Special Review
This review is a special request from Patreon supporter BodaciousCNO. If you'd like to support me on Patreon, click the button below. Visit PatreonJapanese filmmaker and animator Mamoru Hosoda was inspired to pursue animation after seeing The Castle of Cagliostro from Hayao Miyazaki. After graduating from the Kanazawa College of Art, he got a job for Toei Animation and worked his way up. His work on Digimon: The Movie caught Studio Ghibli’s attention, so they hired him to direct Howl’s Moving Castle. Unfortunately, production stalled when Ghibli demanded something similar to Miyazaki while Hosoda wanted to make it his own. Hosoda left in 2002 and returned to work at Toei before getting hired by Madhouse in 2005. His first film at Madhouse was 2006’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which received critical acclaim. Almost immediately, Madhouse decided to work on an original story since the last was a novel adaptation. With Hosoda returning to direct, the result was the 2009 animated movie, Summer Wars.
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Synopsis
High school students Kenji Koiso (Michael Sinterniklaas) and Takashi Sakuma (Todd Haberkorn) are moderators for the VR game OZ. One day, fellow student Natsuki Shinohara (Brina Palencia) asks one of them for a particular job, which Kenji accepts. However, it turns out Natsuki needs Kenji to pretend to be her fiance for her great-grandmother Sakae Jinnouchi (Pam Dougherty). Meanwhile, a rogue AI known as “Love Machine” invades OZ and uses Kenji’s avatar to corrupt the system. The AI can access the public infrastructure, leading to massive traffic congestion and an immediate shutdown of emergency services. Kenji receives the blame, but it turns out Natsuki’s uncle, Wabisuke Jinnouchi (J. Michael Tatum), created the AI. With the help of Natsuki’s extended family, Kenji works to try and find a way to stop Love Machine. Will they be able to stop Love Machine and reclaim the system, or is their society doomed?
Review
Going into Summer Wars, I didn’t know what to expect since I had never heard of it before this review. That’s probably the best way to go into this because I found myself being thoroughly entertained and even touched. Admittedly, the film uses many familiar tropes in anime, including a nerdy hero, convenient plot twists, and overt melodrama. Still, the filmmakers use those elements to craft an engaging and heartfelt story with some memorable characters. Kenji makes for a decently likable lead who plays the straight man against Natsuki’s very eclectic family. While he’s in over his head at first, he grows closer to Natsuki’s family and helps pull them together. There’s a particularly heartwarming scene between Kenji and Sakae, which might be the best scene from the entire movie. It’s a tranquil and soft moment that makes the film all the more worth watching.
In terms of animation, it’s a beautiful-looking film, with tons of fluid motion and expressive faces rivaling even Miyazaki’s work. It’s especially prevalent in the OZ scenes, where the animators get to stretch their creative muscles and design something unique. The film does have a similar issue as Thor, where more time is devoted to the real world. However, the real-world scenes are just as engaging, if not more so, than the virtual world scenes. It helps that there are so many memorable characters to get attached to, who never come off as obnoxious. Plus, there’s a great message about the importance of family and how technology only creates the illusion of togetherness. There are some spots where the pacing drags slightly, but it’s still an excellent time for under two hours. Overall, Summer Wars is a beautifully made and engaging animated adventure that any audience can enjoy.
Buy Summer Wars from Amazon: https://amzn.to/39AXOtd.
