Rahxephon:Motion Picture With Collect

Rating:
Summary: altered, but still good
Review: The plot is by necessity altered and simplified from the series to fit into two hours. Really, this isnt worth watching unless you are already a fan of the show. It is still quite good, however, if you are interested in seeing a different sequence of events. Also, I thought the new version of the ending made a bit more sense.

Rating:
Summary: The Cliffs Notes version of Rahxephon
Review: The producers did a decent job of squeezing an incredibly complex (and, at times, incredibly confusing) anime into a concise two-hour movie.

That said, Rahxephon The Motion Picture differs dramatically from the series in several crucial respects, particularly in the relationship between Ayato and Haruka. (Without giving too much away, I'll say that Ayato and Haruka get more intimate -- a LOT more intimate -- in the film than in the series. This wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that he's 17 and she's 29, meaning, um, she could be charged with statutory rape in many parts of the world.)

It's not a bad film, all things considered, but take my advice: Watch the series instead.

Rating:
Summary: The Parts Are Sometimes Better Than The Whole
Review: There seems to be quite a difference of opinion on the two-hour feature film based on the RahXephon series. I find my impressions are mixed, but that overall the film provides a different angle on the original story. One that touches more on emotional factors, and ekes out several things that are easy to miss in the series.

The plot, for those who haven't seen the series, is the tale of Ayato Kamina, who is caught in Tokyo during an alien invasion. The city is separated from the rest of the world, and the human inhabitants are convinced that they are the only survivors. When Ayato reaches the age of 17, a sudden meeting with a secret agent (Haruka Shitow) turns his world upside down. He discovers the truth and finds that he is connected with a giant robotic creature called the RahXephon.

He leaves Tokyo to aid humanity in stopping the aliens (Mu). Ayato is an instrumentalist, half human half Mulan, and badly torn over the path he should follow and his true nature. He is haunted by an old relationship and faces a complicated, metaphysical crisis or two.

What I especially liked -

The story isn't exactly different, but it focuses much better on the abridged romance between Haruka and Ayato. In the series, which has time to develop the detailed characters better, let time is spent on this theme. There are hints along the way, but only at the end does it achieve prominence. In the film Ayato's female relationships are the key element. This clarifies some of the confusion of the series.

One the other hand -

Either there was a very poor transfer or the film was made with sloppier artwork. Nor is the music of the same quality. Character development is seriously abridged, as is often the case in a feature length version. There are several cases, though, where it would have been better to leave out a character entirely. And poor Quon Kisaragi is barely a shadow of her series self, which is a shame. And finally there are some monologues which try to be lectures on the theory behind the action. These border on the tedious.

Since you aren't going to buy this package unless you intend to or already own the series, you will be pleased with the entire Rahxephon experience whether you like the film or not this won't be a disappointment. Collectors, after all, are happiest when they are collecting.