Excellent but underrated film

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

For a Manga Fan or an admirer of pioneer Japanese Animator Tezuka, this is a less than thrilling night at the movies. Tezuka's striking drawing style is rarely evoked - Compare his own SPACE FIRE BIRD or CLEOPATRA QUEEN of SEX and the handling is familiar Nip Toon.It is curious to see the life of Buddha turning up as one of these and they do get into quite cerebral issues, like the failure of Asceticism.Every so often the makers also manage a memorable image - walking across the rice paddies, the burning hut or the giant's masked face thrust through the prison window.Middle of a multi-part production.