Review of Gisaku (2005) by Servando P — 30 Jun 2008

A Spanish attempt at anime gone horribly wrong.

Samurai. Demons. Teen-aged boy looking for an adventure. Red-headed science babe. Walking-talking lynx-man. A prophecy. A secret message hidden in the text of a well-known work of literature. Cute little furry creature.

These are some of the characters and plot elements of Gisaku. The entire movie feels like it was sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board: it takes place in an idealized Spain and features many of its tourist attractions in surprising detail and quality. We get to learn about Spanish cuisine, economy, history, literature, environmental policy etc.

What one might, in a charitable mood, allow to pass for a plot is really just a bunch of clichés heaped on top of each other. The cast of characters was already full of them, but here are some more: Follow the clues. Find all pieces of the ancient artifact. Unexpected rescue. Unlikely ally. Double agent. Evil overlord (a graduate of the Darth Vader school of human resources management). Quaint historian/art collector. Guns against swords. Nasty chases. Faceless, expendable henchmen. Museum heist. Trust is the key to salvation. Time travel.

In all fairness, the animation isn't bad (although it couldn't hold a candle to Miyazaki's work), but the plot is so horribly predictable and shallow, the dialogue so unimaginative, that the view simply can't make up for it.

Also, the cast of the English dub was chosen seemingly at random. Can you imagine an evil Spanish henchman talking with a cockney accent? Me neither.

The final showdown is decidedly anticlimactic as well.

Redeeming qualities? Hmmm... it has no token "boy meets girl" subplot. Ricky, the 12 year old protagonist and the redhead don't hit it off. Neither does she marry the samurai. That was a relief; I was afraid they might throw something like that in at the end (which was hollywoodish enough as it was).

I don't know, maybe I'm just too old for this kind of movie. I might have enjoyed it when I was, say, 14.