Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler [Review]

How would you rate this movie?!

  • AMAZING. Loved every second!

    Votes: 21 13.1%
  • Enjoyable, but disappointing in certain aspects.

    Votes: 66 41.3%
  • Indifferent. It is what it is. Nothing more.

    Votes: 10 6.3%
  • Meh. I'll only keep watching cuz it's Berserk, but I'm not happy with it at all.

    Votes: 34 21.3%
  • HORRIBLE... it's an abomination to Berserk and Miura.

    Votes: 29 18.1%

  • Total voters
    160
Just saw the movie. Voted for "Enjoyed it, but disappointed".

They left out some key elements, no doubt...for example the first battle after Guts is a Hawk, when he 'proves himself' so to speak by holding down the rear lines. That was a huge part in demonstrating how the Hawks developed respect for Guts.

Also, a lot of Griffiths genius and strategy were omitted. When Guts apologized for not following plans, Griffith is supposed to say "I took that into account when planning the battle"..instead he just said something like "you belong to me, fight for me" undermining the fact that Griffith had actually planned for Guts to be a one man wrecking crew anyway.

Adon was left out so far, so that first battle was basically skipped.

I didn't like Guts' face when he was young, looked better 3 years later (although the scenes varied and some looked good, others bad).

All the problems aside, I found that since I know the manga so well, the omitted parts, while they bothered me, did not completely ruin my experience. For someone new to Berserk some of the parts probably made no sense at all (ie, the flashback scene, WTF was going on??) would probably be the reaction.

I think overall however, a viewer would know what they are supposed to know up to this point about the main characters (characters being Griffith, Guts and Casca, since the other ones were basically nonexistent in this first installment).

Plus, I'm surprised I haven't read this on Skullknight.Net yet (or maybe I missed it)...the music that is played during the ending credits kicks ass!

Was it great? NO. Did I enjoy some parts? Yes. Could they have done better? Yes. Is the movie series ruined? I don't think so, but time will tell if the next installments can improve on this first one.

PS, why didn't Zodd's arm get cut off? And why didn't he beat Guts with it????
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Guts_100 said:
Adon was left out so far, so that first battle was basically skipped.

Nothing was skipped. Adon doesn't appear until later on.

Guts_100 said:
I think overall however, a viewer would know what they are supposed to know up to this point about the main characters

Sure, if the characters are crude sketches of what they're supposed to be.

Guts_100 said:
Plus, I'm surprised I haven't read this on Skullknight.Net yet (or maybe I missed it)...the music that is played during the ending credits kicks ass!

Blood & Guts? Can't say I'm a fan of the lyrics.

Guts_100 said:
Is the movie series ruined? I don't think so, but time will tell if the next installments can improve on this first one.

I'll take bets on that one. :iva:
 
Guts_100 said:
PS, why didn't Zodd's arm get cut off? And why didn't he beat Guts with it????

Watching that and wondering why that had to be changed, I'm under the impression that it was a technical limitation of the 3-D model of beast-form Zodd. It was as if the 3-D modelling team (all three of them) sent a note to the director saying they couldn't figure out how to sever the arm from the beast-form model and get it severed in a way that looked right. So either to meet the deadline or the writer/director/producer didn't feel it was important enough to work the kinks out of, opted for the simplistic alternative shown in the film.

Yes, I was disappointed in seeing that memorable :zodd: moment given such a weak alteration.
 
Aazealh said:
Nothing was skipped. Adon doesn't appear until later on.

What about when the Hawks attack the base by crossing the river and infiltrating through the back? Adon then retreats on the raft?? I was pretty sure that this happens before the Assassination story line?

Then he appears again later when he shoots Guts with the arrow and Guts and Casca go for the ride over the cliff. Again in the 100 man slaying.

Then finally again at the Doldrey battle.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Dude I think you're confusing the old anime series with stuff in the actual manga. Adon first appears during the battle where Guts and Casca fall off the cliff.
 
Oburi said:
Dude I think you're confusing the old anime series with stuff in the actual manga. Adon first appears during the battle where Guts and Casca fall off the cliff.

Seriously? Sorry, my bad. My memories regarding the Golden Age are probably mixed between the Anime and the Manga...other than a few parts that are exclusive to the Manga (Black Dog Knights scenario, Wyald, Dilos being ripped in half instead of just being mortally wounded but body intact)...
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Guts_100 said:
Seriously?

Guess you don't know the manga that well after all. :slan:

Guts_100 said:
other than a few parts that are exclusive to the Manga (Black Dog Knights scenario, Wyald, Dilos being ripped in half instead of just being mortally wounded but body intact)...

There are more than a few parts. Silat, the Bakiraka, Gaiseric's legend... It's quite a list in the end.
 
Aazealh said:
Sure, if the characters are crude sketches of what they're supposed to be.

I can't disagree with this, it's true...and sad. This is why I mentioned before that to a first time viewer it will be confusing, misleading, and incomplete basically. We have no real indication as to how the Hawks feel about Guts (as was developed from interaction between Guts, Judeau, Rickert, Gaston, Corkus Casca, Griff etc in the Manga).

