A repeat of dazzling colors and a complex alien battle.
“All You Need is Kill” is the second exciting attempt to adapt the Japanese novel into a feature film after the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt movie “Edge of Tomorrow.” This one is anime and R-rated, and has no star power to try to sell this movie. And I have to say I loved both versions for how they handle the time warps and alien battle in their own entertaining aspects. They’re the kind of movies that should be seen in theaters, especially when “Sinners” got the Golden Globe for Best Box Office Achievement, while “KPOP Demon Hunters” won the Best Animated Feature award.
The year is 20XX, and a giant alien plant known as “Darol” comes to Earth, and a year after its arrival, everything surrounding its grown roots is covered in a kaleidoscope of colors. The ground, the street, the lights, the bridge, and the river. It’s almost like a puddle of oil and water and represents a psychedelic trip through the world of anime, and yet, you’re more mesmerized than dizzy. So at least this alien plant is good for something at the moment. Unless you’re living in that invaded Earth.
This anime version is told from the POV of Rita, an isolated volunteer worker, who helps clean up whatever mess the roots of Darol is causing. And remember, these are giant roots. But she can’t help her workers when monsters are released from the alien plant. And remember, “All You Need is Kill” is R-rated, so that means we get to see people being slaughtered, sliced, pierced, crushed, squished, and anyway these monsters can kill people.
But…….
Rita repeats the same day over and over again, and is willing to figure out how to kill these creatures. After the first few days, she tries to warn people about them, but of course, they have to laugh at her and think she’s crazy. However, after many numerous attempts to kill the aliens and end the loop, she also finds someone else caught in the same time warp, a shy young man named Keiji.
He’s the kind of person who believes laughter is how he gets through his pathos (I’m not saying “Laughter is the best medicine”), while she’s the kind of person who becomes distraught and cynical when things don’t go her way. These two would eventually have a falling out about them, and through their differences, that’s how they work well together.
I like how the main heroine basically goes “Memento” by using a sharpie to write the number of repeats she has done on her hand. And instead of doing the suicide jokes in “Groundhog Day” or “Happy Death Day,” both “Edge of Tomorrow” and “All You Need is Kill” both plays like video games where you’re never annoyed by how much their respective main characters wake up the same morning. You’re supposed to pay attention to how they need to break the rules for the sake of both invaded Earths. And in this version, there’s a strong sense of emotion you can feel in the crying and dispositions of the characters.
Like both movies, the story gets a little confusing toward the end, but it all makes sense once you grasp with the realities and what time has in store for the heroes. “Edge of Tomorrow” knew how to close the movie with grenades and John Newman’s “Love Me Again.” And “All You Need is Kill” knows how to open with Rita driving a pick-up truck and eating bars for breakfast. And plus, those dinosaur-like suits are quite fitting in the anime world.
