Paprika

Satoshi Kon's problem with Paprika is mainly that he's envious of his audience's work, so like a sulking little child he decides he's just going to get something out of it too and starts fiddling with the script. A script that, while appearing genuinely complex and Inception-like, helps itself move the plot along with basic screenwriting crutches (deus ex machina, lack of causality, terrible coincidences), which it masks with anarchic visuals and a theme of "where anything is possible". He simply decided to enjoy limitless dreaminess in his own way. The problem, then, may be for the viewer who approaches Paprika primarily as a film. On the other hand, he admits it himself; for example, the lines with the detective at the dawn of the big city, kissing a comely victim while clutching a six-shooter in the other hand are not just bullshit for the audience, but a real deliberate cathartic element. "We’ve got to go. The happy ending is getting closer." PS: Anyone who didn't sing at the end credits is a moron. (11/27/2012)

Exactly according to the classic routine of Japanese anime; beautiful animation that gets repetitive at times and a story that is so interesting that it gets too complicated. But it’s definitely a movie worth watching and thinking about. But not to be too critical, I must say that the finale was excellent and the music was also very nice. Above-standard for a Japanese anime… (11/06/2016)

Huh? It’s over already? That went by fast! Confusion? But even dreams have meaning sometimes, don't they? You just have to find it :-) A good film, with good accompaniment, characters and "story". But I feel a bit like something was kept from us. It's a strange film, but Kon doesn't make any other kind -_^ It's a bit hard to judge, but you'll definitely get some impression, some experience, some feeling from it. (03/13/2010)

A bit of an animated version of Inception, slightly mixed with Cronenberg's eXistenZ. While both of the mentioned titles thrilled me equally despite their different style and content, I remained indifferent to Paprika. Only a few East Asian films appeal to me and tune into me correctly emotionally. I simply come from a different cultural circle and I feel things differently. Paprika has a fairly simple theme - the plot revolves around a stolen device for researching human dreams, but it has heavy and confused processing, which emphasizes the visually overloaded abundance of glaring colors. This one star is only for the film's potential, which in my opinion could be used much more effectively and with incomparably greater impact. Overall impression: 25%. (12/14/2013)

Another beautiful example of how the Japanese simply know how to create a serious and interesting film with a thought-provoking message, all with the fact that it is an animated film. No one else can do it as well as they can, as if the belief still persists in the world that animation is mainly for children. The Japanese proudly and firmly carry that flag, and fortunately, others are joining them. (07/07/2015)