If you admire the animated Devil Man, do yourself a favor,SKIP THIS ONE! I am a fairly tenacious Devil Man enthusiast. I have a few mangas, the TV- Series box, Devil Man OVA Collection and Amon: Devil Man Apocalypse. The animation runs rings around the live-action movie. I had high hopes for this. I had it set in my mind that the quality of this movie would be on par with the live-action treatment of Casshern but it most definitely was not. Here's where the movie fails: flat acting, stiff computer animation, bad make-up and a giant lag in the middle of the movie. Put it this way, I had the Swine Flu and that was allot more fun than Devil Man: Live Action. I hope Go Nagai (Devil Man's creator) finds those responsible for this abomination and urinates all over their mothers. The ONLY saving grace of this movie is that Devil Man model looks pretty cool.
22 Reviews
Watchable but with the right amount of time and effort could've been a masterpiece
lonewolf_and_cub25 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILER ALERT!* Devilman is without a doubt one of my favourite anime and Manga series of all time so when I learned they were making a movie I was more than a little excited. Was it worth the wait? hardcore devilman fans will be disappointed but it is definitely an entertaining film throughout. Okay, so the CG might not be great but the Devilman, Silene and Satan designs look incredibly cool. If you're not familiar with Devilman's manga incarnation you may not understand the motivations of some of the characters or what the hell the deal with the ending is but it's all interesting enough to keep you watching.There's some pretty bad acting too but If you like fantasy and monsters scrapping there's bound to be some fun to be had here. I wished they had explored Ryo and Akira's relationship a bit more and built up their characters more strongly before they become enemies. It seems they tried to fit too much in as well, many of the most important story lines in the manga are thrust together and too many are explored in too little depth, I wished they'd focused on just one or two and got it right. All in all a curious little film with too little substance-I certainly wasn't bored watching it once though.
Devil in the details
fessindw26 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen a few Devilman anime over the years. This story isn't that bad. It just needs some tweaking. I liked how they showed them as friends from the beginning. They show how Roy protected Akira. It would have been nice if they reveal that Roy killing Akira's parents. The ending should have been Akira finds out and that sent him over the edge. Another missed opportunity was the female demon. Akira should have had a flash back as Amon as he killed her. That would have added another layer to this tale. For the life of me I don't know why they didn't show what girl did to the parents of the little boy. They did a good lead up then fizzled out. It was a big let down. If you're a fan of Devilman, see it. It's not perfect, but its entertaining.
THE Shame of Japan
dantsuji18 October 2004
Based on famous Japanese comic book series which has been loved for more than approx.30 years. TV anime based on this comic is also known as one of the most favourite classics of all time to many Japanese.By expending 1000,000,000Yen budget and making movie based on a legend, many of the Japanese movie fans expected this to be gorgeous, if not their favourite. However...
What is this piece of crap? I'm starting to feel sorry for the word "crap" for using it in criticizing such a bad movie.
First of all, the main casts are NOT actors or actresses. They are teen-idols and a fashion model who can't play their role properly. They don't even LOOK like they are acting.This may not matter for those who don't comprehend Japanese language. Don't worry, there are plenty of other reasons why you wouldn't be able to watch this thing until the very end. The scenario is ridiculous (I'm not saying this because it was no way similar to the original manga.) It's incomprehensible. Nonsense. You won't fully understand the background of each characters or the reasons why they take part in the story. Not because you don't have enough brain to understand what the scenario writer wanted to say, but because it's 10 million light years away from perfect. There are only three main scene shots. A local shopping arcade, a church and some indoor scenes. And the stage of this story is supposed to be all around the world???It's a joke. A terrible one too.One thing I must not forget to note is the CG. YOU WOULD SEE BETTER ONES IN SOME PS2 GAMES!! I kid you not. The company which is responsible for making this movie is wanting this crap to be exported to other countries but if or when it did, boycott it. It's so awful that you won't even be able to laugh. Guys, I wish I could write my comments with better English skills. There are far more to bash about this one!
What is this piece of crap? I'm starting to feel sorry for the word "crap" for using it in criticizing such a bad movie.
First of all, the main casts are NOT actors or actresses. They are teen-idols and a fashion model who can't play their role properly. They don't even LOOK like they are acting.This may not matter for those who don't comprehend Japanese language. Don't worry, there are plenty of other reasons why you wouldn't be able to watch this thing until the very end. The scenario is ridiculous (I'm not saying this because it was no way similar to the original manga.) It's incomprehensible. Nonsense. You won't fully understand the background of each characters or the reasons why they take part in the story. Not because you don't have enough brain to understand what the scenario writer wanted to say, but because it's 10 million light years away from perfect. There are only three main scene shots. A local shopping arcade, a church and some indoor scenes. And the stage of this story is supposed to be all around the world???It's a joke. A terrible one too.One thing I must not forget to note is the CG. YOU WOULD SEE BETTER ONES IN SOME PS2 GAMES!! I kid you not. The company which is responsible for making this movie is wanting this crap to be exported to other countries but if or when it did, boycott it. It's so awful that you won't even be able to laugh. Guys, I wish I could write my comments with better English skills. There are far more to bash about this one!
