20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) poster & wallpaper

Arata, Bengal, Etsushi Toyokawa

Based on the hugely successful, award winning manga series created by Naoki Urasawa (Yawara; Monster), 20TH CENTURY BOYS is the first instalment of the mind-blowing, three-part live-action adaptation ...( read more  read more... )of the epic sci-fi fantasy adventure originally inspired by the T. Rex song 20th Century Boy In 1969, Kenji, an elementary school kid and his friends built a secret base during their summer holidays. They fantasized that they had to fight villains who were out to conquer the world and wrote them in the Book of Prophecies. Years later in 1997, Kenji becomes a convenience store manager and leads a regular life after giving up his dreams to become a rock star. His boring life is suddenly turned upside down when his old classmate dies mysteriously and an entire family in the neighbourhood disappears. At the same time, a religious cult and its mysterious leader, Friend emerges and a strange chain of events duplicating exactly the events described in the Book of Prophecies follow. Is this the beginning of the end of the world? Who is Friend?

Flixster Users

66% liked it

1,146 ratings

Unrated, 2 hrs. 22 min.

Directed by: Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Release Date: August 30, 2008

Invite friends to see

Stats: 194 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys)
Upload a Photo |

View All 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) Photos (10)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (194)

  • shazou
    August 31, 2009
    shazou
    Huh. I actually think i'm not qualified enough to rate this movie, if that's even possible. I don't know the manga so i don't understand what's the tone of it. The movie was at the same time funny, weird, suspens, blunt (?)..... Somewhat like a parody but not so much... i was con...( read more)fused and it was damn too long, eventhough it was really interesting.
  • ellelag75
    August 23, 2009
    ellelag75
    Peculiar in the most positive of ways. The childhood and the present blends perfectly. A must watch...... for me, at least
  • mojojojoooo
    April 28, 2009
    mojojojoooo
    after saw this film, I'd like to read the manga, and want to know what happen next.
  • skactopus
    March 11, 2009
    skactopus
    Yukihiko Tsutsumi gets the honor of bringing the popular 20th Century Boys manga to life. As you may have guessed, T. Rex's famous song, "20th Century Boy" is an inspiration for this.

    At 2 hours and 20 minutes, this movie alone is not enough, which is why this live acti

    ...( read more)on adaptation is only the first chapter with an ending that indicates a chapter 2. One of the disappointing aspects of this movie is that it takes a while to pick up because a lot of time is spent on the character buildup and the story background. This isn't a bad thing, but the film seems pretty uneventful for more than the first hour. Nonetheless, the buildup is nicely done and important, albeit attention is required.

    The film spans multiple decades. We are talking from the 1960s up to the year 2014, with the bulk of it taking place in the 90s and 2000. Why am I mentioning this? Well, the film jumps around a bunch, which in the beginning, makes the characters a little difficult to follow and remember. There are a good number of characters by the way. On the positive side, the jumping around in time keeps the story interesting.

    Eventually the second half of the film focuses on the older versions of the characters as they reunite to fight evil. This is similar to Stephen King's It. The effects are nicely done and the only a few plot holes really hurt the latter segments.

    Toshiaki Karasawa carries this film without a problem and most of the supporting cast do their jobs, including the beautiful Takako Tokiwa.

    20th Century Boys takes a while to get going, but it is interesting enough to make those that haven't read the manga want to.
  • helmutty
    October 12, 2008
    helmutty
    Intense japanese movie! Not bad, it is worth my hype. Waiting for part 2.
  • nikitatraviesa
    September 22, 2008
    nikitatraviesa
    It was captivating but also annoying. Who is the "Tomodachi"? I think I now have to invest my hard earned cash on reading the comics!!! Arrrghhhh
  • kyo9
    September 9, 2008
    kyo9
    should read the manga first~

View All 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys)" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Astro Boy (AstroBoy)
    Astro Boy (AstroBoy) (100%)
  • M.W.
    M.W. (100%)
  • 20-seiki shônen: Saishû-shô - Bokura no hata (20th Century Boys 3: The Last Chapter - Our Flag)
    20-seiki shônen: Saishû-shô - Bokura no hata ... (100%)
  • 20-seiki shônen: Dai 2 shô - Saigo no kibô (20th Century Boys: Chapter Two - The Last Hope)
    20-seiki shônen: Dai 2 shô - Saigo no kibô (2... (100%)

More Movies like 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys)

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

20-seiki shônen (... : Watch Free on TV

20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys). Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys) to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?