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Escaflowne - The Movie Actor: Kazuki Akane Number of Items: 1 Format: Animated, Color, Widescreen, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Bandai Entertainment Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-03-02 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 152 Average rating: 4.0 "Anime Newbie" I have never really watched many anime movies/series before, except for Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailormoon, Kodomo No Omocha (I think that's how you spell it), and Dragon Ball Z. My friend bought this movie and we all watched it together, along with one of my friends who knew much about anime. The movie could be slightly confusing in the beginning, but later on it would start to make sense. But for me, I think if it weren't for my anime-loving friend telling me what was going on, I'd be pretty lost throughout much of the film. The animation was quite nice, even though I found all the blood and violence to be a little disturbing. What really got me addicted to the movie was the music and characters, though. Yoko Kanno's work is really impressive. The whole movie was kind of rushed, with little character development and Hitomi falling in love with Van in less than a day (I found her to be somewhat helpless and loser-ish). But the ending (I won't spoil it for you here) really got me saying, they belong together!! Anyhow, I'd say this movie is a good start for anime newbies like me, preferably if it was around ten dollars. "My thoughts on this movie" This movie is one of the best and i think its really original and the opening reminds me of the video at the beginning of onimusha 3 and i believe that this movie is way better than the series because the series is somewhat kiddish and really obsolete in the way that its a 26 epsiode children series and you basically get an overview of the entire series in just one movie which i think is a + and if you're a die hard fan of escaflowne you will apperciate this movie for what it is and i believe it some of the best anime out there and still isnt as korny as gundam is and i believe that gundam was derived by this series/movie either if you want you should buy one of the two the box set of the series or the movie i dont recommend the box set because no one want to spend 3 days just watching an entire series and then watching the movie and find out its same as the series only shorter but the storyline is almost the same the way that hitomi is taken from the mystic moon and sure some parts of the movie are a blur but it you ever get a chance to watch it you will learn to apperciate escaflowne for what it really is "THE BEST OF THE BEST" "This movie does not stand alone well." I noticed an interesting trend in the negative reviews this Movie was getting. By and large, people who found this movie slow or boring did not watch the original series. Well folks...that explains it. Unlike most Anime movie tie-ins, I.E. Cowboy Bebop or Blue Gender, the Escaflowne movie is really a re-imagination of its progenitor. While in the series the Escaflowne armor was a royal heirloom, in this it is the embodiment of destiny and a living being. And while Hitomi was painfully innocent and upbeat in the series, here she is dark, lonely and suicidal. Best of all, Van is equally dark and has lost the heroic stoicism for apathy and a-moralism. All these things are so different from the series its like watching Alice in Wonderland then playing American Magee's Alice (which, if you haven't seen or played, you should). I will admit that when I first bought this DVD I too was disappointed. The action was neat and all but the story dealt too much with ethereal Fate and Destiny, thing I really could care less about. But then I watched the series, which brings in these subjects a little less jarringly and I found the whole idea much more edible. And, while I was initially disgusted with the characters of this DVD, namely Hitomi and the cat girl, when I understood the origins of these characters, I loved the change. The basic story you can get from the other reviews, I hate to give stuff away. But while the series focused on Van's travel and growth into a warrior, the Movie focuses on the dark prophecy to which he is chained. But if you really want an endorsement from me, here it is. Escaflowne the Movie is an awesome experience for the initiate to the series. Escaflowne the Movie is a sub par experience for those who are bereft of the Series. But above all else, Escaflowne the Movie is worth watching for the absolutely amazing music, which really steals the show. If nothing else, then rent this DVD and stick in a system with surround sound. Then turn off the TV and crank the volume...you will not be disappointed. "And Now for Something Completely Different" First off, I want to say that I absolutely LOVED the Escaflowne TV series. Its easily one of my top three anime series of all time, and I've seen my fair share. So of course the idea of a high budget, big screen retelling had me salivating and counting the days until its release. However, the best way to enjoy the Escaflowne movie is to completely forget the TV series. Otherwise, you'll spend too much time obsessing over everything that's changed rather than focusing on what is, in my opinion, a well written and executed story. So what's different? The character designs, for one. Now, you can make fun of the somewhat lanky, Pinnochio-nosed designs for the TV series all you want, but at the end of the day those off-kilter designs just added to the series' charm. The movie opts for more realistic designs with mixed results. Van fares the best with his more bulked-up look, while Hitomi looks good with the exception of her oversized eyes. Yes, they were big in the TV series, but against the hyper-realistic design style of the movie they look out of place. Allen and Millerna have been reimagined as leather-wearing warriors with a slight S&M feel to them, while non-humans like Merle and especially Jajuka now look almost scary. Still, once the initial shock wears off, the character designs begin to grow on you and work for what the movie is trying to accomplish. The tone of the film is also much darker than the series. While the TV show had its dark moments, most of the truly heavy stuff was hidden underneath the show's bright color pallate. With the darker colors used here, those darker themes are much more noticeable and the movie loses that air of adventure found in the TV series. However, the themes found in the movie, including fate, love, and war, are very true to the show, and state more clearly what the TV show only hinted at. It also makes much clearer the love story between Van and Hitomi. In fact, it is this clear focus that makes the movie work even though its something of a condensation of a thirteen hour, tightly plotted TV show. There is a storyline about Folken and Dilandau trying to conquer Gaea, and Escaflowne and Hitomi hold the keys to the planet's fate, but most of the other details are cast aside in favor of the love story. This keeps the movie comprehensible, with fun little throwbacks to the TV show (like cat twins Naria and Eryia singing at Dryden's nightclub) for fans. The movie is absolutely gorgeous, easily one-upping the already impressive animation found on the TV show. The increased detail and realsim found in the character designs is carried over to ever aspect of the film's look, and the convincing animation makes the movie gel visually. Again, it doesn't look a whole lot like the TV show, but on its own merits it works marvelously. And Yoko Kanno has provided another stellar soundtrack, wisely avoiding repeating her TV triumps with the exception of a shortened version of "Blood of Curse." Well written and executed, the Escaflowne movie is quite a departure from the TV series. A reimagining rather than a sequel to the show, the feature shares enough common themes, characters, and plot points to make it clearly recognizable as Escaflowne to anyone who looks beyond the surface. It won't replace the TV show in my heart, but certainly makes an interesting companion piece. And the ultimate edition provides you with a beautiful, strong box, and entire disc's worth of extras, and Yoko Kanno's wonderful soundtrack. A solid buy for fans, and an interesting introduction to the franchise for newbies. "Don't expect follow-up of series. Expect much more & like it" I saw the trailer at th officical site, and could tell right away it wasn't going to follow the series, but I could tell it was going to be good. Therefore, when I saw it at Blockbuster, I rented on the spot. I got what I expected and much, much more. I'm sure fellow animé enthusiasts who saw it would agree. Highly reccomended.