Kill me before the shame of defeat breaks my heart.....
KnightofLeo6 July 2010
I have been a fan of Devilman since I first saw the cartoon when I was 3. Later years, I got my hands on more and more stuff, like the bilingual mangas, the complete anime series, and the 2 amazing volumes of the OVA.(The bootleg and the hilarious English dubs). I have a lot of the action figures and other forms of collectibles. So....I AM A HUGE FAN of Devilman.
Than I saw the trailer for this movie....my god I was so excited...I even excused the fact that Siren wasn't a naked demon lady with wings on her head...
When I got the chance, I purchased a copy from China through ebay.
I watched it.....sigh*....It was awful...The actors were horrible, they changed around the plots and story and interactions. They never explained or even attempted to fill the GAPING plot holes.
SO...being such a big fan of Devilman, I am choosing to officially disassociate this movie completely.
Than I saw the trailer for this movie....my god I was so excited...I even excused the fact that Siren wasn't a naked demon lady with wings on her head...
When I got the chance, I purchased a copy from China through ebay.
I watched it.....sigh*....It was awful...The actors were horrible, they changed around the plots and story and interactions. They never explained or even attempted to fill the GAPING plot holes.
SO...being such a big fan of Devilman, I am choosing to officially disassociate this movie completely.
Oh my, where to start?
sfterrytsuguri14 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I'm sure that if you're a Devilman fan, you're going to watch this movie regardless of what anyone says about it. So with that in mind, I'm not going to tell you to "avoid it at all costs." Afterall, it's always better to experience a terrible movie first-hand and form your own opinion about it rather than simply trust what others say. That being said, I'll move on with my review.
The first major annoyance I had with the movie was the way it completely altered the plot. Structurally it's pretty much the same, but the specifics have been changed so much that it's not even really the same story. It's still unknown to me whether the characters' personalities were written differently than they were in the manga/anime or if the acting was just so bad that these so called "actors" were unable to portray their character properly. Actually, it's probably a little of both. And to make matters worse, the complete absence of that infamous dance club scene where Akira first makes his metamorphosis is sure to kill what little enjoyment a hardcore Devilman could have gotten out of this film.
If your hopes haven't been crushed just yet, then you're probably still hyped up about seeing the battle between Devilman and Silene. Well, I have bad news for you. Even if the battle lasted longer than 20 seconds, it still wouldn't have changed the fact that it looked more like a college student's 3-D animation project than a live action adaptation of arguably one of the best anime fight scenes ever. In fact, pretty much all the fight scenes looked like they would have been put to better use in a Final Fantasy game than in a live action movie.
So there you have it. This much anticipated live action Devilman movie is completely lacking in every aspect that made the original work so great. Pretty much everything you liked about Go Nagai's masterpiece is missing from this film. But if you're a hardcore Devilman fan, you may as well see it anyway just so you can warn others not to see it.
The first major annoyance I had with the movie was the way it completely altered the plot. Structurally it's pretty much the same, but the specifics have been changed so much that it's not even really the same story. It's still unknown to me whether the characters' personalities were written differently than they were in the manga/anime or if the acting was just so bad that these so called "actors" were unable to portray their character properly. Actually, it's probably a little of both. And to make matters worse, the complete absence of that infamous dance club scene where Akira first makes his metamorphosis is sure to kill what little enjoyment a hardcore Devilman could have gotten out of this film.
If your hopes haven't been crushed just yet, then you're probably still hyped up about seeing the battle between Devilman and Silene. Well, I have bad news for you. Even if the battle lasted longer than 20 seconds, it still wouldn't have changed the fact that it looked more like a college student's 3-D animation project than a live action adaptation of arguably one of the best anime fight scenes ever. In fact, pretty much all the fight scenes looked like they would have been put to better use in a Final Fantasy game than in a live action movie.
So there you have it. This much anticipated live action Devilman movie is completely lacking in every aspect that made the original work so great. Pretty much everything you liked about Go Nagai's masterpiece is missing from this film. But if you're a hardcore Devilman fan, you may as well see it anyway just so you can warn others not to see it.
Devilman = (Un)Holy Crap!
bowieeno314 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I just received my DVD copy of Devilman along with some other Japanese films (Survive Style 5+, Izo, Zebraman, Vital) I had ordered. I love Japanese cinema, from Kurosawa and Ozu, Fukusaku and Suzuki, to Miike and Ishii. I also love anime. Though I have been aware of the Devilman character, I've never actually watched an episode of the series so I didn't have any preconceived notions of what the film should be. My only expectation was that the movie would be enjoyable if nothing else.
