Evangerion shin gekijôban: Jo (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone) (Neon Gensis: Evangelion 1.01 You Are (Not) Alone) (2007)

87% of users liked it
(4,743 ratings)

Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is the first installment in a film series known as the Rebuild of Evangelion that reinterprets the story first told in the critically acclaimed anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Covering the material from the first six episodes of the series, this film sets… More Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is the first installment in a film series known as the Rebuild of Evangelion that reinterprets the story first told in the critically acclaimed anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Covering the material from the first six episodes of the series, this film sets the stage when 14 year old Shinji Ikari arrives in Tokyo-3. His mother dead and his father painfully distant, Shinji is lonely, quiet, and wracked with torturous self-doubt. But Shinji's arrival in the city signifies his chance to prove himself as one of three teenagers chosen to pilot a series of technologically unprecedented robots called Evas, mysterious hybrids of man, spirit, and machine created to fight the unrelenting monsters known as Angels that continue to attack earth, one at a time. Thrown into battle before he's had so much as a day of training, Shinji's desperate need for his father's approval isn't helped by the pressure of the world's survival on his shoulders, or the difficult time he has living amongst the other pilots, who very strangely, have suffered the same losses that he has. Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone directly follows the plot of the original series in some ways, but drastically diverges in others, focusing even more on the cryptic and symbolic nature of the story's religious themes. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Written By: Hideaki Anno
Genres: Action & Adventure, Animation, Anime & Manga, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Sep 1, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Nov 17, 2009
Studio: Eleven Arts

Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Despite largely effective English dialogue that allows key characters to acquire dimension, the plot is hard to follow, especially early on. Yet the film pulls you in as it explores Shinji's perplexing dilemma and his maturing.
Mike Hale, New York Times
Just another giant robot movie.
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice
This is mighty perplexing nerd kibble, its highfalutin' philosophical and psychological banter way too outlandish to seriously engage. Yet as a visceral experience, it's entrancing.
Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine
Essentially a condensed version of the first few episodes of the series with a few elements from later episodes tossed in to make the show's climax appear more grounded.

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)

Featured Audience Ratings

Lewis C

It's hard to imagine that fans of Evangelion won't be pleased with this leaner, gorgeous rebuild of the original anime series. And if you're new to Evangelion, this is a great place to start. You Are (Not) Alone is a pretty straightforward adaptation of the first six… More
It's hard to imagine that fans of Evangelion won't be pleased with this leaner, gorgeous rebuild of the original anime series. And if you're new to Evangelion, this is a great place to start. You Are (Not) Alone is a pretty straightforward adaptation of the first six episodes of Evangelion. It's somewhat condensed but still containing all the major moments and plot points. While the next three movies promise new story additions and characters, this movie contents itself with mostly cosmetic changes, along with tightening up the story, a few extra scenes, and eliminating some filler. There wasn't a lot in the first six episodes that needed to be altered. That means slightly less whining from Shinji. SLIGHTLY. The animation and visuals are outright beautiful, especially on blu-ray. I could recommend this on that aspect, alone. The re-designed Angels and action scenes are improvements over the original's (especially the sixth Angel), in my opinion and the voice work is great. Does You Are (Not) Alone make the original series redundant and unnecessary (or vice-versa)? No, I don't think so. Both of them have merit, and both are worth watching. But, I'm very interested in seeing if the next three Rebuild of Evangelion movies rectify some of the mistakes that the latter portion of the series fell prey to.
Greg S

Tokyo-3 is under assault by mysterious robot-like creatures known as "Angels"; two teenagers pilot the bio-robots that are the only things that can defeat the invaders and save humanity, while simultaneously dealing with high school bullies. The mystical plot is barely… More
Tokyo-3 is under assault by mysterious robot-like creatures known as "Angels"; two teenagers pilot the bio-robots that are the only things that can defeat the invaders and save humanity, while simultaneously dealing with high school bullies. The mystical plot is barely hinted at in this first installment of an intended trilogy, but the story wouldn't make much sense anyway, because no one acts anything like an actual human being would in a similar situation; the plot and characters seem to be a necessary annoyance linking together pretty pictures.
Aaron N

Shinji Ikari: I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. A feature film version of a very popular anime/manga. The film is essentially a remake of the anime, condensing the first fourth of the series… More
Shinji Ikari: I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. A feature film version of a very popular anime/manga. The film is essentially a remake of the anime, condensing the first fourth of the series into a single feature. Not being familiar with the original anime or manga beyond basic descriptions from friends, I came in with an open mind and found a lot to admire. It has an interesting story, striking visuals, a soundtrack that reminded me a lot of Star Fox 64 of all things in a good way, and left me with a desire to see the next three films in the series. Evangelion is an apocalyptic mech action series, which revolves around the efforts by the military organization, Nerv, to fight monstrous beings called Angels, primarily using giant mechs, called Evangelions, which are piloted by select teenagers. One of these teenagers is the main hero, who seems to be a chosen one of some sort. The film basically throws you into the world almost immediately, with little exposition, which I enjoyed. I was able to pick up the story just fine and could comprehend who these characters were. For this first feature, much of the film is setup and it does a drag a little in the middle, but in its last act, I really felt that this feature was finding its footing, and I look forward to seeing where it goes. Rei Ayanami: Why are you crying? I'm sorry; I don't know what to do of feel at a time like this. Shinji Ikari: Why don't you try smiling?
Matthew Y

With the exception of Miyazaki films, I'm not a big anime fan and I'm even less of a mecha robot anime fan. That being said Evangelion 1.0 boasts a big budget and it shows on screen with the quality of animation especially during the (sigh) mecha vs. alien battles. I know… More
With the exception of Miyazaki films, I'm not a big anime fan and I'm even less of a mecha robot anime fan. That being said Evangelion 1.0 boasts a big budget and it shows on screen with the quality of animation especially during the (sigh) mecha vs. alien battles. I know this is the first of a series of films based on a complex anime storyline from the 90's, therefore I'm more forgiving to the confusing elements of the film. As a starter film I think it succeeds in pulling in the target audience, however those of us who are not interested in watching animated giant robots fighting monsters (with a little bit of biblical context sprinkled on) will likely struggle with the film, despite being impressively made.