Appleseed (Widescreen) (2004) | 
| Director: Shinji Aramaki
Actors: Ai Kobayashi, Jurota Kosugi, Yuki Matsuoka, Asumi Miwa, Akimoto Tsubasa
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $7.23
You Save: $12.75 (64%)
New (6) Used (22) from $7.23
Rating:  115 reviews
Sales Rank: 7306
Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, Dts Surround Sound, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: D12527D
UPC: 013023252790
EAN: 0013023252790
ASIN: B0007OY31G
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
Release Date: May 10, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Item in Very Good condition. MAY NOT contain all original artwork and materials. Case/artwork MAY show wear and/or have stickers affixed. 30 day guarantee!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The 2004 Appleseed feature is a reworking of the earlier video based on the manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell). In 2131, most of humanity has withdrawn to the glittering city of Olympus after a devastating war. When the curvaceous Deunan Knute comes to Olympus, she encounters her former comrade Briareos, now a cyborg, and the lovely android Hitomi. The fate of Hitomi, Olympus, and humanity rest on the lost "Appleseed" technology that Deunan's mother helped to develop. A standard series of chases, mecha battles, and confrontations leads to a predictable ending. When the original Appleseedappeared in 1988, it felt like a summary of anime's past, while Akira pointed the way to the future. This new version feels like a mishmash of Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Jin-Roh, Evangelion, and other, more exciting works. The motion-capture CG is typically weightless, and the mecha look oddly squat. (Rated R: violence) --Charles Solomon
Description
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 lead 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. The outstanding feature film based on the manga by SHIROW Masamune (Ghost In the Shell), directed by Shinji ARAMAKI (Bubblegum Crisis), and produced by SORI (Ping Pong) features a soundtrack by Boom Boom Satelites, Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx and more and will be available from TOFU records. The DVD will feature high quality video encoded directly from the HD master in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 English Dolby Digital and DTS audio as well as the original Japanese 2.0 stereo and 5.1 DTS Dolby Digital soundtracks! This DVD also features commentary from both the director and the producer!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 110 more reviews...
 A secret history July 17, 2005
bonsai chicken (United States)
55 out of 76 found this review helpful
Based on the comic book series by Masamune Shirow, APPLESEED takes place on a future Earth following a massive world war. A small zone of peace and civilization exists in Olympus, a city overseen by the supercomputer Gaia. Balance is kept via the coexistence of humans and bioroids, artificial beings with suppressed emotions (who are thus less likely to lead to dissent and more war.) But as it is human nature to fear other races, many fear a time when bioroids will control humans. It is up to skilled warrior Deunan Knute to unlock the secret from her past that will prevent a new conflict from breaking out.
This version of APPLESEED is entirely computer generated, to varying degrees of success. The outdoor night scenes look spectacular, while day and indoor scenes look rather artificial. At first I thought the human characters were hand drawn, but they too are rendered, though not as fully as those in 2001's FINAL FANTASY movie. They appear flat and doll-like next to the scenery and mechanical constructs, with their hair curiously molded. It might have been better if they had been done the old-fashioned way after all.
The film is presented on DVD in three 5.1 soundtracks: English Dolby Digital, Japanese Dolby Digital, and Japanese DTS. I'm not set up for DTS yet so I watched it with the second option, and it sounded fantastic. This is a movie you'll want to show off your surround sound system with.
Extras on the standard DVD edition include a director and producer commentary, previews for other Geneon releases, and staff biographies. You can also jump directly to the musical sequences within the film; featured artists (with biographies) include Boom Boom Satellites, Paul Oakenfold, Ryuichi Sakamoto and others. There is also an advert for the CD soundtrack, and DVD credits, but it's reaching a bit to call these extras.
This film has been rated R by the MPAA which I think is harsh. Except for a little bloody violence in the opening sequence, there's nothing in APPLESEED that wouldn't be appropriate for younger viewers, although the story may fly over their heads. If you're going to watch it around kids, you might want to just jump past the first chapter. Or not.
Despite the ambitious nature of the production, I found it left me a bit cold overall. This may be stating the obvious, since most of the characters we meet are artificial, but there is very little emotion or humanity in the story. I didn't care much about any of them. The story isn't very involving, and Deunan's ties with Olympus' origins felt contrived. It's worth renting if you're a CG enthusiast, but I can't give this a strong recommendation otherwise.
"Boiroids don't kill other bioroids." November 12, 2005
Marc Ruby™ (Warren, MI USA)
20 out of 25 found this review helpful
Close to the beginnings of my anime reviewing here I saw the 2001 Final Fantasy release. This set a standard for CGI that may very well never be equaled without a significant technology breakthrough. Another notable film of the period was the original Ghost in the Shell, had outstanding animation. Appleseed has much in common with both films. It shares the heavy use of CGI, and some interesting bits of underlying philosophy with Final Fantasy. And, like Ghost, it was created from a manga series from Masamune Shirow. If you're familiar with Ghost in the Shell you may very well see the world of Appleseed as that post-apocalyptic version of Ghost's, which was already unraveling.
Here the world is mostly ruined, other than a small colony composed of humans and bioroids - androids whose primary function seems to be to balance humanity's tendency to self-destruct. They are indistinguishable from humans other than that they lack the ability to breed, and cannot feel anger. Yet all this is apparently to no avail. With no outer war to distract them mankind has opted for inner violence, and Olympus is torn by human fear of the bioroids.
Into this comes Deunan Knute, a deadly woman warrior who is the daughter of a woman who helped create the first bioroids, and, in the company of Briarius, and old lover who has become more machine than human, Deunan is Olympus's hope for the future. Buried within her mind is the key that will complete the bioroids, and give them the capability to love and have children. The events trigger an Armageddon like confrontation.
The story is almost successful, despite it's somewhat simplistic characterization. Director Shinji Arimaki fails to provide some needed continuity, though. The result is that important things happen off-stage and there are too many unexplained switches in the plot. Arimaki has seized the primary theme of human anger, suspicion and xenophobia, thrown in a lost of admittedly spectacular scenery and fight scenes. But he only pays lip service to the deeper questions of human nature that Shirow often addresses. The result is an vary entertaining film that just misses the mark.
That being said, it's still worth watching. There is an earlier animation film of this story that enjoys a significant cult following. I would like to see that, and look at the manga as well. There is something to this that does capture the imagination, and there's more to be found than what this film focuses on.
 Note to early adopters October 2, 2004
Thomas Price (Decatur, GA United States)
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
This is not the original 1988 adaptation of the manga! This is the new version that premiered in Japan in Spring 2004 and showed in limited US theaters in January 2005.
The official US DVD release by Geneon is scheduled for 5/10/2005. There will be three editions: standard, special, and special with action figure.
The Future look of Animae is Awesome!! February 28, 2005
Michael & Angela Goodwin (Florida)
11 out of 17 found this review helpful
Just bought this DVD at Megacon, and was blown away within 2 seconds of this beautifully made film.
Appleseed is a 3-D, fully animated CGI film that is awesome in all aspects, from design and storyline, to awesome battle sequences, this one is top-of-the-line. If only they made them all this all around good!
A classic in many areas.
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