Cinema Trips - 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I - Initiation'

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion 1 - Initiation is the first of a trilogy produced by Studio Sunrise, the subtitles of the two following films being Transgression and Glorification respectively. These three films are compilation films compressing the story of the fifty episode series in preparation to the direct sequel to the show subtitled Resurrection.

The story follows Lelouch Vi Britannia in an alternate version of Earth where a majority of the world has been conquered by the Britannian Empire. Due to injustices he had gone through, he is exiled to Japan, renamed Sector 11 where he waits patiently for the right moment to rise to power and topple the Britannian Empire. His plans are accelerated when he gains the power of the Geass which allows him to compel other to do as he wants.

Without warning we are thrust straight into the story, and with the pace it was traveling at, for a moment I feared it would be a compilation of the best moments, making it feel like a two hour long AMV (Anime music video). While is it a collection of the best moments, we are afforded breathing room where we can get better acquainted with the central characters, Lelouch, Kallen, Suzaku, C.C., and Nunnally. This is where the time restraints of a feature hinder the story telling as many of the side characters who grow to being significant players later on in the story are relegated to stand in’s, which if you are a fan of the original show would find disappointing; however if this is your first experience of the material it would seem inconsequential if they were there or not. Talking further on the pace of the film, while the first two hours of the film had a smooth cadence to it, the final ten minutes were a rush to the finishing line that introduced and resolved major plot points in minutes so as to set up the second film.

One thing that I am glad they decide to bring to the film is the fact that the characters are written as people and not merely a collection of character traits. This was one of the main strengths of the show and it is a strength here as well. Character motivations are made clear, no one is absolutely evil, and no one is completely good. When a characters motivation is challenged, they get frustrated as a person would. The only one dimensional character in the film is the Emperor of the Britannian Empire Charles Zi Britannia. Though considering it is the first film of the trilogy, I find that it is ok that all we need to know about him is that he is evil and Lelouch has to beat him. Though if it was a stand alone villain, seeing such a one dimensional villain would be a disappointment to stand among an otherwise great cast of characters.

The Mech battles in the film are reflective of the anime and it's refreshing to see once more as the battles rely on strategy rather than a matter of who has the strongest Mech with the highest power level. This adds an interesting flavor to the massive battle sequences that is hard to find in most, though not all, other Mech based combat anime.

The animationof the film was quite strong with hardly any static frames that lasts longer than any one should in a theatrical movie. In addition the battle sequences benefit greatly by higher sakuga allowing the film to flex its animating muscles and really showcase the fights.

With regards to the music, listening to it in the cinema was incredibly nostalgic, as this was one of the first seasonal anime I watched nearly seven years ago. Hearing the original opening to the show by FLOW with new animation to accompany it that relates to the story was a nice touch. The rest of the original score is nothing to scoff at as it upheld the tone of the movie and accompanied it well.

In closing, if this was the first material that we got from this franchise I would have recommended a Netflix watch. However, as there is a superior incarnation of this story available I would highly recommend watching the show, as some of the plot twists and deaths would rival to some given to us in Game of Thrones. The show is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation in the United States and on Netflix in the United Kingdom.