Vexille - Movie | Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park

Vexille - Movie | Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park | Two Thumbs Up

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Vexille - Movie

	Vexille - Movie Toshiyuki Morikawa, Romi Park Funimation, 2008 average customer review:based on 69 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In the near future Japan's scientists have perfected the merging of biotechnology and robotics its benefits extending the lifespans of all humans. However the United Nations deem the advanced technology a dangerous threat and begins strict surveillance on Japan.Refusing to abide by the UN's demands to halt research the rogue nation isolates itself from the world. Enter Vexille a young female operative of S.W.O.R.D. a specialized military unit charged with policing the potential misuse of robotic technology sent to infiltrate the neo-isolationist Japan to prevent a potential biotechnological nightmare!Format: DVD Genre: INDEPENDENT/INTERNATIONAL UPC: 704400095900 Manufacturer No: 0

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A Super SciFi Story

It is 2077 and ten years prior Japan has withdrawn from the U.N. and the world community and built an electromagnetic field called RACE around their country, because the UN passed a resolution outlawing bio-robotic research and technology.

SWORD a very high-tech unit of commandos is sent into Japan, because the world finds out they've violated the UN resolution and they want proof, but the unit is ambushed and everybody is killed except Vexile and her pal Leon, who is taken prisoner. Vexile gets away by jumping into the sea. She wakes later in Maria's home and nothing is like she expected it would be.

Tokyo has been reduced to a primitive village, all the skyscrapers are gone. It's as if Japan has returned to the past. Vexile is confused, but not for long. Maria is the leader of a group of revolutionaries who wants to overthrow the Daiwa, the corperation that is running the country. Daiwa are also the manufacture of androids which are indistinguishable from humans. Daiwa's grip on the country seems unshakable.

Leon has been captured by Daiwa and Vexile must save him, but that's the least of her problems. Daiwa has come up with a scheme to turn all the humans in the world into androids and Vexile and her new gal pal Maria have to stop them. To do this they have to battle not only machine and android, but huge metallic worm like monsters as well. Can she do it? What do you think?

This movie held me captivated, but then I've always been a bit of a scifi buff. The animation is very good, the soundtrack is too, but the best animation and sound in the world doesn't a movie make. It's the story that counts and this story is aces, a woman in serious trouble, tough bad guys, an insurmountable problem, stories don't get any better than this.

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Two Thumbs Up

This is a very good futuristic, woman in trouble story with some very serious bad guys, both machine and android. It's 2077, Japan has been ostracized by the world because they refuse to stop robotic research. In fact, Daiwa, an evil take over the world kind of Japanese corporate monster has come up with a way to turn humans into androids, thus making people better in their opinion. Of course, the humans might have a different point of view.

Vexile, the star of the show, is a member of an elite commando group called SWORD and they've been charged with sneaking into Japan and finding out once and for all what Daiwa is up to. However, the group is ambushed, but Vexile escapes with her life, her companions, save for one other, are all killed.

Vexile is taken in by Maria, who is the head of a group of Japanese who want to bring down Daiwa. Maria tells Vexile that Daiwa plans on turning all the people on the planet into androids. Maria has a daring plan to stop them and Vexile joins her.

So there you have the basics of what I thought was a very good movie. The animation was very life like, the shadows and reflections looked real. The sound effects were first rate and the people, though obviously animated, started to seem pretty darned real to me as the movie progressed. I can just imagine what they'll be turning out in a few years. Anyway, two thumbs up from me.

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Superb animation and plot - very impressive movie

There is a lot of goodness to say about this movie and very little drawback. Let's start with the one thing that I didn't fully like then move on to the good stuff.

Vexille Soundtrack
The soundtrack, done by Paul Oakenfold was really good - but a little to hardcore in some of the action/fight scenes. We had to keep turning the volume down during those parts then turn it back up for dialogue. This is just a personal preference - many of you will likely love the heavy feel to it.

Ok that's it for what I didn't completely like!

