Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth
The bizarre ending of the television seriesNeon 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.Deathretraces these events through clips, many of them set to new dialogue performed by the same English cast as the series.Rebirthdepicts 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