Review: 'Parasyte Part 1' feels like live action anime
Migi (Sadao Abe) and Shinichi (Shota Sometani). (Encore Films)
Marcus Goh is a former Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
Secret ending? Yes, for Part 2!
Running time: 109 minutes (~1.75 hours)
"Parasyte Part 1" is a Japanese science fiction film which is an adaptation of the manga and anime series "Parasyte." It is the first of two movies. It follows the adventures of a boy who’s hand has been possessed by a parasitic alien. It stars Shota Sometani (Shinichi Izumi), Eri Fukatsu (Ryoko Tamiya), Sadao Abe (voice of Migi), and Ai Hasimoto (Satomo Murano). It is rated NC-16.
As the first of a two-parter, “Parasyte Part 1” does hold its own as a whole, complete story by itself - mostly. It certainly translates the manga/anime vibe very well with its larger than life situations and the reactions of the characters, and it provokes some thought through the dialogue of the characters. It’s not mainstream cinema for sure, but it does have a quirky appeal to it.
Highlights
Ryoko Tamiya (Eri Fukatsu). (Encore Films)
Migi is adorable
Oddly, Migi, the Parasyte that attaches itself to Shinichi’s arm, is perhaps the most likeable character of the movie. His naivete and innocence transcend his non-human form and make him the surrogate child of the movie, while his alien side gives him bizarre enough reactions and thought processes to indicate that he’s far more dangerous than he seems.
Also, his character design is just so huggable.
Sadao Abe gives character to Migi
It’s hard enough to be a voice actor for a human character, let alone an mutable alien creature. Yet Sadao Abe provides a straightforward, matter-of-fact delivery of Migi’s lines which sometimes hides emotional subtext under ostensible pragmatism. This adds to Migi’s cuteness and also makes him an interesting character to explore in his own right.
Great action and effects
There’s plenty of violent action in the movie (hence the NC-16 rating) to satisfy fans of anime-style battles. While the CGI may not be top-notch, it’s stylistic approach melds well with the storytelling style, making it a believable and integral part of the movie. The level of violence also increases as the movie progresses, so the slightly awkward, cartoony effects of the first few scenes give way into a fearsome manifestation of alien possession.
Fast-paced story
The story is paced well and new revelations or beats always present themselves at the right points. The pacing gives us enough time to process the new information from the previous scene but not so much time that we get bored and start to drift off. Given that this is an adaptation, not a story written from whole cloth, this shows impressive usage and understanding of the film medium.
Migi (Sadao Abe) annoys Shinichi (Shota Sometani). (Encore Films)
Letdowns
Too many climaxes
The problem comes with the last one third of Act Three, where the climaxes come in quick succession. Prior storylines are wrapped up one after another neatly - perhaps a little too neatly. It feels too convenient that everyone decides its time to resolve whatever conflict they have with Shinichi - did some internal Parasyte alarm clock start ringing?
Too many cliffhangers
Right after the climaxes, the cliffhangers begin. Barely hinted at characters, mysterious circumstances and powerful new threats appear in neat little packages before the movie closes. This is a very orderly, structured way to go about it, but it doesn’t match the approach and pacing of the rest of the movie.
A Parayste. (Encore Films)
"Parasyte Part 1" is a well adapted story that takes advantage of the strengths of the movie format, bringing us a strong story with strong anime flavours. The only gripe is with the ending - but then, that’s what "Parasyte Part 2" is meant to address, isn’t it?
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
"Parasyte Part 1" opens in cinemas 15 January, 2015 (Thursday).
