Summer Wars...
Summer Wars seemed like something I might enjoy...
A significant part of Summer Wars is the concept of pervasive social media and the possibilities both good and bad about relying heavily on social media. In this world, everyone and everything is connected -- it's the internet of things taken to its furthest extreme. What could possibly go wrong in such an over-connected world?
Summer Wars was a lot of fun to watch. The movie has quite a bit of humor and, at times, it was touching and heart warming. One moment that stood out for me, was when Kenji realized what he was getting himself into -- his reaction was priceless. While the real world is beautifully rendered, the virtual world seems rather spartan and minimalist. There are, of course, no naughty bits or gore. There is just a little red ink. Overall, I would give Summer Wars a 4 out of 5.
According to Wikipedia...Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community known as OZ. His second life is the only life he has - until the girl of his dreams, Natsuki, hijacks him for a starring role as a fake fiance at her family reunion. Things only get stranger from there.
A late-night email containing a cryptic mathematic riddle leads to the unleashing of a rogue AI intent on using the virtual word of OZ to destroy the real world, literately. As Armageddon looms on the horizon, Kenji and his new family set aside their differences and band together to save the worlds they inhabit.
After producing The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Madhouse was asked to produce something new. [Director Mamoru Hosoda] and writer Satoko Okudera conceived a story about a social network and a stranger's connection with a family. The real-life city of Ueda was chosen as the setting for Summer Wars, as part of the territory was once governed by the Sanada clan and was close to Hosoda's birthplace in Toyama. Hosoda used the clan as the basis for the Jinnouchi family after visiting his then-fiancé's home in Ueda.In Summer Wars, Kenji finds himself drafted into the company of a large family as that family copes with a global social media crisis which could end up having real world consequences. At the heart of the feature is a story about family. Kenji is usually left alone at home, so, he welcomes being part of a large family, but, finds the family drama a bit overwhelming. Natsuki really wants to please the family matriarch, so, she concocts a scheme to make the matriarch happy. Little does she know how events will conspire against her... Kenji plays the straight man in the zany antics of his new over-sized family. In the midst of the aforementioned crisis, Kenji and Natsuki are happy to have the support of each other and their large family.
...Production of Summer Wars commenced in 2006. Art director Youji Takeshige incorporated Japanese houses into his background designs. Hosoda also insisted that 80 family members were to be included as main characters...
A significant part of Summer Wars is the concept of pervasive social media and the possibilities both good and bad about relying heavily on social media. In this world, everyone and everything is connected -- it's the internet of things taken to its furthest extreme. What could possibly go wrong in such an over-connected world?
Summer Wars was a lot of fun to watch. The movie has quite a bit of humor and, at times, it was touching and heart warming. One moment that stood out for me, was when Kenji realized what he was getting himself into -- his reaction was priceless. While the real world is beautifully rendered, the virtual world seems rather spartan and minimalist. There are, of course, no naughty bits or gore. There is just a little red ink. Overall, I would give Summer Wars a 4 out of 5.
