Paprika

[googergieger]

I didn't mean to say, if you don't agree with me you don't know what you are talking about. That came out wrong and I'm sorry.

Now I don't think I ever said a good movie can't be both visual and have depth. Also if american cinema was so great, they wouldn't be remaking so many good eastern flicks.

I've seen Paprika about three times. Again I understand the whole pandemic, worldwide problem going on. That is why I said, it reminded me of Paranoia Agent, just slightly different story.

Ghost in the Shell was a very well paced, very clean cyberpunk story. Paprika was more a nice future trying to better itself. Certain Sci-fi elements no doubt. I have no problem with that. Again I enjoyed the movie.

Though I honestly can't understand how anyone can seriously say this movie is as good if not better than his other movies. The other movies were so inventive while this one seemed so, predictable and left a lot to the imagination. I have no problem with the audience using a bit of it's imagination, but I don't know....

his other movies made you care for his characters and the story, this movie felt more, take it or leave it. I suppose, a lot of this is opinion. However after seeing everything this director did, I find it very surprising anybody can honestly believe this is up there.

Again this felt like a watered down Paranoia Agent.

[Cicada]

I can think of reasons for remakes of Asian films. Firstly it’s easy to take films that have been successful overseas and remake them without appearing as unoriginal as doing the same for a Western film (Lake House, The Departed, etc.), and it’s lower risk than using an original story. The reason that they so often come from Asia is simply because of the strong, creative native film industries there. Another reason would be where a story being promoted as coming from East Asia is an advantage. The most obvious example here would be horror movies in the wake of the huge (mostly justified) success of The Ring. It’s easy to think of titles; Dark Water, The Grudge, and the association carries to other Asian countries; The Eye, Shutter, The Uninvited, Pulse, etc. etc. These aren’t done because Asian horror is inherently good (it may or may not be better on the whole), but because of a fad caused by that perception.

Why I can say Paprika is equal to the others is easy enough, firstly we can agree that it has the strongest visuals, which the story allows to work perfectly with Kon’s psychedelic style of storytelling. The story is interesting and multilayered, the detective story, the science fiction story, and (most fascinating) the character study all are entwined very cleanly, the film isn’t cluttered or overly long. It’s also a film that watching with a different perspective (e.g. when you notice the Freudian metaphor) provides you with a very new experience, more still, it’s one that most, if not every scene can be picked apart and analysed thoroughly – it’s something complex beneath a guise of simplicity. That is to say, it’s clever but accessible. I brought up Ghost in the Shell, because it’s similar in this way. It’s complex, but clean, and it can be watched as a simple science fiction film, at the same time you can really deconstruct a lot of scenes to find unexpected meaning and complexity – which is why it’s possibly the most popular anime written about by academics. It depends what you’re looking for in the film. (I'm surprised you'd call it a watered down Paranoia Agent though, not just because of the length. I'd more call Paranoia Agent a mostly successful mish-mash of what you'll find in all of his films).

[googergieger]

You're either giving this movie too much credit or are impressed incredibly easy. I watch a movie to be entertained. This film didn't give me anything to think about that I didn't already think about.

Psychedelic? How was his other work psychedelic? Besides Paranoia Agent. The reason this movie was a watered down Paranoia Agent, is that if you take away the dreams it is the same thing. Now with that said, you were talking about Ghost in the Shell the movie? Let me guess, you thought Akira was one of the best things you ever saw? *rolls eyes*

Now it seems we just have a different way to appreciate movies. I take things at face value and see movies to be entertained. Where as you would find the academic appreciation in, let's say....Biodome. There is a difference between being experimental for the sake of being experimental. Also a difference between creativity and uniqueness.

I mean even if this movie was everything you said it was, it wasn't that original. Which is why I said, aimed at an American audience. It's nothing too overly obscure and it has things you can take at face value, while thinking you saw a deeper meaning. You don't need a college degree, to understand this movie. You need eyes.

With that said, it was basically mediocre for it's genre. Not a bad movie, but his other work did a lot of things within their genres. Number one rule to making good movies/shows/etc.....know your genre.

Oh and didn't you just say why eastern films are better than western films? By the by, most of those remakes sucked, but the originals weren't that great either. Save Infernal Affairs.

[eaper]

So, I just watched this and it really reminded me of Inception.

Anyways... this thing... it just... wow... yeah... Mind screw O.o

[cinnabarhat74]

Originally Posted by eaper

So, I just watched this and it really reminded me of Inception.

Anyways... this thing... it just... wow... yeah... Mind screw O.o

I did have some elements that were in Inception and some from that movie Brainstorm. If you remember that movie from 1980 or so. I thought it was a neat weird movie. It creeped out my nephew.

[eaper]

Originally Posted by cinnabarhat74

I did have some elements that were in Inception and some from that movie Brainstorm. If you remember that movie from 1980 or so. I thought it was a neat weird movie. It creeped out my nephew.

Oh, I thought the movie was pretty great... but... still... wut

[Kernoll]

The idea of movie was great, animation well made, first half of plot was interesting with little bit of mindfuck (that is how i like it) but end with

giant black man and ghost of paprika eating him

was bit too much. There are much better ways to end a movie...

[DeathCrunch]

Sounds like you'd be fine if the giant was white then...