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 ppleseed" is a mixture of CGI and
traditional anime, and is based upon an early manga by Masamune Shirow,
creator of the seminal "Ghost
in the Shell" and its sequel, "Innocence",
amongst others. The comic had previously been adapted for the screen back
in 1988 as an anime, and while it covered the complex material well, it
now looks rather dated. This new version is a huge leap forward in
technical and visual terms, far exceeding the previous benchmark for
computer animation, the dull and generic "Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within". Thankfully, just as much attention
has been paid to retaining the unique feel of the manga and in translating
its multi-layered narrative and themes into a coherent, streamlined film.
The plot of "Appleseed" has been watered
down somewhat from the original manga, though it is still a great deal
more elaborate than the average film. Set in a war-ravaged 2131, the story
centers on Deunan, a female soldier who is rescued from the violent ruins
of an old city and taken to Olympus, a utopian metropolis. Here, she is
reunited with her old partner, Briareos, who is now a cyborg. Olympus is a
complex society, a mixture of humans and the near-indistinguishable
bio-droids, with both sides locked in a constant power struggle. Deunan
and Briareos are soon involved with a plot that threatens to destroy the
delicate balance and bring about a terrible genocide.
To be honest, I'm simplifying things a great deal,
because the story contains complex politics, factions within factions,
betrayals and revelations. Suffice to say, concentration is needed when
watching, and it probably helps if you have read the manga or at least
seen the original anime. The main change for fans of the original is the
relationship between Deunan and Briareos, though this is fairly minor and
develops as the film progresses.
Shirow's themes are still present, tackling the
question of what it means to be human and the nature of the human soul.
These are presented somewhat differently from "Ghost in the
Shell"; here the philosophical detail is lessened, and there is more
attention to the effect of technology on human society as a whole, as
opposed to a single human soul. Although the focus is more on action and
spectacle, "Appleseed" is still a highly cerebral film that
lingers in the mind long after viewing.
The film's visuals are absolutely stunning, having
been rendered using a new process of 3-D cell shading and animation. Every
frame of the film is beautiful, with some truly jaw-dropping images the
likes of which I have never seen before. As opposed to live-action films
that incorporate CGI effects, "Appleseed" is like one long,
flawless vision of a credible future world. Characters are brought to life
convincingly, looking and moving like real people. All of this is a far
cry from "Final Fantasy", which spent all its time animating the
hair of the female lead and forgot about the rest of her body. Since the
characters are as well written as they are animated, the viewer actually
cares about what happens, and from this "Appleseed" achieves
what many live-action films do not.
Shinji Aramaki directs with a great sense of vigor,
keeping the film moving at a great speed, perfectly balancing its
intellectual and visceral sides. The action is often breathtaking,
evolving the now-common tricks seen in films like "The
Matrix" to awesome new levels. The first ten minutes of the film,
where Deunan faces off against a platoon of robots, are amongst the most
exciting I have ever seen. Aramaki fully exploits the power of the
visuals, generating a real atmosphere of awe and wonder, helping to create
a fascinating yet believable future society in Olympus.
The soundtrack is also excellent, a pounding
collection of electronic beats that provide a perfect accompaniment to the
dynamic action scenes. The voice acting is also of a high standard,
performed by a cast of anime veterans. I hope that when
"Appleseed" finally gets an overseas release it is released with
the original Japanese voice track intact, as bad dubbing has been the ruin
of many Western versions of anime classics.
Overall, I would rate "Appleseed" very highly, as it provides
gorgeous visuals, thrilling action and an intelligent, thought-provoking
story. It not only raises the bar for anime and CGI features, but for
science fiction films in general. I only hope that it gets the wide
release it deserves so that it can be seen in all its glory on the big
screen where it truly belongs.
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