Appleseed

Written by Tom Clare in Film Reviews, Saturday 20 January, 2007

Not The Apple Of My Eye

For reasons unknown to me, some of the biggest anime exports of the last few years have been those driven by a significant helping of computer-generated imagery (CGI). Given that anime is an art form that thrives on often unrealistic or exaggerated surroundings and situations, the increasing use of CGI within the genre is rather odd as the main aim of this technology is seemingly to make things look more real. And shiny.

When used in small doses, CGI can compliment traditional animation to good effect - this is rarely more evident than in the excellent Spirited Away. However, get the balance wrong (as in Ghost In The Shell: Innocence) and the end result may appear a slightly crude, conflicting mish-mash of styles. As a friend of mine observes, the best fusion of the two styles is achieved when you don't notice it at all.

So why all this technical talk I hear you ask? Well, Appleseed's 2004 revival (17 years after the original anime and nearly 20 on from the manga comic's creation) is the first film to use what its creators have dubbed '3D Live Anime'; a mixture of computer-generated environments and effects with fully-mapped and modelled anime characters.

The Appleseed DVD proved to be one of the biggest anime success stories of 2004. But as was the case with the long-awaited Steamboy, the technical spectacle of the project somewhat overshadowed the fact that the film itself was relatively run-of-the-mill, and though there are some definite plus points, fans of more-traditional anime are unlikely to be swayed by Appleseed alone.

Originally created by Masamune Shirow (the brains behind Ghost In The Shell), Appleseed is another trek into the future (2131A.D to be precise) with a thought-provoking world of cyborgs 'n' synthetics once again at its core.

The film centres around Deunan Knute (pronounced as I would imagine a Scotsman saying "down and out"), a talented soldier who has continued to survive urban warfare beyond the end of the world's last major war. When she is eventually captured and extradited from her gritty habitat, Deunan discovers the world has become a very different place in her absence.

She is taken to the 'last human city', Olympus - on the surface, a Utopia where a half-and-half balance of human and bioroid (read as "android") population is maintained for stability. The top figure in the city is a shrewd bioroid politician named Athena, whilst the military is run by humans, where the seeds of discontent and prejudice have well and truly began to develop.

Bioroids seek a means to reproduce, or at least to extend there limited lifespan. Their holy-grail is the "Appleseed" data; hidden though thought to be linked in some way to Deunan, and it isn't long before she has attracted the attentions of Athena and the military, each having very different aspirations for the data. And as if this wasn't enough, Deunan discovers her one-time lover and comrade, Briareos, has lost his body following a severe injury and has been decked out in a giant cyborg suit.

Appleseed certainly has promise, though when compared to similar works, it's entirely unremarkable. Indeed, if Castle In The Sky could be seen as Hayao Miyazaki's prototype that preceded Princess Mononoke, then Appleseed is like the foundation upon which Ghost In The Shell was built. The problem is, Appleseed's movie appeared nearly ten years afterwards, and many of the ideas and environments were covered more effectively before - even the Deunan Knute character seems something of an underdeveloped version of Motoko Kusanagi.

Despite its complexity and demand for high levels of concentration throughout, the subject matter is only moderately diverting, and if the film lingers at all in the memory, it is almost entirely down to its aesthetics. Appleseed takes advantage of the technology at its disposal to create a glorious contrast of murky war zones and glossy cityscapes that are truly grand in their scale and realisation.

The look and movement of the characters is also quite unique. As is explained in the highly enlightening 'Birth Of Live Anime' feature, the major figures in the story required as many as three different actors - to map facial expression, body language and voice acting. Some problems were encountered along the way, most notably the over-zealous use of lighting effects, which create reflections on clothes that really shouldn't be there, but the overall effect is supremely convincing - Appleseed's protagonists move noticeably smoother and more naturally than in other animes.

As director Shinji Aramaki mentions in the DVD's extras, one of the chief aims of the project was to create empathy towards the characters through their dilemmas and struggles. In this it largely fails, with Deunan proving a competent if rather plain lead, and her 'doomed love' scenario with Briaerios never really igniting due to his appearance being so radically non-human. Vitriolic military-man General Hades is suitably villainous, though the 'bad-guys' of the piece are generally rather one-dimensional, with their motives explored only briefly or not at all. Bioroid side-kicks Hitomi and Yoshi provide a more compelling narrative strand in their search for emotion and love, though ultimately they play only bit-parts in the bigger picture.

The DVD allows the viewer to watch the film in a number of different languages, though as per usual I watched it firstly in English, and then in Japanese with subtitles. Though many films of this ilk can benefit from a second viewing, Appleseed remained pretty underwhelming in both forms. There were no overtly bad performances, but the original edit added little to the experience despite the compassion director Aramaki was trying so desperately to convey.

One area in which the film truly excels is in its action sequences. The opening gunfight is terrific and one of the best introductions to any anime - the dynamic use of quick-fire camera shots and slow-motion techniques are usually more at home in a live-action movie, but everything in Appleseed moves so fluidly and with real grace. The CGI has allowed the designers to splash out on some epic, destructive battle-sequences that gradually become more and more ambitious, starting with some stylish fire-fights and culminating in the explosive demolition of entire streets and buildings.

The choice of music however is curious to say the least, appearing rather mismatched with the films atmosphere at times. Perhaps this was due to attempts made by the films creators to get Western artists to contribute songs to the project via screenings. As a result, acts such as Oakenfold and Basement Jaxx make their presence uncomfortably apparent - the latter's "Good Luck" making for a most peculiar accompaniment to the panoramic city shots of the introduction.

In terms of extras, the second disc provides a welcome array of footage for those intrigued enough to want a closer look. The 'Birth Of Live Anime' feature provides a fascinating peek at all the work that went into developing Appleseed's unique visuals, with a good helping of interviews with members of the voicing cast and the director himself. Complimenting this are some more conventional additions such cast and crew biographies, as well as a useful explanation of Appleseed-specific terminology, which is fantastic for deciphering any of the technical jargon that may remain confusing to the viewer following a first viewing of the film.

There is a notable section called 'Design Archives', where you are given the option to watch certain sequences minus their special-effects and texturing, which also highlights just how high the level of detail is in the film itself. Also featured is one of the best Gallery options I've seen for a long time, as every animated character to feature in the film is shown-off in a slide-show, plus there is also one to show off the ambitious mech-robots that populate the story.

The '12' certificate indicates the occasional use of violence, and though it's never especially graphic, the tone of the film is quite serious. Children wouldn't find it particularly accessible because of the lengthy ramblings and the need to follow dialogue exchanges can become tiring. The DVD has sold extremely well in the UK; offering further proof of the inflated importance of the presentational side of modern anime, and the uneasy prospect that the entire genre will need to change to retain popularity in the 21st Century.

Appleseed mixes slick and imaginative visuals with a bland and uninspiring storyline. It does nothing especially wrong, but has none of the allure and storytelling strength of Ghost In The Shell. Its innovative artwork and superbly choreographed action scenes have rightly earned it some admiration, but unless you are very easily pleased, you'll likely be left wanting a little more from your philosophical anime. Despite having some nice extra features, the DVD is probably not worth the £7.99 or so you can get it for.

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