Before you watch Redline, there are a few things that you must know, chief of which is that this movie is not being made for the intellectual. The story is simple and understated, but never aspires to be anything compelling on its own.
So why watch it? Despite Redline's lackluster story, it excels is practically every other area to the point of perfection, far over shadowing any of its lacking elements. Chief among these perfections are Redline's visuals. Made with over 10,000 hand drawn key-frames, and an absolutely unique style to boot, Redline is the single most visually stunning thing I've ever seen in all of anime. Of course that's simply my opinion, and while it might not be your favorite looking anime (assuming that you, the reader, have seen it), it is undoubtedly a visual masterpiece.
As I mentioned before, Redline also boasts an absolutely fantastic soundtrack. The different character themes are unique and catchy, and the movie's title tracks, Yellow Line and Redline, offer up wonderful techno beats that perfectly accompany any fast paced ride. Great to listen to in the car, though you may wind up speeding for some unknown reason.
The final thing that Redline does well is its world building. Redline takes the "show don't tell" approach to world building and it really does show just how effective that strategy is when it's done right. It's so chalk full of interesting planets and people and sceneries that you can't really process it all in one viewing. I notice new things about the world every time I rewatch the movie. I actually feel like the many vibrant side characters in Redline help to add to the world. Between the different species, personalities, attitudes, and appearances, these characters do a lot to flesh out the rich universe that Redline inhabits. The world is full, yet Redline never feels the need to explain to you how awesome it is, it simply shows you how awesome it is.
I gave Redline a 10, not because it is a perfect movie, but because it does so many things so well that it doesn't deserve anything less. Redline is just pure fun, shooting into your heart on a gold-nitro blast of awesome. Don't miss out on this fantastic movie.
