Appleseed the Movie

[wolfx]

I got the Appleseed movie figures by Yamato/Toycom. They looked nice in their packaging. I opened Deunan and omg...its a rubbery mess.

The joints are completely rubbery soft PVC (no ABS) and feels like crap. The gun is either unproportionately huge or something because Deunan can't hold the gun in any sensible pose. Hell...she can't even hold the damn gun because the hand is so rubbery and can't grip onto it. The magazine from the rifle also keeps popping out.

I also have a Briareros....but I'm not sure I wanna open it considering what a huge disappointment Deunan is.

I can tell that this figure had its share of R&D considering the joints are well placed and all....but wtf were they thinking about the materials, especially on the joints? Last minute manufacturing decisions?

I'm very disappointed with this figure.

[EXO]

I got the Appleseed movie figures by Yamato/Toycom. They looked nice in their packaging. I opened Deunan and omg...its a rubbery mess.

The joints are completely rubbery soft PVC (no ABS) and feels like crap. The gun is either unproportionately huge or something because Deunan can't hold the gun in any sensible pose. Hell...she can't even hold the damn gun because the hand is so rubbery and can't grip onto it. The magazine from the rifle also keeps popping out.

I also have a Briareros....but I'm not sure I wanna open it considering what a huge disappointment Deunan is.

I can tell that this figure had its share of R&D considering the joints are well placed and all....but wtf were they thinking about the materials, especially on the joints? Last minute manufacturing decisions?

I'm very disappointed with this figure.

That sounds horrible wolfx. I'm going to get these figures at a discount because the packaging was damaged, so I won't feel so bad if they are that crappy, but I ws looking forward to some good toys.

Briareos, thanks for the subs... I'm going to watch it now.

[wolfx]

http://www.purpleyoda.com/tracker/torrents/[ASS]_Appleseed_2004.torrent

From out friends, #ASS fansubs.

Not sure of the sub quality though.

[Feyd-Rautha]

am i the only one who wants a decent LANDMATE with opening cockpit??????

[EXO]

am i the only one who wants a decent LANDMATE with opening cockpit??????

Not really, every Appleseed/ Shirow fan wants one...

I think that's what this article (upper right) is all about...

http://stwo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/shirow/index_enu.html

[Feyd-Rautha]

am i the only one who wants a decent LANDMATE with opening cockpit??????

Not really, every Appleseed/ Shirow fan wants one...

I think that's what this article (upper right) is all about...

http://stwo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/shirow/index_enu.html

BOoinnnggggggg

....good grief, charlie brown!!!!!!

me likey...me wantie! ! ! ....c'mon, chuck!

yamato would be fuggggin crazy not too deliver somthing like this juicy resin kit!

http://stwo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/shirow/Images/softwired01.jpg

dear lord..please gimmmmme land-mate

[EXO]

you should really cut down on the sugar...

[UN Spacy]

http://www.purpleyoda.com/tracker/torrents/[ASS]_Appleseed_2004.torrent

From out friends, #ASS fansubs.

Not sure of the sub quality though.

How do you play these MKV files?

[wolfx]

http://www.purpleyoda.com/tracker/torrents/[ASS]_Appleseed_2004.torrent

From out friends, #ASS fansubs.

Not sure of the sub quality though.

How do you play these MKV files?

http://www.matroska.org/

Get that.

[UN Spacy]

http://www.matroska.org/

Get that.

The Players or Filters?

NM: The lite filter works just fine.

Edited December 18, 2004 by UN Spacy

[Feyd-Rautha]

you should really cut down on the sugar...

u should cut down on the fugggin' attitude

thanks for the link thou

[the white drew carey]

http://www.purpleyoda.com/tracker/torrents/[ASS]_Appleseed_2004.torrent

From out friends, #ASS fansubs.

Not sure of the sub quality though.

I've got it, but I'm not seeing the subs.

I'm running it on my Mac 10.3.6 using VLC 0.8.1, which is set to autodetect subs and I'm just not seeing them.

Any ideas?

[Radd]

Not that I hated it or want to position my opinion opposite of his, but he's (apparently) not a fan of the manga and (again only my impression by reading the review) didn't seem to be able to understand the dialog. I like the movie, but it's major weak points are not found in the visuals but in the plot, at least for me.

I agree. As much as I harp on the flaws in the visuals, it didn't look terrible and I would have been able to easily forgive anything I didn't like in the visuals if the story had been at least decent.

[the white drew carey]

Scratch that, I got the subs working.

[wolfx]

I'm not sure what people are whinging about , but this movie rocks! Way much more than Innocense was.

