Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

negatively-positive-girl Creative view on a Christmas story. Typical weird anime jokes about breasts, but liked the comedy of confusion. It is already expected for a Satoshi Kon to have the structure of a winding spiral, but this is one of the more light-hearted contenders. And in a view of winter Japan, it's the one that feels the warmest.

I B Director Satoshi Kon took his inspiration, and part of his title, from Jon Ford's western 3 Godfathers (1948), in which three rough and ready outlaws find themselves caring for a baby. At heart it's a Christmas card to Tokyo, and expression of good will and a reminder to spread a little kindness in a world that is increasingly cold and intolerant. The film mixes comedy, drama, pathos and action. There are, of course, Christmas references galore. There are also references to a Tokyo many anime fans may find as incredible as Santa Claus. Kon reminds us this is no fairyland, but a real, living city with 21st century problems that no robot army can solve - shanty towns, tramps scavenging in graveyards, predatory teenagers beating up old men, and illegal immigrants scraping a living in the black economy. Above all else, though, there's a happy ending, without which no Christmas film could possibly be a Christmas film. It comes, not from any flashy bit of magic, but from the everyday miracles in the hearts of ordinary people whose humanity redeems their failings. Kon captures the beguiling neon glow of Tokyo in the film's many night scenes, turning the city into a magical setting for a tale of Christmas miracles.

chaos-rampant A John Wayne film from 1946 gives us the initial thrust of plot, three homeless bums discover a baby in the trash and take it upon themselves to deal with it. It's a film so full of coincidence and magic happenstance, the kind of which produces oddball but heartwarming scenarios for characters not ready to deal with the, yet at the same time it doesn't ever ring false because it's about miracles of life and miracles are only false if we don't believe in them. I'm not generally taken in by animation but Satoshi Kon does some amazing things here, the atmosphere of Christmas in a country that celebrates it only passingly is unique, the streets are empty and there's a faint bell going off in a Shinto temple somewhere in the dark, and the painted faces emote like real people, they pout and scowl and snarl like real people do. And I loved Miss Hana/Uncle 'Bag', she's one of the most interesting characters of the decade I think, a woman born a man who takes the part of both mother and wife but repudiates her roles as both in search of family. The film is trying to make us 'feel' Christmas, it wants us to not be the cynic onlooker who observes plot contrivance but rather be conflated with the contrivance so that it becomes meaningful. This should be one of the great Christmas movies, where things are bitter funny and snow whirls under the lamp posts of cold empty streets, then they're sad and faith-restoring but we know it's all a feelgood fantasy that says 'everything will be alright'. I like how Satoshi Kon injects complex human behaviour here, one of the protagonists is in drag, another takes us in through a weepy personal story which is later revealed to be the complete fabrication of a cowardly man, the girl is like a cipher of teenage rebellion, stabbing her father seemingly over a cat.

pc95 Although not quite up to par to Miyazaki efforts, Tokyo Godfathers surprised with it's good story lines, entertainment values, and background animation settings.Lighting effects were very well done in many scenes while motion maybe not as much so but above satisfactory. Living in Japan before, maybe I'm a bit partial to seeing the wonderful wintry backdrops of Tokyo, but the movie had more going for it. I enjoyed each character's own story-lines and how they were interwoven and brought together. (spoiler) One loose end that was never brought up though was the old-man who died, what was his identity? Thought they would fill that in. The ending was very well and contained a great "wow" moment that might've been a bit over the top but nonetheless fitting.