Appleseed 2004

[Jumbie]

So, I don't have access to much anime out here in jungle land, but I did manage to see Appleseed this weekend.

 

The graphics blew me away. CGI with something called cellshading apparently.

 

Grphics apart, the movie was average, with the usual sci-fi elements. It did have some interesting questions to ask about whether humans should bio engineer their emotions out of themselves to create more a more peaceful world.

 

The main character started out being intriguing, but that went nowhere. development: nil.

 

BUT THE ART... If this is how they wanna do anime from now one, I say great. There was some overdoing with the cell shading, where I thought it was drawing too much attention t itself and that it should have been used more subtly. But the way the CGI allowed camera zooms and shaking and pans etc was great. It's against the aesthetic of anime, maybe, whiich os fond of static speaking scenes and pans across still drawings, but I those were primarily dictated by the limits of traditional animatio in any case, so this is progress and any director fond of the old style isn't restricted from using it.

 

I like the possibilities this brings for animation.

[The NZA]

i havent seen/heard of a newer appleseed, ill have to check it out - if its translated well, shirow's work is usually good.

 

tho id hate to see any one style of animation become the norm.

[Jumbie]

IMDB has a page on it here:

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401233/

 

and on the old appleseed, which I never saw, here:

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094668/

 

And of course, as long as directors are looking to have their work stand out, there'll never be just one style. Heck, that urge to find new techniques is what birthed CG in the first place.