That is if you're not an anti-CGI freak, I thought this movie was pretty good. Sure they kinda sped up the storyline from the current 4 vols of the manga, but I think it was all good.

Kinda spoiled the manga if u ask me by revealing all the plot twists.

[the white drew carey]

Well, I just finished the movie and I say "Two Thumbs Up!"

Although there were some wonky moments in regards to the animation I think, overall, it was visually astounding.

I really had no problems with the cel-style characters in conjuntion with 3-D backgrounds, I think they look great and am very pleased with the final results.

As to the story: Yeah, they packed details from about all 4 volumes in and added some stuff that Shirow hasn't even included yet or simply made it up, but I still think it works well.

What I think works best is that it blends the existential treatment that so many directors try to portray in Shirow-derived works with lots of well-choreographed action. If you looking for a visually-stunning mind-blow, with little action, see one of Oshii's GitS movies. But I'll be the first to readily admit that they tend to be boring as hell if your not in the right mood.

Appleseed, on the other hand, encompasses both aspects fairly well.

As for the music, I had no problem with it. I actually liked it quite a bit and wouldn't mind getting the soundtrack. Unlike others, I didn't feel it was a distraction to the scenes. In my opinion, I think it worked so well because it wasn't your typical crappy action music.

Appleseed: 4 1/2 out of 5 Bonapartes.

[Radd]

Meh, I stick by my opinion. The visuals aren't terrible, but they're not great either, and the writing is just wretched. There are many simply unforgivable plotholes scattered throughout the movie. What makes it worse is that these plot holes are major points on which the entire story rests.

[the white drew carey]

Meh, I stick by my opinion. The visuals aren't terrible, but they're not great either, and the writing is just wretched. There are many simply unforgivable plotholes scattered throughout the movie. What makes it worse is that these plot holes are major points on which the entire story rests.

I'm curious what plotholes you're referring to?

I had no problems with plotholes, but then again, I'm familiar with the sotry. But both my wife, my friend and his wife understood it perfectly fine. The only thing I needed to explain to them were certain words and phrases which have specific meaning in the Appleseed universe.

[wolfx]

Meh, I stick by my opinion. The visuals aren't terrible, but they're not great either, and the writing is just wretched. There are many simply unforgivable plotholes scattered throughout the movie. What makes it worse is that these plot holes are major points on which the entire story rests.

I'm curious what plotholes you're referring to?

I had no problems with plotholes, but then again, I'm familiar with the sotry. But both my wife, my friend and his wife understood it perfectly fine. The only thing I needed to explain to them were certain words and phrases which have specific meaning in the Appleseed universe.

Ditto. What plot holes?

I guess the only thing that could've bothered me was the large amount of characters but lack of development for them. But then again, I've read the manga so i guess I might be biased when I say they had ample development.

And also Briareros wasn't that filled with angst. He's a funny sarcastic guy in the manga.

[the white drew carey]

And also Briareros wasn't that filled with angst. He's a funny sarcastic guy in the manga.

Yeah, I missed that aspect of him. I hope he begins to lighten up in the sequels.

[wolfx]

And also Briareros wasn't that filled with angst.  He's a funny sarcastic guy in the manga.

Yeah, I missed that aspect of him. I hope he begins to lighten up in the sequels.

Actually I've always confused manga Briareros with manga Batou. They share many similarities. They both have the big build, co-stars beside main heroine, and have a sarcastic nature unlike any other anime/manga character. But the anime version of Batou (movie and series) is just so angsty....behhhhh! Feels wrong. Movie Bria seems to be goin down that same line.

[EXO]

I gotta agree, Bri was pretty depressing in the movie. But he was holding some pretty heavy secrets. Hopefully, everyone will be a different mood in the next movie.

It's seems like the movie got the mood backwards. The city was bright and very sunny while the characters were dark and depressed. In the manga it was almost the opposite.

[Gunbuster]

I gotta agree, Bri was pretty depressing in the movie. But he was holding some pretty heavy secrets. Hopefully, everyone will be a different mood in the next movie.

It's seems like the movie got the mood backwards. The city was bright and very sunny while the characters were dark and depressed. In the manga it was almost the opposite.

LOL! I thought it was just me that thought that

[Hikuro]

what a load of crap they're only showing the movie in IL, HI, FL, NY and CA, that really blows! There's not a single place I can go too just to see this movie!

Stupid Oregon!

[EXO]

Question: The toys for Appleseed list Deunan as Gartham, where does this come from? I don't recall Gartham in the movie or the manga.

