured or just altogether vanished. Instead, Kenji’s niece Kanna has taken up the fight against Friend in an effort to prove her uncle’s innocence.

Kanna’s determination lands her in a re-education center where she attempts to uncover Friend’s true identity. While her role is not fully explained, she is considered something of a savior as she can convert others to her cause and even displays ESP.

Sometime between the first movie and this one, a second book of prophesy has emerged. The book states that a savior will rise only to be slain before the masses. Most believe this to be Kanna though the film also hints at there being the possibility that it is in fact Friend.

As with the first film, the action jumps between various time periods, building on the mystery of Friend’s true identity. While some answers are given to questions raised in the first movie, even more questions arise as Kanna digs deeper into Friend’s history.

With the introductions of the main characters out of the way, this installment was allowed to breathe more and move at a brisker pace. Despite clocking in at around two and a half hours, the film is gripping and clever enough that it is never in risk of being boring. Most of the credit belongs to the cast who had an entire first movie to flesh out their characters so that the audience would be invested in them.

Since this is only the second of the planned trilogy, the film leaves it’s viewers dangling on a pretty major cliff hanger that sets up the third and final film nicely. There is less exposition and more action as the series gears up for its inevitable conclusion. The ultimate revelations to come should be enough to entice fans back, if for no other reason than to see their patience rewarded.

20^th Century Boys 2: the Last Hope – B+

Special Features:

Original and English Trailers

20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End

In 1969 Kenji Endo spent his childhood days dreaming of changing the world through Rock and Roll. Jump to 1997 and his aspirations of becoming a rock star have all but faded. Instead, he has decided to take over his family’s work running a liquor store that is soon to be a franchise convenience store all the while looking after his niece who was left in his care by his sister before she vanished. Soon his world is rocked when the police drop by to question him about the disappearance of family and the suicide of a friend. During a class reunion, Kenji learns of a mysterious cult that appears to be behind the disappearances with a symbol that was created by Kenji and his friends when they were children. Even worse, a virus has broken out threatening to wipe out all of Japan. Everything appears to be linked to “the Book of Prophecy”, a story Kenji wrote when he was a child. So goes the story of 20th Century Boys, a sprawling epic about childhood dreams and the consequences that must be dealt with for having them.

Based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, 20th Century Boys is the first of a trilogy of films to be released that deal with a boy’s comic and the apocalyptic future it prophesizes. This first film is an adaption of the first six volumes in the series, compressing around 1200 pages of story into roughly two and a half hours of screen time. Having read both the original comic and now seen the movie, I can confidently say that the film makers handled the transition admirably.

The trilogy on the whole is one of the biggest in Japanese history with a budget of 6 billion yen( roughly 55.68 million US dollars) and a cast of 300 actors. With a cast that large it’s impossible to get to know every character but the film makers do an impressive job of sneaking small bits into the film that return later to provide a massive payoff. There are a few actions scenes spread thinly throughout but when they do occur they are suspenseful and executed wonderfully though the special effects can be considered small potatoes when compared to American cinema.

For all its strengths, 20th Century Boys truly stands on the performance of the lead Toshiaki Karasawa as Kenji. His portrayal of a nice guy trying to do right by everyone brings a character that most of us can relate to. As the movie progresses so does his character’s growth, becoming more determined to discover the meaning behind the events transpiring around him.

It’s because of all these things that 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End manages to provide an exciting on its own rather than falling into the trappings of page for page adaptations. From the very start of the movie, a sense of intrigue is introduced that lingers right until the end. If this first offering and the accompanying trailer at the end of the credits is any indication, this may be trilogy that may prove to rank amongst the best in cinema.

20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End - A