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| Olympus awaits... |
Everything from the utopia that is Olympus, to the characters, and their many adventures all resonate so strongly with me that I consider the first volume of the series to be one of my all-time favorites! To this day I feel like I'm still waiting for the ideal adaptation of Appleseed to be made.
A lot can change in a couple of decades though, and it's hard to believe that almost ten whole years have gone by since the first CG Appleseed movie came out. I remember watching the (then) somewhat groundbreaking film with a sense of awe, but also a sense of disappointment. While the visuals were certainly fresh for the era, the story was somewhat lackluster and didn't carry near the same impact as that of the (in my mind at least) much superior graphic novels from original creator Masamune Shirow.
That isn't to say that the inaugural flick or its respective sequel were bad pieces of fiction. Honestly I consider them to be very entertaining sci-fi romps that at least pay homage to their source material, but unfortunately just fall shy of the mark in capturing the spirit of the manga. I feel the same can be said here about Appleseed: Alpha. While it is a competent work of sci-fi action in its own right, it just doesn't have that same oomph that made reading the original manga so enthralling to me.
Even though Appleseed: Alpha has the same director (Shinji Aramaki) as the previous installments (Appleseed & Appleseed: Ex Machina) this is a new continuity that doesn't follow those film's established canon. In this version Briareos is already a full-body cyborg and has not been separated from his partner Deunan for any length of time. What we get here is a story that follows a lot closer to the original manga in terms of initial setup. Alpha details the early days of Briareos and Deunan in the 22nd century where a non-nuclear world war has left the planet desolate. Governments have fallen and the few cities that remain struggle daily for survival. Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires are former soldiers of the war who now live as mercenaries for hire in the wastelands outside of New York City.
After failing a mission for the local despot Two-Horns, Deunan and Briareos are given a new job to eliminate rogue drones at the edge of the city. Upon taking the job the duo run into a young girl named Iris and her cyborg companion Olson. They claim to be sent from the unseen city of legend known only as Olympus to complete an operation that could prevent a major catastrophe from occurring. With little to lose, Deunan and Briareos decide to abandon everything to join up with the mysterious couple, hoping to escape the constant hell that is their everyday lives. The task won't be easy though as the vicious Two-Horns wants to collect on our heroes' debt, and a psychotic cyborg called Talos wants to desperately stop Iris and Olson from fulfilling their mission at seemingly any cost.
While the narrative of Appleseed: Alpha does more closely resemble the setup from the manga, that is about where all commonality ends. This is a completely original story written expressly for this film, and for the most part I think it functions well enough. The plot is simple and easy to follow, making for an experience that most audiences can enjoy on a base level. The pacing is one of the best parts of Alpha, with many scenes (be it dialogue or action) never feeling like they take too long. Unfortunately the more straightforward script comes at the cost of any real depth to the proceedings, with everything from the characters to the action, creating the sensation of a very standard run-of-the-mill action movie. If one takes the time to look past all the visual flare that Appleseed brings to the table they will more than likely find very little to bite in to. Every major plot twist can be seen coming a mile away, and most of the essential philosophical leanings of the manga are absent. In spite of these shortcomings though it does still manage to entertain from the opening shot to the post credits sequence. If anything else I just wish that we could get a more accurate or faithful Appleseed adaptation for the big screen.
Honestly the best part of Alpha's writing (beyond its very solid pacing) may be its humor. One of my biggest gripes about adaptations of Shirow's work is how everyone takes the material far too seriously. The previous Appleseed films were no exception to this, but here it seems like Shinji Aramaki and script writer Marianne Krawczyk have finally encapsulated some of Shirow's iconic branding of humor. Nowhere is this more evident than in the characters of Two-Horns and Matthews. Some of the early dialogue exchanges successfully reflect Shirow's methods for injecting comedy into the story, and I couldn't appreciate this element any more as I already do. For anyone who reads Shirow's stories you know that he definitely has a quirky sense of humor about his worlds and his characters. He isn't above having the characters quip to one another on funny observational things (such as pointing out how crazy their lives are) and I think it's that styling that really makes the original manga such a fun read. Seeing it crop up here is a joyous breath of fresh air given the bleak presentation.
