Well it's been quite a wait, but at last, The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey is here. The movie series, it seems, has taken after the manga in releasing updates at a snails pace. Why we had to wait 14 months for this film to make it from theaters in Japan, to a DVD/BR in America, I do not know (for those keeping track, that's twice as long as the first movie took), but I suppose the wait just makes getting the final product that much sweeter. Anyway, on to the movie itself:A lot of people's biggest complaint about the first Golden Age movie was the cheesy CGI that would crop up now and again. I am very pleased to be able to say that this movie definitely cleaned this up a lot. This installment is a big visual improvement over the first. Not that the first had much room for improvement, it was beautiful movie, but here they were able to clean up some of the previously mentioned problems with the animation.
While the first movie was about the beginnings of the Band of the Hawk and the relationship between Guts and Griffth, this movie is about the rise and fall of Griffith and the Hawks, as well as the burgeoning feelings between Guts and Casca. The conclusion of the war with Chuder brings Griffith to his greatest heights yet, setting him up for his ultimate fall. Here we see Guts truly push himself to his limits as a warrior, as well as the beginnings of an understanding in the previously volatile relationship between him and Casca. All of this cumulates in the inevitable confrontation between Guts and Griffith, the conflict that, like a falling domino, sets all the future events in motion.
As I already stated, the visuals in this movie were stunning, but I feel the need to make special mention of the hilltop fight with Guts and Griffith. The scenery here is absolutely spectacular. The mountains and snow and sun rising over Midlands castle town make you feel like the entire world is setting the stage for this one all consuming duel between two Titans.
The music is great as well, I simply cannot say enough good things about the soundtrack for these movies. In addition to the songs used in the first movie, they introduce some new tracks. The Griffith/Charlotte love music, and the track that plays during the hundred man kill in particular are well composed and well executed in contrast with the scenes. Speaking of the Griffith/Charlotte scene, it is surprisingly graphic, especially when compared with the original 90s anime. This will probably give you a clue as to how "that scene" in the eclipse is going to be handled.
This takes me to the one problem with the film. Fans of the original anime, and especially the manga, will notice that some of the original scenes are left out. Some of these detract from the story, and some do not. I'll go through these now and detail how I think they affect the story:
The biggest change comes during the celebration feast after the battle. In the original story there is a plot to kill Griffith, which he turns around by faking his own death, then turning it around by killing the nobles who schemed against him, including the Queen, by setting the building they are in on fire. While this story isn't that significant to the overall plot, besides in that it shows Griffiths intelligence, and how stone cold he can be to those who make a move against him, I was still a bit disappointed that we didn't see the final back and forth that Griffith has with the Queen while she's burning. That being said there is a lot of back-story involved, for a plot that isn't really integral to the overall story, so I do see why they cut it, there are time constraints after all.
The change that people seem the most upset about takes place during the titular battle itself. In the original story Guts' sword breaks while fighting General Boscon, and he falls off his horse. Right as Boscon is about to kill him, somebody throws Guts a new sword, which he uses to decapitate both Boscon and his horse. After the battle the camera pans up to the mysterious figure on the cliff, to reveal that it was Zodd that threw Guts the new sword. This event has been part of massive fan speculation throughout the rest of the manga, as to the motives that Zodd had for throwing Guts the sword. Personally I think that Zodd was just doing this because he knew that Guts had to be kept alive for the eclipse to happen, and was doing it at the behest of the Godhand. While this scene being cut didn't change the plot of this movie all that much, I just don't see the need for the change. Unlike the cutting of Griffiths killing the queen, this really didn't save much time in the movie, since the scene they replaced it with (Guts throwing a flag at Boscon to distract him, then killing him with his own sword) took up about the same amount of time as if they had kept it the original way.
Finally the change that I was the most displeased with. Two of the Guts/Casca scenes were cut. The first was when the two of them are in the woods together, and Casca tells Guts about her past, how she was sexually assaulted and how she came to join the Band of the Hawk. The second was after the hundred man kill, when Guts and Casca are sitting on top of the hill looking over the Hawks camp, while she is treating his wounds, where he tells her about how the camp looked like a bonfire of dreams. These were two of my favorite scenes from the Golden Age arc, with the bonfire of dreams being one of the most significant in the entire manga. They also cut out a bit during the hundred man fight when Casca begins to realize that Guts is wounding himself to protect her.
