Patema Inverted, Blu-ray (2014)

by | Nov 18, 2014 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Patema Inverted, Blu-ray (2014)

Director & Screenplay: Yashuhiro Yoshiura
Studio: Cinedigm/GKID [11/11/14] 88153015000
Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 1080p HD color
Audio: English or orig. Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Extras: Commentary track by Producer and voice cast, Interview with Director, Interview with some of orig. Japanese voice cast, At the premiere, Trailer, Previews of other GKID animation films
Length: 98 min.
Rating: ****

An unexpected world is created by director Yoshiura, whose previous anime feature was Time of Eve. It is a sci-fi adventure with a unique premise and little violence concerning two youngsters who live in worlds completely separated by opposing gravities. It also is an unusual love story of two people seemingly separated by all odds, who find a way to navigate their competing forces of gravity.

Princess Patema lives underground, under the rules of her clan elders. But she likes to explore and wanders in the Forbidden Zone, where she runs into a secret police person from the other world who tries to kill her. She accidentally falls “up” into the other world, where she meets Eiji, a dissident there. They have both lost their fathers, which helps brings them together. They have to cling to each other to stop her from being pulled away into the sky. This world is ruled by a crazy leader who is terrified of what he calls “the inverted people” and wants to destroy them, using his secret police. His evil organization indoctrinates the people, teaching that they should not ever look up into the sky. It is much worse than the strictures that Patemas’ elders place on her.

At one point, the leader captures Patema and she is rescued by Eiji with the help of a friend from the underworld. It wasn’t made really clear how the two worlds interacted and were different, and the animation was sometimes very basic (with zooming in and out of still images), but in general this was similar to most Studio Ghibli anime features. There are many allusions to Miyazaki’s love of aircraft.  Certainly a most unusual anime.

—John Sunier

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