7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The film follows Nishi, a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, the film follows Nishi as he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place. Nishi (and some friends) attempt to break out of their trap, and discover what it truly means to be alive along the way. This is a mind-bending trip that uses some of the most innovative animation ever created.
Starring: Rintarô Nishi, Kôji ImadaForeign | 100% |
Anime | 72% |
Drama | 19% |
Dark humor | 1% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
20-year-old manga artist Nishi has gone most of his life without professing his love for childhood friend Myon, who now lives with her sister Yan and is engaged. Myon's fiancée Ryo meets them at her dad's restaurant, where they're bullied by a terrifying yakuza thug. Myon is assaulted, Nishi is shot and killed, and he meets an ever-changing God in limbo. Regretting his life as a coward, Nishi dodges fate and returns to Earth a changed man: he shoots the thug with his own gun, flees with Myon and Yan, they're pursued by yakuza, get swallowed by a huge whale after driving off a bridge, and end up trapped in the whale's belly with an old man and no chance of escape. Of course, they try anyway.
But those wildly different styles, eye-catching as they are, often cripple Mind Game's narrative flow and make it unnecessarily hard(er) to follow at times. I don't mean the occasional cut-away or "inner thought" diversion, which are amusing and rare enough not to overstay their welcome, but the clashing techniques used in close-ups and medium shots of the same character that can make us think we're looking at two different people. It's interesting at first but feels overdone, even within the elastic boundaries of a story that's already a few giant leaps off the beaten path. I'll admit that subsequent viewings made it easier to digest, but these elements are the very definition of "style over substance". Even so, Mind Game's overall aesthetic is off the charts and should absolutely thrill fans of creative, hand-drawn animation: praised by the likes of Bill Plympton and the late Satoshi Kon while being compared to the work of Ralph Bakshi, it's a safe bat that your opinion of those directors will be a reliable gauge of interest.
Although die-hard fans of Mind Game may already own it via 2017's successful Kickstarter campaign, it's most widely available via
GKIDS' Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Armed with a disclaimer on the back that "Mind Game is intended for adult audiences" (probably a good
idea, given the distributor's name), the Blu-ray offers predictably great A/V specs and a few bonus features that, while somewhat disappointing, at
least offer a peek behind the curtain of perhaps this century's most bizarre animated adventure. I'm not aware of any major differences between
this release and the Kickstarter Blu-ray aside from the packaging, but I'd love to hear any comments from owners of that disc.
Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, it's obvious that Mind Game was given a new scan for Blu-ray -- this crisp 1080p transfer looks nothing like a 2004-era home video release, as the film's bright and vivid palette absolutely pops of the screen in all the right ways. Image detail and black levels are well-rendered and create a lot of depth, while the varying formats and animation techniques all look as good as possible under the circumstances. (That said, this was my first full exposure to the film, so I don't have a genuine point of reference.) No obvious digital imperfections could be spotted along the way, aside for small amounts of banding that are almost expected on animated releases.
Not to be outdone is the crisp, aggressive DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, which is presented in its original Japanese with optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles. There's a lot to follow: dialogue ranges from quiet conversations to violent outbursts, while a number of panning effects and other elements tend to bounce around at will. Crowded scenes have a great rear presence, along with plenty of satisfying echo when the situation demands it. LFE use is irregular but makes itself known on occasion; the climactic escape, for example, surges ahead at full throttle. Overall, it's a fine presentation that complements the loopy visuals perfectly, while the sporadic music cues by Seiichi Yamamoto (one-time drummer for Japanese noise-rock band Boredoms) are mixed well without fighting for attention.
This two-disc release arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with two-sided artwork and a matching slipcover.
Masaaki Yuasa's Mind Game is a unique and innovative adventure that pushes the expanding boundaries of animation. Those who don't mind sacrificing a clear, accessible narrative will admire its take-no-prisoners approach to storytelling, although the violent visual shifts can make things unnecessarily confusing. GKIDS' Blu-ray offers an outstanding A/V presentation but only a few good-to-great extras -- and while the film's appeal is extremely narrow, those who fall under its spell will love Mind Game to pieces. Recommended, but newcomers should try before they buy.
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