Generators Movie Reviews
Family movie reviews for "Generators" sorted by average review score:
Generator Gawl - Out of Time (Vol. 4)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (09 October, 2001)
This engaging comedy-adventure builds to a surprisingly complex and satisfying climax in its final episodes. Koji, Ryo, Masami, and Gawl are pitted against the megalomaniacal Ryuko Saito in a conflict that will determine the fate of humanity. As the resolution nears, the generator-monsters grow increasingly bizarre and Gawl's battles with them increasingly violent. The filmmakers never really resolve the paradoxes of a plot involving characters from the future attempting to change the past, but they make the story so entertaining, it seems churlish to cavil over mere logic and physics. Voice actors Monica Rial (Natsume) and Vic Mignogna (Gawl) offer exceptional performances, taking their characters from farce to tragedy in believable arcs. With any luck, the artists at Tatsunoko Pro will chronicle the further exploits of the irrepressible Gawl and his friends. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; brief nudity, minor profanity, grotesque imagery, monster-versus-monster violence. --Charles Solomon
Average review score: 
Evangelion fans should like this finale
Most Excellent Story!Rippa na anime! This series has been a fun ride and one of the best sci-fi based anime that I have seen. I won't spoil things with a recap here, instead let me tell you that all the important plot lines and questions are answered in this conclusion (no rambling existential thing like Evangelion). The writers had obviously done their planning which allows them to throw in some cool plot twists involving the time paradox theme. The conclusion arcs over all three episodes, with the action moving fast and furious from one episode to the next. Be prepared to watch the whole thing in one sitting, because it is intense!
I've enjoyed both the English dub and Japanese versions (the characters are better developed in the Japanese). Unlike previous episodes, the dub on these stays closer to the original Japanese so you won't miss anything if you like the dub. However, I would recommend that you at least view the last episode in the Japanese since the ending is explained a little clearer and you also get subtitles for the ending song (which they curiously don't provide in the dub even though the lyrics are different).
This is an excellent story with great animation. A good addition to anyone's collection that will stand up to repeat viewings...here's to the future!
I've enjoyed both the English dub and Japanese versions (the characters are better developed in the Japanese). Unlike previous episodes, the dub on these stays closer to the original Japanese so you won't miss anything if you like the dub. However, I would recommend that you at least view the last episode in the Japanese since the ending is explained a little clearer and you also get subtitles for the ending song (which they curiously don't provide in the dub even though the lyrics are different).
This is an excellent story with great animation. A good addition to anyone's collection that will stand up to repeat viewings...here's to the future!
Van Der Graaf Generator: Godbluff - Live 1975
Released in DVD by Navarre Corporation/ (23 September, 2003)
Average review score:
Lost for words as to how good this is!!!I don't know WHO on earth we have to thank for this, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! This may be the greatest gem of a dvd concert I could ever hope for. And, I am SO glad I bought this one & not Masters from the Vault (the other VdGG dvd). I can't believe how *clear* the picture is. There's all of GODBLUFF, my favorite VdGG album of all time. There's "Theme One" and also the "Plague of Lighthousekeepers." I got this in only 4 days from Amazon, and ripped it opened and played it immediately. Now, if only a vintage King Crimson concert dvd would be released. Not that noisy new KC shtuff. I mean Wetton/Bruford/Cross, and that other guy. Man, I'd be stupified. Mr. Fripp: I hope you are you reading this!
Two outstanding performancesI have just bought this DVD and I have seen it two times. There is two shows on this DVD, the complete Godbluff concert (1975) in France and the complete same performance consigned in the From the Vaults DVD (1971). So if you want to buy some Van der Graaf, buy this one and get all.
Both shows are amazing. The band is in terrific good shape and the songs are performed just as in the original albums. This is not easy considering some songs are quite difficult as Sleepers....Saxes, drums and keyboards just excellent. Peter's voice well managed. Sound and image is better on the older performance, but in the 1975 one is still great.
