Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like science fiction.
Score: 3.5/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
“Erased” is a science fiction thriller that’s based on the manga of the same name. A manga artist discovers he can involuntarily time travel, and uses this ability to set things right and bring villains to justice. It stars Tatsuya Fujiwara (Satoru Fujinuma), Kasumi Arimura (Airi Katagiri), Rio Suzuki (Kayo Hinazuki), Tsubasa Nakagawa (young Satoru Fujinuma), Yuriko Ishida (Sachiko Fujinuma), Mitsuhiro Oikawa (Mr Yashiro), and Tetta Sugimoto (Sawada). It is rated PG.
“Erased” could probably have done with a more descriptive movie title, or at least one that’s more representative of the film. It’s one of those metaphorical movie titles that only make sense after you’ve watched the film, and isn’t very indicative of what happens in the film. Nevertheless, it’s still an interesting premise that attempts to follow a logical consistency for its time travellers – a rare commodity in time travel films of any sort. The best performances, surprisingly, come from the children instead of the adults. And it’s their innocence, coupled with the harsh reality of the world around them, that makes their story the most compelling.
Highlights
Tsubasa Nakagawa delivers a fantastic performance
Tsubasa Nakagawa plays a young Satoru Fujinuma, who’s about 10 or 11 years old in the show. For a boy of that age, he can emote over a great range, so much so that he’s undoubtedly the star of the three child actors. He’s able to vary his emotions with such an accurate subtlety that is generally only possible with seasoned actors. As a result, his portrayal of a man trapped in a young boy’s body is believable and authentic, and his co-actors pale in comparison to him. Tsubasa Nakagawa is one young child prodigy that we should keep our eye on.
Emotional story of child abuse
The child abuse subplot is rife with complexity, since there are many competing factors and characters in play. Yet it all boils down to one issue – a girl who’s being abused by her parents. It’s a story of an innocent victim trapped by circumstances, and the fact that a young helpless girl is at stake makes it an even more impactful story. Somehow, we can all identify with that feeling of powerlessness, which makes Kayo’s (Rio Suzuki) situation one that elicits righteous anger and a desire for justice – just like it does in Satoru.
Wish fulfilment of almost every boy
One amusing aspect of the film is that it almost feels like the secret fantasy of the author. Satoru has special time travelling abilities that make him the only person who can make things right in the world, and he’s also a geeky kid who means well and wants to be a superhero. Top it off with the fact that he’s surrounded by beautiful co-stars, all of whom only he can save, and you’ve got a recipe for the kind of character every boy wishes he could be.
Letdowns
Time jumps are hard to follow
Satoru’s super power is involuntary, and seems triggered by strong emotions and great stress. As a result, he’s often disoriented when he travels through time. The problem is that it’s a long and complicated timeline that he’s jumping around, so his bewilderment makes it confusing for the audience to know when exactly he is and what has to be accomplished. It feels like some illogical moments are hand waved away so that the time jumps make sense, but you’re too busy trying to get a grip on things to figure it out anyway.
Visual cues for the villain are too obvious
There are so many ominous, lingering shots on the true antagonist of the film that when he’s actually revealed, you’re not even surprised. You’ve guessed it about one Act ago. The problem is that the movie treats it like some sort of amazing reveal, when actually it’s dropped so many clues that you’d have to dozing off not to catch it. So when he finally appears, it’s quite a letdown.
The best part of “Erased” is its cast of child actors.
“Erased” opens in cinemas:
– 4 August, 2016 (Singapore)
– 15 September, 2016 (Malaysia)
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