Appurushîdo (2004)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Shinji Aramaki

Writers:

Masamune Shirow (comic)
Haruka Handa (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 April 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Action | Animation

Tagline:

Humanity's last chance for survival.

Plot:

In a utopian society created at the end of the third world war, a female warrior who has been plucked from the badlands begins to see cracks in this new facade. And what does this community have planned for the rest of humankind? |

Plot Keywords:

Female Warrior | Computer Animation | Clone | CGI | Based On Comic Book

Cast

Ai Kobayashi	...	Deunan (voice)
Jûrôta Kosugi	...	Briareos (voice)
Yuki Matsuoka	...	Hitomi (voice)
Asumi Miwa	...	Deunan (motion actor)
Akimoto Tsubasa	...	Deunan (motion actor)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Aubree	...	(voice: English version)
William Bassett	...	(voice: English version) (as Frederick Bloggs)
Deborah Sale Butler	...	(voice: English version)
Michael Forest	...	(voice: English version) (as Russell Thor)
Yuzuru Fujimoto	...	Uranus (voice)
Kara Greenberg	...	Gilliam (voice)
Tomoko Kawakami	...	Young Deunan (voice)
William Knight	...	(voice: English version) (as William Frederick)
Mami Koyama	...	Athena (voice)
Takehito Koyasu	...	Hades (voice)
Steve Kramer	...	(voice: English version)
Michael McConnohie	...	(voice: English version)
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	...	(voice: English version) (as Melissa Williamson)
Toshiyuki Morikawa	...	Yoshitsune (voice)
Ryûji Nakagi	...	1st Elder Electryon (voice)
Ikuo Nishikawa	...	Seven Old Men (voice)
Liam O'Brien	...	(voice: English version) (as William Markham)
Bob Papenbrook	...	(voice: English version) (as John Smallberries)
Jamieson Price	...	Briareos (voice: English version) (as James Lyon)
Mike Reynolds	...	(voice: English version) (as Ray Michaels)
Cindy Robinson	...	(voice: English version)
Lee Rush	...	(voice: English version)
Emi Shinohara	...	(voice)
Michael Sorich	...	(voice: English version)
Doug Stone	...	(voice: English version)
Karen Strassman	...	Hitomi (voice: English version) (as Mia Bradly)
Kim Strauss	...	(voice: English version)
Amanda Winn Lee	...	Deunan Knute (voice: English version) (as Jennifer Proud)
Dave Wittenberg	...	(voice: English version) (as David Lelyveld)
Miho Yamada	...	Nike (voice)

Also Known As:

Appleseed (USA)
Appleseed (Estonia) (festival title) [et]
Appleseed (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
Appleseed: The Beginning (Spain) (DVD title) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence.

Runtime:

105 min | Sweden:103 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Philippines:G | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:M | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Canada:14A | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R | UK:12A | UK:12 (video rating)

Company:

Appleseed Film Partners

Trivia:

The tattoo on Briareos' left upper arm says "Cogito Ergo Sum", which is Latin for "I think, there for I am." It also has the dates 2096-2122, which are Briareos' date of birth and date of his "death" when he became a cyborg.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Briareos' weapon is sliced into pieces, the places where the gun is cut can be seen before the cuts are made.

Quotes:

Deunan: We have to believe that life is what we make of it!

Movie Connections:

References Kôkaku kidôtai (1995)

Soundtrack:

Good Luck

The most impressive animè in years

I went to this movie with very high expectations, and after about 30 mins I knew this movie had already delivered.

I won't talk about the story (do a search on google if you want it spoiled) but I can say that the plot is interesting enough to keep the viewers attention. The pace of the movie feels very right, action scenes and slower character building scenes are vow en into each other without any of them feeling forced. Although the movie is not without cliché's, especially in some sentimental parts, they do not ruin the overall experience. I have not read the manga so I cannot comment on if it stays true to the source material.

Technically it's in a league of it's own. The 3d visuals were amazing, even on the low quality cinema I watched it in. The camera swoops in and out of the action and you end up just staring in awe at the screen. Designs and the attention to detail is incredible. What takes getting used to is the cell shading of the characters. Done to mimic 2d animation, the characters are not able to deliver the same amount of personality and emotions as the handrawn ones are. I wonder if it would look better with pure 3d characters ala Squares Advent Children. Sound effects were also excellent, and I thought the industrial techno soundtrack was very fitting.

All in all the most impressive anime movie I have seen so far, that is if it could be seen as an anime? The director was actually present at the screening I attended and he raised this question as well. Seeing as Appleseed was not made and does not look like any traditional anime at all why should it be considered as one? Maybe we are looking at a new genre in animated movies. If so the Appleseed has certainly set the new standards as to how it should be done.