Grinding familiar themes of post-apocalyptic pathos, mutation and rage into an epic (read: long) narrative, this spectacular sci-fi stir-fry is probably the closest cinema has ever come to crafting live-action Japanime. We'll let you decide if that's a good thing. Because most of the time, you'll be pretty confused. Your eyes, meanwhile, will be telescoped out on the end of their stalks.
We're talking sensational visuals here, a CG/reality splice that flickers between lush beauty and blistering action as Frankensteined genetic mutants, titanic battle-droids and a mythical superhero crash head-to-head in a war-lashed future world. Not that any of it makes much sense, you understand. The style overdrive comes via a baffling plot and paddling-pool character depth. In the end, it's almost warming to find Casshern join Battle Royale II in finally plumping for that most plaintive of sci-fi's humanist pleas: why can't we all just get along?
