I honestly don't understand why so many people like Rebuild 1 and 2 so much, but it would go a long way explaining why the standard of storytelling in anime is so shitty.
Rebuild 1 is a dull pile of mediocrity that makes the boneheaded decision to cram a few episodes with bugger-all tweaking or adjusting into a feature-length film (complete with overdone set-piece to justify the budget) and call it a day.
I can only speak on behalf of myself but I'd say I liked the first Rebuild film due to the fact that it was the Evangelion that I both know and love but with a new lick of paint. Presentation wise it isn't too removed from a remake of an old game. It retains what you love from the original whilst changing elements that makes it a bit more than just the same old Eva in a way that ultimately creates a whole new timeline and thus creates new possibilities in a world that you love.
Nothing is better executed than the original TV series from the music to the impact it had when you first watched it, characters are more watered down in the films but that's to be expected in a film. You can only do so much.
Overall it has great music, with new renditions of the original soundtrack, nice visuals and it's both familiar and different. Not perfect, but neither is the original TV series. It's good fun.
Rebuild 2 is a jumbled mess of storytelling decisions made with merchandising potential prioritized so far above the story that it's a mere blip on the horizon. Cue the vapid pink-suit chick who is in the film to sell as many pillows, plushies, figurines, and who knows what else, as possible. Let's not forgot Asuka's character being a sad, family-friendly, toothless shell of her former self, completely devoid of any of the characteristics that made her so interesting, a trait that carries through to pretty much all the characters in the film. And of course there is the blundering obsession with making every action scene BIGGER and more BADASS than before, which makes it all the more comical that the throw-down between Shinji and Zereul near the end isn't remotely as intense as it was in the original TV show. Finally, there is the ending, a crowd-pleaser run-of-the-mill 'find-your-inner-power-blah-blah' pile of shit. Shinji becomes a super action hero because who gives a fuck about consistency anyways. It would impress people who are watching the film for nothing but the pretty colors I suppose, but there seems to be a troubling amount of those.
In terms of the second film no doubt a lot of dubious additions are implemented to the mix. Mari is pointless thus far and detracts from the series although her motives and place and purpose (if she has one outside of being kawaii) will be hidden until the last film and even then we'll never know the full intentions as per Evangelion.
There's an obsession with making things with more grandeur no doubt but that comes with the format surely? It's a film and it's no different to End of Eva in that regard. The tone from the show to EoE is different too, fight scenes included. There are different expectations with something you go to the cinema to see and in fact 3.33 does exactly that. 3.33 spends time with Shinji just walking around and playing the piano and less time duking it out with angels although those scenes do exist.
In regards to Shinji becoming "a super action hero" at the end as you subtly put it in all honesty strikes me as something that goes against what you chastise the Rebuild series for (which is as you put it "a film with bugger-all tweaking or adjusting into a feature-length film complete with overdone set-piece to justify the budget and call it a day.") The second film changes things up, and makes it more appropriate for the film medium. Characters act a bit differently and go against the grain. I don't see how that's a negative when looking at what you said previously. Acting differently isn't a positive in and of itself but getting in the Eva unit and doing what he wanted to do was what everyone wanted out of Shinji, and when I say everyone that includes the audience I'd imagine. And it's hardly a crowd pleaser when you see everything come tumbling down at the first second 3.33 anyways
It's a film that is fun to watch, has again a great soundtrack and modernizes the series while retaining that Evangelion feeling. Also not perfect, but good fun no doubt.
Rebuild 3 is hot garbage. No need to explain why that sucks.
Cool.
Really what I love about the Rebuild series is the fact that its different and yet familiar. If I wanted to see a re-thread of the series word for word...I'd just watch the series.It holds up pretty well and the Blu-ray set is coming out next year after all. Really I'm glad that they're exploring every nook and cranny of the Eva universe. Its a new blank canvas and it allows them to do things with characters that they didnt and couldnt in the past. If they fuck it up, fine I can just return to the OG series and ignore the Rebuild series canon be damned. Thats the WORST case scenario. Best case scenario is I get 4 awesome films that have cool soundtracks, updated visuals and ones that take place in a world I love what characters that I love and have interest in all the whilst still keeping the original series untarnished. Seems like a win win to me!
