Entertaining, fast paced, and suspenseful, "Generator Gawl" combines elements of "Evangelion" and the "Terminator" movies with a brash good humor all its own. During a furious storm, three young men materialize in Tokyo in 2007: friendly, blond Ryo; aloof, intelligent Koji; and offbeat, irrepressible Gawl. They've come from the future to prevent biologist Takuma Nakasa from making the discoveries that will enable scientists to turn humans into metamorphic "Generators." Posing as students at prestigious Oju Academy, the trio take a room in the home of fellow student Masami. The eternally curious Masami drags her gentle friend Natsume into her investigation of the attractive lodgers. But they don't want to be investigated: they need to keep anyone from learning Gawl is a Generator who transforms into a fantastic monster to destroy the creatures protecting Nakasa. Director Seiji Mizushima skillfully balances the comic arguments between Gawl and Masami with philosophical discussions and hard-hitting action sequences. Koji, Ryo, Masami, and Gawl are ultimately pitted against the megalomaniacal Ryuko Saito in a conflict that determines the fate of humanity. The filmmakers never really resolve the paradoxes inherent in characters from the future attempting to change the past, but they make the story so engaging, it seems churlish to cavil over mere problems of logic and physics. Voice actors Monica Rial (Natsume) and Vic Mignogna (Gawl) offer exceptional performances, taking their characters from farce to tragedy in believable arcs. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Brief nudity, minor profanity, grotesque imagery, risqué humor, violence. "--Charles Solomon"