The main voice cast brings a lot to the table, creating a very fun atmosphere in spite of all the urban decay. Luci Christian reprises her role as the ever badass Deunan Knute for the fourth time, and I frankly wouldn't cast anyone else beyond her. She continually brings a gravitas to Deunan's character that alludes to so much more than what the lackluster script would imply. It's obvious by this point that Luci Christian has Deunan down pat, and is the only person who can really be trusted to bring the character to life for English speaking viewers. David Matranga also takes up the mantel of Briareos once more and again proves that much like Mrs. Christian, he is the only one suitable to play the cybernetic centurion. The chemistry that he displays with Christian's Deunan comes off as very natural, making the whole plot point of them being a couple all the more believable. These two characters really are the heart and soul of the franchise and I've gotta say that at least they get their portrayals right with this installment. In regards to the supporting cast, they get the job done. It's not that they perform poorly, but the more simplistic script gives them little to no time to really settle into the roles or develop the character's personalities. Wendel Calvert's Two-Horns is the only exception to this, as he creates easily the most Shirow-esque character that wasn't created by Shirow himself. His manner of speaking, his sense of comedic timing, and his boisterous nature all feel like something that Shirow would have created, and to that end I've gotta say that Two-Horns is easily one of the best members of the cast period.
Of course the biggest reason anyone wants to see this film is for the visuals. To be blunt, Appleseed: Alpha is drop dead gorgeous. I would even go so far as to say that it may be one of the best looking animated movies of 2014. The CGI here is topnotch, with rock solid animations, beautifully vibrant colors, fantastic lighting, and excellent framing all around. Even though the world is in ruin it is immaculately rendered here, bringing with it a tangibility seldom seen from CG films. I was honestly fearful that the more realistic style of the flick would put you smack dab in the middle of the uncanny valley, but they thankfully managed to avoid that problem, mostly. Looking at things like the weapons and cyborg characters (specifically Two-Horns and Briareos) is very impressive as they almost look real in certain shots. It almost seems like you can tell what material their bodies are made out of, and everyone moves with a great deal of weight and momentum. You don't really start to see any real cracks in the foundation until you get to the more human characters such as Deunan and Iris. While they don't look bad, some of the shots of their facial expressions do seem a tad off, with them having a sort of glazed over expression or million mile stare. Other than that though, the facial capture looks great, with the hair physics being of special note. It is pretty awesome seeing Deunan's hair realistically bounce around as she flips and tumbles through heavy combat situations
The action is also topnotch here as every major beat in the picture feels unique and impressive in its own right. An opening train sequence sets the stage very appropriately as Deunan and Briareos fight off a group of cyborg bandits. All of the camera work is superb throughout the run time of each action scene, with no one shot coming off as hard to read or register. The final chase sequence is of special note as it is where the action ramps up to its highest point and displays just how bombastic life out in the wastelands can be.
Tetsuya Takahashi's score is another spot where Appleseed shines bright. A combination of orchestra and industrial techno come together to create a very unique sound for the film. It's a little hard to describe, but it's almost like a dirty sounding version of Daft Punk's score from Tron: Legacy. Even though every track is meant to fit the mood of their respective scene, every track is also extremely catchy and a great listen purely on its own. As a pleasant bonus the end credits song is one of the heavier pieces that really gives the staff roll some extra pop.
Overall Appleseed: Alpha is a fun watch through and through that I strongly recommend to watch if only for the technicals of it. While it doesn't break the mold on sci-fi action films as far as plot it does at least provide a solid experience that pretty much anyone can enjoy with little to no knowledge of the franchise. The visuals are some of the most impressive for CG animation this year, and the soundtrack is certainly a good listen for anyone who just loves a good techno score. For Appleseed purists though (such as myself) I'm afraid that you're going to have to keep on waiting for that definitive adaptation of Masamune Shirow's classic manga. The story here just doesn't have the depth of the original, and unfortunately some of the things that could potentially be better about this movie suffer for it. Of course simple isn't always bad, and in spite of the flaws I do find this flick to be entertaining and definitely worth a watch from any who may be curious.
Honestly the best part of Alpha's writing (beyond its very solid pacing) may be its humor. One of my biggest gripes about adaptations of Shirow's work is how everyone takes the material far too seriously. The previous Appleseed films were no exception to this, but here it seems like Shinji Aramaki and script writer Marianne Krawczyk have finally encapsulated some of Shirow's iconic branding of humor. Nowhere is this more evident than in the characters of Two-Horns and Matthews. Some of the early dialogue exchanges successfully reflect Shirow's methods for injecting comedy into the story, and I couldn't appreciate this element any more as I already do. For anyone who reads Shirow's stories you know that he definitely has a quirky sense of humor about his worlds and his characters. He isn't above having the characters quip to one another on funny observational things (such as pointing out how crazy their lives are) and I think it's that styling that really makes the original manga such a fun read. Seeing it crop up here is a joyous breath of fresh air given the bleak presentation.
