Review of Gantz (2010) by Andrew T — 14 Sep 2011

I never read the manga version of Gantz and I don't know it is flooded with sex and violence (which always sell). But you never see nice tits, nipples and pubic hair flying around in Gantz the movie. As some suggested the movie is a sanitized version, god damn it (and laugh out loud). Apart from nice tits, nipples and public, the cool idea of the transplant of personality is also omitted.

I can see the plot of Gantz resembles Matrix, Man In Black and Spiderman. There's literally no backstories in Gantz the movie. You don't know much about the backgrounds of the alien hunters. Why Gantz recruits alien hunters from the recent dead Tokyo citizens, resurrect them and dump them to the alien battles without any proper training (the movie suggests those who cannot fight instantly are the baits). You never know why the aliens are on earth. You never know where Gantz the black orb come from. You never exactly know the naked bald guy,connected by an air mask, fulfill what purpose inside the orb (the movie does speculate the bald guy is the battery, is that a concept from the Matrix?).You never know how the hatred between aliens and human being starts. We can only guess from the first assignment in Gantz part one, an alien kid is hunted down and dissolved by the alien hunters' weapons brutally. All of the above question are never being answered even in the finale (and the finale got the title Perfect Answer). Some say this is sort of Japanese movie narrative and definitely different from the Hollywood narrative.

The non-action sequences in Gantz part one is totally predictable soap dramas you can see from the TV. I did feel bored and sleepy in some of those melodrama. Maybe that should be replaced by proper backstories.

Probably, I am more enjoy this movie because I never see the manga. I enjoy the well executed and gripping action sequences. The CGI in Gantz is not bad. Apart from the quit boring melodramas, it is still an entertaining action sci-fi.

I enjoy the hidden and positive theme of Gantz part one, suggests suicide is an act of impulse and Gantz the black ball give you the second chance to live again. But the catch is, you are the puppets of Gantz (suggested in the finale). While all the alien hunters' lives and their fate are manipulated by Gantz the orb, they become stronger and fight hard for their lives and love ones. Ironically, the brutal and mean Gantz the orb manipulation is the cure for their depression and lack of motivations.