Review of Avalon (2001)
Oshii Mamoru (director).
A dull world mixing elements of past, present and future. A VR game helps brighten the lives of many, but it is so addictive and dangerous that playing it means breaking the law. For the elite, it puts real food on the table. It is one of two bright spots in the life of one such woman, who hunts alone but leaps at rumours of a secret, transcendent level buried in the game.
Live-action feature. Arguably the greatest Polish-Japanese big-screen cyberpunk collaboration ever. Itou, Oshii and Kawai, together again, this time in living Polish. Avalon seems to borrow something in return from The Matrix (1999). Great music and visuals, but not the pure genius of Ghost in the Shell (1995). Fairly solid and straightforward story with very good themes. A canine obsession, but less Biblical stuff than usual from “Gaburieru”. The use of D&D emblems is unfortunate.