Generator Gawl - Perfect Collection
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (03 September, 2002)
Entertaining, fast paced, and suspenseful, Generator Gawl combines elements of Evangelion and the Terminator movies with a brash good humor all its own. During a furious storm, three young men materialize in Tokyo in 2007: friendly, blond Ryo; aloof, intelligent Koji; and offbeat, irrepressible Gawl. They've come from the future to prevent biologist Takuma Nakasa from making the discoveries that will enable scientists to turn humans into metamorphic "Generators." Posing as students at prestigious Oju Academy, the trio take a room in the home of fellow student Masami. The eternally curious Masami drags her gentle friend Natsume into her investigation of the attractive lodgers. But they don't want to be investigated: they need to keep anyone from learning Gawl is a Generator who transforms into a fantastic monster to destroy the creatures protecting Nakasa. Director Seiji Mizushima skillfully balances the comic arguments between Gawl and Masami with philosophical discussions and hard-hitting action sequences. Koji, Ryo, Masami, and Gawl are ultimately pitted against the megalomaniacal Ryuko Saito in a conflict that determines the fate of humanity. The filmmakers never really resolve the paradoxes inherent in characters from the future attempting to change the past, but they make the story so engaging, it seems churlish to cavil over mere problems of logic and physics. Voice actors Monica Rial (Natsume) and Vic Mignogna (Gawl) offer exceptional performances, taking their characters from farce to tragedy in believable arcs. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Brief nudity, minor profanity, grotesque imagery, risqué humor, violence. --Charles Solomon
Average review score:
Let's do the time warp again!Timetravel has never been so out of whack as in this series. Borrowing elements from Terminator and Guyver, GENERATOR GAWL is about 3 handsome brothers from a possible future who are responsible for the advancement of a certain type of medical genetic research. But they find out that someone has used their research for military purposes, causing a third World War faught between humans and mutated creatures. So the brothers decide to travel back in time to 2007 to stop the initial creation of this brand of research. They pose as students at an elite academy which is supposed to be the site where this scientific discover takes place. The main character, Gawl, is a Generator who can change into a genocyber lifeform, and battles some of the monsters created in the academy's labs. All while maintaining a low profile, the brothers seek to correct history, but come to some horrible realizations by the end of the show. This 13-episode TV series is a very gripping and gutsy anime with lots of brilliant fight sequence and some suprisingly funny dialouge. Definately a keeper!
Two Words: Absolutely Amazing!I'd have to say this is one of the greatest animes I have ever laid eyes upon, and it's truely a pity that not everyone knows about it. I got the perfect collection for Christmas and I absolutely adore it! The characters are believeable (except for Natsume's hair, but what can you do?) and the plot, I must say, is astounding!
Some of the perks: Excellent (and funny) English dub, amazing animation, humor, awesome storyline, nifty bad guys, unexpected plot twists, and they don't use the same transformation scene every episode!
Bad things: Way too short, Natsume's hair (it's a pet peeve).
I recommend this anime to anyone and everyone who enjoys anime. It's most definately one of my very favs. Check it out, you won't be sorry! =^.^=
Some of the perks: Excellent (and funny) English dub, amazing animation, humor, awesome storyline, nifty bad guys, unexpected plot twists, and they don't use the same transformation scene every episode!
Bad things: Way too short, Natsume's hair (it's a pet peeve).
I recommend this anime to anyone and everyone who enjoys anime. It's most definately one of my very favs. Check it out, you won't be sorry! =^.^=
Wonderful Wonderfulness!!!Generator Gawl is my absolute, favorite anime of all time. Not because it's horribly original, but because it takes the classic aspects of good sci-fi animes, and warps it into something new and different, yet still familiar. I believe it's that sense of familitarity that you feel while you're watching it, that makes it so great. Not to mention the great characters, plot, and even the english dub is excellent. If you're looking for a good anime, deffinitely grab this one.
Generator Gawl - Human Heart Metal Soul (Vol. 1)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (10 October, 2000)
While a furious storm rages, three young men materialize in Tokyo in 2007: friendly, blond Ryo; aloof, serious Koji; and irrepressible, offbeat Gawl. They've been sent from the future to prevent genetic biologist Takuma Nakasa from making the discoveries that will lead to the creation of metamorphic humanoid "Generators." Posing as students at the prestigious Oju Academy, the trio take a room in the home of abrasive fellow student Masami. Ryo and Koji try to maintain low profiles, but Gawl invariably sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. Masami decides to play Nancy Drew and discover the secrets of the attractive but reclusive new students. She mistakenly identifies Gawl as a local stalker but continues to pick on him, even after she's proven wrong. Someone from the future has already staked out the Academy and is protecting Nakasa with Generators, human-seeming creatures who transform into bizarre monsters. Gawl, who is also a Generator, must destroy these monsters--and hide the fights and their aftereffects from Masami's prying eyes. Director Seiji Mizushima makes the trio's mission seem crucial without revealing too much about it, and the result is an entertaining, fast-paced, and suspenseful series that should enjoy an enthusiastic audience in America. Contains these episodes: 1. "The Visitors," 2. "Flowers and Girls," 3. "Curiosity." Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; occasional risqué humor and some violence, restricted to monster versus monster. --Charles Solomon
Average review score: 
Generated to ExcellenceA truly excellent moment in anime history. Generator Gawl is most possible one of the best dubbed animes I have ever seen, not to mention that the voice actors cast for each role are absolutely perfect. This DVD is packed with action, humor, and even some romance and drama; it's got everything you could ever want! The only thing I could complain about would be the lack of extra features, although the schematics of each generator shown in this particular DVD is pretty cool, since they're worth taking a second look at. All and all, this anime has become my favorite, and if you buy this DVD, you'll see why - it's addicting!
