William David Lee, ESQ.

Okay, people. Close down the internet. Shut it down. It's all over. Good night, everyone.

Anti-Emo Riots Break Out Across Mexico:

A series of attacks on dyed-hair, eye-makeup-wearing emo kids began in early March when several hundred people went on an emo-beating rampage in Querétaro...

Emo-beating rampage? Ah, music to my ears. And what the fuck does "defend their right to be emo" even mean?

Greetings, my fellow otaku. I present to you Appleseed: Ex Machina, a sequel to 2004's Appleseed which was a remake of the original film from 1988, which itself was based on the manga by Masamune Shirow. Anime fans don't need all this explained, but I hope I haven't lost any of you newbies. Anyways, Shirow is known for his mecha-infused sci-fi/action thrillers with a political edge (Ghost in the Shell and Dominion: Tank Force). The new Appleseed films eschew traditional hand-drawn animation for CGI motion capture. I'm not a huge fan of the process. I did enjoy Beowulf even if some of the facial movements weren't quite right. I still haven't seen The Polar Express because the characters looked too damn creepy. Monster House had it right in using a more stylized look. Considering this is anime, highly stylized is a prerequisite.



It's a post-apocalyptic kind of future and those are always the most fun. World War 3 has ravaged most the planet with the remnants of mankind living in high-tech, utopian cities. The first film followed Deunan Knute, a skilled soldier taken to the city of Olympus where she discovers the war ended months ago. Her partner and lover, Briareos, was severely wounded in battle, but is put back together as a cyborg. It's a process used to treat many of the other humans injured by the war. There also exist, Bioroids, which are essentially clones. Bioroids are generally created with suppressed emotions making them more level-headed and perfect for duties such as politics, diplomacy, and administration.



The gist of the back story gets explained pretty quickly. You don't really need to have seen the first film to enjoy the sequel. Honestly, the stories aren't that sophisticated. I doubt you'll get lost. Both films were directed by Shinji Aramaki, but it is Ex Machina that claims John Woo as producer. The film features many of the John Woo trademarks: double fisted gunplay, acrobatic action, gunfights in a church, and a sequence with a motorcycle. No speedboats, unfortunately. Doves are present, but there's actually an honest-to-goodness reason for them to show up.

Ex Machina kicks off in classic John Woo fashion with an action set piece inside a massive cathedral. Deunan and Knute are members of the city's ESWAT force. The 'E' stands for Extra. Their team does battle with a group of cyborg terrorists. Deunan does all the things you've come to know and love from a John Woo action hero. She dives through the air, slides across the floor, and fires her guns in slow motion. During the mission, Briareos is injured and taken temporarily out of commisison. Deunan is awkwardly paired with Tereus, a Bioroid made from Briareos's DNA, who looks just like his genetic originator before he was changed.



There are hints of a love triangle and a rivalry between Briareos and Tereus, but neither are really explored to any depth. The story is paper-thin, in fact. It's predictable with no sense of tension or suspense. Ex Machina is essentially an hour and forty minutes of eye candy. The animation is certainly beautiful to look at. The designs of the cityscapes are gorgeous and reminiscent of a more optimistic Blade Runner. There are times where it feels like you're just watching a cinematic from a video game. And there are times when I'd marvel at the backgrounds because they looked so realistic. It's odd how the animation works at certain points and doesn't at others. The complicated action sequences are well done, but ordinary movements are performed in a very stiff manner. Flying off a motorcycle, running up the arm of a mech-suit, and firing off a machine gun? No problem. Picking up a wine glass or shaking someone's hand? Still needs work.



Final Thoughts: Appleseed: Ex Machina is junk food. Tasty, but not entirely satisfying. It's eye candy, pure and simple. The story is forgettable, but the animation is stunning, especially when watched in high definition. Ex Machina doesn't stand up to classics like Akira or Ghost in the Shell, but it might be worth a rental for you anime fans. I give Appleseed: Ex Machina two cyborgs out of 5.

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