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| Deunan and Briareos: the most badass animated couple! |
The main voice cast brings a lot to the table, creating a very fun atmosphere in spite of all the urban decay. Luci Christian reprises her role as the ever badass Deunan Knute for the fourth time, and I frankly wouldn't cast anyone else beyond her. She continually brings a gravitas to Deunan's character that alludes to so much more than what the lackluster script would imply. It's obvious by this point that Luci Christian has Deunan down pat, and is the only person who can really be trusted to bring the character to life for English speaking viewers. David Matranga also takes up the mantel of Briareos once more and again proves that much like Mrs. Christian, he is the only one suitable to play the cybernetic centurion. The chemistry that he displays with Christian's Deunan comes off as very natural, making the whole plot point of them being a couple all the more believable. These two characters really are the heart and soul of the franchise and I've gotta say that at least they get their portrayals right with this installment. In regards to the supporting cast, they get the job done. It's not that they perform poorly, but the more simplistic script gives them little to no time to really settle into the roles or develop the character's personalities. Wendel Calvert's Two-Horns is the only exception to this, as he creates easily the most Shirow-esque character that wasn't created by Shirow himself. His manner of speaking, his sense of comedic timing, and his boisterous nature all feel like something that Shirow would have created, and to that end I've gotta say that Two-Horns is easily one of the best members of the cast period.
Of course the biggest reason anyone wants to see this film is for the visuals. To be blunt, Appleseed: Alpha is drop dead gorgeous. I would even go so far as to say that it may be one of the best looking animated movies of 2014. The CGI here is topnotch, with rock solid animations, beautifully vibrant colors, fantastic lighting, and excellent framing all around. Even though the world is in ruin it is immaculately rendered here, bringing with it a tangibility seldom seen from CG films. I was honestly fearful that the more realistic style of the flick would put you smack dab in the middle of the uncanny valley, but they thankfully managed to avoid that problem, mostly. Looking at things like the weapons and cyborg characters (specifically Two-Horns and Briareos) is very impressive as they almost look real in certain shots. It almost seems like you can tell what material their bodies are made out of, and everyone moves with a great deal of weight and momentum. You don't really start to see any real cracks in the foundation until you get to the more human characters such as Deunan and Iris. While they don't look bad, some of the shots of their facial expressions do seem a tad off, with them having a sort of glazed over expression or million mile stare. Other than that though, the facial capture looks great, with the hair physics being of special note. It is pretty awesome seeing Deunan's hair realistically bounce around as she flips and tumbles through heavy combat situations
The action is also topnotch here as every major beat in the picture feels unique and impressive in its own right. An opening train sequence sets the stage very appropriately as Deunan and Briareos fight off a group of cyborg bandits. All of the camera work is superb throughout the run time of each action scene, with no one shot coming off as hard to read or register. The final chase sequence is of special note as it is where the action ramps up to its highest point and displays just how bombastic life out in the wastelands can be.
Tetsuya Takahashi's score is another spot where Appleseed shines bright. A combination of orchestra and industrial techno come together to create a very unique sound for the film. It's a little hard to describe, but it's almost like a dirty sounding version of Daft Punk's score from Tron: Legacy. Even though every track is meant to fit the mood of their respective scene, every track is also extremely catchy and a great listen purely on its own. As a pleasant bonus the end credits song is one of the heavier pieces that really gives the staff roll some extra pop.
Overall Appleseed: Alpha is a fun watch through and through that I strongly recommend to watch if only for the technicals of it. While it doesn't break the mold on sci-fi action films as far as plot it does at least provide a solid experience that pretty much anyone can enjoy with little to no knowledge of the franchise. The visuals are some of the most impressive for CG animation this year, and the soundtrack is certainly a good listen for anyone who just loves a good techno score. For Appleseed purists though (such as myself) I'm afraid that you're going to have to keep on waiting for that definitive adaptation of Masamune Shirow's classic manga. The story here just doesn't have the depth of the original, and unfortunately some of the things that could potentially be better about this movie suffer for it. Of course simple isn't always bad, and in spite of the flaws I do find this flick to be entertaining and definitely worth a watch from any who may be curious.
Positive Factors
- Accessible story with solid pacing and good humor.
- Great performances from the leading cast. Luci Christian's Deunan and David Matranga's Briareos still completely own.
- Two-Horns is cool enough to justify watching this movie.
- Gorgeous backgrounds, characters, and animations. Easily one of the most impressive CG films of 2014.
- Awesome score! Tetsuya Takahashi's composition is like a post apocalyptic version of Daft Punk.
Negative Factors
- The adaptive script lacks the depth of the source material making some characters and events feel shallow.
- Occasionally dips into the uncanny valley.
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