Neon Genesis Evangelion - Movie: Death Rebirth (DVD, 2002)

Fifteen years after the Antarctic blast known as the Second Impact, the world once again faces the threat of the Angels--super-powered entities with the capacity to bring about a Third Impact capable of destroying all human life. Summoned by his estranged father, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari reluctantly embraces his destiny as the pilot of the bio-engineered vessel known as "Evangelion Unit-01." Alongside fellow Eva pilots Asuka Langley and Rei Ayunami, Shinji battles against the host of invading Angels. But all is not as it seems. Amidst layers of subterfuge, and the competing agendas of secret government organizations each seeking to manipulate the children and their Evas for their own ends, Shinji, Rei and Asuka must each come to terms with their past and unearth their own identities. Told from the various perspectives of the tale's primary characters, Death & Rebirth is a composition of epic proportions. The first half of the film is an orchestrated retelling of episodes 1 through 24 of the original groundbreaking Neon Genesis Evangelion saga. Supplemented with startling new animated sequences, Death offers a unique insight into the personal worlds of the characters as conceived of by the series' director Hideki Anno. In Rebirth, the second half of the film, we see an alternate vision of episode 25 of the original series. Seele, the secret international organization behind the development of both the Evangelion project and the Human Complementation project, is concerned about the way the projects' director, Ikari Gendo, is proceeding. Convinced that Gendo is implementing his own plans, they set out to wrest control of the projects and capture Eva Unit-01. Using the nine-production model Evangelions under their command, and a force of conventional troops, Seele undertakes a full-scale invasion of Central Dogma - the operation control center beneath Tokyo-3.
From the animators of GAINAX Studios (The Wings of Honneamise) and Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire) comes the most decisive chapter in the Neon Genesis Evangelion saga. Featuring groundbreaking animated action sequences and mind-blowing dramatic revelations; Death & Rebirth is truly a composition of epic proportions. Manga's most technically advanced DVD to date includes a double-sided DVD, special audio commentary and an exclusive Mokuji Interactive feature (Mokuji = "Contents"). Once activated, this feature will allow the viewer to select from an on-screen, chapter specific index of Eva-related terms, character descriptions, and other valuable information while viewing the film. The perfect resource for the seasoned Evangelion fan eager to learn more as well as a comprehensive introduction for those new to the story. All key roles in the English language version of Death and Rebirth are reprised by the original voice-actors from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.

The bizarre ending of the television series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) pleased no one, including creator Hideaki Anno. Shortly after it aired, Anno began remaking the final episodes as an OAV and then decided to release them as a theatrical feature. At the climax of the series, Shinji met and destroyed Kaoru, who was both the Fifth Child and 17th Angel--then collapsed into schizophrenia. Death retraces these events through clips, many of them set to new dialogue performed by the same English cast as the series. Rebirth depicts the aftermath of Shinji's victory over the final Angel: Seele attacks NERV headquarters as part of their plot to advance human evolution. The feature ends as inconclusively as the series, with Rei in limbo beside Dr. Ikari, the traumatized Shinji nearly catatonic, and a reawakened Asuka fighting Seele. It sets up the final film, The End of Evangelion. Unrated; suitable for ages 14 and up: Violence, brief nudity, profanity. --Charles Solomon

Special features
Subtitle options for Dialogue & On-screen Text
In-depth index of Characters, Angels, Evas & Terms
Photo Gallery
Japanese Production Credits
End of Evangelion Preview
Manga Previews
Web Links
Manga Fan Club

Product details
Actors: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi, Yûko Miyamura, Fumihiko Tachiki
Directors: Hideaki Anno, Hiroyuki Ishidô, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Keiichi Sugiyama, Masahiko Ôtsuka
Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: English
Dubbed: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated:
Unrated
Not Rated
Studio: WEA
DVD Release Date: July 30, 2002
Run Time: 115 minutes
Customer Reviews:
4.0 out of 5 stars
226 customer ratings