Growing out of the chaos of a global war, the city of Utopia is populated by humans and bioroids (artificial humans). On the surface, everything is harmonious, but tensions lurk. Into this seemingly perfect society comes a survivor of the wars, Deunan Knute, who carries a legacy that will turn out to be of critical importance to the future of humanity.
(Source: ANN)
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infinity
--> Intro: Appleseed (AS) tells the story of Deunan and Briaeros, mates on the battlefield. The story revolves around battles, mechas, utopian philosophy and some romance. You will also know about Bioroids, which are cloned humans, but with distinct identities. --> Animation: (10/10) Really, earning a 10 from me is tough, but Appleseed really amazed me in terms of sheer graphic quality. It's a perfect blend of traditional animation, coupled with very well made CG. The backgrounds and environments are extremely detailed and well done. The same quality can be found in the character designs. Just see how detailed Deunan's hair is, or how the general mechas aredone. At one point, you see Deunan resting on a bed. As she drops, you can even see the bed sheets crumpling in very realistic ways. Or the various water and nature scenes, specially rain. They are truly magnificent. AS's animation really deserves applause.
--> Sound: (8/10)
Not much to say here, since the music score of AS is not really that varied. The action scenes have their BGM and I can say these were well selected. They really highlight the action. Dramatic scenes too have their appropriate music, and here too, it's ok. Not much to say, nothing bad, nothing absolutely noticeable. Character voices are well done. However, Deunan's voice is kind of too "feminine". Ok, I know she's a girl, but still, after seeing her fight? I'd put a graver voice on her. xD
--> Story: (9/10)
The story too is really awesome. The plot is consistent, and has lots of twists and turns, until you are told of the final secret, which you really don't expect. The plots flow smoothly, giving details as they flow, and not just flood you at the end. It's an interesting story, very sc-fi like, peppered with a good dose of action. You won't be bored watching it. Maybe at the beginning, when there is quite a lot of talking, but it does not last long. It's a nice story about humans, bioroids, how an utopia functions, how humans can be intolerant, and how the desire for total utopia can be bad. It has some subtle philosophy too, mind you! Overall, I liked.
--> Characters: (7/10)
Maybe, this is the only point AS deceived me a bit. The characters themselves are interesting to follow, and learn about. Their stories and backgrounds are very plausible. But what I didn't appreciate is Deunan and Briaeros hogging all the screen time. They are present in almost every scene! What about the side characters? In my opinion, they didn't get developed enough. We could have been given more details about their lives and backgrounds. Consider Hitomi. At the end, we still don't know much about her. About her life after work, her relationships and stuff, even if she's the secondary female lead! Even the main characters Deunan and Briaeros didn't get that much of elaboration. The developers of AS should have included a bit more of character elaboration.
--> Enjoyment: (8/10)
It's not really a light film to just sit there and enjoy. Barely any humor in it. The enjoyment comes from the great storyline and the well-made action scenes. I, personally, really enjoyed it. AS also has a good rewatch value. I have rewatched it 3 times, just for the battle scenes and the story.
--> Outro (Overall: 8/10):
AS makes a good story, combined with well-made animation and ok-type characters. Therefore, it makes a good watch. Go check it out, you will probably not regret it.
Proserpina
STORY: 5/10 The plot wasn't all bad. The internal conflict was a particularly fascinating thing, particularly when you find out who the real enemy is. And the idea that a peaceful society is really a cage may be used a lot, but is still interesting in its own way. However, for people like myself who haven't read the manga beforehand, the history of this distopian universe might be difficult to comprehend, thus decreasing any real enjoyment plot-wise, as you're left wondering "why?" the whole time. All you get is that some global war is going on, and then "bam!" suddenly this "utopia" comes into play, andthe previous fighting doesn't mean a thing.
ART: 10/10
One thing I can definitely agree to is that Appleseed has some truly fantastic animation. Even if it possessed nothing else, that the art is spectacular is something nobody can deny. The opening sequence was especially eye-catching, with the distopian city design.
SOUND: 8/10
Being something of a dance music fan, I loved the soundtrack to the movie. Basement Jaxx, Boom Boom Satellites and Paul Oakenfold's work gave me something new to add to my rapidly growing iTunes playlist, and I'm a particular fan of the songs "Good Luck" and "Burns Attack." They all seemed to tie in well with the scene in which they appeared also.
CHARACTER: 3/10
Kinda bland, I have to say. They replace character depth with lots of action, and the writers seemed more interested in displaying Deunan's "kick-assery" rather than her personality. There wasn't as much insight into Deunan and Briareos' relationship as I believe there should've been, and while there was obviously some tension due to Briareos' being a cyborg, I still thought that particular aspect could've been portrayed better. Uranus and Hades were interesting in their dislike for bioroids, and Hitomi was a curious choice for Deunan's "best friend." Otherwise, the stage goes entirely to the Elders, and the choices they made.
ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: 5/10
Okay, so, Appleseed is nothing spectacular. Shiny fight scenes, boppy music and pretty animation sequences make it worth the watch for some like myself, though if you're looking for intricate plot and detailed characters it may be best to divert elsewhere.
ktulu007
Appleseed is a film based on the work of Shirow Masamune, the Mangaka behind Ghost in the Shell. The film adaptation was handled by Digital Frontier and the now defunct Micott & Basara. The manga may very well be on the same level as the Ghost in the Shell manga, I don't know since I haven't read it, but the question is whether or not the film is any good. Story: Deunan Knute is an elite soldier during a global war. During one battle a strange group barges in and takes her to Olympus, a Utopian society where humans are living a peaceful coexistence with a newspecies that strongly resembles humans but were artificially constructed and have some distinct differences, called “bioroids.” Deunan quickly learns that not everything is as idyllic as it seems. There are some humans who hate the bioroids and she quickly finds herself entangled in the conflict between two factions, one of which is opposed to bioroids existing and the other which wants to safeguard the society that's been built with its peaceful coexistence. Things quickly become more complicated as Deunan starts getting hints that there may be something deeper behind this conflict.
The biggest flaw of this film is that the main antagonists' plan isn't actually bad. I can't go into many details since its only revealed in the last ten minutes or so, but as soon as it's revealed all the tension immediately disperses because even if they succeed it won't be all that big of a deal. Another problem is with the ending. There's a huge deus ex moment in order to force a “happy” ending. Yeah, if you can't figure out a way for the characters to get out of a scenario without making a bigger sacrifice than you want them to, either change the scenario or have the ovarian fortitude to have a tragic ending with some major sacrifices. The deus ex route is the worst way to go. Then we have the romantic subplot. In theory, the setup could work. The problem is that our leads have no chemistry. There's none shown through the narrative, the animation or vocal performances. Deunan has more chemistry with the bioroid girl who supposedly can't feel love than with this guy. Hell, she has more chemistry with her pistol. There are also some clunky exposition moments where characters go into information that everyone on screen already knows just because the audience doesn't and there's a bit where they have three major revelations in a short span of time and it just comes across as rushed and clunky.
On the positive side, there are some really compelling facets to the world that gets built up in Appleseed. There are also some good ideas behind the various revelations and they could have all really worked if they'd been spread out and developed more instead of clustered together. Aside from the clustered revelations, the pacing works really well and there are a lot of interesting ideas behind the whole thing.
Characters:
I'll give the film credit for trying to have complex characters, and none of them are badly done, but most of them just don't move beyond bland. Deunan is a pretty good character and there are some interesting things going on with Athena as well. Then you've got characters like Briareos or the elders who are just kind of generic and characters like Hades, Nike, Hitomi or Uranus who have potential but aren't fully realised as characters so it gets largely wasted.
Art:
The CG in this is kind of stilted and there are a lot of janky movements. There are also some cases of the characters having awkward expressions that don't really match their dialogue. It's vastly superior to the CG in the Galerians OVA, but that isn't saying much. To be fair, it was made in 2004 and you can understand why it looks like cut scenes from a PS2 game since the technology wasn't really there yet, at least I can't think of a purely CG movie from that time that did it better, but it's still pretty awkward.
Sound:
There are some pretty solid performances. Kobayashi Ai, Kosugi Juurouta and Koyama Mami do particularly well. The music is okay. It's not particularly good, but it works fine.
Ho-yay:
There are some scenes, particularly early on, where Hitomi and Deunan seem a bit homo-erotic. Which is a bit disturbing given one of the tidbits of information you get later. There's also a scene where Deunan hugs Athena and her hands go right to Athena's bum. I'm not sure if it's a deliberate yuri moment or just an art fail, though. Since the two of them have barely interacted before that point.
Final Thoughts:
Appleseed is not a bad movie but it's not a good one either. It has some great ideas, but the story is riddled with problems and the characters are largely just mediocre. Maybe the manga's better and features more development for the plot line and characters but for the film I have to give it a 5/10. Tomorrow, I'll continue this week of film reviews with Fusion Reborn.
bedheadred
Appleseed explores humanity's future, who should decide that fate and the consequences of technology in a Utopia populated by humans and bioroids, artificial humans with suppressed emotions and reproduction. During a spectacular opening battle, the heroine, Deunan, is captured and taken to this Utopia. While this was a really exciting way to captivate the viewer, the battle had absolutely nothing to do with the movie except concrete the idea that Deunan is a superior soldier. Enter her previous partner and lover, Briareos, now in cyborg form. The movie could have explored their back story or the struggle with their current emotions, but they were leftlargely undeveloped. All characters were introduced but never really given life, which is a shame because they had great potential.
The story line was predictable due largely to obvious foreshadowing. The viewer is always aware that the villain in the forefront is being manipulated behind the scenes. The dialogue tried to express the characters' grand moral resolve, but mostly came off as cheesy.
