DEVILMAN

Ouch, Very Ouch

I can safely say that this movie is a disservice to even the most dedicated Devilman manga fan. But I won't delve into that, let's just focus on the movie. Unbelievably horrible, from the production value to the OST. So bad it's funny, but in that sad way. I just can't find anything of redeemable value here...so I'll just let off some steam and keep bashing. Comic book movies have a lot to live up to these days. Today's theaters are saturated with CG packed action hero movies that are actually really good. This is bottom of the barrel material. It's full of acting worthy of a bad soap opera with a TV movie feel to it, cheap looking pre-rendered PS1 generation CG and dialog that a toddler can write. The choppy sequences just got worse as the movie progressed. There was no depth in any themes, character or conflict and the script felt very linear and thin.

Devilman is an adaptation of the popular manga and anime created by Go Nagai in 1972. The story begins with the accidental release of a demon species from Antarctica. They spread their seed by infecting and transforming humans. As more and more people get infected, the human population fights back in an all out war. Their only savior is Akira, a teen who himself gets infected but retains a human conscious. Thus Devilman is born and he fights both evil demons and humans intent on extermination. During the course of his battles, his best friend, Ryo, becomes a powerful demon and arch nemesis. The movie finishes with a final showdown between Devilman and his former friend.

For a 2004 flick, the CG is just gross. They couldn't even blend the CG characters into the background well. I also expected a seemless transition when Akira turned into Devilman but that never happened. Apparently Devilman had a huge budget, but who knew? At the very least, they could have made it fun to watch if not for its paper napkin script, but they failed miserably in that respect. Apart from the horrendous look is the bad acting. When you see the actors weep, you'll laugh. When you see them smile, you'll get creeped out. Watching these self conscious actors do their thing is painful. Who is Devilman? Who knows after watching this crap fest.

Director: Hiroyuki Nasu
Genre: Action Fantasy
Year: 2004
Rating: 1/8