God's Justice Unites All Earthlings...

There are spiritual themes resonating throughout Isamu Imakake's indie anime feature The Laws of the Universe - The Age of Elohim, an April 26th Random Media release set 150 million years ago at a time when various aliens lived in harmony under the God of the Earth, Elohim. Elohim rules over the planet and offers peace, sanctuary, and reincarnation equally to all. However, there is a darker side of the Universe that rejects these values and plots to attack Earth as guided by Dahar and Evol, a primitive military leader whose malevolence is easily manipulated. Yaizael responds to Earth's distress in the nick of time - Evol's invasion met by Sagittarius's seven archangels including Amor, Michael and, yes, Lucifer. 

The Laws of the Universe - The Age of Elohim is an expansion of the Happy Science cinematic universe, a more fundamental anime than predecessor The Mystical Laws yet also an anime that more clearly brings into light basic the movement's basic principles in a way that's easily understood. Given the obvious presence of a higher being throughout the two-hour running time of The Laws of the Universe, the desired tension more often gives way to appreciating the unfolding story rather than expecting a lack of resolution. It's fairly clear throughout which side will win this conflict. 

The world-building in The Laws of the Universe is attractive, a sort of retro 80's vibe manifesting throughout and even the vocal work giving the film a sense of comfortable familiarity and yet also warmth. The Andromedan Army is compellingly rendered and Evol's Centaurus Betans are captivating in appearance and presentation. Despite the fact that I felt like I knew the story from early on, and I was mostly right, this was a film I enjoyed watching from beginning to end. 

While some may shy away from the film's obvious messaging, The Laws of the Universe - The Age of Elohim is an entertaining, meaningful film with strong symbolism and a clear connection to Imakake's work and the writings of Ryuho Okawa and Sayaka Okawa. It will resonate more with those who embrace its messaging, though it's also a film that will easily stand-alone from other films and can easily be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with Imakake or Happy Science. The film's sci-fi elements are strong and vividly brought to life here and the vocal work is emotionally resonant throughout the film's ensemble. 

The Laws of the Universe - The Age of Elohim benefits from strong hand-drawn animation and original music that brings the film's dialogue and story vibrantly to life. While there's an abundance of action, it doesn't overwhelm the film or its messages. This is not, thankfully, the spectacle of Dune or the lunacy of Battlefield Earth.

There is much to love about the award-winning The Laws of the Universe - The Age of Elohim. The film opens via all your major streaming outlets on April 26th and further enhances the growing cinematic presence of Imakake and Ryuho Okawa here in the U.S. and a message of unity in a world that can seem so incredibly divided these days. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic