Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Tweekums In the year 1999 protagonist Kamui Shirou is sent back to Tokyo to fulfil his destiny. It is potentially the end of the world as two groups; The Dragons of Heaven and Dragons of Earth do battle; the former fighting to protect humanity, the latter fighting to cleanse the planet of humanity. Kamui must decide which side he is to fight for. It won't be easy and many of those he cares about will be killed along the way… and to make matters even harder whichever side he chooses to fight for his friend Fuma is destined to fight on the other side.This anime film quickly throws us into the action and that action barely stops until the end… and while the action looks great not enough time is given to introducing the characters. We are told that certain structures in Tokyo somehow protect the Earth and that a battle to protect them is destined to take place but we are hardly told why. The 'Dragons' are people with supernatural powers and their battles lead to widespread destruction which is pretty impressive. The character designs are a little dated in style but that doesn't detract from the film; they are distinctive enough and suit the style of the story. I've neither read the manga nor watched the later series so can't say how this compares but overall I'd say it is okay if you want plenty of action… just don't expect 'cartoon violence' this is pretty bloody and certainly not one for younger viewers.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

benjamin_lappin When you find yourself skipping through large segments of a film just to arrive at something vaguely interesting, you know it doesn't have the longevity you want it to. X is decidedly niche which I believe to be a positive, but in its attempts to constrict a manga series down into the constraints of a mere ninety minutes, you know you're not going to create the desired effect, and you're more than likely going to end up with an equivalent to Evangelion Death&Rebirth without the extra something which makes you not skip forward large chunks.I will state (and prepare for the negative backlash) that I have not seen, but would very much like to, the accompanying mangas and series, because there is something about X that lurks in the background amidst all the faults that is desperately trying to get out, and desperately trying to impress itself upon you as the viewer, but just doesn't quite make it. But is that enough? Given that the directors new of these time constraints, could they not have created a film which did not cater to those like myself that hadn't known anything about it, and just plunged you straight into the world? Too much time in X is wasted on idle dialogue which is disguised as plot development but is as tedious as reading an instruction manual on how to work your DVD player. Yes the explanation of the dragons (I will come to this shortly) is necessary but in the films opening five minutes two characters wage an all out mystical battle and eventually both fall. Now during this sequence they have unnecessary banter, I know this can be common place in manga but if you wish to produce a slick opening, trying to set these characters up as long time enemies who we should feel a connection for (because many reviewers have claimed theirs to be an epic rivalry) only to have them killed two seconds later is madness. There is no logic behind it. This leads me to think that perhaps this was a film specifically designed for those which have a great knowledge over the "X" saga, but I would have thought the directors would wish to be inclusive rather than exclusive (I refrained from using the inane 'X' pun).There are positives however, one being the creepy Gothic animation which apart from being utterly unique in my experience lends itself to a creation of a sinister and severely dark overtone inevitably benefiting the film.The notion of the opposing forces of "good" and "different good" (I hesitate from saying 'evil') using the connotations of dragons, i.e. the good are the dragons of heaven who wish the world to continue seeing as it was "He" from Heaven that put them there versus the dragons of the earth who wish Mother Earth to regain her rule, is clever and again is unique. The means by which the dragons of heaven defend the planet through the usage of "shields" and the construct in which they work is also an absorbing premise as these sequences provide the high points but, unfortunately, it's not enough.The trouble with films like X is the content they must squeeze into a shorter time span, it therefore is inevitable that chances are it will not succeed at being able to tell its story fully (try compressing Broken Saints into 90 minutes), and here is the issue. I'm privy to that the directors wanted to create this film regardless, but they needed to make a choice, either completely forgo the notion of trying to be exclusive and create a film entirely for fans of the saga disregarding all outsiders thereby pleasing the contingency of fans that have done the hard work, or the alternative. The second choice is that the directors must create a film which explains everything to everyone and be completely inclusive, they must lay the construct of their world bare on the table and let people try and come to comprehend their universe; and unfortunately they did a little of both, to no great success. I wanted this film to give me more, and if I now want it to I have to put in the hard work which after having viewed the film I don't particularly want to do, and to do it this way around isn't as much fun either. No puns about missing the mark, X not being where the treasure is or 'wordplay' about the film being Xtremely disappointing, it's simply a shame.

heartless_ninja This is a dangerously complex movie, most would say the matrix ripped it off. X/1999 is a movie about the end of the world, nature vs. mankind, and whether or not humanity is even worth saving. Kamui is set with this decision, after his mother's death he goes back to Japan to see his best friends Fuma & Kotori. Where they're attacked by the "dragons" of the earth(people who believe man must die for the planet to live) & defended by the dragons of heaven(obviously fighting for humans over the earth) X/1999 is a complex movie especially considering they place hours of plot from the original TV series into this 2-3hour film. Definitely a must-see if your an anime/matrix/intelligent fan.

nintendogamestar X combines some of the best action sequences that i have seen in an anime production, with highly explosive action that goes in detail of Tokyo, Japan in wreckage. This movie is adapted from the comic strip X, which goes into more detail of character i believe. A simple story, of good against bad like many movies, and with people that have powers just like seen in X comic i am told. Abilities to control water, fire, machinery, and one who has the help from an invisible dog.The story is about Kamei (Tomokazu Seki) who is seek-ed by both sides of Dragons of the earth and Heaven to see which side he will join in the showdown for planet earth. A simple story which some would say and know has been done before, but for the anime or fantasy fan who loves action and dazzling anime then look no further as X could be the one for you. Movie viewers who are looking for a more complicated orientated adult anime, then this one is for you, the movie has it's moments of high's but also lacks originality. The characters are bought to life quite well, and the English versions feature the voice overs of Toni Barry (Karen Kasumi) and Rupert Degas (Shuogo Asagi). Overall there is worse out there, and is definitely worth checking out. 7/10