Forum - View topicREVIEW: Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 3: Rebellion
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GWOtaku
 Posts: 678 |
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[Moderator's Note: Because this review delved heavily into spoilers for the movie, untagged spoilers will be allowed in this discussion thread. Read at your peril if you have not yet seen the movie. - Key]
Wow. Based on this excellent review, this movie is everything I feared it was going to be. They ruined it. This reminds me of the game Final Fantasy XIII-2 in one major respect: an ultimate outcome that takes the major theme of its predecessor and utterly subverts and destroys it with an ending that shrieks "HAHA, NEVER MIND". Disgraceful. This needed to be left alone. Last edited by GWOtaku on Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:24 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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homara
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Except it was foreshadowed in the scene where Homura tells Madoka of her sacrifice and Madoka responds that she would never want to have to do such a thing, leaving behind her family and loved ones. That scene set Homura off. |
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FlamingFirewire
 Posts: 468 |
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After having seen the movie, I can definitely attest to the feeling of not knowing what to think. Not even being a really big fan of the show I wanted the movie to end before that third act - it really does seem out of character, but certainly not out of line with what the show has done before. After mulling over it, it mainly seems like Gen decided the end of the series was too "perfect" and "happy" so he decided to subvert one of the characters to create that Devil/God dichotomy.
I have to say though, with the exception of the 3-5 minute scene of JUST transformations one after the other, this is one enjoyable film. I'd recommend it, but you just may not know how to feel - or just outright hate - the movie at the end. This is definitely one of those subjective films you should really see if you've already seen everything Madoka up to this point. I know I'm going to see it in theaters again. |
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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I completely agree with this review. I enjoyed the movie all in all, but whenever Aniplex lowers the price of the series, I won't be picking up this movie to go along with it. I don't need it. I don't want it. The series ended where I wanted it to end. This movie threw in a contrived story that I didn't want to exist. They will make money off of it, and that is what their ultimate goal is, but it went to far in destroying what was really about as close to a perfect conclusion as I've ever seen. Like I said initially, I did enjoy the movie, but it was still entirely unnecessary.
Last edited by relyat08 on Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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relyat08
Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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In my opinion, if you love the series and, most importantly, the ending to it, there is no reason to see this. If you just want more Madoka and rewatching the series isn't enough for you, go ahead, but whenever I start showing this to my friends, I highly doubt I will recommend the movie to any of them. |
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amagee
 Posts: 333 Location: Orlando, FL |
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While I find the new movie sub-par to the original series, I guess I feel less enraged than many by the whole thing.
I'm always somewhat skeptical to say much about something that clearly has a sequel in mind. Reading some of the original reviews of Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, you get the same issues arising. Mind you, reviews like this are perfectly viable in that they point out flaws in something that later reviews may feel obligated to look over due to the manner by which a later iteration deals with things. |
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1468 |
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A wonderful review, Hope. Brilliant, really: thank you for providing such a strong framework for me to think about my own viewing experience. The comparison of the ending to fanfic strikes me as particularly apt.
As you said, I left the theater not knowing what to think about the final bit, but also feeling that, without it, the ending of the second part would be too pat and "cheap" (or perhaps merely trite). I also left resolved to see the film again (probably not until the home video release, though I suppose it's possible it could come back and fill my local theater for another three showings, sold out over a month in advance). I want to see the film again mostly to see if that final third was as abrupt and unpredictable as it seemed on first viewing, and to think about how it fits with the rest of the series. I think the early "happy" sequence wasn't so tedious as you describe in your review --- as you say, the knowledge of where the series can take such seemingly innocent situations made those happy scenes fraught with an undercurrent of creepiness). And filled as it was with marvellous imagery, I didn't really feel that Gekidan Inu Curry were in best form --- a lot of that imagery seemed recycled rather than new. For those who haven't seen the film, don't write it off. It's worth seeing. |
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ThatGuyWhoLikesThings
Posts: 1035 |
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I dunno, while the change in question definitely feels sudden and not built up enough, I can't say it feels "ludicrously out-of-character" as, while I was watching the TV series, I never got the impression that Homura's journey was entirely for selfless reasons.
Now granted, it didn't start out like that. But while Homura's love for Madoka started out pure and innocent, after all the hundreds and hundreds of repetitions she went through, that love was gradually twisted into something darker and more obsessive, and that "love" reaches it's peak here. This isn't explicitly shown to us in the series, but that's the impression I got of Homura. Yeah, I do know that is a rather cynical interpretation. 
Now, I haven't actually seen the movie yet, as all of the information I have about it comes strictly from plot summaries and this review. I do plan to see the film eventually to get a better understanding of it and its ideas. |
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kotomikun
Posts: 1205 |
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Huh. Was kinda wondering what you'd think of this movie, after that glowing review of the series from last year...
