Review of Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006) by Ralph R — 04 Apr 2008

Sure, as some have pointed out in IMDB, the story line follows along the line of Miyazaki's Nausica. This shouldn't allow this to mar What make this a good movie.

The Story, Earth goes through a cataclysm. Man's tinkering with genetics produces sentient plant. Plant escaped control took over the world, picture rain forest reclaiming land overnight. Majority of people die, cities are in ruin. Flash to three hundred yearslater, man learns to co-exist with the forest. Mainly, forest supplies water for humans to live on and humans stay out of the forest. Half of the population think this is a good deal. Other half of the population yearns to return man to dominion over the forest and are willing to use military might to achieve this goal. Enter girl from future with technology that could place man back into dominion. Question, because it is possible does make it right?

Normally I skip over beginning theme music in japanese movies. I am unfamiliar with the music structure, and japanese doesn't seem to translate well into english. There are a lot references I miss which would give more depth and meaning to the song. Therefore Melody and lyrics hold no entertainment value and thus aren't normally worth watching. Not so with Origins. The lady is singing in japanese, but she sing in the haunting gaelic lilt.

One of the things I loved about Aladin back in the day was the movie makers didn't try to overburden the watcher with CGI. Of course back in that day CGI was still in it's infancy and to render an entire movie in CGI would not only cost boat loads of money but make the whole thing look hokey. Instead the producers put CG rendering in strategic places giving the scenery a more real but not so much as to cause you to doubt or be distracted from the story. Origin takes this line in its merger of CG and traditional grapics. CG Tanks and Train running on a traditionally animated line through a traditionally animated scene.