The Place Promised in Our Early Daysby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 Two boys share their dreams of a plane ride to the Union Tower with their friend Sayuri. They make a promise to take her with them to the tower. Three years pass. Saiyuri disappered without a word and the boys went their separate ways, forgetting their promise and the plane. As war escalates they are informed that Saiyuri is in a dream filled coma and her dream/sleep state directly corresponds with unusual activity from the tower and the parallel worlds emminating from it. She is the key to saving or destroying the world as they know it, and after sharing a dream state with her, one of the boys decides to fulfil their promise in an ominous ride to the tower.The back of the DVD box says "Critically Lauded as the 'New' Miyazaki". While his art and directing styles are indeed breathtaking and somewhat comparible, his stories are a far cry from anything close to Miyazaki's. They are unusual and even a bit gripping, but they still lack that special life that Miyazaki breathes into his. The Place Promised in Our Early Days is an improvement over his first film Voices of a Distant Star. Again, the subject matter involves a war and becomes quite depressing as it unfolds. I enjoy a good tragedy — provided there's a powerful enough substance to the story, and this film is a bit thin. The airplane (the best part of the whole thing I might add) is stunning and veryMiyazaki-esque. While I watched the whole thing, I feel as though I missed some very critical pieces of the story. Too much mystery and not enough answers or resolution can destroy a movie, and it certainly pushes that edge. It is an artsy presentation of a near-future/fantasy world. The breath-taking art is a plus with amazing backgrounds and a beautiful airplane ride sequence. It is 90 minutes long, but the first 30-40 are very tedious. After that, thigns become more interesting and move faster. While both sets of voice actors do a good job, I must highly recommend watching it dubbed. Yes, you heard me, dubbed. The Japanese seiyuu sound a bit flat and uninterested compared with the English cast. Kudos to ADV for some excellent casting. The DVD contains interviews with the director and the three main cast members which are always intersting. Overall, I'd have to say it is a good watch. If you enjoyed Shinkai's first film Voices of a Distant Star then you'll like this even more. Otherwise I'd caution those who aren't particularly fond of "artsy" films. Written: September 25, 2005
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