Well, Devilman fails remarkably to even entertain. I've heard people compare this movie to Casshern, and beyond the films being based on classic properties and employing a substantial use of CGI, that is where the comparisons end. Devilman is just plain awful. I like a good "bad" movie and Devilman can't even be enjoyed on such a level. The acting by the leads is horrendous, the special effects would be better served in a CGI animated movie, and the narrative is just not involving.
The viewer is never drawn into the story. The lead actor who plays Akira does not engender any sympathy as his performance is so flat. Two scenes in particular really display his ineptitude: When his girlfriend's father discovers he is a demon, Akira let's out a wail of anguish that does sound painful, but more like the type of pain accompanied by a rectal examination -- and when Akira discovers the severed head of his girlfriend he again bellows in agony, not once but several times. Rather than being swept up in his loss, the viewer is taken out of the scene because of it's unintentional hilarity.
I do have to say there is one really startling sequence in the film. It occurs during the finale when the Earth is engulfed by a massive wave of destruction and there is a depiction of "hell on earth" with bodies intertwined into enormous columns of suffering. That is the only moment in the film where I thought "cool." If there is one small service I can do for mankind it would be this: I implore each and everyone of you who reads this to stay away from this movie. If you really must see it, try to see it for free. Don't be like me who has to learn lessons the hard way. God bless!
Well, Devilman fails remarkably to even entertain. I've heard people compare this movie to Casshern, and beyond the films being based on classic properties and employing a substantial use of CGI, that is where the comparisons end. Devilman is just plain awful. I like a good "bad" movie and Devilman can't even be enjoyed on such a level. The acting by the leads is horrendous, the special effects would be better served in a CGI animated movie, and the narrative is just not involving.
The viewer is never drawn into the story. The lead actor who plays Akira does not engender any sympathy as his performance is so flat. Two scenes in particular really display his ineptitude: When his girlfriend's father discovers he is a demon, Akira let's out a wail of anguish that does sound painful, but more like the type of pain accompanied by a rectal examination -- and when Akira discovers the severed head of his girlfriend he again bellows in agony, not once but several times. Rather than being swept up in his loss, the viewer is taken out of the scene because of it's unintentional hilarity.
I do have to say there is one really startling sequence in the film. It occurs during the finale when the Earth is engulfed by a massive wave of destruction and there is a depiction of "hell on earth" with bodies intertwined into enormous columns of suffering. That is the only moment in the film where I thought "cool." If there is one small service I can do for mankind it would be this: I implore each and everyone of you who reads this to stay away from this movie. If you really must see it, try to see it for free. Don't be like me who has to learn lessons the hard way. God bless!
Somehow I managed to watch it...
Alicekai8 August 2011
Having no preconceived ideas about what this movie should be like I count myself fortunate or I would have found myself irritated and frustrated rather than merely confused and disappointed.
I have little idea about the actual plot of Devilman but this disjointed jumble of scenes was anything but smooth. While I finally understood the actual storyline by the end I think the only thing that really came across (and by no virtue of the terrible acting) was what my already somewhat fan-girl mind had conjured up at the beginning wasn't far from the mark.
With the CGI, scenery, acting and plot coherency the only thing that buoyed this rating up was Susumu, and perhaps the end.
I have little idea about the actual plot of Devilman but this disjointed jumble of scenes was anything but smooth. While I finally understood the actual storyline by the end I think the only thing that really came across (and by no virtue of the terrible acting) was what my already somewhat fan-girl mind had conjured up at the beginning wasn't far from the mark.
With the CGI, scenery, acting and plot coherency the only thing that buoyed this rating up was Susumu, and perhaps the end.
Promising Idea Wasted in a Messy Screenplay
claudio_carvalho12 October 2007
The weak teenager Akira Fudô (Hisato Izaki) has been protected by his best friend Ryô Asuka (Yûsuke Izaki) since they were children. When Akira's parents die in an accident, the family Makimura brings him to live with them, and Akira falls in love for the gorgeous Miki Makimura (Ayana Sakai). When the father of Ryô accidentally opens a gate to hell in Antarctica, demons are released, merging with humans to survive. Akira hosts Aman and becomes Devilman but keeping his humanity while Ryô hosts Satan. The hysteria and panic replaces reason and mankind initiates a war against the demons, but destroying also themselves.
