Origin: Spirits of the Past is Japanese anime studio Gonzo’s first full-length feature film. A fluid mix of futuristic sci-fi, fairy tale and steam-punk, it manages to blend sweet 2D character animation with 3D CGI to create a beautiful environmentalist fable.
The opening sequence paints vine-like dragons roaring to Earth from the Moon, site of a biology experiment gone wrong; survivors of the disaster now live on a planet dominated by a sentient Forest, which some choose to fight with mechanical might while others attempt to forge a peaceful coexistence. Neat conceits – men are able to strike Faustian pacts with the Forest, borrowing its power but slowly turning into trees; a broken Moon hangs hauntingly in the sky – pace and fleshed-out characters make Origin a richer, more engaging take on the stock anime warning of ecological apocalypse, and it handles its themes with comparative sophistication.
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