When I saw Appleseed 1 I was over the moon. I really enjoyed the subtle story, the plot that was so twisted, the hidden messages... everything. I loved it, because it had a twist, something elusive. The graphics were great and well made following the popular Anime style but fresher and sharper somehow. I couldn't wait to see Appleseed II...
Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed but I "entered" warned as I had read some comments here about it. It felt like "just another Hollywood movie". First off, they had redesigned the characters to a Hollywood standard. All pretty and nice ... (I will however admit that Terreus was gorgeous lol). Deunan reminded me of Barbie in more than one instances! She had lost her "edge" and acted like a love sick fool that desperately needed protection. Nothing like her "I can do it on my own" self of Appleseed I.
The fight scenes were nice but cliché. I recognized many scenes from previous Woo films. The plot was very swallow and predictable. The characters talked too much. There was no twist, no agony... some scenes and the reaction of the characters were actually silly. You had a hard time bonding with the characters ... they just seemed so... predictable. I can't think of another word. What's worse I saw the English language version and this made things worse. It really did feel like a silly Hollywood movie. And the title... The title had a meaning in Appleseed I but was totally irrelevant with Ex Machina, except to remind us this was a sequel.
I was fully expecting to see a continuation of the first story... get some answers on things that were put into motion in the first movie. Instead I got a totally irrelevant story, with the characters changed, some beyond recognition. Briareos is so... gentle... so human... he wears cool clothes. Deunan is this fragile creature that every time Briareos gets hurt (and it happens a lot in this movie) she calls out to him like a love sick fool. I wasn't sure if I watching a sci-fi version of Romeo and Juliet or an anime film. The whole thing was very "americanized" in so many levels... not Japanese at all.
I give it a 3 for the graphics, the cool scenes and Terreus ;) I would have had a totally different opinion if Woo had made a totally different film and not call it "Appleseed II" because it does not feel like a real sequel at all.
Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed but I "entered" warned as I had read some comments here about it. It felt like "just another Hollywood movie". First off, they had redesigned the characters to a Hollywood standard. All pretty and nice ... (I will however admit that Terreus was gorgeous lol). Deunan reminded me of Barbie in more than one instances! She had lost her "edge" and acted like a love sick fool that desperately needed protection. Nothing like her "I can do it on my own" self of Appleseed I.
The fight scenes were nice but cliché. I recognized many scenes from previous Woo films. The plot was very swallow and predictable. The characters talked too much. There was no twist, no agony... some scenes and the reaction of the characters were actually silly. You had a hard time bonding with the characters ... they just seemed so... predictable. I can't think of another word. What's worse I saw the English language version and this made things worse. It really did feel like a silly Hollywood movie. And the title... The title had a meaning in Appleseed I but was totally irrelevant with Ex Machina, except to remind us this was a sequel.
I was fully expecting to see a continuation of the first story... get some answers on things that were put into motion in the first movie. Instead I got a totally irrelevant story, with the characters changed, some beyond recognition. Briareos is so... gentle... so human... he wears cool clothes. Deunan is this fragile creature that every time Briareos gets hurt (and it happens a lot in this movie) she calls out to him like a love sick fool. I wasn't sure if I watching a sci-fi version of Romeo and Juliet or an anime film. The whole thing was very "americanized" in so many levels... not Japanese at all.
I give it a 3 for the graphics, the cool scenes and Terreus ;) I would have had a totally different opinion if Woo had made a totally different film and not call it "Appleseed II" because it does not feel like a real sequel at all.