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Revolutionary Girl Utena - The Movie Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara Number of Items: 1 Format: Color, Animated, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 87 minutes Studio: CENTRAL PARK MEDIA Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2001-11-13 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 97 Average rating: 4.5 "Best anime movie in 30 years !!!" First off, I must say this:: THIS MOVIE ONLY MAKES SENSE TO YOU IF YOU'VE WATCHED ALL 39 TV EPISODES BEFORE YOU WATCH THE MOVIE!!! Like any David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick movie, it's a "new wave" way of storytelling. A lot of parables, allegories, references, and visual imagery to help you understand what they are trying to say. I can't stress that enough. This movie is an OAV, which explains answers to questions that were left unexplained to the viewer in the TV series. So by not finishing the TV series, you are short changing yourself. It's like never finishing Charles Dickens "A tale of two cities" and be expected to understand a movie on it that only shows the highpoints of the storyline. Unlike most Japanese anime where things are not explained, this is explained, only if you watch the entire 39 episodes and the movie. This is NOT an anime movie to watch without thinking. Utena is a series where one must spend time to dissect the story, the motives and actions of each character, and how they interact with each other. The relationships are of utmost importance. Therefore, this is NOT MINDLESS ENTERTAINMENT. But a show that is full of imagery, nouvelle vague film techniques, and philosophy about how to live. The TV series is about how one grows out of childhood fantasies into adulthood, and the movie expands on that by concentrating on the "growing into adulthood" transformation part. And as such, one must always watch it with an understanding of your own childhood, all the joys and pains of growing up, sufferings and triumphs, attitudes and changes, all that is incorporated into this TV series and movie. If you truly want to understand this movie, take the time to review the TV episodes that you didn't understand, and rewatch them and redissect until you have your answer. Switch viewing between the TV series and the movie is recommended until you have the storyline down. The more you watch, the more understanding you will get. The more you see the various nuances that makes this anime, not just a simple straightforward story, but one that's also poetic and illustrous. Like all great classics, as your life experiences increase, you will discover even more truths in this movie/series. For those who don't know, there are fansubs (fans who subtitled the TV series) available out there that you can get. I highly recommend this movie. In conjunction with the TV series. May you have revelation and inspiration -- then the duel called "revolution" has begun in your life. "One of the Best Anime Movies!" I watched the Utena movie before I watched the tv series and I have to admit I do like the movie better (but then again I loved the series too). Also I am not much of a shoujo fan so I was really surprised when I watched the movie and loved it! It's extremely symbolic and almost dream like,it's like all the characters are stuck in a dream world that they can't get out of. The only one who holds the key to the outside world is Anthy the Rose Bride. That's all I'm going to say about it, I don't want to give everything away. It's not a children's movie though. It does contain mostly adult themes of sexuality, abuse, death, etc. You get the picture. It's also a movie that you have to think about after watching it. The movie does make sense once you thnk about it. Buy it!!! "Innovation on a large scale" This is one of the most stunning films I have seen in any genre in a long time. The animation is crisp and fresh, the themes are exciting and though provoking, and the imagery is unlike anything that has proceeded it. The filmmakers have create a world that can't be referenced or compared to any that have preceded it. The viewer is rewarded for watching this move repeatedly, be it finding another layer of the story or noticing something beautiful they had not seen previously. This should be considered a mod sci-fi classic. Any fan of androgyny, williful pretension, or adventurous mind-blowing owes it to themselves to get this disc. I can't stress it enough. "Porn? Nooo!!!! Sii!! Noo!! Ooohh!" Pornographic content, some say? I'd say no. Of course there are some scenes some might call explicit, but the film is about the two basic things: Sex and violence. But why complain? The series was about them too. It had more layers, more sidekicks, and more comedy, but the basis is the same. It's about the world of misery and death, living and dying and living without being alive. 1? hours of pain, purification, catharsis and sex. Depicted more beautifully and with more symbolism than in End of Evangelion. This movie, it rocks. "The Best Of Utena!!!!!!!!!!" Well I Love The Utena Series Its Great. Well The Movie Is A Bit More Mature But It s The Best Anime Movie In the World You Really Dont Have To See The Rest Of The Series Beacuse The Movie Sort Of Takes On A Whole New Story Line Apart From The Dueling But It Would Help If You Saw The Student Council Part Of The Series Means Thats The Only Part Brought Here At The Time