Review of Paprika

I can't help but feel that Paprika wanted to be a lot more than what it ended up becoming. Setting out to find deeper meaning inside of the vast worlds only possible in dreams, for me it became nothing short of a random, convoluted mess of outstanding visuals that can only really be taken at face-value. Having seen Perfect Blue as well, I feel Paprika lacks direction and lacks a lot of the "meaning in the madness" Perfect Blue was able to achieve. I only make this comparison because they are both from the same director and share some similarities as the narrative continues. While Paprikais a stunning movie visually, this is sadly the only strength this movie offers for me. With such an ambitious set-up, I can't help but want much more than this movie was able to deliver as far as the narrative goes. Any movie can look fantastic if given the resources necessary, but to me it just isn't all that special when nothing else seems to stand out besides who is animating the project.

With a cast that ranges from sub-par to painfully one-dimensional, Paprika is automatically at a huge disadvantage from the start of the movie when none of the characters can manage to steal the show and carry the narrative forward. While the detective character is probably my favorite this movie offers, I feel that it isn't presented all that well and missed opportunities to make his time on-screen more bearable to watch.

None of the events in this movie feel even the slightest bit cohesive and with such a huge emphasis on the inner-workings of the subject's psyche to create a world out of their dreams, there is not much sense to be made during these dream sequences besides a yet another opportunity to showcase the stellar art and animation capabilities of Madhouse. If that's all we're judging here, Paprika barely misses a step. Taking the whole experience into consideration though? It can't seem to catch it's balance and constantly relies on the same crutch to make it until the end-credits start rolling.

None of the resolutions really seem to satisfy me and left me feeling like my time had been wasted by even wondering about it as I watched. The nonsensical and almost meaningless way the villain is defeated, a rushed and completely unnecessary romance between two characters with no chemistry and an ending scene that only wishes it could be as impactful as Perfect Blue's similar (but way better executed) ending shot.

In short, Paprika is a breathtaking experience for the eyes that still somehow manages to be painfully mediocre as a full-fledged movie. Paprika lacks much direction and it wasn't much of a memorable watch. Again, I can't help but feel that Paprika wanted to be a lot more than what it ended up becoming. In the end, I'll remember Paprika as an overly-ambitious project that misses much more than it hits.