I have never read any comic book of "Devilman", therefore I am not familiarized with this character of manga. But this movie shows a promising idea wasted in a messy but also entertaining screenplay. This apocalyptical story shows Akira and Ryô as best friends, but never explains the motive of the evilness of Ryô. Further, it seems that there are "good demons" and evil ones, and Akira is the last hope of the human race, but the story does not develop well the motives of the two friends. Anyway this movie is underrated in IMDb with 3.8 and I liked it in the end. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Devilman"
I have never read any comic book of "Devilman", therefore I am not familiarized with this character of manga. But this movie shows a promising idea wasted in a messy but also entertaining screenplay. This apocalyptical story shows Akira and Ryô as best friends, but never explains the motive of the evilness of Ryô. Further, it seems that there are "good demons" and evil ones, and Akira is the last hope of the human race, but the story does not develop well the motives of the two friends. Anyway this movie is underrated in IMDb with 3.8 and I liked it in the end. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Devilman"
What were they thinking...
johknopp11 July 2005
after seeing the first two devil man anime on video some time ago, i was pleasantly surprised to find a real-life version of it on DVD. but after watching the first 10 minutes it became abundantly clear that this movie couldn't live up to the standard of the original series.
while the special effects didn't suck that much (but sometimes reminding of a beat em up on your average console) the rest of the move was brain-imploringly bad. even with the knowledge from the original series this movie just makes no sense. not at all. the single scenes are barely connected, in parts even contradicting each other. the dialogue of the German version (which i watched) was painstakingly bad and sometimes even made you laugh out loud ("ich bin schliesslich Satan!") , the actors (if they even are actors, that is) mostly manage to keep the same expression throughout the entire movie. the fights aren't that bad, but mostly over after like 5 seconds and cant redeem the rest of the movie at all.
conclusion: "normal" viewers shouldn't touch this movie with a ten foot pole, even fans of the original series should have problems understanding it, not even counting in the various logical errors in the story as the movie tells it. i want that 90min of my life back.
while the special effects didn't suck that much (but sometimes reminding of a beat em up on your average console) the rest of the move was brain-imploringly bad. even with the knowledge from the original series this movie just makes no sense. not at all. the single scenes are barely connected, in parts even contradicting each other. the dialogue of the German version (which i watched) was painstakingly bad and sometimes even made you laugh out loud ("ich bin schliesslich Satan!") , the actors (if they even are actors, that is) mostly manage to keep the same expression throughout the entire movie. the fights aren't that bad, but mostly over after like 5 seconds and cant redeem the rest of the movie at all.
conclusion: "normal" viewers shouldn't touch this movie with a ten foot pole, even fans of the original series should have problems understanding it, not even counting in the various logical errors in the story as the movie tells it. i want that 90min of my life back.
A Very Inexperienced POV
naia_zifu6 December 2004
Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about the original series, and watched this movie only because the trailer was really cool. Thus, I went into it not knowing what to expect. I guess going in blind is an advantage in some cases. I actually liked this movie pretty well, though I didn't always understand who everyone was and what was going on. In some ways, this reminded me of a Romero zombie movie, and not only because it's kinda cheesy and involves evil dead things that attack people. It seemed to contain similar themes of social commentary, in this case mostly about man's cruelty and inhumanity towards other man, and the way fear can spark violence and paranoia. Based on that impression of the movie, the special-effects fight scenes seemed out of place, to me, almost like a distraction. I had the feeling the whole time I might understand more of what was going on had I been a fan of the original, but since they're said to be completely different, I doubt it would've helped much. As weird as it sounds, I'd have to suggest not seeing the original before this. It seems it's an easier movie to like that way.
Epileptic and Art Director Joy-Ride
snarko-211 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, mdjoot, I bite: it's camp. I loved nearly every second of it, with exception of the CGI graphics. I'm kinda under impression it's this bad to reflect some video game they were trying to or did put out, or something.
I never read the books.
Japanese almost famous for giving their youth seizures from screwed-up videos: if you happen to be epileptic (which I am) there are two movies at the same time, and it's a roller-coaster joy-ride. You WENT there?! And didn't kill me.. it's AWESOME FUN!!! SPOILS: There are hidden frames dropped one-per-60-to-85 whole way through. Epileptics still register them.
The Hieronymus Bosch naked-pile-on representation of the Twin Towers nearly made me weep and holy sumi-e: art director, remember. GORGEOUS.
"Live" fight scenes awesome but the CGI ones lack.
Also, English version doesn't bother to translate main character asking for marriage to a severed head?
I never read the books.
Japanese almost famous for giving their youth seizures from screwed-up videos: if you happen to be epileptic (which I am) there are two movies at the same time, and it's a roller-coaster joy-ride. You WENT there?! And didn't kill me.. it's AWESOME FUN!!! SPOILS: There are hidden frames dropped one-per-60-to-85 whole way through. Epileptics still register them.
The Hieronymus Bosch naked-pile-on representation of the Twin Towers nearly made me weep and holy sumi-e: art director, remember. GORGEOUS.
"Live" fight scenes awesome but the CGI ones lack.
Also, English version doesn't bother to translate main character asking for marriage to a severed head?
