First Look At Appleseed Sequel

[bsu legato]

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2006/05/1...,53522,0,0.html

Not bad, I guess. It does remind me of Shirow's cover paintings for the manga, in a way. At least it's not drawn by Adam Warren.

[yellowlightman]

Shameless plug.

I'm honestly not that excited about it. Not only was the previous movie horrible; this new one is being produced by John Woo, one of my least favorite movie makers ever.

[sketchley]

It does look like an improvement in the 3DCG from the first one.

I'm looking forward to this, as the first movie was really, really great.

[emajnthis]

John Woo is really hit or miss, but lately it's been way miss, so i'm hoping he doesn't carry a lot of weight in this remake.

[Southcross]

While I HATE obvious CG... I liked Appleseed... I look forward to Appleseed 2 and the supposed TV series in the works

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Me too. I liked the movie. I thought the fighting and action was done well and in a way tells the story better than the comic. I've always been more a fan of appleseed than I have for gits for some reason. It must be the whole thing with cyborgs being the normal people in gits vs humans being the normal people in appleseed. I think the first thing that comes to mind is that just because we can put stuff in our bodies doesn't mean people would want to. Also I find the idea of using powered armor just more appealing than ripping your brain out and chucking it inside a fake body and replacing it when it gets damaged. (just seems so horrific, and the characters in appleseed are more realistic to how they react to it imo)

[Vermillion21]

I actually liked the Appleseed movie ... decent plot, great anime!!

Looking forward to the sequel ....

[Radd]

Appleseed is getting a sequel. This is why we can't have good things in this world.

Is there anything that suggests the picture shown on that website is an example of the actual art quality from this sequel? Seems like promotional art, to me.

[sketchley]

Me too. I liked the movie. I thought the fighting and action was done well and in a way tells the story better than the comic. I've always been more a fan of appleseed than I have for gits for some reason. It must be the whole thing with cyborgs being the normal people in gits vs humans being the normal people in appleseed.  I think the first thing that comes to mind is that just because we can put stuff in our bodies doesn't mean people would want to. Also I find the idea of using powered armor just more appealing than ripping your brain out and chucking it inside a fake body and replacing it when it gets damaged. (just seems so horrific, and the characters in appleseed are more realistic to how they react to it imo)

403606[/snapback]

Very, very good points. I think another thing to add to this is the main intent of the two stories.

GiTS: questioning the definition of life, and what makes us human in the absence of flesh and corruption of technology.

Appleseed: questioning humanities right to life, despite its warlike nature.

In a lot of ways, the basic message of Appleseed is a lot easier to understand than that of GiTS. Both are good stories, it's just that GiTS requires a lot, lot more scientific understanding to understand.

[eugimon]

yay, appleseed was one of my favorite manga growing up and I hope the 2nd movie doesn't suck...

[Hoptimus]

I liked the first CG movie alot but man...some of the animation was bad. Mostly in the slower dialogue scenes. They looked like anime versions of the Team America puppets moving. The action scenes though were dynamite. I hope they smooth this out for the second one.

[terry the lone wolf]

I liked the 1st Appleseed movie and yes a few of the characters (especially Duenan) were a little out of character but I didn't mind too much. The promotional piece looks tight though.

[Nightbat]

John Who?

Oh, the '18 minutes of movie/90 minutes of slow motion' lameass

so first it's an 100% CGI movie -which I hate

next it's an overhyped-director-production

... and no chance Shirow will ever make another (old skool-drawing) manga

Talk about raping my childhood and leaving it to die

Edited May 30, 2006 by Nightbat

[Zinjo]

John Who?

Oh, the '18 minutes of movie/90 minutes of slow motion' lameass

so first it's an 100% CGI movie -which I hate

next it's an overhyped-director-production

... and no chance Shirow will ever make another (old skool-drawing) manga

Talk about raping my childhood and leaving it to die

403759[/snapback]

Woo produces not directs....

I liked the movie, eventhough the first animated OVAs were much closer to the Manga.

The 3DCG is essentially a motion capture process down to facial expression captures, using computer animation to "skin" the performances. So if there is any "weakness" it is either in the actor's performance or the animator's failing to create a realistic mechanical animation...

Though as with anything the more you do something, the more it improves/

Compare Shrek to Shrek II or Toy Story to Toy Story 2 and you'll see substantial improvements over the the first animations.

So I am looking forward to the next one!

Edited May 30, 2006 by Zinjo

[JsARCLIGHT]

The 3DCG is essentially a motion capture process down to facial expression captures, using computer animation to "skin" the performances.  So if there is any "weakness" it is either in the actor's performance or the animator's failing to create a realistic mechanical animation...

