Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)

71% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
91% of users liked it
(2,408 ratings)

In the earliest battles against the monstrous Angels, young Eva pilots Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity's hopes on their shoulders. Now, with the deadly onslaught of the Angels escalating and the apocalyptic Third Impact looming, Shinji and Rei find their burden shared by two new Eva… More In the earliest battles against the monstrous Angels, young Eva pilots Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity's hopes on their shoulders. Now, with the deadly onslaught of the Angels escalating and the apocalyptic Third Impact looming, Shinji and Rei find their burden shared by two new Eva pilots, the fiery Asuka and the mysterious Mari. Maneuvering their enormous Eva machines into combat, the four young souls fight desperately to save mankind from the heavens - but will they be able to save themselves? -- (C) FUnimiation

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Written By: Hideaki Anno
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Animation, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 21, 2011 Limited
Studio: Eleven Arts

Critic Reviews

Ethan Gilsdorf, Boston Globe
Like a surly teen pilot, you, too, might find yourself bored and muttering, "Honestly, maybe the fate of humanity and the world isn't important to me, either.''
Mike Hale, New York Times
It's strictly for the fans, who will furiously parse the changes in the narrative (including a new female pilot) and the nonsensical stew of philosophical and religious symbolism.
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
For the most part, this is the kind of immersive fanboy experience that doesn't suffer wandering attention spans.
, Toronto Star
Evangelion 2.0 will undoubtedly confound some viewers with its jam-packed narrative and jargon-heavy dialogue but the intricately designed, hyper-kinetic visuals more than compensate, especially when seen at the scale they deserve.
Brian Miller, L.A. Weekly
The laser blasts and shimmering force fields in these contests are less violent than the repressed feelings of sensitive Shinji.
Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine
Sets the stage for new, apocalyptic changes in the next "Rebuild" feature, and they appear to be the kind of changes fans have been waiting on for years.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
An exhilarating adventure that offers compelling characters, a wonderfully imaginative story and dazzling special effects. Newbies might feel slightly perplexed, though.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Greg S

More giant robots battle "angels," and hero Shinji continues whining about how his father doesn't love him, in this second installment of the anime series. Pretty and logic-free, with candy-colored visuals and teenage angst.
Lewis C

"The Third Impact is beginning. This is the end of the world." Evangelion 2.0 is a much bigger departure from the original series than the first movie was, and it's an incredible anime feature, as a result. Everything is bigger and better, and it feels much more like a… More
"The Third Impact is beginning. This is the end of the world." Evangelion 2.0 is a much bigger departure from the original series than the first movie was, and it's an incredible anime feature, as a result. Everything is bigger and better, and it feels much more like a movie than just a collection of episodes. The animation is once again fantastic, the new battle scenes and Angel designs are impressive, and all the story/character additions and character changes are absolutely for the best. The writing and flow of the story has been notably improved, to the benefit of all of the main characters. I also have to mention how great the music is; it serves as a perfect compliment and counter-point to what's happening on screen, and at times demands as much of your attention as the visuals do. Casual Evangelion fans, die-hards, and newcomers should not hesitate to check out these movies. It's completely accessible to a new audience, while retaining and expanding upon the core of why this series is one of the most popular and influential. I'm no Evangelion fanatic, but I can't deny the quality of what I'm seeing in progress. 1.0 was great, and 2.0 is fantastic. I CANNOT wait to see where the third movie takes us, next. This is one of the best movies (animated or otherwise) that I've seen in quite a while.
George M

This four-film project had the chance to get right the things that went wrong with the series, namely the technogibberish, the many underdeveloped ideas, the labyrinthine plot and the over-the-top ending; the first two films totally failed on that account. This second film indulges… More
This four-film project had the chance to get right the things that went wrong with the series, namely the technogibberish, the many underdeveloped ideas, the labyrinthine plot and the over-the-top ending; the first two films totally failed on that account. This second film indulges even more to technogibberish and non-sensical narration that wants to pose as sophisticated. The teen-angst characters seem fake and a bad replica of the original. The whole film seems like a cliche based on the tropes that the original series managed to establish. Shots like the elevator scene between Rei and Asuka have become a lot shorter (the original was painfully long but totally appropriate for the moment) and the whole character relations have got a harem-genre turn. Silly fan service is everywhere (for the male audience of course) which ruins the attitude of the film. The animation however is beautiful and the larger production values show, but somehow with less character than the series. The original series was a ground of extreme experimentation with narrative, strange angle shots that mirrored the internal states of the characters and some nice post-modern narration here and there (that was getting out of hand at the last episodes). Approach with caution or go see the series.