Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38889 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-02-17
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, PAL
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
When the first Evangelion feature, Death and Rebirth, proved no more satisfying than the last episodes of the original series, Hideaki Anno brought his watershed epic to its conclusion in this final instalment. End of Evangelion begins where the series ended: with the Angels defeated, the sinister cabal SEELE attacks NERV headquarters to seize the Evas and realise their plan for humanity. Misato and Ritsuko fight from inside while Asuka decimates a new Eva series. But when Rei merges with Lilith, and Shinji seems to fuse with Unit 01, the final traces of a coherent story line dissolve into a protracted collage of fantastic images, played against discussions involving Rei, Shinji, Asuka and Kaoru. Anno's dazzling apocalyptic vision forms a weird but oddly logical finale that ultimately can be interpreted to mean whatever the viewer chooses. --Charles Solomon

Special Features
Region 2

Synopsis
The conclusion of the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION series was one of the most confounding moments to be found in anime. For as many people that were exhilarated by its mystery, there were those who were just plain angry. Still, it is obvious that EVANGELION is one of the most popular, and arguably one of the best animes ever produced, and is one of the rare sci-fi series that actually follows through on the ambitious themes and ideas that it presents. That follow through is THE END OF EVANGELION, a 90 minute feature that picks up right where episode 24 (as well as DEATH & REBIRTH) of the series left off to provide, well, an end to the series. Beautiful, compelling, confusing, and provocative, THE END OF EVANGELION is all that it promises and more.

Customer Reviews

Evangelion
What else is there to say?

Well, I've seen this movie about 10 or so times since it was first released in 1997/98. Only recently have I seen the English dubbed version. Now, I must be honest and say that the dubbing is sub-par. Spike still makes an exceptionally irritating Shinji, and Manga Entertainment just flat-out sucks. The mispronounciation of 'Eva' and 'Kaowru' eventually becomes very tedious.

However, those are minor elements.

This movie is basically about the human condition, our innate connections to one another. It's also a character study of the main character, explaining that all people suffer the same innert fears and sorrows. This is explained through the idea of Human Instrumentality, the merging of all human minds and souls into one entity, a living God composed of humanity itself. This is the final step in human evolution, and as you can see, is quite metaphysical and draws many paralelles between religious concepts (especially Hebrew mythos and jewish Quabbalah) and proto-psychological evolution.

And of course, if you're not interested in quasi-religious conceptual symbolism used to explain and translate Freudian psychology.. well, for those who prefer more visceral, there's also a hell of a lot of giant robot fighting ;) The mecha genre is really the vehicle that this movie used to put across the ideas to a larger audience, and even those are not dumbed-down for typical wrestling-watching, beer-chugging westerner mentality like so many movie makers seem to feel they're required to do in order to sell. Nope, this is a movie that treats the audience with respect and doesn't baby down to them. Instead, it challenges you to think, rather than sedate your mind with pointless candy-crap.

Because of the fact that it treats the audience as mature, thinking people, you need to give this movie a lot of thought in order to draw the most from it. Someone once told me that they found no character development in this movie and it's presceding series, and all I could do was laugh. In our culture, people are so used to having movies present their concepts and ideas on large silver platters and then shoved forceably down their throats with large dashings of cliche and trite, that it doesn't surprise me at all when someone becommes so numbed by this that they miss out the subtle, tactful elements that this movie relishes in.

A thinking man's anime. A movie for someone who wants to be entertained, and to be challenged. Enjoy.

Intruiging... yet baffling
"Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion" is the feature movie which brings to an end the story begun in the TV series, "Neon Genesis Evangelion." The final two episodes of the series were the cause of much controversy, abandoning much of the plot, and led to Hideaki Anno even receiving death threats. So, to replace these final two episodes, "The End of Evangelion" was made, preceded at first by "Death and Rebirth," which recapped the series and featured the beginning portions of this movie.

As this movie begins, Shinji sinks into a deep self-loathing depression, pushed to breaking point by killing Kaowru in episode 24. But greater events are transpring - with all the Angels destroyed, the SEELE organisation makes it move, and launches an attack on NERV using their own mass-produced EVA units, determined to wrest control of EVA Unit-01, and use it to initate their Human Complimentation Project - the Third Impact which Shinji and his fellow pilots have been fighting to prevent. As the NERV complex is beseiged, Misato tries to bring Shinji to his senses, and when Asuka is killed in battle with the EVA series, Shinji has no choice, and enters the fray with Unit-01, only to have SEELE use it to begin Third Impact. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari has his own designs for Third Impact, however, having planned to use Rei to manipulate it to his own ends, but she turns on him and merges with Lilth, the second angel, taking control of the process herself. Third Impact is well and truly underway, as AT Fields across the face of Earth are cancelled out and all life loses form, their souls being drawn into Lilith, becoming one perfect entity, the weaknesses of individual beings complimented by the strengths of others. And so the choice to allow this to happen, and to lose individuality... or to cast off this would-be paradise and live a life which has already caused him so much pain... falls to Shinji...

