In case you missed it … ‘Paprika’

I enjoy feature-length anime and make an effort to catch them when I can, but we in the US have a slight deficiency in availability of much of what’s available out there, especially if you’re on the lower rung of knowledge when it comes to Japanese animation, like myself. Regardless, some of the more “heavily” marketed features do become more readily available. For example, I remember when ‘Princess Mononoke’ was very heavily marketed by Disney … that was actually a very good movie. Of course, the most familiar feature to the general public is ‘Akira’ which is a definite classic. One of the newer features that has gotten more attention than is normal is ‘Paprika’ (2006).

‘Paprika’ is a story of the inevitable corruption of brilliant new science and technology created for good, but is stolen and corrupted by those who do not truly understand its value. A device called a DC Mini that allows a person to enter into another person’s dreams has been stolen before its finished. Now those people responsible for this device must attempt to recover it before its possessor can use it in catastrophic ways. The device was originally intended to assist therapists in healing patients with psychiatric disorders. Now that its been stolen, it could be used to wield full control over the world of dreams. Chiba,   psycho-therapist, must locate and remove this threat with the help of her dream-ego named Paprika before its too late and the worlds of reality and dreams collide and fall into complete chaos.

I’ve actually known about this film for way too long to have just recently watched the DVD, but hey … I watch a lot of movies. I have to prioritize as best I can. Anyway, all I can say is “WOW!” This movie is a visual festival of cool dream imagery. The art and the animation is unbelievably well-done, especially considering the onslaught of new CGI animation techniques. It seems Japan is one of the last remaining champions of the traditional style. [I’m no expert. Modern anime may actually be done via CGI, or not. But if it is… I admire that they’ve maintained the traditional look and feel that makes anime what it is.] On tp of the incredible images, the soundtrack is also amazing and really works well in conveying the mood for the story and is perfectly melded with the animation. Above all, ‘Paprika’ offers an interesting science-fiction story that is smart and entertaining, but also gives a subtle commentary on our obsession with the advancement of technology. The last film I recall seeing that had a similar sort of sci-fi theme was ‘Strange Days’.