Mind Game

Posted by Skrud at Tuesday, August 2nd 2005 at 10:52am

Mind Game was a totally mind-blowing experience. The animation was a brilliant crossover between comic-booky, cartoonier-than-normal anime and live-action (kind of superimposed over the animation) that gave the movie a very unique look. Mind Game was original, inventive, clever and a lot of fun. The movie begins when a total-loser-type (Nishi) meets the girl he’s had a crush on for years (Myon), her new boyfriend, and they go to her family’s restaurant where gangsters come in and shoot Nishi in the ass. After a brief encounter with God (who changes form in every single shot - with hilarious results), Nishi gets a second chance from the moment before he was shot to do things over again. This time he seizes his opportunities and leads everyone on a wicked car chase until… well, it’s a surprise. But it’s awesome.

At its heart, Mind Game is about seizing opportunity when you have the chance and not letting life pass you by. It’s one incredible ride and I think all the awards it received from Fantasia were well deserved.

Tags: 2005, fantasia, japanese, movies