Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time (Collector’s Edition) (4K UHD Review)

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time is the fourth and final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, which retells the story of the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion anime franchise. It is nine years since the last film, You Can (Not) Redo, was released and it was well worth the wait – and the hype!

The film begins dealing with the aftermath of the events in the previous film. Shinji is devastated and barely able to exist after his friend was killed. Rei is exploring life outside Nerv, trying to develop an identity of her own. The villain Gendo’s storyline is expanded upon in this film, diving deeper into his motivations and unhinged personality.

From there we are taken into a deep dive of unintelligible techno-speak, technological advances that really have no explanation, and surreal, dreamlike set pieces that serve mostly to take away from the action narrative. The film has a veneer of intellectualism and psychological depth, but after going through it twice, that sense falls apart quickly. It is more like the filmmakers were trying their hardest to create something intelligent and powerful but instead birthed a shallow pretentious film.

This is not to say that Thrice Upon a Time is all bad, it is not. In fact, this is a gorgeously designed and animated that provides some very inventive action sequences and character designs. For fans of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, this film does deliver on wrapping up the stories, delivering some answers, and, with the exception of a major plot twist, stays fairly close to the original story arc.

People who first came to Evangelion through Neon Genesis may find this film cold, detached, and removed from the original, but even with its flaws, newcomers and some longtime fans will still find a lot here to love.

The Video

The original digital animation for Evangelion was done at 2K resolution. There was a 4K upscale for theatrical release that also had Dolby Vision. Oddly enough, this 4K Ultra HD release of the film is only in SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). That being said, this is one of the finest looking anime film transfers I have ever seen. Even without the HDR this looks vibrant and dynamic. The picture is clean, crisp, and free from noise and banding. This is reference quality through and through.

The Audio

This fourth Evangelion film comes with the original Japanese-language mix and an English dub, both in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This is one of the best anime mixes I have heard recently, with balanced sound, solid sound effects in the surrounds, wide dynamics, and extended low end.

The Supplements

The three discs are encased in a rigid box and include the following:

Collector’s Edition Content:

• 28-page book
• Art cards
• Poster

Bonus Features:

• Blu-ray with Feature

Special Blu-ray Disc:

• Teasers (1080p; 00:02:53)
• Trailers (1080p; 00:06:03)
• Additional Trailer 1080p; 00:02:55)
• TV Spots (1080p; 00:01:59)
• Updated Trailer (1080p; 00:00:37)
• Promotion Reel for SNS (1080i; 00:02:27)
• Character Promotion Reel (1080p; 00:02:06)
• Current Evangelion (1080p; 00:01:34)
• Message for Kinro (1080i; 00:01:32)
• Message for ANN (1080p; 00:29:41)
• Stage Greetings (1080i; 00:17:30)
• :1.11. :2.22. :3.33 – Trailer for 4D (1080p; 00:00:31)
• Rebuild of Evangelion:3.0+1.11 (1080p; 00:16:01)
• Evangelion:3.0(-46h) 5.1ch (1080p; 00:10:42)
• Evangelion:3.0(-46h) 2.0ch (1080p; 00:10:42)
• Evangelion:3.0)-120min) 5.1ch (1080p; 00:06:59)
• Evangelion:3.0(-120min) 2.0ch (1080p; 00:06:59)
• :3.0+1.11 – TV Spot (1080p; 00:00:17)
• :3.0+1.11 – Promotion Reel (1080p; 00:02:47)

The Final Assessment

The stunning animation and artwork of Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time ‘pop’ brilliantly in this 4K transfer and collector’s edition. It may be a weak entry, but it is a good final entry in the way it wraps up the stories and journeys of the characters.

Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time (Collector’s Edition) is out on 4K Ultra HD Combo October 17, 2023, from Shout! Studios

• Rating Certificate: TV-MA
• Animation Studio: Studio Khara
• Distributors:GKIDS | Shout! Studios
• Directors: Anno Hideaki | Tsurumaki Kazuya | Nakayama Katsuichi | Maeda Mahiro
• Written By: Anno Hideaki
• Run Time: 155 Mins.
• Street Date: 17 October 2023
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: SDR
• Primary Audio: Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH | English for Original Language Version | Spanish for Original Language Version | French for Original Language Version