Not quite science fiction and as surreal a conspiratorial epic as you'll find, this dense thriller has a distinctively Japanese sensibility.

| Jan 10, 2010

We're being reminded of the banality of evil, but that only slightly raises the IQ of Yukihiko Tsutsumi's film.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 26, 2009

The dramatic premise is ingenious and there are two future lengthy episodes to come. But I was often baffled.

| Feb 26, 2009

20th Century Boys has an excellent pedigree, a huge budget behind it, and a more than competent cast -but it doesn't quite work.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 26, 2009

The original may have sold 20m copies but they should have kept creator Naoki Urasawa away from this script - whole swathes ought have been gutted, making for a very long and unfailingly shallow 142 minutes.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 20, 2009

Headache-inducingly convoluted plot and cast of characters but the action and faithfulness to the series is impressive. Be aware that this is definitely a trilogy and the ending reflects this.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2009

The ideas are fun, there are some striking design ideas (the villain's commonplace-yet-freaky mask), yet the clogged storytelling just doesn't make enough of them. Shame.

| Original Score: 2/6 | Feb 19, 2009

A dry run through of the principle players and scene setting for the real action and adventure to come in installments two and three of this manga based trilogy.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 19, 2009

It's mildly interesting but inelegantly structured, unfolding through a mess of flashbacks and shocking overacting.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 19, 2009

Director of all trades Tsutsumi combines eyeball straining pop-promo visuals with the 온라인카지노추천 drama look that has blighted a lot of recent Japanese cinema, but deserves kudos for juggling timelines and characters so effectively.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2009

20th Century Boys whisks wacko cults, city-stomping robots and the power of rock'n'roll into a bizarre brew that will delight converts but possibly bewilder the uninitiated.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2009