SUSPENDED ANIMATION: CODE GEASS - LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION (2006)

 CODE GEASS - LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION (2006)

Way back in 2011 I was told by a friend that I needed to watch Code Geass. They even went as far as to say that it was their favorite anime of all time. I should've watched it back then, but for some reason I didn't (I kinda fell off of anime for a time and that was during that period). But when someone says something is an all time favorite, going so far as to say it's one of the best animes ever, you either listen or you don't. Well, I didn't listen... and I should've.

As time marched on, the name Code Geass kept cropping up here and there in greatest animes of all time conversations, keeping the name present in my mind. Finally, at long last, I experienced my anime renaissance and it occurred within the last two years. Yeah, I was watching Castlevania on Netflix (that's not anime though, it's American animation in the style of anime). And then there's Devilman which has long kept my anime pulse steadily beating for years. 

But the two animes that reignited my passion were AKAME GA KILL! and FOOD WARS: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA. These two reminded me of what anime can do that nothing else can. Akame ga Kill! was told so well and gripped me like great anime classics of the past have. And Food Wars completely blindsided me. I'm not much for comedy outside of the 80s and even less so with anime (although I do love Tenchi Muyo). But I fell head over heels in love with Food Wars, its characters, and its humor.

More animes followed and I found more that I loved, thinking to myself, "Why did I ever stop watching?" Eventually this led me back to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. And the question I asked above was only further reinstated. Why did I take so long to watch Code Geass? 

To put it bluntly, I loved Code Geass! From Sunrise Studios, the same studio that brought us such greats as Mobile Suit Gundam and Outlaw Star, Code Geass is another wonderful feather in their cap. This anime lived up to its reputation brilliantly; a masterclass in anime.

THE PLOT

In an alternative 2017, the world has nearly been seized by the empire of Britannia. Japan is now the last area of land on the globe resisting Britannia's rule, with a rebellion on the rise. Fate intervenes when a young Britannian by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge meets a bizarre green haired girl. This girl passes an otherworldly power to him, allowing him to control the minds of whomever he sees with but a look. The rebellion against Britannia and the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Lelouch uses his new power to change the course of history.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

One of my formative animes was none other than MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING aired on Cartoon Network in the late 90s or early 2000s. That anime had a profound effect on me that still grips me to this day. Code Geass takes everything great about Gundam Wing and ages it up a bit. Code Geass feels like a more mature version of Gundam Wing, a Gundam Wing for an older me. There's a young attractive and compelling cast of characters, giant robots like Gundams, political intrigue, and all out world war (everything I've loved about Gundam Wing).

Naturally, I fell for this anime almost instantly. The designs were composed by the group CLAMP, a popular creative team that has churned out some incredible manga and anime over the last several decades (including one of my favorite anime series "X." The women of CLAMP imbue this show with stunning looking characters and a unique and attractive aesthetic that is wonderful to watch. The mech suit designs are unique and interesting, evoking a distinctive European Knights feel. Visually, this show fires on every front, both the characters and the robots being beautiful to watch.

Perhaps the most stunning element of this show is the layout out of the story. The use of Lelouch's Geass power and that of the other Geass users is nothing short of masterful. There were episodes that were literally jaw-dropping for me. There were narrative moments where I stopped to reverse engineer how the writers set such an incredible moment into play. And the writers not only do this once, but multiple times throughout the show, almost all to great effect. It's rare storytelling that showcases detailed planning and perfect execution. Either that or I was so drawn into the show that I was too engrossed to see what was happening. Whichever way you look at it is a high compliment to the show.

Q1 - Kallen Kozuki, maybe the best character in the show!

THE VERDICT

I've watched a few shows like Code Geass, some of those shows are legendary (Gundam Wing, Evangelion, Escaflowne, ect.) so I'm not as attracted to the mech suit - giant robot animes like I used to be. But Code Geass drew me in and hooked me just as much as these others. Through the incredible designs of the characters and mechs from CLAMP to the wonderful animation and expert storytelling, I loved Code Geass through and through and look forward to watching it again.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10

I will definitely be adding this anime to the home video collection! Highly recommended!

For more of Blood Work's anime thoughts, check out these other posts below!

HIGH RISE INVASION (2021)

DEVILMAN: CRYBABY (2018)

CYBORG 009 VS DEVILMAN (2015)

 

BLOOD REIGN: CURSE OF THE YOMA (1989)

 

BLOOD C (2011)

 

IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION (1994)

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0079 (1979)

VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985)

 

GODZILLA: PLANET EATER (2018)

 

GODZILLA: CITY ON THE EDGE OF BATTLE (2018)

 

GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS (2017) 

THE HORROR HARVEST: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)

 TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)

Why do we love horror? That's a complicated question with a multifaceted answer. Depending on who you ask you'll likely get different answers. For this case, we're going to focus on one particular answer: The Villains. Horror has the honor of having perhaps the largest cast of villains of any genre, a striking imbalance in the hero/villain ratio. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, Im-Ho-Tep, the Blind Dead Templars, Dr. Freudstein, and countless more. And usually these villains and monsters are infinitely more interesting than the protagonists... mostly.

