Appleseed Alpha

Appleseed Alpha is described as a computer-animated military science fiction cyberpunk film on Wikipedia. With so many different genres applied to this film, what could possible go wrong?

The film is based on the manga Appleseed by Masamune Shirow and functions as a reboot for the 2004 film. It has changed a couple of things both from the original manga and the film, but the basic premise stays the same. It's the 22nd century and the World War Three has left the world in tatters. Deunan and Briareos are two mercenaries eking out a living in the dystopian city of New York where they find themselves trapped in all endless of loop of debt and jobs. Until a clean-up gig crosses their paths with a young girl and her lone protector.

What I like the most about this film is the world of Appleseed it introduces me to. The basics of the world are not terribly exciting, what with a dystopian future, cyborgs and all that old stuff, but the details are what make it work. All the cyborgs have great designs and personalities. They're not just your generic robots with human brains. They all show the differences between their builders and the unique tastes of the persons within. Deunan as the more human protagonist is also a fun character and works very well with Briareos, her cyborg mate and partner in crime. This film made me interested in reading the original manga, which is a huge point in its favour.

On the other hand, the story is pretty dull and clichéd. It's your typical "fallen empire" slash "hidden super weapon" storyline, with very few deviations from the norm. You can pretty much tell how it's going to go as soon as Deunan and Briareos meet Iris and Olson. Which is a shame because the world itself has such a personality.

Even still, the film has its definite upsides. The animation works pretty well, the characters are a lot of fun and even the story is merely clichéd instead of awful. Not for everyone, but I don't personally regret seeing it at all.