403784[/snapback]

Only a handful of houses use full mocap on CG stuff, big joints like Pixar still hand animate all their characters. If you ask me hand keyed CG animation looks the best. Compare the fluid, expressive motion of the Incredibles and Madagascar to the stuffy, laborous almost soulless movement in Final Fantasy Spirits Within and Polar Express. Then again both FF and PS have that creepy "trying to imitate life" angle going on that doesn't help matters much...

I never saw the CG Appleseed... never had any interest. I saw the first one and thought that was terrible. They dumbed down the story far too much for my tastes... which is ironic because with the new GitS animated series at times I feel they made it too cerebral.

[bsu legato]

Only a handful of houses use full mocap on CG stuff, big joints like Pixar still hand animate all their characters. If you ask me hand keyed CG animation looks the best. Compare the fluid, expressive motion of the Incredibles and Madagascar to the stuffy, laborous almost soulless movement in Final Fantasy Spirits Within and Polar Express. Then again both FF and PS have that creepy "trying to imitate life" angle going on that doesn't help matters much...

403795[/snapback]

FWIW, the Mo-Cap in Appleseed was light years ahead of Spirits Within. I think this was helped by going the "anime" route for the face, rather than trying the never-convincing-enough "realism" method.

[Zinjo]

Apparently they are making both 2 & 3 simulateously (the new fad in hellywood these days), which explains why it isn't scheduled for release until 2007.

http://www.movieweb.com/news/48/6148.php

There is also a plan for a TV series as well for an autumn premier date, but not much has been said about that.

[JELEINEN]

I enjoy the manga (when Shirow can stick to the story anyway), but the recent movie was bad. It was pretty; I'll give it that, but otherwise I found nothing enjoyable about it. There were huge, gaping plot holes and the characters came across as idiots rather than the professionals the manga portrays them as. Sadly, I'll probably check out the new one. Third times a charm, right?

[Fortress_Maximus]

IMO the CG Appleseed movie was more for general audiences ... toned down, filled with eyecandy action and far less philosophical. However, both GITS films targeted a more mature audience and at times I'd imagine would put the general audience to sleep with the pacing and sparse action sequences. Still for myself, I can appreciate Appleseed for what it is and if I require more substance I reread the mangas. With GITS movies and SAC, I can usually pass on the urge for the mangas... to each their own.

[sketchley]

I liked the movie, eventhough the first animated OVAs were much closer to the Manga.

403784[/snapback]

Woah! I hope you mean only in visuals and character designs. That original OVA's story completely missed the point of the Appleseed story and butchered the other elements to make a monstrousity that killed the animated Appleseed franchise for about a decade.

I was really happy with the 3DCG movie as it brought animated Appleseed back to the original story and intent of it. (Though still different, but that can be expected when any story makes the jump to the big screen interpretation.)

FWIW, the Mo-Cap in Appleseed was light years ahead of Spirits Within. I think this was helped by going the "anime" route for the face, rather than trying the never-convincing-enough "realism" method.

403802[/snapback]

Agreed. Mind you, there's a few years of improvements in both computer hardware and software that added to it as well.

I admit that I initially didn't really like the anime-style faces on pseudo-realistic bodies in a pseudo-realistic environment. However, they grew on me and I actually quite like the result. Visually, it's a fairly distinct movie, and that, IMHO, makes it more memoriable.

Though, I will mention that in this day-and-age, I think we will be seeing more motion capture animation, as it is cheaper to produce than frame-by-frame animation. Let's hope that the Appleseed movie's motion capture animation will be on par or better than the motion capture animation in Lord of the Rings. (Say what? Check out the extras on the special edition. )

Now what direction could they be taking the Appleseed movie(s)? As they've hit all the major plot points and events in the 1st two manga compilations as well as the cyborg fembots of the 5th (that never finished production.)

Will they be based on the 3rd and 4th compilations respectively? Or will they go the route of GiTS: Stand Alone Complex and focus on the crime fighting and anti-terrorist activities of ESWAT?

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I liked the movie for the one big thing it offered that the comics never had-a friggin ending. A sequel with John Woo sounds interesting, hopefully he doesn't put in more scenes with doves flying off; that got old with me real fast.

[yellowlightman]

The action and animation was fine in the first movie, the problem was the absolutely ridiculous and contrived storyline. They shoulda spent their money getting someone who has a reputation for decent writing instead of John Woo.

[chrono]

FWIW, the Mo-Cap in Appleseed was light years ahead of Spirits Within. I think this was helped by going the "anime" route for the face, rather than trying the never-convincing-enough "realism" method.

