Review of Paprika (2006) by Jesse B — 02 Apr 2012

Satoshi Kon's film adaptation of popular Japaneese novel Paprika, written by a famous and successful Japaneese author.

Kon's great attention to real life details,is exhibited in each of his projects and very much so in Paprika.

This film is loaded with vivid color, surreal lighting effects,and environments that truly explore the depth of existance.each scene and detail beautifully animated, in a unique style which Kon has really made his signature.

Very adventurous in nature,Paprika is a highly imaginative story about the subconscious.

With the high production value and consistancy that you've come to expect from todays top animated films.

Kon hand drew 1046 single frames of storyboard which took him a little over a year and a half to complete.

Almost ever aspect of the film was overseen by Kon including the voice recording, which he also lended his voice for one of the characters.

Audio and visuals work woderfully together, although the storyline appears far fateched and hard to follow, making it a deeply thought provoking fiction fantasy of grand proportions.

A simple theme describing the core plot could be stated as What Happens when a dream mergers with other dreams becomes uncontrollable and begins seeping into reality? This idea is expanded upon throught the film.

The characters consist of all adult profesionals, all of them having a relation to each other and play a significant part in the story. With each of these characters The creator has managed to avoid stereotypes, and give them each a uniqueness and certain relatability. Instead of using the straightforward approach of defining Heroes and Villians by way of right vs wrong, each characters motives are used to determine a more complex classification.

Paprika is overall a rich and intriguing tale that you will need to watch more than once to really grasp and appreciate its meaning.