The movie has beautiful choreographed battles, an adept female lead, trendy soundtrack and well executed CGI animation. Appleseed fits the bill if you are looking for a visually stunning, mindless sci-fi action flick. If you are looking for depth, you should probably look elsewhere.
GoodEnoughForMe
The 2004 remake of the Appleseed story is a watchable affair, but one that seemingly increases the flaws of the original 1988 release while also detracting from its strengths. Appleseed once again benefits from a strong female lead, one not afraid to kickass, and one not sexualized. Deunan is picked up by members of E.S.W.A.T, an elite special ops unit, and is immediately entrusted with a lot of the most vital secret of Utopia, an attempted, get this, utopian human city. This city is home to a population made up half of human, and half of Bioroids, genetically manufactured being with suppressed emotional states, designedto keep the peace.
However, unlike the 1988 version, which set up a largely morally ambiguous conflict, this 2004 version is much more black and white, and it's of detriment to the film. The human uprising perpetrated by the army is one less of legitimate grievances, considering the role humans have in government is substantial this time, and more of a direct power grab. Deunan and her allies stand in the way of the bad guys, as they try to maintain a level of stability in Utopia.
Here's the problem with Appelseed 2004; it attempts to layer on even more subplots than the original, without really explaining any of them. There is quite a lot going on here; a council of elders overseeing the city hand in hand with a giant computer, a quasi-double-triple-cross by Deunan's partner in arms, Briareos. A familial twist with Deunan, and some cruelties committed against her by the very people she is now up against. It all comes too fast and too often, and each plot development is rarely explored nor has its significance justified.
This film also suffers from some pretty cheesy, elementary moralizing speeches, that attempt to convey relevance and importance but essentially end up very pedestrian. The exposition in this film leaves a lot left to be desired, because it rarely focuses on what you want to know, instead delivering heavy-handed explanations of things the viewer probably has already realized.
The Deunan and Briareos relationship is sorely underutilized. Former lovers, Briareos is now mostly machine on the outside due to injuries sustained in battle, but still retains his personality and "humanity." While it would have been cliché, exploring whether or not Deunan's romantic interest could exist with a man that looks more machine now could have been fairly compelling. Sadly, it's never really explored.
All of this combined with plot twists that are predictable, and a very typical - especially to sci-fi - main villain, leaves you feeling like this movie is wasted potential. Still, the main protagonists are solid enough characters to stand on their own, Deunan and Athena the prime minister, in particular. And when the script is not handing them some cheesy speeches, it manages to convey their desperation and struggle well.
The 3D animation is also solid if unspectacular, much like the voice acting and soundtrack. It all helps to lend to my belief that the film as a whole is solid, if unspectacular. The Appleseed universe is a very compelling one, and there's a lot of good moral conflict to explore. Sadly, this film does not really do that.
5/10
MiraFirefly
This animation is, in my mind, a complete slander to the original manga. Of course, these things are all a matter of perspective and of one's personal interests and priorities in a film, but the original really captured me in a unique way and was one of my first great loves in manga. It has going for it a wonderful mixture of obvious dedication and craft, high detail, geeky technophilia, memorable and dimensional characters, thoughtful reflection, '80s nostalgia, labyrinthine plot and excitement that make for a real sci-fi manga classic. Like Shirow Masamune's art, his story writing is complex, twisting to the point of being deeplyconfusing (a quality I actually like), and has the feel of something created by a highly talented drooling nerd moreso than a polished professional. This is why I like it.
This movie is completely different, and has almost none of the endearing, exciting and memorable qualities that make Appleseed one of my favorite comics. It's almost like an American action film; the eccentric and personal feel of Shirow's artwork is sacrificed for very dark, glossy and hard-feeling cel-shaded 3D that significantly ups the "dark future" feel but completely changes the tone of the piece and glosses over many of the personal eccentricities that make Shirow's manga art so good and so appropriate for the piece. Much of the plot - many of the good parts, in my opinion - is sacrificed so that a long and complex story can be chopped down to meet the limitations of a feature film. It's more than that, though; it's an action film. The manga is certainly fun, exciting and violent, but an "action manga" it is not; the violence means something. It's there for a purpose. In the animation, it's really just violence for violence's sake. Bri and Deunan have none of the charm and almost none of the character development that underpin the manga, and other favorite characters aren't shown at all. The philosophy of the story is more or less completely glossed over, and what comes out is a shallow, meaningless film. The technophilia is very present, but at what cost? Where went the never-ending, wandering plot? The '80s-tastic big hair? Where are the scenes of quiet reflection, the interpersonal relationships, the confusing developments? This is not the Appleseed I know, which would be less of a problem if the new version were able to live up to the memorable qualities of the original. It doesn't.
Adapting a long, twisting and philosophical piece of violent cyberpunk manga to feature film has been done before, and successfully - more than successfully. Remember Akira?
I wish the creators of this movie - the scriptwriter particularly - had given Akira a closer look. Successfully truncating a story like this one into a movie that retains its magic is a very difficult task, and the creators of the 2004 Appleseed movie failed. Miserably.
