BY CHRIS ZIMMERMAN

Compressing a story as large and complex as Naoki Urasawa's manga series "20^th Century Boys" is no easy task. The task would be daunting for any filmmaker; thankfully, director Yukihiko Tsutsumi was more than up to the task, taking the Peter Jackson route and condensing the series into a trilogy that is meant to be viewed as one massive film.

It's never easy being the middle component of a trilogy but "the Last Hope" fulfils its role very well, bridging the gap between the first and third movie while pushing the plot forward while still maintaining an identity of its own.

Jumping forward 15 years after the events of the previous film, now referred to as "bloody new years eve", the enigmatic friend has consolidated his power and expanded his influence over all of Japan. Kenji Endo, the protagonist from the first movie is dubbed a terrorist and presumed dead. Most of his comrades who banded together to stop friend and prevent the "book of prophesy" from being fulfilled have either been captured or just altogether vanished. Instead, Kenji's niece Kanna has taken up the fight against Friend in an effort to prove her uncle's innocence.

Kanna's determination lands her in a re-education center where she attempts to uncover Friend's true identity. While her role is not fully explained, she is considered something of a savior as she can convert others to her cause and even displays ESP.

Sometime between the first movie and this one, a second book of prophesy has emerged. The book states that a savior will rise only to be slain before the masses. Most believe this to be Kanna though the film also hints at there being the possibility that it is in fact Friend.

As with the first film, the action jumps between various time periods, building on the mystery of Friend's true identity. While some answers are given to questions raised in the first movie, even more questions arise as Kanna digs deeper into Friend's history.

With the introductions of the main characters out of the way, this installment was allowed to breathe more and move at a brisker pace. Despite clocking in at around two and a half hours, the film is gripping and clever enough that it is never in risk of being boring. Most of the credit belongs to the cast who had an entire first movie to flesh out their characters so that the audience would be invested in them.

Since this is only the second of the planned trilogy, the film leaves it's viewers dangling on a pretty major cliff hanger that sets up the third and final film nicely. There is less exposition and more action as the series gears up for its inevitable conclusion. The ultimate revelations to come should be enough to entice fans back, if for no other reason than to see their patience rewarded.

Special Features: Original and English Trailers