Transitions well enough...
poe4261 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
DEVILMAN makes the leap from anime to live-action well enough, if you ask me. In fact, it's one of the better anime-based live-action features. The anime happens to be one of my favorites. (My own DEVILGOD, who'll be appearing in a future issue of my black and white comic CAPE FEAR COMICS, was inspired by none other than Go Nagai's DEVILMAN.) (CAPE FEAR COMICS can be found at comiXpress.com, for those interested in seeing someone put his money where his mouth is.) Like the creatures in Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED, Go Nagai's DEVILMAN dwells just this side of the next world. It's a fascinating place to be, if you ask me.
A decent doorstop if nothing else
ichongson7 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
::sigh:: Where to begin? I just watched Devilman today. No, that's not entirely accurate, more like I skimmed through devilman today. I TRIED to watch, I really did, but dear sweet Jesus the acting is about as HORRIBLE as I've ever seen. Ever. Previous posters have all expounded on the sheer folly of casting pretty boy actors to play the mains, so I will avoid beating a dead horse past what is absolutely necessary.
A trained hamster would have been more believable as Akira.
I love the Devilman storyline and universe, and have been a fan of the manga for years. In my opinion, the movie went disastrously wrong because it attempted to consolidate a super-massive and incredibly relevant story into a mere 90 minutes, touching on not just one but several huge plot lines and seemingly expecting the audience to bring previous knowledge of the series to the theater. It's absurd, and the inane plot is made even worse by the utter emotional detachment the actors have to the material. I've seen B-grade movies with more convincing acting than this.
In all honesty, I can only imagine what the director must have been going through, but even complex source material is no excuse for thoroughly botching a theatrical release. At its crux, the Devilman storyline attempts to distill the nature of human evil by pitting its title character not only against the more black and white villainy of the demons, but to the atrocities that we human readily commit against one another in the name of self preservation. Akira is the perfect tool for trying to convey the various schisms of the concept, but instead of taking his polar natures and attempting to portray them realistically, the movie establishes Akira as a hero simply because he is a "demon with the heart of a human." Stated right in the beginning, after which Ryo comes up and gives Akira the most ridiculous handshake ever.
Oh. Great. Now I understand. That's a lovely way of destroying what could arguably be one of the most intriguing personal conflicts in the history of anime. Hell, Akira's demon nature, Amon, doesn't even so much as blink an eye this entire film even when Akira is stumbling through the ruins of his home clutching his girlfriend's dismembered head to his chest! WHAT THE HELL?! Perhaps I'm being too harsh on the film because I still hold Amon: Apocalypse of Devilman to be one of the better adaptations of the franchise, but is it unreasonable to expect TRAINED ACTORS instead of androgynous manikins trying to bring these characters to life? At the very least, the CG direction did have a few impressive moments, most especially with the way the scene seems to suddenly shift into manga speed lines and scratch-inking whenever Devilman offs a demon. It would have been an absolutely wonderful tool if it had been used as a central visual theme, but on its own its hardly capable of salvaging this mockery of a film.
The director took an amazing storyline and butchered it. Useful only for nights of drunken party dubbing or as a teaching tool for "WHAT NOT TO DO WITH A BELOVED FRANCHISE" in film class. Save yourself the misery and just walk away.
A trained hamster would have been more believable as Akira.
I love the Devilman storyline and universe, and have been a fan of the manga for years. In my opinion, the movie went disastrously wrong because it attempted to consolidate a super-massive and incredibly relevant story into a mere 90 minutes, touching on not just one but several huge plot lines and seemingly expecting the audience to bring previous knowledge of the series to the theater. It's absurd, and the inane plot is made even worse by the utter emotional detachment the actors have to the material. I've seen B-grade movies with more convincing acting than this.
In all honesty, I can only imagine what the director must have been going through, but even complex source material is no excuse for thoroughly botching a theatrical release. At its crux, the Devilman storyline attempts to distill the nature of human evil by pitting its title character not only against the more black and white villainy of the demons, but to the atrocities that we human readily commit against one another in the name of self preservation. Akira is the perfect tool for trying to convey the various schisms of the concept, but instead of taking his polar natures and attempting to portray them realistically, the movie establishes Akira as a hero simply because he is a "demon with the heart of a human." Stated right in the beginning, after which Ryo comes up and gives Akira the most ridiculous handshake ever.
Oh. Great. Now I understand. That's a lovely way of destroying what could arguably be one of the most intriguing personal conflicts in the history of anime. Hell, Akira's demon nature, Amon, doesn't even so much as blink an eye this entire film even when Akira is stumbling through the ruins of his home clutching his girlfriend's dismembered head to his chest! WHAT THE HELL?! Perhaps I'm being too harsh on the film because I still hold Amon: Apocalypse of Devilman to be one of the better adaptations of the franchise, but is it unreasonable to expect TRAINED ACTORS instead of androgynous manikins trying to bring these characters to life? At the very least, the CG direction did have a few impressive moments, most especially with the way the scene seems to suddenly shift into manga speed lines and scratch-inking whenever Devilman offs a demon. It would have been an absolutely wonderful tool if it had been used as a central visual theme, but on its own its hardly capable of salvaging this mockery of a film.
The director took an amazing storyline and butchered it. Useful only for nights of drunken party dubbing or as a teaching tool for "WHAT NOT TO DO WITH A BELOVED FRANCHISE" in film class. Save yourself the misery and just walk away.
Over-hyped and Wasted Money
J1nSan31 July 2005
This movie was honestly pitiful. I'm a fan of the Devilman series and this movie was one of the most horrible portrayals of such a memorable and amazing series. The cast consists of a lot of teen pop idols and they couldn't act even if their life depended on it. The "stance" the main character goes into when he's between his human and devil form is just horrific to watch. And he even walks around in the freakin stance! The fight choreagraphy is just plain horrid as well. When Akira is fighting Syrene that was absolutely pitiful. I was kind of disappointed also in the fact that a lot of the movie was CG. It gave the movie a game feeling most of the time. Another thing was the fact that they modified the story a bit. And that was one of the biggest reasons that made this movie so bad. You're better off watching the trailer if you want to get a glimpse of the good stuff. I was so hyped when I saw the trailer but once I saw the movie, the trailer was even better. If you want to see a great rendition of the series watch the OVA.
A very poor adaptation of a great story
Rectangular_businessman9 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very poor adaptation of one of the most famous creations of the manga artist Go Nagai, "Devilman", which is often considered one of the most influential mangas of all time, and also has some animated adaptations, each one of them much better done and more entertaining than this movie.
"Devilman" is a dark, violent and bleak story which was way too ahead of its time, and sadly this terrible adaptation doesn't make any kind of justice to the source material: Not only the special effects are terrible (The combination of CGI with live-action actors it's pretty weak, personally I think that I would have been much effective to make the whole movie using computer animation) but also the performances were pretty bad as well, making some of the most dramatic parts of the story into a big, bad joke that isn't even funny to watch.
It almost feels like a parody of the original story.It lacked of the impact and emotional strength of the manga and the anime versions, being almost laughable at moments.
In what concerns to the violence and intensity, it pales in comparison with the source material, being way too tamed and banal, unlike the manga.
This movie is a huge disappointment like most all the live action versions of animated shows and video games. The Devilman OAV and "Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman" are much better than this.
"Devilman" is a dark, violent and bleak story which was way too ahead of its time, and sadly this terrible adaptation doesn't make any kind of justice to the source material: Not only the special effects are terrible (The combination of CGI with live-action actors it's pretty weak, personally I think that I would have been much effective to make the whole movie using computer animation) but also the performances were pretty bad as well, making some of the most dramatic parts of the story into a big, bad joke that isn't even funny to watch.
It almost feels like a parody of the original story.It lacked of the impact and emotional strength of the manga and the anime versions, being almost laughable at moments.
In what concerns to the violence and intensity, it pales in comparison with the source material, being way too tamed and banal, unlike the manga.
This movie is a huge disappointment like most all the live action versions of animated shows and video games. The Devilman OAV and "Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman" are much better than this.
A few creepy moments are lost in a movie with a nonsensical plot, non-actors, and video game video effects
dbborroughs26 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Gô Naga's comic story comes to the big screen in a big mess of a live action film. If it were enough to survive on looks alone then this might have had a snowballs chance in hell, but as it stands now this is a movie thats tough viewing.
Where do I start? The plot is whats best described as episodic. Telling the story of two friends who are become changed when a scientific experiment goes wrong and demon energy comes into our world. One becomes "Satan" the other becomes Devilman, a demon with a human heart.There are other demons on the loose, many hiding in human form and they go about killing and eating any human they find. The remaining humans fight back and a war between the demons and the humans ensues, which becomes a war between nations. As Devilman battles his friend and humans and demons battle each other it looks like its the end of the world.
The simplicity with which I recounted the plot is misleading since the story makes no sense except on the simplest of levels. Things happen and are important until they are not. We learn of the creation of the demons in such a way that makes you think you've missed something. Who are these scientists? There is a newscaster giving news reports in English in the middle of a Japanese language film. We are given endless scenes of goofy soldiers in white suits and gas masks shooting people they think are demons. An old lover of Devilman's demon side shows up for no reason but to have a fight. Events take a global turn except only to suddenly end up back in Japan. Characters come and go and we have no idea who they are, even though they seem to be important. Nothing holds together.
The two leads are awful. Apparently they are non-actors, having made their mark a J-Pop idols. They should stay in the music field. They stand and stare. They walk or run then stand and stare some more. Mostly they look stoned. I've never seen a movie where the leads looked so completely fried outside of Dennis Hopper's Last Movie, certainly I've never seen a movie where the leads were so fried that they couldn't at least phone in a performance. They have no personality. Worse the kid who becomes Devilman is quite ugly for an idol and one makes you wonder why he was chosen to star.
