First thing first. Let me warn you that this review will likely contain SPOILERS, both for this movie and the Evangelion series. If you want my general opinion, then here it is: EoE is a good movie, but it lacks the humor and the depth of the TV series. If it does provide a better closure to the series then episodes 25 and 26, it is still vague about what exactly happens next (a lot of debating on the newsgroup rec.arts.anime.misc proved it). The first part will please general action movies lovers: lots of gore and some gratuitous (should I say useless) hentai scenes. The second part, while shorter then the eps. 25 and 26, ends in the same style: some confusing introspection in Shinji's mind. It is recommended, even if I prefer the general feeling of the original series. In my opinion, the greatest value of this movie resides solely in our favorite auburn hair goddess, Sohryu Asuka Langley.

If you don't want to know more, now is the time to go back...

Good. Now, why did I prefer the series to the movie, even if the movie had more action, better animation and a "much" clearer end? It's simple really. Ikari Shinji. I couldn't believe how that boy was pathetic in this movie. Sure, it was necessary since Mr. Anno had already planned on an apocalyptic ending. But otherwise I find him totally out of character. People can argue that Shinji isn't the bravest kid around, that he is in fact a coward. I'd tend to disagree. Sure, Shinji is weak. No doubt there. However, when it really counted the most, Shinji always managed to find some incredible strength and courage. Remember the Shinji who fought the undersea 6th angel with Asuka. Remember the Shinji who jumped in a volcano to save Asuka. Remember the Shinji who caught a falling 10th angel with his hands (or rather the Eva's). Remember the Shinji who was actually willing to die not to hurt Touji (well that could be considered also stupid, but one has to admire his determination nonetheless). Remember the Shinji that trashed the mighty 14th angel. Remember the Shinji who wanted to help Asuka against the 15th angel (the guy has to have confidence if the can say "I'll be ok as long as I'm not defeated"). Remember the Shinji who chose to live when faced to a choice between him and Kaworu. The Shinji we see in EoE has nothing to do with the Shinji we learned to like in Evangelion. The Shinji we see in EoE doesn't have any kind of personality what so ever. It's a spineless jerk. Sure, I can believe that Shinji may have been affected by Kaworu's death. But for that to explain the Shinji of the movie? A Shinji who didn't seem to really care whether or not Misato had died. A Shinji who didn't seem to care about what had happened to Asuka. No way! The way I see it, the real Shinji would have kicked all those Eva series butt. EVA-01 is after all close to a godlike creature.

If Shinji is void of personality in EoE, Asuka however shines like gold upon a sea of chaos (yes, I've taken this from the Slayers's Gigaslave spell, sounded too good not to use). The picture that comes to my mind is the one of a phoenix, who's been reborn from his ashes. Quite frankly, I had mixed feelings about Asuka in the Evangelion series. While I admired her fierce temper and her strong determination, I despised her for her main weakness: her primal value in life was to be an Eva pilot instead of her own existence. If Asuka had valued her own life like she should have, never the attack of the 15th angel would have had so much impact. In fact, her other important values (read pilot an Eva) would likely not have been affected. This all change however in the movie.

Simple words. Coming either from Asuka's mind or from a shadow of her mother spirit within EVA-02. Yet, they changed everything, since finally Asuka understood the value of her existence. From that point, Asuka's skill improved tremendously, proving that she was probably in did the best EVA pilot. Would not have been from the five minutes power limitation of her EVA, she would have likely not have been defeated. And even defeated, one most admire her determination to keep on fighting.

This is my opinion of EoE. If your a Shinji lover, or even a Rei lover (she doesn't do much in the movie except ending the world) you may not be trilled with it. If your an Asuka lover, you'll love that movie! In general, it's a good movie. Not excellent however. Quite frankly a better end could have been chosen. But this seems to be the Evangelion curse...