When three of the unfinished DC Minis disappear, the head scientists on the project struggle to figure out where they went. The DC Mini allows therapists to see their patient’s dreams to better analyze their unconscious state. Unfortunately the DC Minis were not yet finished, which made them more dangerous if someone were to use them improperly.
Paprika
4 & 1/2 Stars
When three of the unfinished DC Minis disappear, the head scientists on the project struggle to figure out where they went. The DC Mini allows therapists to see their patient’s dreams to better analyze their unconscious state. Unfortunately the DC Minis were not yet finished, which made them more dangerous if someone were to use them improperly.
The beginning of the movie is a little strange, you first start out in a dream. The dream takes your from the circus through a series of movie scenes, finally ending with the final moments of a murder scene currently being investigated. The dreamer wakes up and you meet Captain Kogawa and Paprika. Seconds later you are rushed into the next part of the plot where you are introduced to Doctors Tokita, Chiba and Shima, the lead developers on the DC Mini project. Dr. Shima, a short and balding man, is their Chief. Dr. Tokita, an excessively obese “kid in a genius’ body,” is where the original idea started. Dr. Chiba, an all work and no play kind of woman keeps Dr. Tokita in line.
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Trying to keep the theft of their most important, and most dangerous project a secret they rush to Dr. Shima’s office. When they open the door to the office they were surprised by the Chairman sitting facing the window in his wheel chair. He lets them know immediately that he is aware of the theft. They put their heads together to attempt to figure out the culprit. The only option is an inside job. Seconds later Shima flips out, he begins saying things that are irrelevant while running out of the room and jumping out a window. While he is knocked out from the fall they run the DC Mini on him to monitor his dream state. In the dream he is perched on top of a float in a huge parade, which is where the strangeness continues. Himoru, a fellow developer, shows up in the dream, making all the blaming fingers point to him.
The DC Mini is incredibly dangerous to the host, the more you wear it the harder it is to distinguish the difference between reality and dream. Since Tokita, Chiba and Shima had been testing it on themselves they often merge dream and reality.
Since Shima is injured it becomes Tokita and Chiba’s job to find Himoru and track down the remaining DC Minis. They went to Himoru’s house only to find nothing but dolls. Chiba snaps into a dream and nearly jumps over the balcony, only to be grabbed at the last second by another doctor who had accompanied them.
Kogawa is searching desperately to understand his dream, so he spends much of his time in a dream state at the bar with Paprika.
Tokita and Chiba finally find their friend and partner Himoru, or rather he nearly lands on top of Chiba. They rushed Himoru back to the lab to remove the DC Mini, which had already taken over Himoru.
Chiba and Tokita discover the Dreamland amusement park, where they find a doll that had been sort of following them everywhere. When Chiba advances towards the doll Himoru comes crashing out of the sky and nearly lands on top of her. Himoru is badly injured by the fall and they rush him back to the lab so the doctors can take the embedded DC Mini out of his scalp. Tokita sees his friend laying there dreaming he decides to put the DC Mini on to join his dreams. Tokita then gets sucked into the parade and cannot escape.
Chiba and Shima join back up to attempt to stop the “psycho-terrorism.” Chiba, closely monitored by Shima, dives into Tokita and Himoru’s dream, changing her to Paprika. Paprika is trying to save the two stuck when she discovers who the real terrorist is. The Chairman and his little minion attempt to take over dreams and reality. The Chairman then becomes a gigantic dream-mass, black, translucent and naked. Paprika then realizes that she must sacrifice herself to save her friends. She too becomes a translucent, naked being and begins swallowing everything in site, making her grow from an infant to an adult. She then swallows the Chairman and the dream is over.
Kogawa finally realizes what was going on in his dreams, and what he had been running from since he was young. Tokita and Chiba, after expressing their love for one another, get married.
With the entire thing a mystery, dipping back and forth between reality, it may be a little difficult to follow. The story is strange, and futuristic, but does have an interesting idea. I am still a little unsure on how I feel about the film. The artwork is great, full of color and nice details. The only thing that I would say is poor is the ending. The ending seems too happy, Kogawa’s problems are solved, yes he is in love with the other side of Chiba, but he still figured out what he was running from. Not to mention the love interest between Chiba and Tokita, that was a little strange to me. It seemed like they were really good friends, and Tokita loved Chiba, but I would have never guessed she loved him back. Although, the film did keep me entertained and guessing until the very end, which is what it was supposed to do.