ParisainGoldfish
Surprisingly enough, I prefer the 2004 Appleseed to it's successor, Ex Machina. I haven't seen this art style really applied anywhere but Appleseed, which is a shame really, because the blend of CGI and anime art is really quite cool. Story; 7. Admittedly, this is not really the strong point of either of these movies; moreso this one. While I enjoyed it a great deal more than Ex Machina, the story itself was much less developed. It's difficult to explain really, because the premise here is more engaging, however it isn't elaborated on thoroughly enough and the climactic battle scene paled in comparison to numerous scenesearlier, which made the build up kind of worthless. They had good ideas, they just executed them poorly. And the pacing felt rushed; I wanted more at the end, and sadly there was none.
Art; 10. This is probably the high point of the whole Appleseed deal; the art. Unlike CGI films like Advent Children and Resident Evil, Appleseed looks clearly like an anime in many aspects. The characters have the now-traditional doe eyes, impossibly colored hair, and fairly small mouths. However, this traditional anime look was fed through a CG filter, and the end result I think is most closely akin to cel-shaded video games, but much more detailed. And the art served the action well, and all of the characters looked quite cool. Some of the coolest art around, it's a shame no one else really has done anything with it.
Sound; 9. The Basement Jaxx are a musical act I have followed for years, so the opening title was a treat. Paul Oakenfold, among others, lent this soundtrack a very befitting cyberpunk feel, and was never used in a distracting manner. Nice work.
Character; 7. This should be higher, because I liked nearly all the characters. Hitomi, Deunan, Briareos; they all had awesome character models, and the idea of the continuing romance between a full fledged machine and a human was honestly a sweet idea. But they didn't make this long enough! Therefore, the characters lack a lot of depth, as cool as they all are.
Enjoyment/Overall; 8. Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina are solid futuristic, scifi thrills. The art is really creative and fun, the music is atmospheric and well placed, and the cast (though undeveloped) is colorful and enjoyable. I'd really like to see a full series come out of these movies, because they have a lot of really wonderful material. But until then, these movies are more than enough for anyone who falls into this niche. I just wish we had more!
Kryptonot_7471
Based on the manga from Masamune Shirow and directed by... (Hold on a second... let's see... AH!) Shinji Aramaki - man behind such works as... I suppose he previously directed “Part 3” of Megazone. You know: the Weakest Megazone 23 OVA. He directed that. Therefore it comes as no surprise, that this movie is as much of a cliched jumbled mess of a ideas as it is. And don't even get me started on the dated CGI that ruins almost every single character design (except Briareos). Appleseed (2004) is a CGI Blockbuster Action Sci-Fi Movie that somehow takes a Simple Story/Concept and ruins much of thefun or intrigue surrounding it. Perhaps the most telling way that it accomplishes this is by breaking every single rule of "Show don't Tell" and spoonfeeding every fucking detail in every single conversation possible. That last part might be a little exaggerated, but Jesus Christ, it comes pretty damn close to it.
With a Fitting introduction surrounding an opening 6 minute action scene with no context or investment, all filled with dated matrix esq. timelapse sequences. A little after it wastes no time and It quickly ruins Hitomi by turning her from a fun-loving party-girl to a hollow exposition dumping machine. She has one scene that remotely resembles emotion and it’s an "on-the-nose" cliched dialogue about "love" and "anger" instead of the "show don't tell" from the 1988 Movie with Hitomi trying and failing to flirt with guys, while drunk from the partying.
In fact, Most of the Characters just feel like stiff versions of their original counterparts. Deunan is mopy and depressed instead of being a fun-loving badass. Briareos is stiff, unusually bitter and cold for much of the runtime rather than being a Man of Steel Armor with a Heart of Gold. (In the same vain as perhaps Alphonse from FMA.) Athena's role in the Movie is confusing and never expounded the same way it was in the Original, despite this movie's longer runtime. Hitomi is ruined the most perhaps, going from her bubbly charming personality to this boring CGI husk of a person.
The Witty Comedy that gave the Characters a sense of lighthearted fun, likeability and breathing room between the Drama is also GONE! Not even just toned down, it simply isn't there. I do not remember there being a single joke. Not even from Hitomi, it makes the characters downright boring. It's instead replaced with constant usage of exposition that is placed without any respect to the context of its scenes.
Perhaps the Biggest Flaw of this Movie is the lack of Good Villains and a complete Lack of Moral Ambiguity. This is not to say, that every good story needs it, however, when dealing with philosophical themes it fails miserably precisely because of a lack of ambiguity. The Main Villains of this Movie are TERRIBLE. In direct contrast, the villains in the 88 Anime were compelling, their motives were reasonable and understandable. They had a coherent ideology and real sense of purpose. "DA Ebil Cliched Military" Villains pale in comparison to 'the Terrorist and the Traitor' from the first Movie. They have no clear reasons for disliking the Biodroids or the Order of GAAIA, other than "oh, they're just ebil natzeees!" it's ridiculously black-n-white, one-dimensional and plain childish. What this means for the Themes is that it makes them one-sided, simplistic messages that are NOT open to questioning, or disagreement, which ends up becoming a detriment to the conflict and the themes, thereby making them NOT compelling.
The Action Scenes all focus on being as bombastic as possible, trying to squeeze as much action into the scene as possible instead of intricately delivering with planning and/or skill. (i,e; the shooting scene near the end of the first movie, or the arrest of the terrorists.) There are only about two scenes that are anything close to providing good action. There is also a considerable lack of stakes (until the very end) which makes it plain boring to watch.
Around an hour into the movie, we finally get an effective flashback scene that is done half-decently, right after which we return to the same "ebil military", exposition dump, "tell-don't-show" crap, with 4 plot-twists in quick succession, making the plot feel bloated and overdone, much like the graphics.
Speaking of which, the Dated CGI becomes an eye-sore after a while and Janky-looking Character Animation ruins the emotions that the characters are supposed to express. Couple that with the Horrible Soundtrack, with hipster music and compositions that sound like they belong in a 2000s B-movie or low budget video-game.
Which is why I am completely lost and confused as to why this is rated higher than the 1988 OVA that did far more with far little. It's a shame that adaptation is acknowledged less as it was significantly better. The only thing that the 2004 Film has over the 1988 Film was the Dub. The Dubbing was an improvement, obviously because more modern dubs tend to be better produced, however other than that I could not see a single thing that this Film did even moderately well.
4.5/10 (Bad CGI Blockbuster Movie from the Early 2000s, with much of the cliches of that Era.)
SpudUK
Unlike my last review (Evangelion), im going to approach this as a viewer rather than a critic. Ill also stick to the format as its easier. I'll try to stay spoiler-free. Also note I watched the Subbed version, and in Blue-Ray, so consider this when reading. Story: Appleseed comes across as a very intelligent film. Its uses the time of the story to good effect and gives it the freedom to create what they have. But in short, Set in a fiction city called Olympus, its about Humans living together with 'Bioroids' a being that is created from human genetics, but with the ability to be programs. Thinkof it as a cyborg, they are organic (including the potential ability to reproduce) but have mechanical elements.
Of course, the humans are pissed off and think that Bioroids will attempt to overthrow humanity, but bioroids are not built with emotions of anger towards humans (of sorts) and would prefer to live in harmony with them. But obviously, its not as simple as that.
While it has an interesting twist towards the end, the story is just a variation of the Humans & Robots scenario which has been done to death. They could have expanded it a bit further with what 'Appleseed' actually did to do what it does (without giving too much away), as its never quite explained. The romance story between the two main characters, Deunan Knute and Briareos, was also quite weak despite plenty of coverage. The chemestry between them just never seemed to materalise.
However, despite its deceptive originality, its very solid. Few plot holes here and there (like the ambush, are we told who they are? Message me for others I spotted), but its a fun take on a decent concept.
7/10
Art:
This is down to personal taste, in my opinion. The art is very cel-shaded esk. and is down to whether you prefer the more abstract art or a realistic look. I wasn't fond of it to start with, but it did grow on me and at times, it did look stunning. But its really a marmite type look. I found it very good, especially in blue ray. The reason it didnt get higher is because it did look a bit jerky with the animation in one or two places.
8/10
Sound:
Its good but nothing spectacular. The music during some of the intense action scenes where very fitting for the specticle, but the more sutle seens could have done a bit better. And the voice acting wasn't great either. I thought there was something wrong with it to start as they sounded like they were standing too far from their mics. And some of them don't fit with the character (Briareos being a prime example). But it does improve as it goes on, so it is redeemed in that sense. But it could have been better overall.
7/10
Characters:
Probably the most important aspect of any show, the characters are vital. In Appleseed, its a bit of a mixed bag. Deunan Knute, the female lead, is sort like an urban soldier and is easily the best character here. She is sensitive and kicks alot of ass, while her character is about the only one that develops are regular pace. It's her that possibly make Appleseed as good as it is (i.e. without her, its pretty pants).
The rest of the cast, while are looked into briefly, are not really explained and could just be seen as extras, barring Briareos and Athene (bioroid president of Olympus), which are a bit more involved. Hitomi is OK but she could have been better if they had expanded her interest in the love emotions she was curious about, and a deeper personality. She just seems a bit like a PA to Deunan for the whole film. The rest of the cast, while are likeable, are forgettable and make minor contributions to the overall output.
A bit more on Deunan's mother would have been good too, but it is Deunan that is the stand out character in the film. Not quite as charismic and deep as Masamune Shirow's other creation, Mitoko from GitS, she is still badass and redeems an otherwise average-at-best cast.
