Film Review: Gantz:O (2016)
Review
Gantz:O is the film adaptation of the well-known anime of the same name and is again another great title easily accessible to viewers via Netflix. Easily accessible is a pretty good word for the film as a whole, as it serves as a simple and pleasant sci-fi action film that is filled with awesome high-tech gadgets, weapons, monsters, and vehicles. The film is also quite easy on the eye, making use of high-quality CGI animation to bring it all to life. Viewers are thrown right into the middle of a combat zone, very little context given and nothing but fire and destruction as far as the eye can see. What appears to be futuristic soldiers kitted out in black skintight outfits are engaged with a battle with a very large monster, fighting for their lives.
The film is based in Tokyo, the monsters a very real threat to the well being of the citizens, and the warriors seeming to be the only real defense against them. Cutting from the madness for the briefest of the moments, the audience is introduced to the protagonist, Masaru Kato, a young man waiting for a train to get him home to his younger brother. But a homicidal maniac attacks the innocent people on the platform, causing Kato to spring into action and attempt to help one of the injured victims, a decision that would go on to cost him his life. Unluckily for Kato, a wonderful afterlife was not what awaited him; instead, he would awake in a white rectangular room with four strangers and a strange black orb at the end of the room. The very large orb is referred to as Gantz and appears to be a supercomputer responsible for bringing Kato and the others back from the dead. Gantz supplies its recruits with the necessary armor and weapons to combat the monsters that are invading the cities of Japan. The combatants must destroy all of the monsters before time runs out, every monster killed earning them points which can result in weapon upgrades, better armor, and even special bonuses if 100 points are scored during a trial.
The bonus award allows players three unique options, a new weapon, the resurrection of a fallen comrade or freedom from the game. However, obtaining points is no easy task, the monsters come in different shapes and sizes, and while it's easy to kill some, others possess horrific powers and abilities that make them very difficult to eliminate. The armor provided by Gantz provides limited protection, and death in these "games" represents a final one. While certainly overwhelmed and confused, Kato's instincts and desire to protect others, eventually make him a formidable combatant on the field.
Gantz:O is the kind of film that needs to be enjoyed without asking too many questions, for questions simply brings to life all its inconsistencies and lack of background. The fact that Gantz chooses recently departed individuals as its soldiers just don't make a lot of sense, given the fact that there is just no explanation as to where Gantz came from, how it was created or even why there are monsters in the first place. The combatants are also not living in some simulation, but are rather in the same world that they died in, fully capable of interacting with the people and places around them. One can only imagine and hope that the anime fills in the black spaces, which it most likely does. Despite this, the film shouldn't be judged too critically on these points, but should rather be enjoyed for its cool effects, huge explosions, menacing monsters, and awesome fights scenes. Nothing is more exciting than awaiting the boss fights that dwarf their weaker counterparts in both size and strength, and the strategies and weapons used to overcome the odds placed in front of the characters.
Gantz:O is simple, uncomplicated entertainment, and one that should not be approached for the sake of character development, world-building or depth. I thought the film looked great, and was just fun to watch, serving as an appetizer for the anime that I am now very curious to see. Have less than two hours to kill? You could certainly do worse than Gantz:O, and on that note, I wish you all happy viewing.
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