I think this review sums up my initial reaction to it, but I do feel like it makes more sense, and the ending seems less stupid and contrived, after watching it again and/or thinking about it so much that you've effectively watched it several times. Or maybe it's Stockholm syndrome. Not sure. In any case, I'm convinced that the ending is not as simple as spoiler["ZOMG Homura went crazy and turned evil!!11!!"] and there actually are legitimate reasons for that to happen spoiler[(Homura's wish was never fulfilled, the Incubators are far more dangerous than we thought and would probably defeat Madoka eventually without drastic intervention, etc.)], it's just sort of disconcerting because you have to dig pretty deep to find those reasons, even though the surface-level plot of the movie isn't difficult to understand at all (other than the exposition being kinda fast-paced at times). It's not as good as the series ending. I wasn't expecting it to be, because that was almost certainly impossible. Given the circumstances--attempting to continue a perfect series with a definite ending, and making it not seem like a total waste of time while including all the basic components people expect from the series (fake-out happy intro, epic emotional battle thingy, ridiculous blindsiding twist)--I think they did about as well as they could have. But this has to have a sequel. It's mostly a pointless ending that doesn't hold much meaning, and doesn't really feel like a conclusion. It's almost as silly as having Homura reset the timeline at the end of the series would have been (didn't one of the spinoffs do that?). Supposedly the ending was changed specifically to allow for more sequels, so at least there's that. Last edited by kotomikun on Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:13 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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DRWii
 Posts: 642 |
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I would definitely agree with that. Otherwise though, I really like the ending. I'm a sucker for duality (yin and yang, light and dark, order and chaos, etc.) though, so that could be a major part. I think I'm also just glad that if they "destroyed" the original ending, at least it seems to be on purpose, rather than a side-effect. I'd hate it if it were the latter. |
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ColonelYao47
Posts: 274 |
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In two words, I can sum up my thoughts about this movie..."unsettling greed". This goes beyond Kyubey's and Homura's greed. Just like Monogatari, Matrix, and Call of Duty, the worst thing that could ever happen to Madoka was that it sold as well as it did. Thus, the Magica Quartet milked this for all it can and will continue to do, pandering to new lengths (Mami's entrance being a shot of her chest and playing buddy cop with "Bebe"; the overtness of the partnerships, too much deja vu for a "new movie", etc.)
The sad thing is despite all this, this was still capable of being a great film based on the production quality. However, questionable decision-making and, frankly, deviating from what made Madoka special (all the characters, major and minor, were originally perfectly set in their roles but now are out of place), is what ultimately undermined this work. I can't help but think of the Evangelion movies and how they succeeded where Madoka failed. For all of its antics and interesting twists, it was still par for the course within EVA. I can't say the same for Madoka: Rebellion. This doesn't change anything about the amazing work they did with the first series but let's just say my fears about future projects were confirmed by this movie. |
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5507 Location: Iscandar |
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Disappointed, but not shocked, that this franchise was going to be ruined by cash-milking it. I am still going to check this movie out, but I probably will not buy a disc copy of it.
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ReverseTitan
 Posts: 109 Location: Hong Kong |
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These movies are just like the Gundam movies. A cash cow. Did Madoka need this shit? Why couldn't they just make adaptations of the spin-off manga? It would have been way better. Madoka is not great. It is not revolutionary, contrary to popular belief. However, it should have at least said goodbye in a nice fashion. Having people create cash cows of this shit is like Di$ney's shitty Star Wars movies. Instead of killing the franchise, Lucas decides to sell it to Di$ney and create more crap which ruin and contradict the integrity of the original movies.
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OldAndDumb
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One of main themes of PMMM is about balance.
PMMM the TV series showed the audience the burden to those who dared to "wish" for the extraordinary, the joy when that wish bears fruit, and the crushing despair when it is time to pay for such joy (billed by the very system of fate itself). However, it is human's nature to wish for the better (deserving or not). And in an odd way explaining why Kyubey is interested in the human race. At the end, Ultimate Madoka achieved total victory while trampling on Homura's wish. Worse, Homura remembers, unlike Madoka's mother...who got her memory wiped. PMMM Rebellion, perhaps, is to show the audience the various aspects of "love" as a concept. Madoka, both in her "ultimate Madoka" Goddess form and in her witch form, is the entity of salvation. Though some audiences might have forgotten Madoka the school girl, while attempting to sacrifice herself (that seems to be her obsession i.e. her desire to be "useful") face objections from her mother and her lover Faust aka Homura. Homura's wish stemed from her selfless desire to save Madoka (and her selfish desire to be with Madoka). Twisted by many time warps and the plot devices of "Rebellion", Homura lost her soul but were given one chance (thanks to Shaft's desire to print money) to fulfill her original wish...and she seized that chance. At the end of "Rebellion", (and I make a direct quote from the wiki of Faust), is irreovcably corrupted and believes her sins cannot be forgiven. The devil stole the power of God and created a false world where everybody is alive and...happy. At the end of the movie, Homura achieved total victory while trampling on Madoka's wish. Of course, the staff is baiting the audience once again...the PMMM saga will continue with Madoka's memories returning. In the meanwhile, being a bunny cat (QB) is suffering. Perhaps the writer is trying to tell the audience...love, just like wish, can never be truly selfless? Oh, I definitely agree that the execution of "Rebellion" is flawed. I guess my opinion of "Rebellion"...interesting but not satisfying. And that is from an old geez who rather read a story book with a beginning and an ending... |
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SnaphappyFMA
Posts: 216 Location: California |
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Homura was my favorite character from the series - though it sounds like that might change if I saw Rebellion.
From this excellent and well-written review, I now have a good sense of whether it's worth seeing or not. For me, I thought the series' end was great as it was and though I like Homura, I don't think I need to see this movie. |
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