[Radd]

Meh, I stick by my opinion. The visuals aren't terrible, but they're not great either, and the writing is just wretched. There are many simply unforgivable plotholes scattered throughout the movie. What makes it worse is that these plot holes are major points on which the entire story rests.

I'm curious what plotholes you're referring to?

I had no problems with plotholes, but then again, I'm familiar with the sotry. But both my wife, my friend and his wife understood it perfectly fine. The only thing I needed to explain to them were certain words and phrases which have specific meaning in the Appleseed universe.

Ditto. What plot holes?

I guess the only thing that could've bothered me was the large amount of characters but lack of development for them. But then again, I've read the manga so i guess I might be biased when I say they had ample development.

And also Briareros wasn't that filled with angst. He's a funny sarcastic guy in the manga.

You're both joking, right? Ok, ok, spoilers people, so if you don't want the movie ruined before you see it, read no further.

Ok, so Deunan runs into several characters over the course of the series and ias asked if she knows them, to wich she responds no. Then later on, it turns out she did. She knew some of them quite well in fact, but this somehow just slipped her mind. And do not try to tell me that she was just a little girl when she knew them, I'm not buying that or any other bridge you're selling, that just does not fly given the circumstances shown in the movie.

So, Deunan had the Appleseed the entire time. She's had it for years. She knew what it was. She knew what she was supposed to do with it. She was supposed to give it to a character that she happened to conviniently forget she knew. Not only that, but she forgot she had the Appleseed, even though at some point during the series she had to have placed it inside her father's gun, wich she also conviniently forgot had a secret compartment.

Now, there's this virus up at the top of the main building in this utopian city. It has a virus that everyone is told will eliminate the bioroids, but in reality it will stop mankind's ability to reproduce, a rather low violence way of eliminating mankind and letting the bioroids take over. So then the only way to release this virus is to have 8 or 10 huge walking gun emplacements needlessly destroy the entire city and shoot the container at a distance of about 3 and a half feet (just to be certain they don't miss!). Not only that, but a character that's not in on this whole "wipe out mankind" trip the old men are on just happens to know exactly how to turn off the walking guns, wich involves manually entering the password (her name, no less!) into one specific walking gun, and it will turn off all the others.

Now, by this point in the movie, I may have been distracted and shaking my head in disgust, but it seemed like said password finished entering itself when Deunan was unable to because the keyboard was broken, if this isn't the case there's still plenty wrong with the writing as-is. On top of that, I am certain I'm not covering all of the plot holes that made me cringe when watching the movie. Keep in mind, I wanted to love this movie, and was willing to forgive a lot.

[wolfx]

Ok, so Deunan runs into several characters over the course of the series and ias asked if she knows them, to wich she responds no. Then later on, it turns out she did. She knew some of them quite well in fact, but this somehow just slipped her mind. And do not try to tell me that she was just a little girl when she knew them, I'm not buying that or any other bridge you're selling, that just does not fly given the circumstances shown in the movie.

Like who? Be more specific. Refresh my memory.

So, Deunan had the Appleseed the entire time. She's had it for years. She knew what it was. She knew what she was supposed to do with it. She was supposed to give it to a character that she happened to conviniently forget she knew. Not only that, but she forgot she had the Appleseed, even though at some point during the series she had to have placed it inside her father's gun, wich she also conviniently forgot had a secret compartment.

She was young. She saw her mom's death. One would assume its a trauma she'd prefer to forget. And now seriously, do you really remember your mom and dad's friends when you were young? Like those aunts and uncles who'd pinch your cheeks when you reach 18 and say "You were sooooo small when I last saw you". I know I wouldn't. She'd probably remembered the name, but can't remmeber the face (coupled with aging even).

And how would she know the pendant was the Appleseed? She just knew it as some kinda momento from her mom. As a kid, she didn't know what it was except she should give it only to Athena and badguys were after it. It was after seeing that traumatic moment again on the hologram that she realised that the important data was in that necklace.

Now, there's this virus up at the top of the main building in this utopian city. It has a virus that everyone is told will eliminate the bioroids, but in reality it will stop mankind's ability to reproduce, a rather low violence way of eliminating mankind and letting the bioroids take over. So then the only way to release this virus is to have 8 or 10 huge walking gun emplacements needlessly destroy the entire city and shoot the container at a distance of about 3 and a half feet (just to be certain they don't miss!).

They did say it was shielded and its defences would hold against the Mobile Platforms. But NOT at point blank range. And a few even!

Not only that, but a character that's not in on this whole "wipe out mankind" trip the old men are on just happens to know exactly how to turn off the walking guns, wich involves manually entering the password (her name, no less!) into one specific walking gun, and it will turn off all the others.

Hitomi happens to be someone quite important amongst the bioroids, hinted by her closeness to the elders. She has access to most things in the city, including military Landmates, and it would seem even the Mobile Platforms. The elders didn't expect her to reveal the secret to Deunan, and she probably wouldn't if she wasn't injected with the serum that unlocked her emotions and reproductive ability. Emotions which probably made her care for Deunan and humanity enough to stop the elder's plans.

Now, by this point in the movie, I may have been distracted and shaking my head in disgust, but it seemed like said password finished entering itself when Deunan was unable to because the keyboard was broken, if this isn't the case there's still plenty wrong with the writing as-is. On top of that, I am certain I'm not covering all of the plot holes that made me cringe when watching the movie. Keep in mind, I wanted to love this movie, and was willing to forgive a lot.

I'm not very sure on this myself, but at that point I assumed that Briareros somehow hacked into the computer and inputted the last letter. I got this from the way Deunan looked at Bria, smilingly after the letter was entered before punching the big red button. This is very obviously possible i GITS, but I'm not very sure about Appleseed. I assumed from Deunan's facial expression.

Are the answers satisfactory?

[Radd]

No.

Athena was among those she knew as a child and conviniently forgot.

Deunan was told it was the Appleseed when she was given it.

Far less contrived and impractical ways to release a virus might have made the end of the movie seem less contrived and impractical.

[Gunbuster]

Now, by this point in the movie, I may have been distracted and shaking my head in disgust, but it seemed like said password finished entering itself when Deunan was unable to because the keyboard was broken, if this isn't the case there's still plenty wrong with the writing as-is. On top of that, I am certain I'm not covering all of the plot holes that made me cringe when watching the movie. Keep in mind, I wanted to love this movie, and was willing to forgive a lot.

I'm not very sure on this myself, but at that point I assumed that Briareros somehow hacked into the computer and inputted the last letter. I got this from the way Deunan looked at Bria, smilingly after the letter was entered before punching the big red button. This is very obviously possible i GITS, but I'm not very sure about Appleseed. I assumed from Deunan's facial expression.

Are the answers satisfactory?

I thought it was Deunan's mom (well her ghost/spirit) enter the last keystroke....I mean right before last keystroke happen Deunan whispered "mom..."

[wolfx]

No.

Athena was among those she knew as a child and conviniently forgot.

Deunan was told it was the Appleseed when she was given it.

Far less contrived and impractical ways to release a virus might have made the end of the movie seem less contrived and impractical.

And YOU remember everyone from YOUR childhood? I can't even remmeber my kindergarten teacher's name or the nanny's name.

Well regardless, I'm sure the movie meant it that Deunan forgot most of her traumatic childhood and her memories were triggered by the hologram. Whether she "convieniently forgotten" it or not is up to you to decide.

And originally , the virus was supposed to be released by General whatshisname by sabotaging it thinking it will destroy all the bioroids. But the Elder's didn't foresee the General would choose to live in peace with the bioroids at the last moment. The elders had no military control and influence since the general controls the military and Athena controls ESWAT which are both against them and Gaia. So what do they do? Employ the mobile platforms which are neither controlled by ESWAT or the military. What's so impractical?

Anyway IIRC in the manga, Gaia wanted to destroy the tank using solar panels around the city to reflect light/heat onto it. THere were mobile platforms involved as well but I can't remember how. I think they were used to destroy the solar panels?

Edited December 22, 2004 by wolfx

[Radd]

Depends on how important they were in my childhood. Some I might not remember right off the bat, though I have run into people from that far back and rocognized them, although I wouldn't have thought of them otherwise.

I'm not buying any of that, "It was sooooooo traumatizing, she forgot all about it!" stuff, either.

Using solar panels from around the city? Now that's a far better idea. An even better idea would to simply have some sort of release mechanism attached to the canister.

Cripes, man, do you think the President of the United States has to activate a giant robot, who pole vaults across the Grand Canyon after trampling several U.S. cities to smash a canister, that unleashes some acide onto a vault, wich then opens up a solar sensitive panel to the light of day which THEN fires the nuclear missles?

[Keiichi]

Now, by this point in the movie, I may have been distracted and shaking my head in disgust, but it seemed like said password finished entering itself when Deunan was unable to because the keyboard was broken, if this isn't the case there's still plenty wrong with the writing as-is. On top of that, I am certain I'm not covering all of the plot holes that made me cringe when watching the movie. Keep in mind, I wanted to love this movie, and was willing to forgive a lot.

