Vexille - Movie | Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park

Vexille - Movie | Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park | A non-stop thrill ride

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Vexille - Movie

	Vexille - Movie Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park Funimation, 2008 average customer review:based on 76 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Where did this movie come from? I rented it with reserved anticipation because it looked like another generic anime action movie. I had no idea I was about to witness the greatest animated cinematic experience of my entire life.

Over the past few years I've grown fond of Japanese anime action films. My favorites are "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children", "Appleseed", "Karas: The Prophecy and Revelation", and "Ghost In the Shell." Yeah, I also like a lot of the artsy stuff like "5 Centimeters Per Second", "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", and the most of the Studio Ghibli portfolio, but nothing wets my palette like a great anime action movie. And my goodness did "Vexille" wet my palette!

In the year 2077, an elite commando unit infiltrates Japan to expose their technological secrets to the world. Character development is weak, but the storyline is excellent, with plenty of engaging scenarios, unexpected surprises, and formidable antagonists. The visuals are outstanding and the score is unorthodox and refreshing. The action scenes are also stunning. Whether it's a mansion infiltration, a high speed motorcycle pursuit, or an escape from enigmatic machina, the choreography, editing, and placement of the virtual camera are all top notch. One 11-minute scene is unquestionably the most nerve-racking and utterly spectacular action/suspense sequence in the history of animated cinema. Nothing comes close to this in the world of anime action. Nothing.

Now, anyone who reads my other comments knows that there are two things that I really hate: Hollywood movies and art-house snobs. Of course, I'm sure that those stuck-up snobs will [...] all over this movie due to the relative lack of character development, but "Vexille" thrives so much on the action and storyline that the characters earn our concern because of how they are absorbed within this exceptionally crafted conflict. This is NOT a brainless action movie. The aforementioned 11-minute extravaganza does not exist for eye candy and superficial beauty alone (like most of the scenes in "FFVII: Advent Children"). It has a significant emotional weight behind it which makes the viewer clench their seat in apprehension for every single second of the entire sequence. I know, I know; the snobs would rather watch a couple kids walk around in a war zone collecting rice for two hours instead of an entertaining action movie. So maybe they should just spare us the "high and mighty" routine and not even bother watching this movie to begin with. (God knows they should've skipped "The Machine Girl.")

One enigmatic complaint I've heard on the web is with regards to the dialogue. Some have claimed it to be "cheesy", but I honestly cannot recall more than one or two sentences that apply. (Believe me, I know cheese when I see it.) Most of the dialogue is rather intelligent and there is a noticeable lack of melodrama. Seriously, there are virtually NO eye-rolling moments in this movie, which is a huge positive.

I honestly cannot express in words how awesome "Vexille" is. It's almost like I'm in a state of shock or something, because I just can't get this movie out of my head for a split second. Things might change over the course of weeks and subsequent viewings (of which there will be many, I promise you that), but as of this very moment, this film may have just cracked my Top 20 All Time list (live action included).

Just watch it and judge for yourself. And why on earth are theaters showing some stupid kung fu panda tripe instead of this spectacular action film?

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A non-stop thrill ride

Both APPLESEED and APPLESEED EX MACHINA are my favorite anime films in recent months. When I found out that the creators of APPLESEED is behind the film VEXILLE, I knew I had to check out VEXILLE. Needless to say the creators of APPLESEED really outdid themselves with VEXILLE.

VEXILLE is named after the heroine of the story. She is a member of a special ops force called S.W.O.R.D. The story takes place in 2077. It has been ten years since Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world based on an international treaty that limits the use of robotic technology. During a mission, it is revealed that Japan had been developing androids thus leads to a new mission to if this really is the case. Vexille's lover Leon volunteers to lead a team to infiltrate Japan. When Vexille finds out, she manages to get involved in the mission. Of course, the plan quickly goes awry. Leon and his team goes missing, and Vexille ends up in the company of a mysterious woman named Maria and her group of ragtag rebels who wants to put a stop to the corporation responsible for the creation of androids and abuse of bio-technology.

The animation was nothing short of amazing. The animation was quite similiar to the APPLESEED films which is a mix of hand drawn art (or what it looks like)and computer generated images. I found the film to be fast paced and never boring. Paul Oakenfold's techno film score was quite good and really fit the theme of the film. I can hardly wait to see what the folks behind APPLESEED and VEXILLE does next. They made me a huge fan out of me.

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Everything that "Appleseed Ex Machina" should have been!

Went into Vexille on the heels of the disappointing Appleseed Ex Machina and was BLOWN AWAY. Everything about this is top notch; the storyline, while involved, is still easy to follow and very engaging. You care about characters when they die, even the ones with limited screen time. For a standard (read: non HD) disc, the image is fantastic, though I watched it on a PS3 so the upconverting may have helped. The surround sound mix is totally immersive and goes a long way to bring you into the story. The action sequences, while somewhat derivative, are brilliant and very well staged and executed. All of this is served spectacularly well by the music, which is a combination of Oakenfold's signature breakbeat techno and selected songs by other artists, and is never off putting or out of place. Also, the anime style, a blend of cell shaded 2D and CGI, is reminiscent of Appleseed, only a bit more fluid and stylized. The Japanese audio track is solid as to be expected, and to my surprise the English dub is actually very well done. Bonus points for that.

All told, Vexille is a must buy for cyberpunk, sci fi and anime afficionados, and is definitely reference material for your home theatre system.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Excelent

I think this movie in the technical aspect is great, I like very much the look of the characters, but I really like almost all the backgrounds.
I really like this movie but I think something miss in the story.

Top-Notch, Action-Packed Sci-Fi!

I enjoyed watching Appleseed so I was excited for this sendup and I was not disappointed. The movie opens up in the future where cars sound electric and people get their work done on hovering keyboards (that looked cool). Robots are huge in the future, but biometrics is one area that has been outlawed internationally by everybody except Japan. Japan instead sets up a cloud of secrecy but still keeps a high volume of robotic trade with the world. Except that one of Japan's most valuable resources are running out and they need a fresh supply -- starting in America.

I was actually quite glued to the screen the entire time. The storyline was easy to follow and, tho borrowed from many other story lines, still had a lot of originality and good character development. You can tell when the characters are good when you actually care for their outcome. And in this movie, despite the high death toll throughout, you are moved when any of the major characters die (don't worry, they don't all die, but quite a few don't make it through).

There was one loose end that doesn't seem to get resolved in the end. I don't know if it was a dropped plot line or if they had a sequel in mind. It was pretty big so I suspect that a Vexille II will be following this movie soon enough.

If you are into Sci-Fi I recommend picking this up. It isn't the best thing out there, but it was worth checking out.

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