Today’s quick review: Appleseed. In the aftermath of World War III, the utopian city of Olympus is one of the last bastions of human civilization. Deunan Knute (Larissa Murray) and her cyborg partner Briareos (William Roberts) are members of an elite SWAT team tasked with protecting Olympus. When a notorious terrorist (Vincent Marzello) escapes their custory, Deunan and Briareos’ investigation leads them to Charon (Alan Marriott), a crooked cop.
Appleseed is a Japanese animated sci-fi action movie based on the manga by Shirow Masamune. Appleseed is set in a world that’s divided between war-torn wastelands and a gleaming city managed by an advanced AI. The story explores the fringes of this society as Deunan and Briareos square off against a terrorist tring to burn Olympus to the ground. Appleseed features a rich setting and plenty of action, even if its execution has a few quirks.
Among Appleseed’s strengths are its gun-toting action, its distinctive main characters, and its musings about the relationship between society and human nature. Its most obvious appeal comes from its action scenes, where cops and criminals square off in powerful exosuits known as Landmates. The setting is a case study on the tradeoff between freedom and security, although this conflict takes a back seat to the main action of the story.
However, Appleseed has a few flaws that hold it back. The art style is nicely detailed, but the animation shows its age, which in turn puts a damper on some of the action scenes. The plot doesn’t move very smoothly, and the investigation doesn’t get the time it needs to breathe. Finally, Charon’s plan does not have the impact it should have, relying on a contrived weakness in Olympus’ security system and leading to a merely adequate finale.
Appleseed is an interesting find for fans of anime and classic sci-fi. Flaws in its execution keep it from leaving as much of an impression as either its action-packed successors or lavish, atmospheric anime like Ghost in the Shell. But even with its limitations, Appleseed’s detailed world and solid action make it a fine pick for the right viewer.
For a modern take on the same source material, try the CGI remake of Appleseed and its sequel, Appleseed Ex Machina. For another adaptation of Shirow Masamune’s work, try Ghost in the Shell. For a darker animated thriller about an elite SWAT team, try Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. For a more cartoonish, stylized saga set in a false utopia, check out Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a modest story and serviceable actuib set in a rich world.