7/10
Enjoyment:
I found it good fun. If you like action, then Appleseed with wet your appetite for it. It is explosive and very detailed in how the action is crafted, and highlights its stronger points of the film. But the rest is never quite engaging enough to be interesting. Flashbacks make for a change, but its hardly the most exciting of elements and is a bit overused (especially with Deunan's realisation which could have been created a little tighter and polished). If your looking for an overly deep story, then you could try this, but you would find others alot more complex and interesting (GitS, Evangelion, Akira to name a few) elsewhere. IF you like action however, then I'd recommend it.
7/10
Overall Summary:
Its a solid film. Not having seen the original OVA or read the manga, I can't compare, but it is good fun if you like intense action scenes and are a fan of cartoonish/cel-shaded art. IF your want complexity, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
All comments and opinions on my page are welcome, good or bad.
KD7BWB
OK lion tamers (I used it before, I'm sticking with it ). Here we go. Appleseed (2004), when I saw this right after release, was a terrific treasure. But I need to talk about some other work, which tends to explain why the producers made Appleseed in the format they did. In 2001, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, was released. When this movie came out, and released into the theaters, something important happened. For the first time, an anime movie had been created in the mind of a CG computer, so accurate that the pours on the skin of the actors were visible. The overall detailswere breath-taking. The effect this movie had on the movie industry was frightening. Actors in live action material saw their profession disappearing. If this quality could be maintained, live -action movies might eventually give way to CG produced first line products. And in an evolutionary way, see the end of the studio system and Actors Guild, for all time. Believe me, many meetings were held, to determine a strategy, against this new threat.
In the wake of this problem, in 2004; Appleseed was released to DVD (and later on Bluray). Remember, to get distribution, in many countries, the Studios had to provide that distribution. So Appleseed needed to be something that did not heavily frighten the Studios, and their attendant Actors Guilds.
Appleseed Film Partners decided on a course that had not been tried before. They created a mix of visual styles, in which inanimate objects (from guns to buildings) were fully painted in 3D CGI, while the people were all drawn in a more cartoonist style. It succeeds on virtually every level.
Appleseed is not a anime than can be discussed like any other. No clear description is possible. It truly needs to be seen, by an intelligent audience, to be appreciated. A stupid viewer won't get what was created.
Characters are strong, dynamic. Dialog is read out perfectly, enhancing every scene. The visual effects are a piece of artistic splendor. Even emotional moments are handled with delicacy, and nuance. The battle scenes are plotted well, with a proper back-story, making the battle necessary.
I'll describe a scene, so you get the idea. Deunan Knute is confronted by her clear enemy at gun point, and he is telling her that with the destruction of the bioroids, her fathers' legacy will be erased. The emotions playing across her face, make it absolutely clear that her enemy is not making any friends. Ultimately, in the middle of a rapid exit with her friend, both falling headlong over a railing into the ocean; she takes a mad chance over his shoulder and puts a bullet into her enemy, right between the eyes. With her father's gun.
Her father was a soldier. She is a soldier. That is romantic nuance.
One more scene, and then I'll quit. Deunan Knute is confronted by the Elders, seven men so old they need maintenance by the city's central computer to live. They have decided they wish to die, so they hatch a grand scheme to eliminate all Mankind via the release of a super-virus. So she tells them; "... so you're going to hand our problems to the next race? We have to believe the future is what we make of it! ..." And with that, she plunges headlong into the night, following a super-battle-suit, which catches her, and she begins the ultimate battle for the survival of us all. WOW!
Every character has a reason. Every line matters. Nothing is shown that has no purpose. Even the scene where an aircraft resembling a cross between a V-22 Osprey and a C-130 cargo plane is being parked. The C-130 has specific sound that sounds like a bird twittering while it taxis. They get that exact sound into the soundtrack. Now that is attention to detail!
This movie is not intended for the audience for anime alone. This is real movie, with a real story, and characters that are alive in a very real way. Even the villains have intelligence and features that enhance the purpose for their being.
Good stories are rarely appreciated by the folks that bring us H-Ecchi, or by the folks that enjoy the raping of a loli in a Hentai production. Appleseed was not made for them. It was made for the discerning viewer, that has a desire to soar with the eagles; and to see justice done.
That's enough. I give this movie, an overall 9, and I would have given it a 9.5, but that rating isn't available.
eienOwO
First and most importantly, regardless of how generic the film itself was, I will forever cherish it for introducing me to Good Luck by Basement Jaxx. OH GOD GOOD LUCK IS PURE PERFECTION... THAT 30s INTRO WAS ONE OF THE BEST INTROS OF ALL ANIME, yes, up there with Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop, I said it! Aaannnnd after Good Luck ends it's all downhill from there. Set in a world where more stable bioroids take the reins of governance from emotionally unstable humans, the philosophical conflict serving as the basis of the plot is a solid one, with very believable motivations for the villainous human military staging acoup to retake power - it's as realistic as humans can get, and the moral conflict over reproductive rights of bioroids as sentient individuals is equally pertinent, forcing us to confront our own fear of others who are different, and reinforces the moral lesson that regardless of difference, the rights of individuals should never be suppressed due to violent discrimination.
