Appleseed Ex Machina (2007)

I used to be a huge fan of Japanese anime when I was a teenager but as I got older the novelty wore off and I started to notice how lazy some of the animation was.

I now know the anime of the past was limited to a strict budget and time limit which is why many corners were cut (looped frames, moving 'still' images and sometimes jerky animation).

'Appleseed Ex Machina' however has made me realise how advanced Japanese animation has become and I'm extremely impressed!

Beautifully rendered in CGI this manages to keep the appearance of the comics and graphic novels created by Masamune Shirow and at the same time produce some fast paced action the likes of a Hollywood big budget movie. That said, action cinema maestro John Woo produced this feature!

The film's been criticised for having a hard to follow story but I honestly had no trouble with it, in fact it seemed to make more sense than most of the Japanese films I've seen in the past.

To cut it simple (and to keep from spilling too many spoilers!), the film is about cyborgs, biotics (genetically modified clones) and humans being controlled against their will and a team of elite cops (ES.W.A.T) trying to solve the case and protect the city whilst they themselves are losing control.

This is definitely worth a watch, I've ordered the 2004 film 'Appleseed Ex' so will review that once it arrives.

If this is the future of anime I may start collecting it again... time to get my overdraft extended me thinks!

Films out on the 14th of September (UK)

Well, last weeks cinema releases were nothing to talk about but by the end of this coming week things should hopefully change with a couple of new movies.

The first is 'Superbad'. Yeah, it sounds awful but the trailer looks really good. This is a comedy about a group of friends in the final few weeks of school getting into all sorts of trouble before leaving for college. It's co-written by Seth Rogen, the lead guy from Knocked Up who's really making a name for himself now (he also plays one of the cop's in the trailer). The film also features Michael Cera a.k.a George Michael Bluth from the excellent 'Arrested Development' series so I'll spouting out loads of A.D quotes throughout (to the annoyance of anyone sitting around me, ha ha!).



The second is 'Shoot Em Up'. Yeah yeah yeah!!! Gunfights, car chases, Monica Bellucci still looking hot... that'll do me! I don't really know much about this film but I've heard there's not much of a real story although it is great fun to watch full with over the top action. The excellent Clive Owen's has the lead with Paul Giamatti taking the strange role of 'BAD GUY'. Giamatti usually plays good guys or minor supporting roles so I'll be interested to see how he handles it. The film itself looks like a cross between a John Woo film and some random 80's action movie. Neither is a bad thing in my book!