Change Your Image
demondude777
Reviews
Asaruto gâruzu (2009)
More then just girls with guns
I've read a lot of reviews about how bad this movie was, so I decided to give it a watch to see if I feel the same. (I discovered the movie by watching the video for the closing song) After watching it I feel like I got a different take then most people. I guess being use to watching a lot of Asian cinema and playing mmorpg games gives me a different perspective then those that expect this to follow the standard movie formula.
First off if your interests are watching a movie about girls with guns kicking butt, then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a traditional story line, then again you will be disappointed. If you are looking for fast paced action, yet again you will be disappointed. Going into this is less like going into a movie and more like watching a mmorpg play out. The long walks...the strategy...the stats discussions, I've done them before. All mmorpg.
And for the characters, as far as a movie goes they appear very shallow, however from a mmorpg perspective each one plays into one specific aspect that gamers carry: admiration, enjoyment, escape, and determination.
To go into more detail by explaining the snail scene as well as give evidence to back up, read below: (and this is where *MAJOR SPOILERS* come in. Skip this if you haven't seen the movie.) Colonel is the symbol of admiration; the type of gamer that says, "Oh wow, look at those graphics". In the snail scene she places the snail on the status and just sits there and watches it move then leaves it. Also in other scenes she is shown walking around looking to the sky or the ground as if she is viewing her surroundings.
Next Lucifer is the symbol of enjoyment. She plays for fun. Hence why at the snail she took off her hat and played a game similar to peek-a-boo. Outside of that scene she is always dancing and goofing off (one scene she is told to stop dancing during battle). Also the way she is introduced is through what I would assume to be a unnatural entrance: crashing from the sky.
Then Jager is the symbol of escape, aka the role-player. He picks the snail ups and eats it. To him the game is a 2nd life. He is also the only character seen eating and sleeping. Also his camp mode is very different then the other camp mode. Towards the end Gray says that it is "not the time to play the role of the adventurer" to him. (At the end he mentions he is changing his character type to PVP - yet another type of gamer)
Finally Gray symbolized determination, the character that plans their growth to level up fastest and become the strongest,hence the crushing of the snail shell. She is the only one (apart from a comment from Colonel about hitting xp ceiling) that talks about or is talked to about her level and stats. Also when she walks around she is always looking through a scouter as if she is looking for something to kill.
*END SPOILERS* If you want to watch this movie, know what you are getting into first. This is less of a movie and more of a game. To the average viewer I recommend skipping it. But if you love mmorpgs then this might be a good movie to try.
Again all others stay away or you will discover boredom quickly.