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Appleseed Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Animated, Dolby Audience Rating: Unrated Running Time: 68 minutes Studio: Palm Pictures Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2001-04-24 Buy from Amazon |
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From Amazon.com Based on a manga series by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), Appleseed is an interesting, early mecha adventure. After World War III, "General Management Control Office" created the model city of Olympus for the survivors. They also created the "Biodroids," half-human cyborgs designed to serve humanity. Dunan Nats is a tough female cop; her partner, Buliarous Hekatonecles, was badly injured in the war and rebuilt with mechanical limbs and sensors. Together they pursue a cyborg terrorist and a rogue officer who want to destroy Olympus, which they see as an elaborate cage that limits human freedom. Released the same year, 1988, Akira pointed the way to much of the future of anime. Appleseed largely summarized its past. The character designs display a strong Western influence, the mecha are simpler than they would become in a few years, the violence looks tame by contemporary standards, and the chase sequences are accompanied by what sounds like elevator music. Although Dunan is clearly the ancestor of Motoko in Ghost in the Shell, she keeps her clothes on. Significantly, the forces of law and order emerge victorious, rather than the freedom-seeking rebels of this elegant dystopia. "For Mature Audiences Only"; suitable for ages 16 and up for violence and considerable profanity. --Charles Solomon From Description Based on the captivating manga comic book series created by the acclaimed Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), Appleseed is a high-octane, action packed race against time as the future of civilization hangs in the balance. After the devastation of World War III, the scattered governments of the world construct the perfect city - but life in Olympus is carefully controlled and monitored by Biodroids - artificially created half-human half-robots. A dedicated band of terrorists plot to destroy the central computer to restore freedom to mankind. |
 "Decent anime, but not spectacular."The original Appleseed, is based on the Masamune Shirow manga, the same writer/artist responsible for Ghost in the Shell's source material. Appleseed takes place in a city that is run completely by robots in a post-apocalyptic universe. The main characters are police officers who are tracking down a terrorist plotting to liberate the city from robot control. I got the sense that they tried to cram too much of the comic into the anime just for fans. Characters are not fleshed out well, one main character seems to be lesbian, but only through some subtle signs, and much about the world goes unexplained. Still, the plot is entertaining, and has some interesting twists. The animation is dated, which is fine, given its vintage, but what bothered me the most was the lack of imaginative environments. A future where robots take care of everything should be alive and automated. It just seemed like everything took place in the present day, but with a few cyborgs and mecha running around. What gives? Appleseed is worth at least a rental, and I can't wait to see what the new gorgeous CG movie does with the same elements.  "Re-visit the 80s."Appleseed is based on the manga - Mankind is trying to make a perfect utopia in the city of Olympus. But is it perfect or just another form of a cage, monitored and controlled by a computer named Gaia. Forces within the city are trying to restore their freedoms. Or are they just trying to bring paradise down to hell? It is up to Dunan Nats and Buliarous Hekatonecles, with the rest of their fellow officers in the ESWAT Squad, to keep order without breaking the laws themselves. The voice actors don't seem to appear in anything else, the plot is simple, the themes watered down, English is mis-spelled -Red ALART???-, the music is late 80s (DUH - the anime was MADE in the late 80s) and the F-word is used by everybody. All in just over an hour. IT is SO PERFECT. Come on, this is the stuff we all watched at one time or another. Terrorists, mecha, explosions. A must for any fan of anime or Masamune Shirow. "Great but skip it"Great concept art and story that could live up to Akira but the animation is rushed and lets it down... but fear not, skip it, because the makers of Ghost in a Shell have produced a new version of this movie that looks almost like a live action CGI on release since Jan 2005 with DVD out at the end of Spring. Just go see the trailer on Apple. It looks jaw dropping. "One bad Mother... I'm only talkin' about Appleseed"This movie is quite the shocker for anyone who's never seen, heard, or read about this anime/manga. First time I saw this was when I was 12 taping it on my VCR infront of my parents and the first real thing they say in the movie is "Mother F***** come out with your F******* hands up you piece of S****....." So you can imagine how I was as shocked as they were except in a good way. This movie at times doesn't make much sense, but it's still good with all the action, swearing, emotion, realism, oh yeah did I mention the swearing. This movie is without a doubt worth getting. Parents can get it for there kids if they want. I mean it contains like no nudity as far as I can remember, and besides your kids are going to be introduced to swearing anyway. So why not teach them how to do it properly and when to do it with this as their guide. I hope this review was helpful. "Wait for the 2004 CG theatrical DTS DVD release"A new and actually much better CG theatrical version of this had been released in Japan in April 2004. I had just watched it's DTS DVD and it's just brilliant. It might be the best Japanese CG SF action cartoon I had ever watched, coz it's the excellent CG that supports a great story, not a stupid story to show great CG. If you are patient enough, I strongly recommend you to wait for that one. |
