SUMMER WARS is an anime from 2009 that takes various plots from blockbuster films and mixes them into a recycled story where, for the most part, it works.Â
Watching filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda seamlessly weave the digital elements of Oz (think READY PLAYER ONE, minus the VR) into the analog components of the Japanese countryside is inspiring to behold. At times, his world-building has just the right mix of Miyazaki’s (THE BOY AND THE HERON) intimate relationships and the otherwordly urgency of Shinkai (SUZUME). And those intimate, small, empathy-driven moments are what make the battle against Love Machine all the more exhilarating.
My only ding against SUMMER WARS is that it takes on one too many themes. A film rarely tries to be an action-comedy, a cyber-thriller, a character study, and a rom-com in one sitting. If Hosoda dropped one of those genres and laser-focused on three out of the four elements, it would’ve been an anime classic. As is, it’s an enjoyable summer romp that I can’t wait to share with the family.
SUMMER WARS is available to rent on Vudu.
