Reality and fantasy leak into each other in short-circuiting jolts in Kon's cosmos
Paprika (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:85
Fresh:70
Rotten:15
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Following its own brand of logic, Paprika is an eye-opening mind trip that rarely makes sense but never fails to dazzle. The film weaves in and out of dream worlds seamlessly and presents an offbeat puzzle of a fantasy.
Theatrical Release:May 25, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $720,502
Synopsis: With PAPRIKA, Satoshi Kon (TOKYO GODFATHERS, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS) unleashes another eye-popping anime adventure. The visually striking thriller is set in the not-too-distant future, where doctors... With PAPRIKA, Satoshi Kon (TOKYO GODFATHERS, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS) unleashes another eye-popping anime adventure. The visually striking thriller is set in the not-too-distant future, where doctors are developing a groundbreaking new psychotherapy treatment called PT. This coincides with the invention of a device called the "DC Mini," which enables researchers to enter the dreams of a subject and explore matters of the unconscious mind. But one day, a "DC Mini" prototype goes missing, and the doctors are thrown into a world of confusion. They realize how dangerous a turn of events this could be, and to ensure that things don't spiral out of control, they embark on a mad quest to track down the missing prototype. The pretty but timid Dr. Atsuko Chiba teams up with the food-loving Dr. Tokita to find his assistant, Himuro, who has disappeared. Unfortunately, it is at this time that Atsuko's boss, Torataro Shima, tries to commit suicide. Dr. Tokita calls in an old friend, Detective Konakawa, to help the team find an answer to the rapidly devolving problem. As the characters use their dreamworld alter egos to enter the dreams of troubled patients, the line between reality and unreality begins to blur, until no one knows for sure what is real and what isn't. An adaptation of a story by the acclaimed Japanese writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, PAPRIKA tells a tough-to-decipher, but spellbinding, tale. Kon's thought-provoking film features an absurdly catchy J-pop score and an unforgettable visual landscape. [More]
Starring: Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Furuya
Starring: Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Furuya
Director: Satoshi Kon
Director: Satoshi Kon
Screenwriter: Satoshi Kon, Seishi Minakami
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for Paprika
Though it's not quite up there with the cream of anime feature films, Paprika is a distinctive, quality addition to the genre.
Plays like the end and the beginning of Japanese cinema: it contradicts itself and contains multitudes.
Its visual collision of mindscapes, films within films and dreams within dreams cascade into a dizzying rush that easily washes away the humdrum dialogue and somewhat sketchy plot.
Paprika fills me with such overwhelming enthusiasm as to leave me gibbering.
Solely as a magical mystery tour of sights, sounds and surrealism, however, it's a unique animated blast to the senses.
Offers both eye candy and mind candy -- it's a thoughtful visual treat.
Watching anime is like hearing a foreign language in which you are fluent but not native: However much you believe you understand, you can never be sure you totally get it.
With a conventional invade-dreams/bend-reality plot, it's a bit of a bore.
Paprika, while certainly not suitable for kids, manages to capture the childlike, helter-skelter chaos and curiosity of the human mind better than any other animated film.
When there’s this much spice and food for thought on one plate, how are you expected to taste anything at all?
Kon is a spectacular filmmaker, although not quite of the same warm, humanistic nature as Hayao Miyazaki.
PAPRIKA adds quite a dash of spice to the anime genre and offers a fun ride.
Visually fantastic, logically flawed and incredibly dull. Just like your friend’s dreams.
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