The “Rebuild of Evangelion” tetralogy initially started out seeming like a shot-for-shot remake of the original “Neon Genesis Evangelion” series. While minor plot changes were introduced, there wasn’t much in the way of thematic deviations until the latter half of the second film, where drastic changes to both the characters and plots are made more readily apparent.

Completely disregarding the footage shown in its preview, “Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo” is the third entry in the “Rebuild” series and the first to fully embrace its new take on the critically-acclaimed series. Taking place in a completely different setting from its original, “3.0” is an astoundingly distinct entry in the series that, for the first time in the tetralogy, does not borrow anything from its source material. Fans of the original will be completely flabbergasted by the extreme character changes, radical new environments, and artistic direction in this entry.

But while the bold new direction the series is taking should be applauded, it should also be noted that “3.0” suffers from the fact that whereas its predecessors were character-driven,
“3.0” is plot-driven. This results in muddy character motivations and actions that don’t make much sense in the grand scheme of things. While there are reasons for said characters to change given that the movie does take place 14 years after the second, they are never fully explained in a way that makes sense.

This film relies on its characters to act in a borderline passive-aggressive manner that alienates Shinji, the main protagonist, and results in him making irrational decisions that end up just creating more problems for everyone. Shinji’s actions are the result of him waking from a 14 year slumber and being confused about everything that’s going on. It’s bizarre how nobody takes the time to explain things to him and then are surprised when he decides to do something completely insane because he doesn’t know any better.

“3.0” suffers because it feels like Anno is trying to create an experience akin to that of “End of Evangelion.” Both films are mindboggling and confusing, but only the latter manages to do so in a way that feels like it has some kind of internal logic driving the madness.

“Neon Genesis Evangelion” was never about giving the viewers answers, but it was also never about creating questions for the sake of doing so. Sure, fans may continue to analyze the intricacies and mysteries of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” many years into the future, but even the casual viewer will have some semblance of a coherent plot. Character motivations in the original, although occasionally unclear, never feel out of place given the situations the characters are in. However, in “3.0,” there very rarely feels like a rhyme or reason to the thoughts and actions of its cast.

Of course, “3.0 + 1.0” will be making its debut in 2020, and perhaps that will clear up any questions viewers have in regards to “3.0.” As time goes on, I have no doubt that “3.0”’s status will change relative to its role in the tetralogy. But until then, this movie feels like a mishmash of odd ideas hamfisted in for the sake of shocking viewers.

In regards to other aspects of the film, the visuals, voice-acting, and sound design are top notch as expected of Khara. Even fans turned off by the film’s bizarre storytelling will be drawn in by its absolutely beautiful visuals.

Is this film a mess? Yes.

Is it a beautiful mess? Yes.

To conclude, “”Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo” isn’t a terrible entry into this series of remakes, but it also fails to live up to the strong performance of its two prequels. There is a lack of internal logic and coherency, and those two are more than enough to make this potentially lowest entry in the entire “Evangelion” franchise (aside from the series’ cashgrab spinoffs)