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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 "Worth watching once in your life" A lot of fans who have seen this movie are more familar with the Escaflowne series than the former. I guess I fall into this category myself. When I first spotted images of the movie, it didn't exactly catch my eye. The animation is a lot different to the TV series (I probably say something similar to the comparison of the Rurouni Kenshin OVAs to the RK series). Who cares about the pointed noses in the Escaflowne TV series? Anyway I digress...:P The movie is a lot different compared to the TV series. The plotline of Hitomi going to Gaea still remains but she enters the world differently (okay finding yourself inside Escaflowne the Guymelef is scary). The real flaw about this movie was that there wasn't enough character development. I found Hitomi's character weaker than I normally see her in the series. Things went fast, especially when Hitomi fell in love with Van soon after he saved her with his wings unleashed. Since the animation is different, the characters looked different too. Millerna had a sword but never used it, which was a shame really. Gaddes had knives instead of a sword and Allen wore a headband across his forehead plus didn't pop up as much in the movie -- like a lot of other people. Van seems to be more hotheaded and have a larger thrill for violence (really, seeing him chop people's arms off and blowing up Dilandau's horse with powers, surely that's a more violent Van). Dilandau is so scary, as is Folken. These two looked evil I have to say and I couldn't exactly appreciate them as characters as I normally would. Dilandau, Folken, Van and the rest of the Ryuugekitai seem to have special powers which they didn't have in the series. You also see more of Jajuka's loyalty towards Dilandau, who is much more informal to his guardian/servant and does slap him near the beginning. The action between Van and Dilandau's Guymelefs was breathtaking and I was stuck in my chair as I watched the action breeze by in the movie. Apart from action, there was great music. Kanno Yoko, you are a Goddess in composing music. The movie in general was a challenge to watch and I did point out some flaws and good points although it is something I wouldn't sit through again. I would have given the movie a 2 star rating however the extra star was for the great music and for making Gaddes look rather handsome (damn he looks good with those knives XD and he looks so much more like Wolfwood off Trigun. LOL). Allen looks okay as well even though he didn't get much screen time XD. The story went too fast IMO and the pace of how the characters met or interacted could have been done slower like in the TV series. So, if you are someone who has seen the series, you may as well take a peek at this movie once in your life. If you have never seen the series, watch the movie and then compare the series after that. There are many missing holes in terms of character and story. "A Complete flop. (or) The movie that should not have been." This was an accident. To anyone who watched the series, regardless of how well you liked it, avoid this movie like the plague. Why? The movie draws several of the characters completely differently, gives them *magic* powers, and of the guymelefs you came to see -- there are only two. Yep, that's it. Two. If, however, you haven't seen the series, you may still be disappointed by the extremely weak plot, lack of motive, and characters falling in love within minutes. There is no character development to speak of. All in all, this is a waste of the time you might spend watching it. Not even worth renting. Just buy the series. "A rather intense, enjoyable, movie" Escaflowne has a great fantasy/sci-fi balance imho. I love the robots, and the fantasy elements. It was wonderful entertainment, and I believe it just gets better after you've watched it a couple times in a row. "Escaflowne Motion Picture" Let's get one thing straight before we get started: I've seen a grand total of 10 minutes of the Escaflowne TV series (I can see the "otaku" turning up their noses already...). All right, now for the review. Escaflowne was probably the best anime movie I've ever seen in the eight years that I've been watching the stuff. I was very skeptical as to whether or not I'd like this movie, since I didn't particularly enjoy the time I spent with the TV series. The movie was breathtaking. The animation quality, the art style, character design, everything in the artistic realm of this movie has been improved from its TV form. The soundtrack was amazing. Watching Van fall through the sky to the isolated score is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen/heard. As far as I can tell, the story's been condensed a lot, but that's the case with all anime movies (X, anyone?). The plot and characters enthralled me, although I don't know how much it would do for those who have watched the TV series. They've left out a few *minor details*, I'm sure (although the only one I can pinpoint concerns Dilandau). I've heard that a lot of the characters have been downplayed, too (i.e. Allen, Meruru, etc.). Other than that, though, it was thoroughly entertaining. Again, I'm not sure how much it would appeal to fans of the TV series. However, if you've never seen Escaflowne, I'd say this is a good place to start. It feeds you the plot with relative consistancy, and it'll probably get you itching to see the TV series, too. All in all, it was a good movie. It had me glued to the TV screen for an hour and a half, that's for sure. "Escaflowne, A dream experience" For those of you who are fans of the series, i would urge to buy this movie, even if you saw it before and didn't like it. I reviwed this item shortly after purchasing it, and blasted it completely. I hated the movie, because it completely re-told the story of Escaflowne, and the characters were drastically altered. So I'll tell you this. DON"T watch it expecting the series, with beloved characters returning for a movie feature. This is an amazing movie, full of fresh, luxurious visuals, rich music and colours. Each time I watch it, I like it even more. You just need to give it a chance. This edition comes with a whole bunch of special features, and the soundtrack to boot, which is a nice addition. My favourite songs were "Sora" and "Birdsong" but they're all lovely. The movie introduces a whole bunch of new characters,such as the enigmatic Sora, each with unique personalities and deeper motivations than what meets the eye.. The only character design I didn't care for was that of Folken, who looked a lot better in the series than in the movie. He's still excellently portrayed, however, very melancholy,which completely won me over... : ) I honestly don't think you'll regret buying this movie. Watch it more than a few times. You'll be enchanted, just as I was.