Ranked #1281

Appleseed (2004)

--> 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 are done. 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. read more

In a word: Disappointing.

I was told this was cyberpunk and expect a dark film. Just reading about it, it would appear that the film is spot on in earning a post-cyberpunk moniker. Perverted uptopia? Check. Mecha/Human enhancements? Check. Violence? Check. Electronic soundtrack? Check. Rainy/depressing environments? Check.

The beginning of the film lives up to these expectations, as well. It opens with a random battle that sets a mood the rest of the movie doesn't follow. Appleseed is too happy, too shallow, too cheesy, and too dull to be considered cyberpunk. The story is very shallow and predictable. Plot twists are figured out long before they are revealed. The artwork is merely mediocre. I'm not necessarily biased against their choice of making everything 3D, but it doesn't really compare to the handdrawn awesomeness mixed with 3D goodness that is Ghost in the Shell, a series many compare Appleseed to.

The soundtrack is laughably cheesy. The original, "orchestral" compositions are pitiful and sound like they were done in Fruity Loops. The music brought in from popular electronic artists is a lot better, but frequently doesn't fit the mood of the visuals. Sound effects were brilliant, however.

I kept expecting the movie to get better, but the ending isn't really any better than the beginning.

Others have mentioned this is indeed lighter fare, but the action sequences make it worth watching as a mindless action flick. I'm confused, however, because the action is quite brief and downplayed. What is present is talking, and lots of it. They talk so much, but the plot is still so simple. What gives?

In short, don't watch this movie expecting to be sucked into a dark, cyberpunk world with a brilliant story. Don't watch this movie expecting to be dazzled by 3D animation. Don't watch this movie for the fight sequences.

Good things:
- Great sound effects
- Cool electronic music
- Some intense, wince-inducing hand-to-hand combat
- Beautiful cityscapes

Bad things:
- Shallow, predictable, boring story
- Shallow, under-developed characters
- Not enough action, too much talking
- Music rarely fit the mood of the scene
- Too happy for "cyberpunk"
- 3D animation doesn't fit the characters very well read more

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 scenes earlier, 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! read more

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. Think of 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. read more

Some slick and beautiful animation may not be enough when shirow stars his encyclopedic manners trying to explain/justify everything.

Boring, like a finite element methods applied to a heat in a single steel metal lecture, the movie lacks as much of personnality as its character.

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 deeply confusing (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. read more

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, and the 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. read more

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 to remember 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. read more

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 read more