403802[/snapback]

Agreed. Mind you, there's a few years of improvements in both computer hardware and software that added to it as well.

403999[/snapback]

Agreed too. However it wasn't the hardware/software that helped alot. It really was the trading of and increased skill base of the people who worked together on FF:SW. Alot of those people who were working together on FF:SW traded ALOT of experience and many ended up bring back a better, slightly westernized, skillset and broader experience in large scale 3D operations. If you look at the 3D of that period even GONZO wasn't that great, but after the FF studios went down other firms benefited ALOT! Many of the artists who came from using SHADE and then learned XSI, MAYA, LW, and MAX came back to SHADE said WTF! and then quickly went back to the software they were using before.

FF:SW failure hallmarks a turning point for both western and eastern 3D.

[Southcross]

I sat and re-watched Appleseed (after resolving a stupid issue with my surround system)... other than some real bad CG, most notiably the faces/shadows... the color contrasts were way way way out of wack... I've decided its definately in my top 10 anime movies. The combat sequences are just stunning :shock:

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

A sequel with John Woo sounds interesting, hopefully he doesn't put in more scenes with doves flying off; that got old with me real fast.

I hope we dont see stuff that is too fancy and stylish. More real life and believable. Like when duenan grabs, punches, rips the arms off the enemy mecha, trips it off balance while shooting the body several times and holds it at gunpoint that is enough. Only do moves that are efficient and quick and would seem practical.

I was just watching Final Fantasy Advent Children and although I can understand RPG characters in fantasy world doing these floaty jumps, jumping off walls (even flying?? and continuing to fight while suspended in midair) and wielding weapons so large at quick speed that it would rip thier arms from thier shoulder sockets, I would hope they tone down the stylistic action and show restraint. The action sequences in that are cool (the sword fighting is my fave bit) but I would hope they show that element of training and skill and common sense more than making people so super duper special that they have time to literally dodge bullets like it was nothing and move with fancy twirls and spins and stuff as they are floating in the air. (yes i love me my HK action movies, especially those jackie chan police story ones, but just don't make duenan too godlike you know what I mean? Make it more patlabor in terms of danger level and realism level)

Duenan != cyborg like Motoko. Injuries, and punishment for bad decisions should matter. Unlike in Ghost in the Shell, there is no comfort in knowing you can just wreck the your own body and even "die" (later eps) to trick the audience, ...and then just get the body replaced, making them virtually immortal unless you cut thier head off; robbing it (life) of any sense of value and taking out any sense of danger )

Edited June 7, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Skullsixx]

I really liked the last CG with 2D coloring anime film. I look forward to the next 2.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Skullsixx

[sketchley]

To be honest, they should've hired Ang Lee instead of John Woo.

John Woo is great, but Ang Lee is that much better. He does kick-ass fighting*, but even better - he does much, much better characters and pathos!

* "Hulk" was ok. I'm mostly referring to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

[Vermillion21]

John Woo's actoin directing style has been described as "violence as poetry" ... who knows, he may do an awesome job.

[EXO]

John Woo sucks and blows at the same time. Anyone can give out quotes like that and insert any name like Michael Bay, Simon West or Jan De Bont, and they still couldn't direct their way out of a paper bag that has a rip from top to bottom. Sure Hard Boiled and The Killer were cool to watch a dozen years ago... it was Hong Kong cinema... no one expected Die Hard or Lethal Weapon when you rent an HK flick.

Edited June 7, 2006 by >EXO<

[Gunbuster]

here's a preview of the new movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrllEZw9r4A

It looks like it has John Woo all over it :-P

[rikiryou]

Wow, I actually LOL'ed pretty hard. It's John Woo all right. Infinite bullets action.

[kung flu]

I'm looking forward to this sequel as i enjoyed the first movie even though it had some plot holes left unexplained. What I liked most form the the first one was the Landmates. I'm hoping that the second movie might be enough to influence a toy/model company to make a Landmate. I remember Yamato had some prototypes, but the finished product hasn't been released.

[Roger]

That's a preview of the Playstation game, isn't it?

[yellowlightman]

That's a preview of the Playstation game, isn't it?

Yeah, it is.

Anyways, it doesn't look very 'Appleseed.' A shootout in an old gothic cathedral? Way to piss all over the Appleseed manga (as if the movie didn't do enough of that already).

[terry the lone wolf]

Doves! Cathedrals! Back to Back shooting! Infinite bullets! John Woo + Appleseed= Kick A** movie!!!!!