Movie review | Appleseed (Widescreen) (2004) | Ai Kobayashi, Jûrôta Kosugi

Great animé and a very enjoyable film | Appleseed (Widescreen) (2004) | Ai Kobayashi, Jûrôta Kosugi

DVDs:


	• Appleseed (Widescreen) (2004) Ai Kobayashi, Jûrôta Kosugi Geneon [Pioneer], 2005 average customer review:based on 116 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

AMAZING from beginning to end!!

I knew nothing about Appleseed before catching this movie on cable. I couldn't look away and remember turning to my wife (who also enjoyed it which surprised me!) and saying, "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!".

Truly, one of the most visually amazing movies I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

I'm disappointed that I never got the chance to see this on the big screen - that would have really been a treat. If you haven't seen this and are thinking about buying it - do it. I wouldn't usually say that, but this is not your usualy movie. 5 stars all the way.

*** WARNING! My version of the Special Edition DVD came with a gold action figure - as soon as I pulled it out of the package, small parts fell off of it. Definitely not for kids. *****

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Movie review

Thought the effort and lengths gone to, to estabilish a good story line while not drowning the film in too much graphic detail was well balanced. The graphics used throughout were well above average and i recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of anime.

Great animé and a very enjoyable film

Appleseed does have some flaws and I think that one of those is that the film could have been a little longer - the film makers could have explored the characters a little more. However, Appleseed is beautiful to behold and the animation is state-of-the-art. The story is good, although not great, and it is a clear tribute to the Beauty & the Beast classic.

The outdoor scenes are nothing short of breathtaking and some are almost indistinguishable from reality. Yet the film makers have continued to use a more tradition Animé style with the human and bioroid protagonists. The women look faintly doll-like. This is just a manifestation of the Animé style and I didn't mind it at all.

I've watched Appleseed a few times now and I return to it from time to time. I find it entertaining and thought provoking. I hope the film makers revisit this world some time.

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WOW!

State of the art animation with a SOLID story to give the viewer a look at what animation could be. It ROCKS!!!

Enjoyable, but misses the mark

Appleseed is an enjoyable, if ultimately cliche and hollow, anime film.

The story centers around Deunan Knute, a soldier who is whisked away by a Bioroid (genetically engineered humanoid) named Hitomi to the utopian city of Olympus as part of a rather stereotypical anime political controversy. Awaiting her in the city is Briareos, her former comrade and lover who, after nearly getting killed himself, is a cyborg, much more machine than man.

While I won't spoil any of the major plot points in this review, I will state that this film had the potential to be more than just an action flick. There were many questions raised in the film (the ethics of genetic engineering, where the line between humanity and machine blurs, the humanitarian price of keeping such a utopia whole, etc), but, unfortunately, none were answered. Instead of fleshing out the philosophical quandries that were an essential aspect of the film's background, the plot focused on action. While the action scenes were enjoyable to watch (more on this in a moment), most didn't really feel integral to the film's story.

The film is entirely rendered in CG. While I enjoyed the look and feel of the film, it is largely a matter of taste, so your mileage may vary. Let me say, though, that, to this date, I haven't seen an anime film that has felt so alive. Between the realism of the background sets (especially the water effects), and the motion captured actors, the film, by and large, feels almost lifelike. The mechs do look a bit squat, but that gives them a certain weight. Perhaps the most glaring flaw is that of the characters' faces, but even that's a slight quibble compared to what the film does right visually.

The action scenes themselves were pretty cliche. There were Matrix-esque slow motion bits, and even a "do something at a control panel before time runs out" bit. The opening scene felt like an homage to the ending of Ghost in the Shell, especially when the tanks showed up. Given this film's background, that sort of tipping of the cap was a welcome addition.

Emotionally, the film is a bit flat. There's a bit of psychobabble (repressed memories and the like) which serves as the catalyst for our heroine's emotional revival, and there's a 'death' scene that serves no apparent purpose. The rest is all paint-by-numbers. By the end of the film, my feelings towards the characters were neutral at best.

The majority of the music was done by the Boom Boom Satellites. Think Matrix/Blade techno and you'll be on the right track.

In the end, Appleseed is the equivalent of a good popcorn flick. There's the potential for something much greater lying just underneath the surface, but none of that potential is ever reached. Instead, we're left with a stylish, flashy, action-packed film. There's nothing wrong with that, but I can't help but feel that the story of Appleseed would be better served in a series where the characters and plot could be fleshed out over several episodes. 110 minutes (give or take) just isn't enough time to deliver on the film's premise.

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