Paprika: A Must-See Sci-Fi Film

(a submitted reaction paper for my ENG10 class)

photo from this link

Paprika is a typical science fiction film that overstates the world in about 90 minutes. But, what is unique about it is it is able to make such exaggeration substantial to treating reality.

The story is about a gadget called DC-mini, a groundbreaking device invented by scientists from Foundation for Psychiatric Research that enables one to enter, save, watch and manipulate his dreams. Using this device, doctors can study and cure the illnesses of the human mind. However, it is stolen by an unknown thief who enters the dreams of many people and takes them into these dreams even though they are awake. Hence, it is the duty of its inventors- Dr. Chiba, Dr. Shima and Dr. Tokita- to find the thief in the psycho world with the help of Detective Kogawa and Chiba’s dream ego, Paprika.

Near the end, reality and dreams are overstated as they merge and bring the world into its destruction. But, the ending shows thicker twists which open stories of jealousy, friendship, ambition and love. As usual, the good men triumph and the villains fall short.

The simplicity of this anime is seen in its uncomplicated 2D technical style and trite sound effects. But, being a Japanese anime, there is the brilliance of unpredictable twists and abstract ideas that are, sometimes, hard to comprehend. Thus, Paprika is not an audience-friendly movie, though it is worth watching for a man who opens his mind to unsettled issues that, sometimes, films fail to portray. It is an excellent science fiction film that truly paves way to the ethical understanding of science that matured individuals must know.

Paprika refocuses what most sci-fi movies tend to put an emphasis on. Films like The Core, 2012 and Tidal Wave show that people strive to make the world better, predict what is unpredictable about the nature. Mostly, the focus is the world at large and, in some instances, to threaten people that this can happen so they should be ready. But, what about the things that are existing but already imperil our lives such as the pollution caused by factory’s machines, cars and artificial fertilizers? These are technological advances that harm, not only our environment, but mostly us as vulnerable humans. Paprika with DC-mini illustrates that our ambition to do work easier by inventing gadgets is an ambition that, sometimes, leads to regulating things that are meant to be uncontrollable. In the case of DC-mini, its purpose to manipulate dreams violates the natural existence of things that are supposed to be beyond man’s control. Knowingly or unknowingly, as shown in the film, we are put at risk by these gadgets as these transform the naturally-made to technologically-modified. Hence, who gets the blame? Just as how the three scientists struggle to find the DC-mini and stop the troubles it causes, man must also be responsible of handling science and using it for better living.

Moreover, Paprika unveils what is behind the goals that man injects in science.  Some sci-fi movies go directly to the problem- scientists detect a tsunami, an earthquake, an alien spaceship or an impending volcanic eruption. There is a chaos that unexpectedly arises and so later on, scientists devise a way to hamper it or at least, save the people. But, in Paprika, the invention of DC-mini is not only caused by the desire to help those who are in need but, also, by the desire of Tokita to share a dream with his best friend. This shows that the objective of science is not necessarily rooted from big societal needs; rather, it can also be entrenched from individual self-interests. Consequently, since science can sometimes be subjective, people must really be responsible for handling it with respect to the society as a whole.

Indeed, Paprika demonstrates that movie as an art is not just a creation for entertainment but also something that has duty to inform and be helpful in making a better society. It certainly develops the objectives of science fiction films making it a must-see one.