I would also be remiss not to mention the two cameos by major manga characters that will be introduced later in the story. The first is during the victory we feast, as Guts is looking around he see's some members of the Holy See, accompanied by Farnese and Serpico. The second is after Guts departs from the Hawks, he walks by a caravan, and inside you see Puck hovering in a cage, who opens his eyes and looks up when he senses Guts walking past.
In conclusion I'll put my thoughts into a pro and con list.
Pros:
Great visuals.
Lots of character development between the main three.
Casca is useful.
Awesome story.
Compelling soundtrack.
Solid voice acting (in both the Japanese and English dubs).
Hits a lot of emotions.
Sets the stage perfectly for the Eclipse.
Cons:
Some major scenes were cut.
Not a lot of character development for the rest of Hawks besides Guts, Griffith, and Casca.
I'll be editing my review of the actual DVD itself once it's released.
Buy Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - Battle for Doldrey (2013) Now
I watched this with English subs as soon as it hit the internet and now I'm looking forward to the blueray with Eng dub. Berserk is and probably always will be my favorite Anime. I don't care for the CGI in these movies but they are still very well made films. Showing my support and set up the pre-order.Read Best Reviews of Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - Battle for Doldrey (2013) Here
They kind of hardcore blow through nearly half the series with limited character development. I can imagine this would seem too fast paced for people who are watching this for the first time.Want Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - Battle for Doldrey (2013) Discount?
Continuing on from the events of the first movie Berserk wastes no time in continuing the battles of the band of the hawk. It's clear this second part was intended to be watched straight after the events of the first film.The second film is a huge improvement from the rushed first attempt. It manages to successfully implement CGI scenes more smoothly and adds important characterisation for Casca, which is more than welcome. The main important scenes are present and correct, albeit some are cut or edited slightly. If you are unfamiliar with the manga or the series then this film will still be an absorbing and epic watch that you will certainly enjoy. If you aren't the latter and a former series or manga reader then you may be a bit bugged by the omission of what I'm sure the director viewed as unimportant scenes. However, it is understandable considering the movies have strict time restraints.
The film itself is still a mixture of CGI and 2d animation styles. The 2d scenes are absolutely gorgeous and the backgrounds stunning. Berserk was always a artistic manga and seeing Miura's characters in high definition is a real treat. The soundtrack should also get a mention as it provides a suitabley epic feel to the battles. The opening theme is haunting and does a great job in hyping the viewer up for the events to come. It's difficult to criticize this films production values, aside from the occasionaly distracting CGI. However, if I have one complaint it is that Gut's character is not as well developed so far in these films. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Griffith. This does disappoint me as one of Berserks greatest strengths is its fantasic character development. Guts is more than just a brute protector of the band of the hawks; he is a loyal friend and is someone who would give his all for Casca or Griffith if they were in danger. As for Griffith, there is evidence throughout the two films that he is power hungry and will go to any lengths to get control of what he wants, but this is much clearer in the manga and series. For example, in the manga Griffith is poisoned by the nobles and after surviving their assassination attempt shows exactly what he is capable of against those who hurt him: he burns the queen and a group of nobles alive. This scene shouldn't have been omitted, in my opinion, but the omission does not prevent the audience from understanding Griffith and that is Studio 4 C' main goal during this film. On the flip side, this film is far more true to the mangas graphic material and there is no censoring in regards to violence or sexual content. The film ends on a major cliffhanger that will have viewers on the edge of their seat waiting for the third movie but believe me, the wait will be worth it.
In short, this film is much superior to the first one and things are looking extremely positive for the third part: the descent. It has a great soundtrack, epic battles and more emphasis on Casca and Guts character development. For long time fans this will be an enjoyable adaption and for newcomers it represents a great introduction into one of the greatest mangas ever made, and one of the best arcs ever: The Golden Egg arc. Highly recommended.
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