The Japanese have already mastered the art of science fiction storytelling within their anime, it’s something the world has praised them for. Whether it be through big blockbuster anime such as Mobile Suit Gundam, something much more artsy and complex such as Ghost in the Shell, or perhaps some of the most heart-touching and soulful dramedies like Cowboy Bebop, they’ve got science fiction in the bag. Satoshi Kon is one such director, someone that pushes the boundaries between science fiction and spirituality, and yet Paprika is a different beast.
How to Download Paprika
You can download the film from a digital store such as iTunes. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like xxxx, check out also his other films – film one and film two.
The Movie Review
Paprika’s story mostly revolves around a gadget called the DC-Mini. This gadget enables users to penetrate the dreams of others, a similar concept to that of Christopher Nolan’s Inception (which was directly inspired by Paprika). It also enables the recording and playback of your dreams. In other words, if you have a DC-Mini, you can enter people’s dreams at any moment, and also put them into a dream of your choice.
When three of the DC-Mini devices are stolen before they can even be encoded with software that will prevent total access to anyone at any time, a race begins to find out where they are before the ones that stole them do irreparable damage to the world. Paprika, a mysterious girl who appears to be able to move in dreams in ways that are wholly abnormal, begins to help the main heroes along their journey.
Now, with Satoshi Kon’s other films, you’d usually expect the dark, twisted mind-warping themes of Perfect Blue or Paranoia Agent, but those are not present in Kon’s latest picture. Rather, Paprika is more akin to the way Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfather’s dabble between the real and the unreal. However, even if it goes through some gloomy moments, it still keeps a lighter tone as a thriller without any overarching suffering and darkness to its core themes.
Paprika is really stunning to look at. Paprika never ceases to astound with imagery that defies rational comprehension and coherence for meaning that can only be understood subconsciously. A large aquatic leviathan with a man’s face, a marching band of inanimate items, dolls, animals, and humanoid toys that serve as carriers for their dreamers’ bodies are a few examples.
This movie had moments where it seemed like a dream you could actually have—or have already had. It brings forward an intense feeling of déjà vu but you simply cannot place it since these are such generalized dreams, they could happen to anyone – not to mention the film is animated and I don’t think any of us have had animated dreams.
That said, Paprika requires a lot of analyzing to fully understand, and the mythology will be clear if you pay attention to all the details on screen. It’s safe to say that a lot happens on the screen, but if I had no trouble making sense of what was happening, neither should you.
Even still, I would have to say that you should be avoiding Paprika if you like Disney-style animation better, something straightforward and fun throughout. However, Paprika will satiate your thirst for something complex, something passionate, something so emotional that it pulls the tears out of your eyeballs.
The Animation
The animation is phenomenal, and the smoothness here can only be explained by viewing it. The film is so beautifully drawn and animated, every character has a distinct look to them and they all have beautiful vibrant colors and movement animations. Moreover, the voice cast here is genuinely something extraordinary. The voice acting is full of panache, charm, and incredible talent. The soundtrack was composed by none other than Satoshi Kon’s long-time collaborator Susumu Hirasawa, and once again he crafts a melancholic, rhythmic, and anxiety-inducing soundtrack to go along with the film!
Verdict
Paprika is pretty much what you would expect from a top-notch work of animation, full of brilliant colors, vibrancy, and tons of artistic merit. Satoshi Kon challenges your ability to decipher what is happening on screen, and yet doesn’t allow the mysteries to distract you from what will happen next. It’s got a beautifully haunting and captivating soundtrack, with beautiful artwork, animation, and intricately designed characters. There’s always so much to decipher in each shot of this film, that you just need to watch it a second time to fully grasp everything that’s going on.
