Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva Anime Movie Review

A spoiler-free review of Professor Layton. I simply critique the plot, characters, etc. A CHRISTIAN EVALUATION is included at the end, for some viewers and as a parental guide.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

 

A spoiler-free review of the popular game-based anime movie

 

Title: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

Alternate Title: Reiton-kyouju to Eien no Utahime

Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Puzzle/Drama

Episodes: 1 (movie)

Running Time: Approx. 98 minutes

 

Synopsis: Professor Herschel Layton and his faithful apprentice Luke are on the case yet again. After solving the mysterious case involving London’s Big Ben, they receive information that a woman by the name of Jenice needs their help. She explains that a close friend who had died one year ago seems to have returned to life as a seven-year-old girl. Perplexed by this apparent mystery, Layton and Luke attend an opera where Jenice is a lead singer so that they may meet her to discuss the strange events. When the group finds itself suddenly stranded on a large opera house turned boat, however, things get more complicated.

            A mysterious voice tells the crowd on the ship that they must all participate in a game of puzzles. Whoever is the last one to survive will be granted eternal life. Layton and Luke must solve the puzzles and discover not only who is behind them, but why. Perhaps those closest to Layton also harbor the most dangerous secrets. And is Ambrosia - the rite to eternal life - a myth after all?

 

Plot: As an ardent fan of all the Professor Layton games, I surely was not disappointed that the writers managed another engaging plot. Numerous storylines are woven simultaneously together into a successful story. If you just can’t get enough of Herschel and Luke, then this movie is for you! If you want to solve some mysteries right along with the characters and watch great action scenes to boot, watch Professor Layton!

 

Characters: All of the characters in Layton’s world have always been lovable, whether it’s Layton himself (who always has a knack for being awesome " in a gentlemanly way) or de Scole (who you love to hate). I enjoy the round, dynamic aspects of each character. Even the most minor characters usually have backstories or become important in some way the viewer might never imagine.

 

Animation: While I particularly enjoy the animation because it is the same as the game, many people may find this a turn-off from watching the movie. The animation is cartoonish and out-of-proportion, but that doesn’t make the film a bad one. On the contrary, having such unique animation draws you into Layton’s world, reminding you that (as Judy Garland would say), “There’s no place like Layton.”

 

Music: I have always enjoyed Layton music, as it’s sufficiently crime-solving-ish. A bonus for viewers who have played the games is that much of the game music is also used in the movie. The new music that has been added, such as Jenice’s singing, is extraordinarily beautiful anyway, as is the dramatic orchestral music featured in some parts of the film.

 

Recommendation: I would recommend this movie for anyone, detective-minded or not. The whimsical and yet commanding air of Layton, as well as some puzzles that are just plain fun to solve, should be appealing to pretty much everyone.

 

Audience: I don’t recommend this movie for children under 5. While the entire movie is squeaky-clean, a mechanical monster near the end might frighten young children.

 

Final Score: 9 out of 10, for a brilliant and engaging storyline and lovable characters, but a style of animation that, for all it’s unique beauty, is a turn-off for some viewers.

 

For the Christian Audience: The only troublesome thing presented in this movie is the idea of man-generated eternal life, but the way that it is handled in the movie makes it unthreatening. Aside from that, there was only one other instance to be concerned about - Layton acknowledges that reincarnation is a possibility in a certain instance. Simply because there is only that one instance (which is actually phrased in such a way that it’s easy to talk to your children about it right there), this movie will still get a good score. Conclusion: Safe! If you’re concerned about that one mention of reincarnation, start up a discussion with your kids. Find out what they think, and talk about it.

 

For the Family: You’ll find that many kids will absolutely love this movie because they’ll feel like detectives too! That doesn’t mean, however, that adults won’t enjoy the movie " it’s great for them as well. All in all, a nice family film. I also suggest that you buy the Professor Layton games and play them as a family " they’re a lot of fun and are a great game for everyone to work together on.

 

 

Want to buy Professor Layton? Click the links below. I’ve set up the links so that you’ll go to a new page to view the item, then you can click and go to the store to buy the item! Enjoy!

 

Click this link to buy the DVD (please keep in mind that this DVD is the UK release - that means it's region 2): <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004DY4SLG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Click this link to buy the first Professor Layton Video Game (Curious Village): <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B000U5W3IW" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Click this link to buy the second Layton Game (Diabolical Box): <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002AU0HZQ" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Click this link to buy the third Layton Game (Unwound Future):<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003O6E7DI" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Author's Note

Have you seen Professor Layton or played the games? Tell me about it! Did I do a good job reviewing it?

Reviews

[Pain&Suffering]

I think you did a good job of reviewing this movie. I am a huge Professor Layton fan and adore the games although I haven't seen this movie. makes me want to watch it!