Appleseed...
Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Appleseed...The Appleseed OVA takes us behind the scenes of the Extra Special Weapons and Tactics Squad (ESWAT) of the Olympus Police Force, as they make their rounds. It has a reasonable amount of action and some nice effects. It's a bit slow in the middle, but, it doesn't stay that way and is forgivable.OVA
After the devastation of World War III, the scattered governments of the world construct the perfect city administered by perfect Biodroids - artificially created half-human half-robots. Life in Olympus is carefully controlled and monitored - and some of its human population have had enough. A dedicated band of terrorists plot to destroy Gaia, the central computer, and restore freedom to mankind. After a daring raid of a high security facility, they have the weapons and information they need to complete their mission - including the key to the end of Gaia. Will they be stopped before they ruin the dream of paradise?
Appleseed takes us into the explosive world of the Extra Special Weapons and Tactics Squad of the Olympus Police Force, as they battle against those who would destroy their utopia. Join two of the finest (and most reckless) officers on the force in this high-tech animated thriller. Based on the internationally successful comic series by Masamune Shirow. Appleseed is a high-octane action-packed race against time as the future of a civilization hangs in the balance.
Movie 1
Earth's last city, Olympus, rose from the ashes of a global war on the backs of Bioroids, artificial clones who make up half the city's population. Under the strict guidance of a supercomputer, humanity's last survivors enjoy an idyllic peace, but only on the surface! Human terrorists within the military seek a return to power and clash with the government's ESWAT forces led by the legendary soldier, Deunan Knute, and her boyfriend who is 75% machine. Retrieving the Appleseed will end the conflict, and Deunan alone holds its secret.
Movie 2
EX Machina
Where there's despair, hope comes in threes: a human, a cyborg and a bioroid. John Woo and Shinji Aramaki merge talents to create a futuristic thriller adapted from the popular Japanese manga series by Shirow Masamune (Ghost in the Shell). Special Forces soldiers Deunan, Briareos and Tereus battle to preserve peace in the city-nation of Olympus, until a stealth attack by zealots turns the city into a perilous war zone. With revolutionary computer-generated technology, breathtaking action and rich storytelling, this fantastic adventure pits three unique heroes against a conspiracy to enslave mankind's soul.
My favorite scenes are those dealing with the multi-legged tank (i.e.: it's initial appearance and test in which it obliterates a conventional tank; and the subsequent rampage and ensuing destruction).
I used to have the OVA on VHS. Even though, I had some issues with Manga and really, really didn't feel like supporting the Manga release, I went ahead and repurchased the OVA on DVD. I did notice that the opening and ending sequences have been altered somewhat from the US Renditions version. The US Renditions version of the opening and ending sequences may also be altered from the original Japanese source (I'm not really sure).
The first Appleseed movie has some story elements similar to the OVA, but, with greatly improved animation. The animation style employed in the first movie is a bit unusual, in that vehicles and rooms look more "real" than the characters that occupy this world.
There's more back story in the movie, filling in the relationship between Deunan and Briareos and their lives before they came to Olympus. As in the original production, the multi-legged vehicles are the stars of the show and return in spades in the first movie. The multi-legged vehicles look much better in the new animation than in the original.
The second Appleseed movie picks up the story where the first Appleseed movie left off and the character animation is MUCH better than the previous Appleseed movie. Although, the third release in the series is a worthy addition, I still prefer the previous two entries to this newest entry.
I have the special edition DVD which included the music soundtrack and a nice metal case. I appreciate the updated visuals in the first movie, but, of the three productions, I still prefer the classic OVA. Overall, I gave the Appleseed series a 3 out of 5. The Appleseed soundtrack CD, included with the first Appleseed movie, has 23 tracks on two discs and I liked 5 tracks for a total of 21.7% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4.