Like Gundam Wing? Like Sci-fi? Then you'll love this...Alright, an online friend suggested this to me, and let me tell you, I fell in love with it the second I started watching it. Then again, me being a total push over, so.... yeah.
The reason I compare it to Gundam Wing is because of the action elements... it has mecha, but the mecha are restricted to human-skinned Generators (the anime will explain)... and it has three Bishies (anime okatus know what I mean) in it that are fighting to save the universe from its destruction in the future...
Yes... want to know more? Alright then. Koji, Ryo, and Gawl traveled back from time to 2007 to stop the discovery of a creation that will instigate WW III and thus pretty much destroy the world. Koji and Ryo are young scientists, and Gawl is their creation, so to speak. They need a place to live, and they find an apartment with Masami and her mother... the conflict is that Masami and Gawl don't seem to like eachother... they have their interludes which are quite funny. I dont really want to give anymore away, because it is such a great anime and you need to be surprised!
The animation is pretty good--not breath-taking, but very admirable. I certainly enjoyed it. The English voice actors are very good... so its not painful to watch in dubbed as in many other anime... the soundtrack is really good and you can't help but like the theme song... its addicting!
All in all, this anime will keep you guessing to the very end. I highly suggest it to any hard-core anime fan!
This anime is great!I hardly knew anything about Genertor Gawl when I bough it. I remembered seeing a trailor for it on another ADV DVD but I bought it anyways. Surprisingly, this anime was good, Really GOOD. With a nice mix of likes such as comedy and action, it was great. Though the story at first as rough to understand in the beginning, the rest of the elements of this seires, such as the comedy and action, made me forget about that and made me want to see more. The animation is great, and thing music was pretty good too. I suggest this as an anime that any collector or anime fan should have, or at leat see. I think the only downfall is that it only has 3 episodes, but it's still worth it!
Generator Gawl - Future Memory (Vol. 2)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (05 December, 2000)
Average review score:
Generator Gawl vol. 2 ReviewNot bad at all! In fact, quite good. Volume 2 continues the tendency of volume 1 to reveal the details of the plot gradually, unlike many anime series, which reveal the plot at the beginning of the series, and rely on fight scenes to carry the rest of the story. This volume reveals further details on the pasts of Ro, Gawl, and Koji, and their connections to each other. It's revealed that Ro and Koji had a part in making Gawl a generator, though the only fact revealed in any great detail, is Ro's guilt for his participation.
Overall, the story is good, the mystery in it is wonderful, and the action and comedy elements are well done. It's worth watching!
solid animeGenerator Gawl is one of the finest animes I've ever seen. It's not overdone, like the way some other series seem to be (or try to be, in some cases). The comedy is hilarious, the action is outstanding, the plot is rewarding, the animation is spectacular, and they all balance exceptionally well. This series (and this disk in particular) are a must-have for any hardcore anime freak like myself.
Great second disc of an amusing seriesO.K. I really enjoyed this segment of the series because it was more comical than the first segment of the series but still had a great plot and good action scenes mixed in. The plot doesn't move in the same direction but it keeps moving which a lot of similar animes don't do such as tenchi. The whole segment is very well done but so as not to give away anything about the segment I will just tell you this is a must buy.