The effects are from a bad video game or from some of those low budget animated series. The design is good but for the most part they never drop into the world of the film, they are forever outside of it. At times the fights between demons shows its manga/anime origins by using the frozen image that artists use to produce an effect of action on a limited animation budget. It doesn't work here and just produces laughs as the two demons in question suddenly become statues instead living objects. its a WTF moment. I won't go into the makeup effects which are even worse, as spiky bones act like comes of latex rubber.
And yet there is some good things in it. There are some nice designs, Devilman, his demonic lover and Satan all look great, at least in theory.The designs were what attracted me to the movie in the first place, and had they not been as good as they are I would not have even bothered with the film. The reaction of the frighten crowds is quite good, even if there is no logic, other than the need to move the story, for most of what they do. And there are some genuinely creepy moments such as the last moments of people's consciousness showing up on the back of the demon that ate them, or the weird eyes of the father of a little boy who doesn't know his dad has been taken over. These moments are sad because you get the sense of just how good this movie really could have been.
I can't really recommend this movie. It's one of those annoying films that could have worked but doesn't so sinks to the bottom of the pile. They actually got some things right, but the fact that the leads, the story and to a lesser extent the effects don't work destroy this films hopes. (Though if you study film visuals, then you might want to look, if you can see it for free) A sad major misfire.
Where do I start? The plot is whats best described as episodic. Telling the story of two friends who are become changed when a scientific experiment goes wrong and demon energy comes into our world. One becomes "Satan" the other becomes Devilman, a demon with a human heart.There are other demons on the loose, many hiding in human form and they go about killing and eating any human they find. The remaining humans fight back and a war between the demons and the humans ensues, which becomes a war between nations. As Devilman battles his friend and humans and demons battle each other it looks like its the end of the world.
The simplicity with which I recounted the plot is misleading since the story makes no sense except on the simplest of levels. Things happen and are important until they are not. We learn of the creation of the demons in such a way that makes you think you've missed something. Who are these scientists? There is a newscaster giving news reports in English in the middle of a Japanese language film. We are given endless scenes of goofy soldiers in white suits and gas masks shooting people they think are demons. An old lover of Devilman's demon side shows up for no reason but to have a fight. Events take a global turn except only to suddenly end up back in Japan. Characters come and go and we have no idea who they are, even though they seem to be important. Nothing holds together.
The two leads are awful. Apparently they are non-actors, having made their mark a J-Pop idols. They should stay in the music field. They stand and stare. They walk or run then stand and stare some more. Mostly they look stoned. I've never seen a movie where the leads looked so completely fried outside of Dennis Hopper's Last Movie, certainly I've never seen a movie where the leads were so fried that they couldn't at least phone in a performance. They have no personality. Worse the kid who becomes Devilman is quite ugly for an idol and one makes you wonder why he was chosen to star.
The effects are from a bad video game or from some of those low budget animated series. The design is good but for the most part they never drop into the world of the film, they are forever outside of it. At times the fights between demons shows its manga/anime origins by using the frozen image that artists use to produce an effect of action on a limited animation budget. It doesn't work here and just produces laughs as the two demons in question suddenly become statues instead living objects. its a WTF moment. I won't go into the makeup effects which are even worse, as spiky bones act like comes of latex rubber.
And yet there is some good things in it. There are some nice designs, Devilman, his demonic lover and Satan all look great, at least in theory.The designs were what attracted me to the movie in the first place, and had they not been as good as they are I would not have even bothered with the film. The reaction of the frighten crowds is quite good, even if there is no logic, other than the need to move the story, for most of what they do. And there are some genuinely creepy moments such as the last moments of people's consciousness showing up on the back of the demon that ate them, or the weird eyes of the father of a little boy who doesn't know his dad has been taken over. These moments are sad because you get the sense of just how good this movie really could have been.
I can't really recommend this movie. It's one of those annoying films that could have worked but doesn't so sinks to the bottom of the pile. They actually got some things right, but the fact that the leads, the story and to a lesser extent the effects don't work destroy this films hopes. (Though if you study film visuals, then you might want to look, if you can see it for free) A sad major misfire.
Disasterously, Irredeemably Bad
mdjoot2 July 2005
Be warned: this film is a failure on every imaginable level: inept direction / laughably unconvincing special effects / atrocious, incoherent dialog / gross miscasting of virtually every important character (the film is peopled with Japanese pop stars and boy bad idols, none of whom can act) / a heavy-handed and utterly uninvolving narrative whose sorrowful attempts at social commentary come across as insultingly banal. Such a wasted opportunity too, given the wealth of the source material; DevilMan is easily one of the most iconic manga/anime characters in the history of the medium, and there is simply no excuse for the disaster this adaptation turned out to be. Don't let the advertisements fool you - the only proper way to appreciate a film like this is to receive it purely as camp, but when a film is this genuinely bad, even that'll prove a stretch.
