May 2, 2009
Overall: 7
I meant to write a review that is more positive than this, but it didn't turn out that way unfortunately. Try to remember that despite its many shortcomings, I enjoy watching this movie. It is available for free on the Funimation site and it's certainly worth watching for that price.
Story: 6
The plot feels rushed and unnatural. It had some interesting concepts, but they were underdeveloped. The resolution is poorly fleshed out and unconvincing given how entrenched everyone seems to be in their ideological positions. There are a few clips during the credits, which are worth watching, but they don't improve the believability. The
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movie feels like it wants to say something, but ultimately any message is mired by underdeveloped and conflicting information.
Art: 10
Very impressive. The backgrounds and environments are detailed and compelling. There are some really interesting and powerful images throughout the movie. The mix of CG and traditional animation is well done. The choices they made about what and what not to do with CG are interesting as well.
Sound: 9
The sound and the music are well done and fit the movie. It's a mostly orchestral score.
Characters: 6
I think the characters are generally believable, but even the main characters don't see much development. Their opinions change for sure, but I didn't necessarily believe it. I liked Agito well enough, but he wasn't anything special. I wanted to empathize with Schunack, but we never really got to know him. They just sort of foist information about him on us because they couldn't move the plot forward otherwise.
Enjoyment: 8
I was a bit annoyed by the abrupt and underdeveloped feeling of it the first time I watched it. I liked it much more subsequent times since I was not expecting something I was not going to get.
This movie was eight years in the making and was originally five hours long. This is especially evident by viewing the early trailers (source: Special Edition DVD). Almost none of the animation in the trailers is actually seen in the movie. I really wish they would release the longer version as the movie showed a good deal of potential.
Special Note:
Pay close attention to the sequence during the opening credits. I was too impressed by the images the first time I saw it and didn't pay enough attention to what they were trying to convey. It seems kind of abstract at times, but it's literally portraying what occurred 300 years before the movie.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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