Headache-inducingly convoluted plot and cast of characters but the action and faithfulness to the series is impressive. Be aware that this is definitely a trilogy and the ending reflects this.
Comment
02/19/09
20th Century Boys (2008)
30
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:10
Fresh:3
Rotten:7
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: An overlong Japanese sci-fi epic with flashy visuals but a disjointed and frustrating approach to narrative.
Reviews for 20th Century Boys
1 - 10 (sorted by critic A-Z)
The original may have sold 20m copies but they should have kept creator Naoki Urasawa away from this script - whole swathes ought have been gutted, making for a very long and unfailingly shallow 142 minutes.
02/20/09
Director of all trades Tsutsumi combines eyeball straining pop-promo visuals with the TV drama look that has blighted a lot of recent Japanese cinema, but deserves kudos for juggling timelines and characters so effectively.
02/19/09
The dramatic premise is ingenious and there are two future lengthy episodes to come. But I was often baffled.
02/26/09
A dry run through of the principle players and scene setting for the real action and adventure to come in installments two and three of this manga based trilogy.
02/19/09
It’s mildly interesting but inelegantly structured, unfolding through a mess of flashbacks and shocking overacting.
02/19/09
The ideas are fun, there are some striking design ideas (the villain’s commonplace-yet-freaky mask), yet the clogged storytelling just doesn’t make enough of them. Shame.
02/19/09
20th Century Boys whisks wacko cults, city-stomping robots and the power of rock'n'roll into a bizarre brew that will delight converts but possibly bewilder the uninitiated.
02/19/09
We’re being reminded of the banality of evil, but that only slightly raises the IQ of Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s film.
02/26/09
20th Century Boys has an excellent pedigree, a huge budget behind it, and a more than competent cast –but it doesn’t quite work.
02/26/09
1 - 10 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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