Somewhat of a cluttered mess...
paul_haakonsen1 July 2021
I saw the first Manga back in the day, and I happened to get a chance to watch the 2004 live action movie "Devilman" back in around 2004 or 2005. But truth be told, I couldn't remember a single thing from the movie. So as I had the chance to sit down and watch the 2004 movie for a second time here in 2021, I did so.
And it sort of was a waste of time. First of all, the storyline in "Devilman", as written by Machiko Nasu, just wasn't all that entertaining or impressive. The movie progressed at a rather slow pace, and there just wasn't enough contents to the storyline to actually maintain interest in it. So director Hiroyuki Nasu just wasn't stepping up to deliver an impressive movie.
Sure, the cast of actors and actresses in "Devilman" was actually rather good, and they had made some good choices with certain performers. Just a shame that the actors and actresses that were part of "Devilman" didn't have much of a solid script to work with.
As it is with a lot of movies that make a transition from an animated media to live action media just doesn't really live up to the animated work. And such was the case with the 2004 movie "Devilman".
Now, the most noticeable thing about "Devilman" was the horribly outdated CGI effects. Wow. Just wow. The CGI special effects in this movie are so aged that it is reminiscent of a computer game. In the aspect of CGI effects, then "Devilman" hasn't aged well.
Overall, then "Devilman" just wasn't a great movie, and it is not one that I would be returning to for another round. My rating of the 2004 live action movie "Devilman" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
And it sort of was a waste of time. First of all, the storyline in "Devilman", as written by Machiko Nasu, just wasn't all that entertaining or impressive. The movie progressed at a rather slow pace, and there just wasn't enough contents to the storyline to actually maintain interest in it. So director Hiroyuki Nasu just wasn't stepping up to deliver an impressive movie.
Sure, the cast of actors and actresses in "Devilman" was actually rather good, and they had made some good choices with certain performers. Just a shame that the actors and actresses that were part of "Devilman" didn't have much of a solid script to work with.
As it is with a lot of movies that make a transition from an animated media to live action media just doesn't really live up to the animated work. And such was the case with the 2004 movie "Devilman".
Now, the most noticeable thing about "Devilman" was the horribly outdated CGI effects. Wow. Just wow. The CGI special effects in this movie are so aged that it is reminiscent of a computer game. In the aspect of CGI effects, then "Devilman" hasn't aged well.
Overall, then "Devilman" just wasn't a great movie, and it is not one that I would be returning to for another round. My rating of the 2004 live action movie "Devilman" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Pure incompetence
wesrh18 January 2020
Damn better than the anime!
thundertyrant13 September 2007
Thank god the finished the story I had been waiting 10 years to see, and they pulled no punches! This isn't a fairy tale, or a farce, this is hardcore, non relenting story and action combined with a lesson on how imbecilic human nature can be. Some of the fights were confusing, and it did look like TV production, but all that is overlooked simply because it does not matter. This is a very good adaptation, and it wasn't a complete retelling of the story. There were twists and turns, and not the ending you would expect... See this movie, it's worth whatever you spend on it. I would have to say it stands next to Crying Freeman as one of the best Manga to Movie adaptations currently available.
Not that devilish
dokvader28 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I'm being generous by giving this movie a 4 out of 10.
It may have a cool trailer but the movie was a total letdown. I was hoping to watch a good Japanese movie based on an Anime/Manga. The story to begin with was not very interesting. Our hero or for this movie a martyr is a high school teenager with a weird best friend. Clinging from just a short flashback their friendship was slightly established. From there on the bad storyline became worse. Is it a fight between good or evil creatures or evil humans flagging down helpless demons from the another world.
Its a roller coaster of a movie folks. Fight scenes were very limited and not that stunning CGI work was present in the first place. It had at least an hour of wasted scenes that didn't do anything to the movie or story anyhow. Devilman is not a film that can be enjoyed at all.
Its slow, boring at times and the only time I was half-awake was looking at the pretty Miki lead which suffered the funniest character (SPOILER) "death" I've seen in years.
If you time to waste surely you can watch it.
It may have a cool trailer but the movie was a total letdown. I was hoping to watch a good Japanese movie based on an Anime/Manga. The story to begin with was not very interesting. Our hero or for this movie a martyr is a high school teenager with a weird best friend. Clinging from just a short flashback their friendship was slightly established. From there on the bad storyline became worse. Is it a fight between good or evil creatures or evil humans flagging down helpless demons from the another world.
Its a roller coaster of a movie folks. Fight scenes were very limited and not that stunning CGI work was present in the first place. It had at least an hour of wasted scenes that didn't do anything to the movie or story anyhow. Devilman is not a film that can be enjoyed at all.
Its slow, boring at times and the only time I was half-awake was looking at the pretty Miki lead which suffered the funniest character (SPOILER) "death" I've seen in years.
If you time to waste surely you can watch it.
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