I'm going to go out on a limb and speak for some of us saying that we watch certain horror movies to see our favorite villains do what they do best: wreak unholy mayhem and terror!

When I first entered the world of modern horror, it began with the Mount Rushmore of horror icons: Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface. I remember it like it was yesterday when my mother staged my first intervention; I was in junior high and had told my mom that I wanted The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original) for Christmas. Her response: "Son, sit down. We need to have a talk." Clearly I took a lot from that talk...

Leatherface has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I started with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, back when there was only three in the series. I remember when Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation came out, being super stoked to see it, and subsequently disappointed beyond belief. I remember dragging my friends to the 2003 remake and the 2006 prequel (and loving both! Well, I did, at least). I went with friends to the 2013 reboot as well and loved that one too! And, I actually thought the 2017 origin story wasn't half bad either.

When news hit last year that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise was being revived yet again, I was already sold. Debuting last Friday, I gave it a watch... and loved it!

THE PLOT

A quartet of idealistic twenty-somethings from Austin, Texas purchase the ghost town of Harlow, Texas with grand plans of creating their own utopia. But every paradise has a serpent lying in wait. Leatherface, having been dormant for nearly 50 years, is triggered when his caretaker is accidentally killed by the kids from Austin. Recovering his chainsaw and donning a new mask, Leatherface embraces his calling once again. But an old enemy returns to exact revenge on him, an enemy who has waited patiently for this day.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

SPOILERS AHEAD!

When I first saw the trailer, it reeked of Halloween 2018. So much so that it felt off-putting. I did not need to see the character of Sally Hardesty back nor pulling yet another Sarah Conner imitation on us. On top of that, I wasn't sold on Leatherface's look either. The beginning of the movie, when we're introduced to our "protagonists" I wasn't particularly won over. But as the movie progressed it made twists and turns that surprised me. By the end of the movie I was all in and loving it.

This is the ninth film the franchise that will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in two years. So, at this point I guess the question becomes, Why do we keep coming back? For me, and I'm guessing many of us, it isn't to see the people running away. I watch these movies to see Leatherface do his thing. I don't even need his family. I just need Leatherface. And, more than anything, I want to see him treated right. Just like Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, Chucky, and Pinhead, I don't watch to see them defeated or get their asses kicked. There are some truly despicable movies out there where I cheer to see the villains annihilated, but Leatherface isn't one of them.

Leatherface, by the end, I felt was treated very well, with reverence and care. Even his mask, which I wasn't enthusiastic about based on the still photos, works very well on film. And the filmmakers give him the moment I wish would be given to Michael Myers: Leatherface finally kills Sally! And everyone who needed to get killed got their just dues. The one character that survives was the only character I really liked from the protagonists. I was gonna be pissed if Sarah Yarkin (Melody) survived! Luckily she received one of the best kills in the movie (god, I hated her character. Although, I enjoyed Sarah Yarkin in the Happy Death Day films).

And Sally... 'sigh' I was dreading seeing her return. And doing exactly what Laurie Strode was doing in the 2018 Halloween. But it didn't play out like I expected. And when she was on screen, it reminded me less of Laurie Strode and more of... DENNIS HOPPER?! Instead of leaning into the Halloween 2018 comparison, I approached this movie from a Texas Chainsaw point of view, looking for the nods and references to the previous films in the series. One of the most surprising nods was Sally evoking Dennis Hopper's character from Chainsaw 2; Lieutenant Lefty Enright. Once I started seeing Sally through that lens, and not as a repeat of H40 Laurie Strode, I was onboard with her character. And the filmmakers having the balls to kill her off too was perfect! I didn't want her back. I didn't need her back. So the way her character was handled was satisfying for me.

The movie plays mostly like an old school slasher and I feel that worked in its favor. If the filmmakers would've modernized it for the 2022 era, playing on all of the troupes that have dominated cinema for the last seven years, I don't think the film would've played well. It didn't lean nearly as hard on the nostalgia references either, as H40 did, which again I feel was a benefit. And it delivered on the namesake... AT LAST! Finally there is a genuine massacre, wholesale slaughter, sequence in the series where at least a dozen or more people are eviscerated at once (something the series had never done before). I couldn't help but compare this sequence to the mass slaughter sequence in Halloween Kills and... I gotta give it to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They did it better and, I daresay, hold the title now for best kill sequence. Although... Hellraiser III is still a contender.

With the exception of just one, I have enjoyed all of the films in the series (and some I completely love). I was worried that this film was going to suck hard given how most classic franchises are treated these days. But this one nailed it!

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

The only bad part about this is that it was released on Netflix, and by that I mean the lack of a physical media release for this film. As someone who owns the entire franchise, I would love to own this on home video. Maybe they'll give it a legit physical release someday, in a boxset or something, but that will probably be years down the road. Time will tell. 

Anyway, I enjoyed the hell out of this movie! And hopefully we will continue to receive quality sequels in the future.

For more of my twisted views on horror and other entries in the Texas Chainsaw series, check out the posts below

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART II (1986)

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003)

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (2006)

HALLOWEEN (2018)

HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021)

TOP TEN MODERN HORROR MOVIE MANIACS

THE HORROR MOVIE MASTER LIST