When I learn that there was a remake of the classic series, i asked myself, what kind of mess are they getting themselves into? After the opening few moments of the movie, i only said to myself, how wrong was i to underestimate the decision ... because easily this could be one of the best animes ever made in history.
First off, years ago, i was decently hooked on the TV series version. When i finished it, i was honestly quiet upset that the plot was going to heck at many points, not providing a decent link to things. I always liked the earlier episodes where Shinji and gang battle all the angels that attacked, but i didn't quite enjoy how things were towards the end ...
Death & Rebirth was a good attempt to try to provide a better ending to the series. But frankly i always felt it wasn't enough ... years later, thank god we may have the best version of the Evangelion saga in the making ... starting with "You Are (Not) Alone".
Not just additional artwork and more CG enhancements are added into the movie, the story summarizes the opening few episodes of the original series and (this is my own opinion) tweaked the script alittle. It's a lot easier to understand the plot and intention of the characters, and with all the plot making more sense than the original series, all you need next is the action.
The fights between the angels and the Eva 01 (and 00') are much more interesting to watch, as the fights seem much longer and more details are added into how the battles are fought. Remember the first time Shinji pilots the EVA01 into battle and it went berserk? I'm much more excited this time when i watched the fight scene! As for the cinematic experience, i don't think watching it on DVD does this movie any justice. If you can, do attempt to catch this in a CINEMA because the experience is very much rewarding! I'm thankful i didn't miss this movie version, it's worth every cent i paid! I don't need to go into the plot of the movie, you can easily pick it up from internet sites, just know that this isn't the end yet and business is going to pick up once the next one comes along. Shinji is still how everyone remembers him to be ... the hedgehog dilemma comes into mind when you talk about him and he's still like that in this movie! I hope this comment will send more people rushing into the cinema to catch this movie, after i was done, i felt sorry that so many seats in the cinema are empty ... everyone has missed out on this masterpiece edition of the Evangelion series!