I guess I was able to fill in those gaps. But yeah, the movie was as some said before, basically highlights, leaving out some key elements. I still enjoyed seeing it as my expectations were already low based on what was read here.

One last comment and it has probably been mentioned. Guts' fighting technique at times made him seem more like he was a fencer. I know that Guts is skilled in swordplay, but he mostly uses his brute force and the size of his blade to kill his adversaries. In the movie, I saw him do funny blocking/parrying a few times and using techniques that he never would use. He typically either cuts right through an opponents weapon, or just over powers them with speed and strength.

While he could use some of those techniques if he wanted to, he doesn't need to, and never really does in the Manga.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Guts_100 said:
One last comment and it has probably been mentioned. Guts' fighting technique at times made him seem more like he was a fencer. I know that Guts is skilled in swordplay, but he mostly uses his brute force and the size of his blade to kill his adversaries. In the movie, I saw him do funny blocking/parrying a few times and using techniques that he never would use. He typically either cuts right through an opponents weapon, or just over powers them with speed and strength.

While he could use some of those techniques if he wanted to, he doesn't need to, and never really does in the Manga.

It can never be shown in manga form like it would be animated (decomposing the action panel by panel would be tedious), but Guts does parry and deflect attacks whenever necessary. It's shown numerous times in the series, notably when he's fighting tougher enemies (like Zodd). That being said, it's true that he's oftentimes so much faster and stronger than other swordsmen that the opportunity doesn't even arise. Regardless, I believe the scenes in the movie looked "funny" to you not because of the moves themselves but due to their execution by the studio.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
To add to what Aaz said, that point is directly addressed and exemplified in volume 2, pages 54-61 (DH version). Guts has to deflect the seemingly impossible attacks of a formidably transformed Zondark and Puck realizes he's not just getting by on strength and athleticism but is in fact a master swordsman. It's a great little scene and summation of this subject.
 
H

hellrasinbrasin

Guest
Next week will be very interesting as we will find out if animenewsnetwork's review of the 2nd Berserk film is as bullshit layden as the 1st.

I have a question are we going to change the header on this thread to accommodate for the discussion of the 2nd film that is being released this weekend. Or will a new thread be started for that films discussion.
 
Who cares about animenewsnetwork's review? I'd rather go with reviews from people whose opinions matter hah!

Another topic would make sense *nod nod*
 
Aazealh said:
Guess you don't know the manga that well after all. :slan:

I've read 1-32 twice, and 33-36 once...and maybe I've read some of the other volumes 3 times...so yeah, I basically know it, but I don't recall every detail as well as I'd like to (or as well as many here).

If I had enough time in life I'd try to read it again (1-36)...hopefully at some point this summer.
 
Aazealh said:
Color me impressed. :iva:

Not trying to impress, quite the opposite. It was meant more as an excuse for not remembering all of the details because I've only read it a couple of times whereas I've seen the anime probably 10+ (since I owned this before Dark Horse started publishing the Manga in North America).

Doesn't mean I'm not a fan.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Guts_100 said:
Doesn't mean I'm not a fan.

Relax buddy, we're all fans here. :griffnotevil:


On topic: Movie is still terrible. Would anyone object if I made a poll biased toward this fact instead? Oh, nevermind, it's just how you read the numbers: 83 people think it's disappointing or worse, and 13 are clearly not to be taken seriously.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
83 people think it's disappointing or worse, and 13 are clearly not to be taken seriously.
That's how I've been reading the poll the whole time :ganishka: That's a 14% approval rating btw.
 

Gordy

I'm a llama!
Voted for "AMAZING. Loved every second!"
I love this first movie!
The music is exciting. I love the CGI during the fight scenes. I agree with the cut out compared to the manga scene because this is a movie and it's impossible to bring everything.
 
Walter said:
Did you love all 345 seconds that Zodd was on screen? :void:
I don't think time was the main problem, the execution is. No build up, drama, nothing... you just see Guts entering, and then a retarded fight with that annoying voiceover.

And than Casca's CGI face with no expression when Zodd is charging towards the hawks :???:
What a shame...
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
pirkaf 2000 said:
I don't think time was the main problem, the execution is. No build up, drama, nothing... you just see Guts entering, and then a retarded fight with that annoying voiceover.
I was merely breaking the problem down into seconds, since Gordy had voted that he "loved every second."

Of course there are other problems with the movie, and you can hear about them all on our podcast.
 
Gordy said:
Voted for "AMAZING. Loved every second!"
I love this first movie!
The music is exciting. I love the CGI during the fight scenes. I agree with the cut out compared to the manga scene because this is a movie and it's impossible to bring everything.

I enjoyed the movie for the most part...but the music and the CGI? :???:
 

Gordy

I'm a llama!
I think the CGI looks right for the fight scenes and, perhaps, at other times may be excessive. However, didn't bother me
 
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