Review of Paprika

To see PAPRIKA once would be a grave mistake, as it must be experienced twice, once to watch and admire its visuals that are so over the top and brought and encapsulating that it can only make sense it dreams. It outshines the dreamlike worlds of any other great animator, whether it be Walt Disney's FANTASIA or Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY. The second time one watches PAPRIKA, the visuals, though it may be difficult to do, must be downplayed and placed in our peripherals so that the film can be correctly understood, or understood as much as it can possibly be. The 2006 film, by acclaimedanime director, Satoshi Kon, begins with a bang, colors flashing and clean animation that is poppy and mind-stirring. A circus scene happens which cannot be understood in a first viewing, where detective Toshimi Konakawa is rescued by young female Paprika, after being trapped in a cage in the middle of the circus, and then escaping through a series of labyrinths and scenes, including jungle and pulp film scenes... it ends with him viewing a man getting shot down and making his escape, unidentified. He is distraught and we find out that this lack of identifying the perp hangs as a heavy burden on Konakawa's shoulders. He also hates the movies.
To begin to backtrack a bit and provide some background on the events our eyes first witness, Doctor Atsuko Chiba, Doctor Toratarō Shima, and Doctor Kōsaku Tokita. Chiba is the occupier of alter ego, Paprika, while Doctor Shima is an elderly chief doctor, and Kōsaku Tokia belongs to the genius mind who invented the DC mini, a machine allowing the user of the device to observe dreams, and absorb others into them and enter others'. The machine was unfinished and stolen.
Later, upon investigation and upon viewing the dream of Shima, after he goes loopy and almost kills himself by falling off of a ledge, with his mindset out of whack with his dreams causing it, Kei Himuro is spotted, who worked on the DC mini with Tokita. It is suspected he stole the machine, and it seems that he is attempting to off anybody who threatens him. Himuro is found to be an empty shell of a body, however, and the chairman is the true perpetrator. He, along with Doctor Osanai, have stolen the machine, and the absorb others into their dream, combining all, and allowing for the chairman to be a dod of the dreams, of sorts. He is able to do so because, with the machine unfinished, there is no passcode-type system to protect individuals, and they can be overtaken easily. It is similar to, if nobody had a password protected wifi, one could absorb and take any one he or she wants. The chairman can absorb and take in any dream he desires.
Osanai turns out to be the perp, and this is all found out after a chase sequence, enlaced in wonderful pulp-fashion, and it is artsy and fun. Konakawa shoots Osanai dead and, and the action ends on a generic and purposely cheesy line, like an old film, and typical spy flick music plays and he stands with a girl in his arms, like an old JAMES BOND movie. It is very stylish. Osanai dies in real life, and it disheartens the chairman, as he has prepared to overtake his body, using him. He then manipulates the dream of Tokita and uses the best man as a counteractive weapon, and Paprika must save the day. She loves Tokita, despite her resisting the admitting of this, and this acts as her motivation. She is very much a superhero, and that adds even more of a delightful touch into this film that is already such a wonderful example of post modernism, blending in every Hollywood cliche yet. She swoops in and absorbs the chairman's body and swallows him whole, voiding this dream world, and dissolving all dream elements from the streets. She saves the day, and all is well. Later, a message from Paprika arrives on Konakawa's computer, and she suggests a film to him to see, as before his killing an discovering of Osanai as the true criminal plaguing his incurring and repeating dream, movies have been his enemy and something he despised. He is now healed of this. He walks to the theater, and the posters provide a couple of easter eggs for us Kon fans. We see, on his way, movie posters for TOKYO GODFATHERS and MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, both films also directed by the talented animator. Like it for the thriller of a story, mixed in with psychological candy, or enjoy and admire it solely for the visuals in themselves, all while not wholly understanding the film, like I was in my first viewing of MEMENTO, you are in for a good time.