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1988 Japanese animated film directed by Kazuyashi Katayama. Two SWAT team officers pursue a terrorist through the experimental city of Olympus in this fast-paced and absorbing story. Based on a manga series by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), Appleseed
is an interesting, early mecha adventure. After World War III, "General
Management Control Office" created the model city of Olympus for the
survivors. They also created the "Biodroids," half-human cyborgs
designed to serve humanity. Dunan Nats is a tough female cop; her
partner, Buliarous Hekatonecles, was badly injured in the war and
rebuilt with mechanical limbs and sensors. Together they pursue a
cyborg terrorist and a rogue officer who want to destroy Olympus, which
they see as an elaborate cage that limits human freedom. Released the
same year, 1988, Akira pointed the way to much of the future of anime. Appleseed
largely summarized its past. The character designs display a strong
Western influence, the mecha are simpler than they would become in a
few years, the violence looks tame by contemporary standards, and the
chase sequences are accompanied by what sounds like elevator music.
Although Dunan is clearly the ancestor of Motoko in Ghost in the Shell,
she keeps her clothes on. Significantly, the forces of law and order
emerge victorious, rather than the freedom-seeking rebels of this
elegant dystopia.Unrated, the film has violence. 70 minutes. Audio tracks in Japanese or English and subtitles in English. Additional features include: Chracters Bios, Japanese Production Credits, Previews and Weblinks.
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