Generator Gawl - Secrets and Lies (Vol. 3)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (27 March, 2001)
As the title suggests, all the characters in this excellent sci-fi series are concealing something: the three adventurers from the future, the mysterious biologist Takuma Nakasa, the deadly Ryuko Saito--even the innocent Natsume may not be all that she seems. Many of these secrets are revealed in the linked flashbacks of "Future Tense." Ryo and Koji are not innocent students, but scientists who were deeply involved in the research that transformed Gawl into a Generator, a human capable of metamorphosing into a fantastic monster. When Ryo inadvertently discovered that evil secrets underlay the research program and their entire society, the trio left 2145 for the near future (2007), hoping to stop the experiments that produced those evils. They haven't had much luck: Gawl may be an exceptionally powerful Generator, but Saito's monsters are taxing even his strength, perhaps fatally. Not realizing that the future of humanity is at stake, Masami plays Nancy Drew and complicates matters further. Many anime adventures have dealt with the paradoxes posed by altering the past to prevent an undesirable future, but few have done so as deftly as Gawl. Director Seiji Mizushima continues to build suspense through each episode, balancing the comic attraction between Gawl and Masami with hard-hitting action sequences. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; occasional risqué humor and some violence, restricted to monster versus monster. --Charles Solomon
Average review score:
Underated seriesGenerator Gawl has all the makings of a great series. It is a perfect blend of comedy, drama, romence, action, and intrigue. Most of all though you began to care more and more about the characters involved. In Generator Gawl Vol. 3 Secrets and Lies, the viewer learns more and more about Gawl and his friends, plus there is some great forshadowing. Overall this volume got me looking forward to the fourth and finall Generator Gawl, Out of Time. My only complaint is if your an avid animation fan you need to buy the DVD because the diffenrence between the dubbed version and subtitle version is vast. Instead of changing a line here and there, the people who did the dubbed version pretty much changed all the dialogue. One can watch both the dubbed and the subtitle and feel like its totally 2 diffent movies.
SEROUSLY ADDICTING!I bought the series on a whim as I was intrigued by the body armor. I was pleasently surprised that this one snags you much in the way Evangelion does. Slapstick comedy at the beginning and then once snared.. the storyline reveals the true line involved. A must see, and with a very good opening theme song... I recommend this to all. It has elements of GUYVER, EVANGELION and the same humor as NADESICO.
Masters From the Vaults: Van Der Graaf - Generator
Released in DVD by Navarre Corporation/ (18 March, 2003)
Average review score:
Buy insteed the GOB BLUFF DVDThis has just 30 min. of VDGG that you can find as well on the GOD BLUFF DVD as well. So just buy that one and you'll have both!!
Leaves One Wanting MoreFor hard core collectors only ...... I so wish I could give this noble effort five stars, for I am very prejudiced on VDGG's behalf, but this is NOT a five star quality product. There are specifically only two performances featured here (Theme One and A Plague of Lighthouse-Keepers, both from the Pawn Hearts release) recorded with an early 70s TV mix (instruments and vocals drowned out at times, no bass to speak of) ...... and the rest of the disc consists of plugs from other "Vaults" titles by Uriah Heep, Fairport Convention, Focus, and all that other 70s stuff we listened to to make us feel more CULTURAL.
These rants aside, this filmed performance is a treasured look at an exceptional group from that era, the unclassifiable and troubled Van Der Graaf Generator, featuring the emotionally overwrought singer/songwriter Peter Hammill and crew performing a work that belongs high on a list of essential prog rock listening. Just don't expect this video release to attract any potential converts. We can but hope there are more such gems waiting for us in other vaults.
A GREAT -- AND RARE -- PIECE OF MUSICAL HISTORYAs fans of Van der Graaf Generator know all too well, during their existence the band only ever played one gig in the US - so this short (30 minutes worth of VdG) video is quite a treasure. The performance is live in a Belgian TV studio - just the four group members (Peter Hammill, vocals and electric piano; Hugh Banton, keyboards; David Jackson, saxophones; and Guy Evans, drums) playing two pieces: the short instrumental written by George Martin, 'Theme one', and their magnum opus 'A plague of lighthouse keepers'.
The band is pretty sharp - and they'd have to be, to reproduce this sort of music in a live setting - and the camera work and editing are very good. There's a small problem with the sound mix during 'Theme one' - Hugh Banton's organ can barely be heard over the saxes and drums until near the end of the piece - but it's thankfully cleared up before 'Lighthouse keepers'. The stage set made me chuckle - the director chose to decorate the stage with rows of candles - at one point changing them to sparklers - in an attempt to set the proper mood for the piece. Ah...the seventies...! As I mentioned already, I was very impressed with the camera work and editing - the camera operators as well as the director obviously took the time to familiarize themselves with the band's music, knowing which member would be soloing at a given time. For most of the long piece - over 20 minutes - they're right on the money.
Now that I have this gem, I'm going to order Peter's solo performance from Berlin in 1992 - at 90 minutes, it'll go a little further in satisfying my addiction to their challenging and intelligent music.
Toaster 2 - Character Generator
Released in DVD by 22 (01 January, 2002)
Average review score:
No reviews found.
I would dare say that if you are new to Gawl, you may want to do the strange thing of buying the last in the series (Vol 4), then if you are curious and want more, then do the 1-2-3. The ending for Vol 4. kind of sets you up for it anyhow. The reason I suggest this odd sequence of viewing is that you might quit after vol 1 or 2 (and miss this really excellent vol 4).
Enjoy. This one is worth the purchase.