Soulless characters in remarkably flat animation talking epistemological gobbledegook among watered-down psychedelia.
Paprika (2007)
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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
Paprika fills me with such overwhelming enthusiasm as to leave me gibbering.
You could sit through the film two or three times to nail down the details of the story, but the film isn't interesting enough to warrant a second look.
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.
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.
Kon rarely cares about the stagnant old real world that his films so frequently transcend. His characters fuss endlessly about fantasy's gripping, consuming power, but he himself seems blissfully unconcerned with where his gorgeous illusions take them.
You stagger out of this one both grateful and ready for a deep and dreamless nap.
A slick, accessible and thoroughly entertaining piece of Japanese anime.
Just go with it, drink in the rich and innovative images, and wish that you could remember your own dreams as well as you'll remember "Paprika."
Though it's not quite up there with the cream of anime feature films, Paprika is a distinctive, quality addition to the genre.
Paprika is yet another incoherent anime that's more interested in its warmed over visuals than in indulging in any kind of storytelling or character work.
Reality and fantasy leak into each other in short-circuiting jolts in Kon's cosmos
Could [director Satoshi] Kon's fanciful cure for the blockbuster blues have come along at a better time?
If an animated scattershot clusterfuck tweaking under the influence of a determinedly Japanese mindset sounds like a good way to substitute a cinematic drug experience for the real thing, then go right ahead to Satoshi Kon's overflowing excess.
A spectacular experience, full of bizarre, frightening and beautiful dream logic.
Satoshi Kon's glorious visuals are the driving force of a rather strange and surreal sci-fi experience that's often hard to follow.
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
| 58% 58% | 9 |
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