AppleSeed Anime Movie Review

A spoiler-free review of AppleSeed. I simply critique plot, characters, etc. A CHRISTIAN EVALUATION is included at the end for some viewers and as a parental guide.

AppleSeed

 

A spoiler-free review of the futuristic anime film

 

Title: AppleSeed

Alternate Title: Appurushido

Genre: Action/Drama/Sci-fi/Robotics

Episodes: 1 (movie)

Running Time: Approx. 105 minutes

 

Synopsis: Many years after our present age, the world has established a new way of living. Olympus - the land created for perfection - is trying to establish an international bond between itself and 32 other countries. Athena, ruler of the city of Olympus, believes that connecting the satellite abilities of these nations will help to solve the world’s current problem - terrorist attacks. These hostilities have gone unexplained for many years, and their cause or origin cannot be traced. But when even the cyborgs and biodroids of Olympus’s ESWAT team are affected by a mysterious “mind control virus,” it seems things will get even more complicated.

            Deunan and Briareos, a SWAT team duo, know that something is going terribly wrong. It seems something more dreadful than anyone has ever imagined is coming. Can Deunan and Briareos find the true culprit behind the terrorist attacks and mind manipulation without losing each other in the process? And what significance will the mysterious “Halcon”  have in the final showdown between the present and the daunting future?

 

Plot: The plotline of AppleSeed is a full-throttle event, no matter how you look at it. While I personally considered the first half of the movie a little rushed, the second half handles its time deliberately to allow some powerful circumstances to actually sink in. AppleSeed is one of those movies that make you feel like you should know something about the story before you start or else you’ll get lost, although that’s not true either. While the viewer might feel a little overwhelmed at first, the information soon settles into logical order right about the time that actually knowing all that information becomes important. To sum it all up, be prepared for a fast-paced (though thoroughly planned) plotline.

 

Characters: There are two spectrums of characters in AppleSeed - there are the Main Dudes, who are super awesome and whom you know everything about, and then there are the Other Guys. Briareos and Deunan are the Main Dudes " the viewer really gets to know them and spend a lot of time with them in the movie. The Other Guys, on the other hand (no pun intended), are only there so that the super awesome Main Dudes actually have a reason to act. While some (such as Athena) are more powerful than others, the fact that there are so many individualized characters in general is praiseworthy. Although the Other Guys are flat, static characters rather than round, dynamic ones, that’s not to say that the Other Guys are not entertaining. They’re fun to watch and, because of their lack of deep personality, can often be devoted entirely to one factor - greed, evil, comedy, etc.

            Deunan herself is well done for a main character, although I’ve seen stronger. Where AppleSeed truly shines, (and I bet all the fans agree with me), is the modified human named Briareos. The very shape of his body is creative and entertaining, and his personality is strong and very well acted. He’s the backbone of the series in the character department.

 

Animation: AppleSeed in its entirety is made up of CGI animation with only small hints of hand-drawn work (particularly backgrounds). The non-traditional animation is somewhat reminiscent of older Final Fantasies or, in some aspects, Kingdom Hearts. While this would normally be more advantageous to a series (since CGI provides for smoother movements, etc), AppleSeed is somewhat dragged down by its unimpressive CGI. While the actual movement animation is good, the entire movie has a texture issue. Everything, and I mean everything, is shiny. Skin, clothes, everything. There’s a waxy appearance caused by the CGI that detracts from the charm of the movie. While I wouldn’t suggest that this movie switch to traditional animation, it would have been nice to see a more realistically-textured film.

 

Music: As nothing particularly outstanding strikes my interest as far as the music goes, AppleSeed’s music is simply satisfactory. I do have this compliment - it seems like almost every moment of the movie has music in its undertone. Perhaps the music is just so well-laid into the film that most viewers don’t even notice it.

 

Ending: AppleSeed’s ending is, by far, the best part of the movie. Action, storyline, and character development all come to a head in the last 30 minutes of the film. Even if you don’t like sci-fi films (like myself), you’ll find that the ending makes the whole thing worth it.

 

Recommendation: I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see some nice bits of action mixed with a decent storyline. If you’re in it for romance, be prepared to be sorely disappointed. Even if you don’t like robots, sci-fi, or futuristic settings, give this one a try.

 

Audience: I would not recommend this film for viewers under 13. Some action sequences can be considered “moments of extreme action,” which gets this film a PG-13 rating in the US, not to mention some of the concepts (such as black veins gouging into someone’s face) might be a little disturbing to younger viewers.

 

Final Score: 7 out of 10, for a decent storyline and nice characters but animation that waxed average (no pun intended). The lack of powerful animation or music kept this movie from getting a higher score.

 

For the Christian Audience: For the most part, this movie is better than one would expect. I recall only 3 or 4 swear words in the entire thing, and sex/nudity is non-existent. While some may consider AppleSeed a bit violent, the thing that will most likely disturb some Christians is the storyline. If you don’t like the concept of cyborgs or mind-control. Stay away from this movie. Although I don’t see why that would be so much of a problem. Anyway, it’s difficult to evaluate this movie in the Christian area because it really depends on each individual’s personal worldview. Conclusion: View at Your Own Discretion!

 

Want to buy AppleSeed? I've set up the links to take you to a new page viewing the item, then your click will take you to the store to buy the item! Happy purchasing!

 

Follow this link for Blu-Ray - <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003AND1FA" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

 

Follow this link for DVD - <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0026P61FK" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

 

Follow this link for the Special Collector's Edition - <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=wyvernwriter-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0007OY31Q" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Author's Note

Have you seen AppleSeed? Tell me about it! Did I do a good job reviewing it?