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Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    100
    The plot is often bewilderingly complex and the dense layers of subterfuge hard to follow, but by the climax the fairy tale has been twisted into a fascist fable of realpolitik mercenary opportunism.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: David Chute
    90
    Where Okiura leads the art of animation into truly uncharted territory is in his character work, the precise behavioral strokes that bring people to life in two dimensions.
  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    80
    A superbly crafted science-fiction fairy tale that's both Grimm and grim.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Charles Solomon
    80
    Offers a violent but compelling vision of what an animated feature can be.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    75
    The film is built to quaver and buckle along with its victims and martyrs. In an almost soulful way, it bespeaks the reality lingering when the final fantasy ends.
  6. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    63
    I liked the idea of the movie more than the movie itself -- though sections of it are mind-blowing.
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  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    63
    Its plot and political symbolism manage to be both over-familiar and confusingly muddled.
  8. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    50
    The story's emphasis is on action, but there are some sensitive moments and interesting ideas along the way.
  9. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    50
    Dubbed for U.S. audiences, the film has suffered in translation.
  10. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    Characters are undermined by the inexpressive animation that mars the majority of animated films: Their haunted inner lives are clearly meant to take center stage, but their faces are blank and two-dimensional.
  11. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    50
    It's a gorgeous albeit depressing mess, as distancing and despairing as a realpolitik wipeout.
  12. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    50
    It makes as good a case as any for the use of animation as a medium for serious, mature features.
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    40
    Something to behold; it's just not much to watch, despite admirable ambition and a few tense, well-thought-out sequences.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. WilliamK.
    7
    Rather heavy-handed in the Red Riding Hood symbolism, and the various conspiracies are not well-explained at all. Why exactly are there so many terrorist organizations? What is the Wolf Brigade? Why is the girl so important? Who the hell is the protagonist and what is he trying to do? Even at the end you will have no idea what the answer to any of these questions are. Also it's way too slow-paced to be taken as a straight action movie, so it's not like these flaws can be ignored. That said some of the action scenes were great, and the beginning scene was pretty sweet. It only starts to disappoint near the end, where the characters begin to overtly refer to the symbolism and you realize that the movie will NOT be explaining what the hell is going on to you. I don't really get the criticism that the characters didn't express enough emotion. They expressed plenty. These are all stoic and traumatized people, they're not going to go around revealing their emotions by making goofily exaggerated faces. I think the subtle approach works much better than whatever Looney Tunes crap people were expecting.… Full Review »
  2. JoshS.
    9
    Some of the negative criticism is spot-on, I will admit. The animation does not adequately convey the emotional agony that I think Fuse is going through. The background information provided in the movie is barely enough to make the plot sensible - a little more would have helped. But having said all this, I still find myself compelled to watch it again and again. I am only a casual fan of the genre, but the good things I could say about this movie would not fit in the available space! I strongly recommend it.… Full Review »
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