Review for Gantz 2: Perfect Answer (Review)
Sunday, 5th February 2012, 16:43

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Introduction
Gantz was an unlikely candidate for a movie adaptation. The manga was ultra-violent, satirical, and with more than its fair share of sex scenes. The anime release kept these elements, but was weighed down by some leaden pacing, and the lack of a decent conclusion, as the manga was still ongoing. Now if the film adaptation would be in the style of say Battle Royale, I could see it maintaining the same tone. But when the Gantz movies were finally shot back to back, they were aimed at a more general, summer blockbuster audience. They certainly got the budget to do the story justice, but lacking the social satire, and obviously devoid of all the sex, all that was left were some very cool action sequences to hold the attention. I reviewed the first movie on Blu-ray last year, and found it to be entertaining enough, if really only a remake of the first few chapters of the manga (the first half of the anime), reduced to its barest action movie elements, and with the characters pared down to everyman archetypes to boot. It was fun, but forgettable. But now comes the conclusion to Gantz in the form of Gantz 2: Perfect Answer, and just like the anime deviated from the manga, this too offers its own ending. This is where the Gantz movies become creative, and this just may be where things get good.

Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato died... Then they suddenly appeared in a strange apartment, empty save for a large, enigmatic black ball, and a host of similarly confused people. The ball sparked into life, with a rousing if distorted anthem. Characters and images appeared on its surface, telling the occupants of the room that their old lives were over, that their new lives were its to do with as it willed. It then showed them an image of a comical looking alien, and told them to find it and kill it. The ball was Gantz, and its game had begun. All they had to do was to kill enough aliens, with the aid of Gantz’ weaponry and power suits, to score a 100 points, and then they could go free, or resurrect a fallen comrade. But the end of the previous movie saw them face their toughest challenge, a challenge that only Kei Kurono survived.

Now five months later, he’s the skilled leader of a band of veteran Gantz players, working their way to 100 points so that he can resurrect his fallen friend. In the real world, he’s working his way through college, and supporting Kato’s orphaned brother Ayumu (telling him that Kato is away on business and will be back soon). Helping him is college friend Tae Kojima, although his secret life is preventing their friendship from developing into anything deeper. But the Gantz game is about to go horribly wrong, and the world according to Gantz isn’t playing by the rules anymore. For one thing there’s a cop investigating the rumours and whispers behind the Gantz game, the mysterious people who die in accidents only to appear hale and hearty the next day. A famous idol receives a miniature Gantz ball, and is issued a mission to find four keys, four people of which Tae Kojima is the fourth, that will get her into the Gantz room. Underground, a group of mysterious men in black also watch over the Gantz game, and are determined to obtain this miniature Gantz ball. And Masaru Kato is actually still alive!

Manga Entertainment released the first Gantz feature on Blu-ray and DVD, but due to disappointing sales, they have decided to release the second film on DVD only. Collectors everywhere will be gnashing their teeth. If you want Gantz 2 on Blu-ray, the US release will most likely be locked to Region A just as the first film was, will be lighter on extras, but will contain the English dub. If you want the Gantz 2 Blu-ray to match (in terms of content), the first release, you’ll have to look to Australia to import, as Madman Entertainment authored both of the Gantz feature films for UK and AU release.

There is a Gantz 1 and 2 twin pack DVD collection released the same day as this standalone movie.

Picture
Gantz 2: Perfect Answer gets a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer on this DVD. I remember not being too impressed with the image on the Blu-ray, and actually this film to PAL conversion of the movie comes across as not too dissimilar to that HD offering. Other than in terms of fine detail and overall resolution, the DVD offers the same flatter colours, washed out dark detail and a slightly higher than normal level of grain. While the Gantz Blu-ray was a somewhat lacklustre visual experience, the DVD of the sequel is a very impressive presentation for the format. If it was just the visual experience, I wouldn’t be too down-heartened at having to take the DVD instead of the Blu-ray. The action steps up a gear in this sequel, the fight sequences are more intense and energetic, made so by issuing the Gantz fighters swords to complement their usual ray guns. Also in this movie, the comedy aliens of the first film are dispensed with, replaced by antagonists that look wholly human, making the fight sequences a lot more realistic and intense.

Sound
This is where the DVD falls flat in comparison to the Blu-ray. The Gantz Blu-ray has a thunderous DTS-HD MA audio track that asks you to go around and apologise to the neighbours the next morning. The DVD of Perfect Answer offers a dynamic and fairly aggressive DD 5.1 Japanese audio track, with optional English subtitles. The music drives the film well; the action sequences fill the soundstage, while the dialogue is clear throughout. It’s just that in comparison to the Blu-ray, it feels like a whimper rather than a hurricane, and I found myself nudging the volume up to get the same level of intensity that I had to reduce the Blu-ray volume by half for. If anything will convince you to import, it’s the audio experience.

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