Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance

Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance is a sequel to Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone—which, in turn, derives from the acclaimed Neon Genesis Evangelion series—meaning it will be catnip to fans and utterly confuse anyone unfamiliar with the earlier adventures' plot and characters. The story is set in the not-too-distant future, with the Evangelion units still at war with the monstrous Angels. Young pilots Shinji and Rei, who operate the Eva cyborg machines in defense of the planet, are joined by a pair of new female pilots: the fiery Asuka and the initially mysterious Mari. The clash of personalities among the four main characters coincides with the seemingly endless conflict between the Eva androids and the indefatigable enemy forces. An interlude at an aquarium seems out of place, but the brilliantly conceived battle sequences here easily outweigh any baffling elements of the human drama. Presented in a dual-language two-disc set on DVD (or single Blu-ray disc), rated TV-14, extras include an audio commentary, “making-of” featurette, deleted scenes, and a booklet. Recommended. (P. Hall)