I won't say anymore. Because it's rather difficult to. Up until this point, the movie has been making sense - or as much sense as EVA ever makes. But as Shinji must make his decision, all cohesion falls away, and the viewer is treated to a bizarre, baffling sequence of images, scenes, and even live-action footage as Shinji is forced to make the greatest of decisions. Much of it is very puzzling, and, as is EVAs way, much of what follows is a case of "doing, rather than telling" - but when the visuals are as confusing as this, actually telling us, the viewers, what is happening would really have been a benefit. The final scene of the film is easily the most confusing - it DOES have an official meaning, but you'll have to personally search online to find out what that is, because there's no way to know just from watching the movie.

In short? Watch the confusing part about four times. Either you'll start seeing imagery and realising what some of it means, or your head will explode.

The English Language track of the movie is well-acted, with Spike Spencer (Shinji) doing admirably in such a depressing role. The quality of the English script cannot be praised as much, however - rather than actually try to make the dialogue flow like natural English, the writer has stuck more to the direct word-for-word translation of the Japanese - which leads to some very clunky dialogue and stilted lines. For example - no-one uses the words "pretense" and "ambiguous" in casual conversation, let alone when they're in the middle of a blubbering fit that should make it hard for them to talk, never mind talk like THAT.

The DVD's extras (beyond audio and subtitles) cannot compare to it's predecessor, "Death and Rebirth," consisting of only a small handful of trailers. The best addition, though, is definitely the English Commentary track, with Amanda Winn Lee (director, writer, producer, voice of Rei), Jason Lee (co-producer) and Talisan Jaffe (EVA fan and additional voice actor). The conversation on the track is light and funny, particularly from the bubbly Winn Lee, who, along with Lee, provides factoids about the dubbing cast and process, while Jaffe supplies much information on the meanings behind images in the movie, although sometimes one tends to think he's reading into it just a bit TOO much.

In summary - There's no question that EVA is famous; very human at it's heart, with intricately sculpted characters, and mecha action that's really little more than window-dressing on young boy's emotional tale. But the REAL selling point and claim to fame of EVA is it's outlandish and bizarre nature. And nothing showcases that better than "The End of Evangelion."

End of Evangelion is an extrodinary piece of Art
This movie is extended version of the Two last episodes 25 & 26 from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The Movie takes place after the defeat of the last Angel and while everyone thinks everything is well and everybody is safe SEAL plans to invade Nerv HQ and claim the Evangelions for themself and for their twisted plans. Shinji is totaly messed up after what happened to him through the series and at the end of Episode 24.
Misato finds out what happened during the second Impact. Ritsuko plans to get even with her lover and Asuka finally starts to understand what the evangelion is.

The End of Evangelion came out in 1997 and after 5 years its finally available on DvD. The DvD case is very good and the DvD is exellent itself with a very good DvD interactive menu and extra goodies. Tnx Manga entertainment. There is the latest Surround sound 6.1 and the old one 5.1 mode and the Audio commentary by English voice Director Amanda Winn Lee (voice of Ayannami Rei) and Jason Lee.
Amanda and crew share their thoughts and beliefs with the audience and creates a better understanding of the movie.
The English dub is ok with good voice acting but some words have been lost or replaces with other non suiting word when it was translated to english, thats the only stupid thing with the english dub, and the english subtitling does not match the english dub, weird! But the best way to enjoy Evangelion is to watch it in Japaneese becouse it is better emotional and situational voice acting then the english. The Japaneese voice actors are very very good.

Many people believe that Hideaki Anno decided to make End of Evangelion after he got death threats but he didn`t make it just because he was scared. He would have made the movie anyway. In episode 25 & 26 there are clues and spoilers that gave us the idea that this is not the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion series so that the two last episodes and the End of evangelion movie are connected to eachother.

The Animation is One of the best I have ever seen, with exellent drawings and a very good composed musical score and the use of classical music is wonderfull. A tribute to J.S Bach`s music. The Story is breathtaking and extrodinary well done and it will take you many many years to think about and a lifetime to forget. One of the most strongest,deepest and sad Anime to ever exist. A must to everyone that respects a good plot and to every Manga & Anime lover.