Why is the plot and philosophical discussions about expanding definitions of humanity so rich? Remind you of another philosophical work exploring synthetic humanity?
Yes Masamune Shirow wrote Appleseed before the more fleshed out Ghost in the Shell, yes, you can go see the anime now.
I'm saddened to say, unlike Mamoru Oshii's GitS adaptation that enhances the source material, here the brilliant plot is DRAGGED DOWN by mediocre animation and generic characters - the characters aren't humans, they're BARBIE DOLLS with fixed joints that walk like robots. Character development is equally laughably AND tiresomely cliched, a literal pain to endure until action scenes save us from being bored to death.
It's an interesting case study when compared with Oshii's GITS to make us appreciate the subtle ingenuity of true cinematic craftsmanship. Without the rich source material propping it up the film is nothing on its own.
Except Basement Jaxx, I'm going to put that 30s on a loop until I'm brainwashed by it.
NanashiMoriko
I have to say that I thought the plot developed in this superbly. There were twists and turns, you weren't quite sure what was coming next and that, to me, is the making of a great story. It did take a bit of time for the story to really get rolling and things do all jump you at the end, but other than that it did well. The character development wasn't as great, but was still good. The main character Deunan developed well; we watched her as she learnt about herself, formed bonds and went through trials. The other characters didn't develop as well as Deunan,they showed that they had the possibilities for character development, but we don't get to see it.
This films let down would be that you don't really get into the thick of things until a fair way through and then it picks up very fast. The slowness in the beginning I found to be slightly unnecessary, it was still enjoyable but being thrown straight into the plot may have left some peoples minds reeling too much.
This anime holds some wonderful concepts. Olympia is brilliantly conceived and the plot has been very well thought out. The animation is some of the best I have seen and the music suited scenes perfectly.
I will admit that if someone had told me before hand that this featured Mecha I'd have run away screaming. I have a very strong dislike for Mecha but this has shown me that it can actually go past bearable and be great. Right from the opening scene I was smiling, good visuals, hot girl, guns, action and great music. My smile slipped a little when I saw the Mecha but I watched on and I'm glad that I did. This story really shocked me, I didn't think I'd like it but I have fallen for it. There wasn't enough character development for me, but I'm big on that and in a movie it's not really feasible to fit in as much as I would like. It did well though. I would love to see more of the characters.
If you've got some time spare, like action and sci-fi as well as a well conceived plot then you must definitely watch this.
Nanashi Moriko
Defaultmp3
Story: The story was relatively standard fare: tried and true plot twists, no huge gaping holes (except for an incident at the end that left me scratching my head; a deus ex machina of sorts that saved the day). Having of never read any of the mangas, I would not know exactly how faithful it was to the original storylines. Art: Being CGI, the problem is that it looked rather dated. The designs overall were excellent; it was merely that being 4 years old, the shadows, reflections, shading, etc. really showed itself, especially if you watch Appleseed Ex Machina right afterwards. Still, being old enough toremember when Nvidia was releasing 4000 series cards while ATi was in the 9000s (what a reversal of times), I could remember a time when this would of been considered cutting edge.
Sound: I have not yet DLed the actual OST yet, but I enjoyed the inserts very much. The BGM was also well done, usually matching the mood quite well.
Character: Like the story, the characters were relatively standard fare, nothing bad, nothing amazingly great. The designs were quite good, personalities were fine.
Enjoyment: For unknown reasons, I really enjoyed the film. It was easy stuff to digest, wonderful eyecandy, not much thinking involved, but hardly vapid. There was potential for a true masterpiece, something along the lines of the GitS series, but alas, it was merely standard action stuff, albeit very well done action.
playmakerzam
Appleseed is a sci-fi anime based on a manga of the same name which was written by the "Ghost in the Shell" author Shirow Masamune. A global war has just ended and the world is left as a big wasteland. Deunan Knute, our main heroine, is a very skilled soldier who participated in the global war. Having no knowledge that the war was already over, she was still fighting (with fellow fighters) against androids trying to survive on ruins of what was once cities. She was rescued by E-SWAT (Extra-Special and Weapons Advanced Tactics) members along with Hitomi which is a 2nd gen Bioroid. Bioroids arelike artificially created humans that were based on the DNA of Deunan's Father, Carl, effectively making them clones. She was taken to an advanced city called Olympus, Olympus is a Utopian city in the middle of ruins and wastelands. In a hospital Deunan planning to escape, encounters Briareos, Deunan's former lover who is now turned into a cyborg. She then decides to stay and join E-SWAT to accompany Briareos. The plot focuses on the issue of creation of artificial humans or clones.
The bioroids are human like, they possess limited emotion making them always act rationally, unlike humans who can sometimes act illogically due to emotion, making them devoid of human error and also some free will. Bioroids may be above humans but they can only live for a very limited amount of time compared to the humans because of their lack of reproductive functions. They cannot bear offspring and must periodically undergo a "life extension process".
