Summer Wars

In the world of animation, creativity is rampant. The possibilities of visual effects are limitless. And technical animation adepts, or professionals, are never scarce. But directors who understand the art of storytelling is scarce. Mamoru Hosoda is one of them.


'Summer Wars' is Mr. Hosoda's latest work and it easily rivals his previous masterpiece, 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'. In brief, the movie is a cyber-terrorism story. An internet catastrophe is triggered by a naive high-school boy who accidently hacks into the universal system of database called OZ that hosts every program and website on the net. Social networking sites, internet shopping, traffic controls, banks, and even the military database are all connected through OZ. So when everything fails, when markets collapse and the traffic jams, and an international halt is situated, the Jinnouchi family comes to a rescue.

'Summer Wars' is a light-hearted comedic drama but don't be surprised if you get a thrill out of it. Constantly weaving in and out of the online and the offline worlds, the movie succeeds in portraying the net-dependent society of the 21st century, if not net-obsessed. However, unlike many other postmodern movies that bombard the humanism and the utopia of cyber or artificial intelligence worlds, the movie is rather cheerful and uplifting. Just as the name 'Summer Wars' evokes a sense of brightness and freshnesss, it is indeed a delightful breath of fresh air. I especially enjoyed its mini-tribute to 'Star Wars'.

Although I'd like to keep rambling on, I might have spilled a bit too much already. But may I say a bit more and suggest few tips for watching? Watch it when the sun is up, preferably with a friend or two, and a light snack with this movie will do wonders. It's also a good candidate for a mid-afternoon Saturday date indoors without endangering the perks of a Saturday, including your rights to lazinesss.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆½ (7.5 stars)