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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 "A gorgeous piece..." 'Adolescence Mokushiroku,' released in English as 'Revolutionary Girl Utena- The Movie,' is the alternate-universe abstract retelling of the 'Shoujo Kakumei Utena' television series. While the movie differs dramatically from the portion of the TV series released in the US (which halts suddenly after the first story arc), it remains faithful to the surreal, abstract rhythm of the full series. Full of symbolism and strange plot twists, this movie has a broad appeal, extending beyond the regular anime audience to anyone with an appreciation for the beautiful and bizarre. This is NOT Pokemon- while the heavy male/male homosexual undertones from the television series (absent from the U.S. release) are almost nonexistent, the lighter lesbian undertones are transformed into an out and out love story between Utena and Anthy. The animation and music are beautiful, the story is fascinating and utterly strange, and I'm thrilled to see this film released in the United States. "Revolutionary!" WOW! This is the MOST BEAUTIFUL MOVIE EVER! It is my favorite movie! A MUST-SEE! "Animation that doesn't patronize its viewers!" I fell in love with Adolescence Mokushiroku the minute I first watched it. Like many other reviewers, I recommend that you watch the series first as the movie is basically a re-telling of the story but with a new "layout" shall we say. The characters are magnificently drawn and the story is held together by the traditional surrealist aspect of the series. Now, I want to make sure you people realize one thing. Utena is not soft porn and it is not about "lesbians" or whatever else (...) people have written in some reviews. The movie is beyond any stereotypes like that. A lot of fans from the series are too caught up in their notion that Utena and Anthy were just good friends in the series and have suddenly become lovers in the movie. That is absolutely not true! People, surrealism uses imagery and provokes the mind to think beyond what we are seeing and hearing. It's not about Utena or Anthy. It's about humanity in general. It's about how we only feel comfortable when things are right or left, up or down and we really never stop and think, "Hey! Maybe I'll just be different for a change! Maybe I'll stop being what the world has made me and instead become what I want to be". For those of you who think Utena is soft porn, you need to losen your tie a little and get yourselves on track. There's a difference between mild nudity and sexual acts! In conclusion, this is a great movie for anyone that is 13 years or older and who doesn't take offense to thought-provoking ideas. "Beautiful yet disturbing escape from reality" In some ways this is a movie that doesn't want to be understood. The story itself, when understood, is very captivating and intriguing. However, simply following the action with your eyes, having some basic understanding of the events, is what creates the most powerful viewing. The plot consists of twists and turns, a disjointing loss of continuity, and it's done this way purposely. The world that these characters inhabit does not follow the rules of reality, and I doubt the characters themselves are completely sure of what's happening. In fact, I'd assume that these characters follow the world the same way we follow the events of the movie; they are faintly aware of what's going on, why things are happening, but aren't fully conscious during the process. The plot, to simplify it, is composed of characters whom inhabit a paradise. This is a world with no imperfections, a place where everything works as it should. The only pain in this world is the pain of memories, and as you watch the movie you soon understand that all the angst swelling within these characters is always based on faint memories. The ending, not to spoil anything, is exactly how it should be; Anthy and Utena are faced with a choice... they can continue living in paradise, forever haunted by the painful memories of their pasts, or escape to a world that offers no safe havens except the freedom from the chains that bind them. Like many other reviewers have said, this is not a movie for everyone. It's confusing, uncomfortable and sometimes painful. But at the same time, there is a pure beauty presented here. The mesmerizing animation of the utopia of the academy alone is worth watching the film. But at the same time, the sparkling pink and blue hues have a fake, superficial beauty to them. When the real world is finally seen, the muddy browns and earth tones are incredibly refreshing to the eyes. Keeping an open mind to this movie is key. You have to let go of your pre-notions of reality and be absorbed into the world of Utena. "weird but cool nonetheless" I've seen the OAV's and thought they were a bit on the strange side, but this one takes the cake. There is a lot of symbolism in the movie that you can miss if you don't pay attention. Okay, even if you do you could still miss the point, whatever that may be. I do love how they draw their characters in Utena, and the animation is very well done. Warning: this anime is not for children.