The City of Olympus is a very advanced one (with flying vehicles and other stuff). Half of it's population is composed of Humans while the other half is composed of Bioroids. At the middle of the city are two superstructures called Tartarus and Daedalus which provides the city its power (through solar panels installed on both structures). At the top of the structures contain D-tank, a tank containing a virus that is meant to wipe out the bioroids (Humans' built this for security). At the core of the Tartarus and Daedalus resides the biological supercomputer Gaia which monitors the whole city specially the bioroid and human interactions (maintaining the balance between the two races).
Now inside this somewhat peaceful Utopia, tensions and conflicts still exists, specially between bioroids and humans. General Uranus, the leader of the Olympus regular army, is an extremist who sees bioroids as threat to humans. The governing body including the Prime Minister Athena are all composed of bioroids. The highest authority however still belongs to the supercomputer Gaia. The Gaia is accompanied by the council of 7 elders. (Gaia's "decisions" are based within debates of the computer itself and the 7 elders) These 7 elders provide Gaia's only lacking component, emotion. The conflict between humans and bioroids hit its peak when a group of androids destroys the breeding grounds effectively destroying a lot of 3rd generation bioroids and disabling them access for life extensions as well.
The story focuses on Deunan and Brioreos' efforts to save the bioroids (and Hitomi) by searching for the technological data called "Appleseed" which will restore all bioroid reproduction functions making them a new race of humans. A lot of plot twists and role reversals is in store, from Deunan's mothers' (Dr. Gilliam Knute) past to Deunan and Brioreos' relationship towards each other as human and cyborg. Everyone has their own secret schemes and a lot will take you by surprise. The plot is intelligently well made, just what you would expect from Shirow Masamune. The art is good, it is 3D animated and it its well done for its time. The action scenes are detailed and are fluid! If you liked "Ghost in the shell" you'll surely love this. A true sci-fi classic that'll make you think and be amazed of it's plot and will also please your eyes with its good and detailed 3D animation.
My Personal Rating: 9/10
kaonasi_mV
I am not sorry seconds of spent time for this film. It is really worthy of it that at it to look. All plot is twirled around very abrupt girl, and she is so abrupt that kills 16 people by means of a knife, at all without having blinked an eye. The general idea of the film proves again to us that people too depend on the emotion therefore its existence is impossible out of the conflicts and out of wars. The love is shown here quite peculiar. He is a cyborg, she is a person. And, apparently, that it is fated not to beit together. But the love overcomes all barriers. Authors show that the most important is soul. But it is necessary to note that the director covered a little the love line. Too there is a lot of innuendo. In some places I would be desirable to cry "tell you that you love her! Why is there so much torture? You both suffer!" Two or three dialogues and the subject line already would exchange cardinally But it is visible just this innuendo - line of the majority Japanese by the film. Therefore we forgive you, our intrigant :)
Work of animators is worthy admiration. Everything is traced very beautiful. Therefore I can safely declare that this film - a holiday for eyes. Besides Japanese didn't lose and used a non-standard approach of the animation, which viewer will apprehend positively. They united animation of people and very qualitative and realistic background. And everything together it turned out very much even is tasty. And generally there is a good choice of scenes, foreshortenings and dialogues. Beautiful and worthy film. Unfortunately, in relation to music I can not tell enthusiastic responses. Didn't finish a little. In some scenes it would be desirable to hear something tragic, and you hear only boom boom boom. But the impression strongly doesn't spoil from it.
As a whole, everything was pleasant. It is necessary to look because there are no stamps as in the Hollywood blockbusters. You won't forget a Deunan in ten minutes. She remains in your memory for a long time.
DarkRavie
Appleseed is the story of Deunan Knute, a female soldier who is rescued from the violent ruins of an old city and taken to Olympus, a Utopian metropolis. She is reunited with her former partner and lover, Briareos, who has been turned into a cyborg after sustaining a critical battle injury. Olympus is a complex society, a mixture of humans and the near-indistinguishable cybernetic human clones called Bioroids, with both sides locked in a constant power struggle. Deunan and Briareos are soon entangled in a desperate struggle to prevent a plot that threatens to destroy the delicate balance of power and bring about a terriblewar between the two races.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed Appleseed. The story was engaging, the animation and background is superb. Though in the beginning you don't know why they grab Deunan, during the course of the story you will learn the why and understand. This is a movie I highly recommend watching.
B2Reviews
The first in a line of very well animated CG adaptations, this insert of the franchise is what got me hooked on Shirow Masamune's works. Well, his earlier "works". I loved everything about it, from the cell shaded motion capture to the awesome soundtrack. This is a title I suggest to non anime fans and count alongside Pixar in quality. Mecha designs are amazingly detailed, the behind the scenes plotting brings the drama to a boil, and we're treated to a look at Deunan Knute's past that even the manga never gave us. If you haven't seen it you should, and pickup the album too, trust me.