I'm not very sure on this myself, but at that point I assumed that Briareros somehow hacked into the computer and inputted the last letter. I got this from the way Deunan looked at Bria, smilingly after the letter was entered before punching the big red button. This is very obviously possible i GITS, but I'm not very sure about Appleseed. I assumed from Deunan's facial expression.

Are the answers satisfactory?

I thought it was Deunan's mom (well her ghost/spirit) enter the last keystroke....I mean right before last keystroke happen Deunan whispered "mom..."

I thought it was the elders that put in the last letter, because they had decided that what Deunan said was right after all, but your guys' theories seem just as good lol. A fun flick, the emotional scenes were so corny haha, but the action was great!

Don't see why the gun platforms are such a problem, like wolfx said, only humans have access that allows the virus to be released, so having the elders use the most firepower available to them to crack open the vault seems like a good solution. Besides, isn't it a lot more fun to watch the heroes try to blow up giant walkers rather than solar panels?

[wolfx]

I thought it was Deunan's mom (well her ghost/spirit) enter the last keystroke....I mean right before last keystroke happen Deunan whispered "mom..."

Rewatched the incomplete letter part. Ok...I really don't know how the "I" got there. *shrug* The "mom" thing was more like a desperate prayer.

Using solar panels from around the city? Now that's a far better idea. An even better idea would to simply have some sort of release mechanism attached to the canister.

Cripes, man, do you think the President of the United States has to activate a giant robot, who pole vaults across the Grand Canyon after trampling several U.S. cities to smash a canister, that unleashes some acide onto a vault, wich then opens up a solar sensitive panel to the light of day which THEN fires the nuclear missles?

what if the president of the US doesn't have anyone loyal to him including military and citizens? Maybe he only has access to the button that activates the giant robot. Make do with what you have man.

Elders probably don't have the code to unlock the d-tank OR such a thing doesn't exist. In a way I think making humans open it was a good idea. Kind of like a control that if humans became too cocky to live with bioroids, they will kill themselves off by opening the tank...and that's the only way to open the tank.

Think of it of as giant shaken coke can without the pin, left by your big brother who explicitly told you not to touch it. Wanna drink it? Blast it open and suffer the consequences.

[EXO]

I agree with Radd for the most part, but I'm so used to asking questions like that when watching any Asian movie that I'm now prepared to turn that part off for enjoyment sake.

The traumatic childhood excuse was hokey, but that's the explanation they give so not accepting it is kinda useless.

The part where her mom's spirit types the last letter was kinda hokey for me.

But I didn't really come away disappointed. I was really happy to see Guges and Spider Tank Platforms battling it out. The action part and some parts from the manga more than makes up for it. Like I said, I'm so used to most Asian movies being hokey that I can't fault Appleseed's storyline. I didn't sit down expecting Kurosawa or anything. I'm just thankful it's not Oshii.

Some things that did bother me are the "too cool" sequences, like Duenan jumping out of the building to get into the Guges. I'd be too freaked out to do that, especially when the word 'TEST' is written all over it. The scene where it disappears from the eye and all you see is the whater splash is definitely cool though.

I'm looking forward to more Appleseed stuff to watch.

[bsu legato]

And aside from Athena, who else did Deunan know from her childhood? I don't recall seeing Hitomi in the flashback, nor Yoshi, nor Nike. And even if she did remember her mom giving her the Appleseed, I doubt little 8 year old Deunan had any concept of its significance and what it would do.

And there was no "tank" in the manga. In fact, the purpose of Gaia's whole spider platform rampage was inverted in the movie. In the manga, the council (those wrinkly old men) decided that we humans were essentially too big of a threat to ourselves, and wanted to turn humanity into emotionally stable bioroids. Gaia in turn decided this was a "threat" to the very humans that bioroids were supposed to protect and used the gun platforms to attack Tartarus.

As for the gun platforms attacking the tank at point blank range, remember that the Tartarus arcology was several times higher than the gun platform, thus sheilding the tank from direct fire from the platform's vulcan and triple-A cannons. The gun platforms may have been able to attack with indirect fire of some kind, but within city limits the ranges would have been far too close. Finally, the fact that the tank was shielded by Tartarus itself should speak for itself. The gun platforms can't incur damage directly to the Tartarus arcology, so they simply climbed it to directly attack the tank. Whats the big deal with that?

I'll take this version of Shirow's work over Oshii any day of the week.

"Hey, anybody want to discuss Milton?"

Edited December 22, 2004 by bsu legato