Animation - superb. There was however, a very interesting aspect to the animation. The details on the characters (the people) were scaled back when compared to the details on the environment/effects/buildings/etc. You could see rich wood grain on the walls of buildings, but the character's hair barely moved in a harsh wind. Skin features were missing, yet mechanical aspects to body armor were complete with detail. It was an interesting perspective that the environment was more detailed than the actual people. Even things such as lighting effects from a vehicle were amazing to watch.

Plot - also superb, and very impressive offering from Japan. Vexille is the main character of the movie - but you don't find out that it's actually the character's name until half-way into the movie. It starts out with a bang - Japan has cut off all uncontrolled contact with the outside world and has erected a very impressive barrier/shield around the entire island to prevent signals coming in or out - basically a total blackout of the island. A team of elite soldiers operating outside the auspices of the US and United Nations is tasked to infiltrate the island - the first "visitors" in 10 years - to determine if they are building a prohibited bio-mechanical technology. What's been going on in Japan for the last 10 years since the blackout? You'll have to watch the movie and see.

This is a full length feature with exciting action sequences, violence, a bit of romance, and an effective storyline that has made me want to watch more animated movies like this. Sci-fi is thick in the plot, so expect a lot of "tech".

We watched it with the English audio track and no subtitles, but you can watch it in native language with English subtitles if desired. There are a few special previews on the DVD, but they are mostly advertisements of other Japanese animations that are now available for purchase. Highly recommended for fans of action/adventure, sci-fi, and animation - even for those who don't necessarily choose animated movies, you'll forget that you're watching animation!

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the creators of the "Appleseed" film are back with a storyline that I have to say is quite thought provoking

Having watched "Appleseed", it was pretty much a no brainer that I would be giving "VEXILLE" a try.

The latest theatrical effort from SORI combining 3D and animation together that have made films such as the two "Appleseed" films has been quite exciting to watch and see develop overtime and just pretty much to see where animators are able to take things to a new level is always exciting.

As a viewer, I'm open to new technologies and to see technology and well-told storylines come together.

Of course, what makes things even more interesting is that SORI (Sori Fumuhiko) has evolved from his directorial debut with the live action theatrical hit "Ping Pong" back in 2001, produced the 2004 "Appleseed" film and here he is now as the director and screenwriter for the animated film "VEXILLE".

With "VEXILLE", the creators of the "Appleseed" film are back with a storyline that I have to say is quite thought provoking and animation that is quite mesmerizing to watch but this is a storyline that I wish was fleshed out in several movies than just one.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the film.

I really enjoyed the awesome animation, I really enjoyed the storyline but I would love to find out from SORI if there were scenes cut or if he would loved to have made this film a two-parter or maybe a trilogy.

You get hooked on these characters such as Vexille, Leon, Maria and you just want more character development. Heck, even the main enemy scientist of Daiwa or even the corporation itself, you want to ask why did they do what they did. You are left with questions but of course, there is only so much you can cover in a film that is already at 105 minutes long.

So, for me, I wish the storyline would lead to another film but pretty much the way everything was written, everything is contained to one story, one movie and focusing on the overall situation in Japan ala 2077 than the characters.

With this exciting movie, you are just left wanting more and its a shame that the DVD doesn't have any special features. It's one thing for Hollywood companies to hold back and release so many multiple versions of a DVD but if there is one nitpicky thing I have about this DVD is that the Asian release gets the goodies, while those of us in the US will probably have to wait for a better release on Blu-ray.

But all in all, the DVD is definitely solid. I really love how animation and technology have come to play with the "Appleseed" films and even "SOS: TOKYO METRO EXPLORERS: THE NEXT" to "FINAL FANTASY: ADVENT CHILDREN".

It's good to see Japan taking chances on these type of films that utilize 3D and animation together and I know that it may not be the greatest thing for anime purists but for those who are able to accept technology and for creators to release something that is not just eye candy but having an engaging storyline is important.

"VEXILLE" by no means is a perfect film but it's a very good film that features mind-blowing animation utilizing new technology.

As for the DVD, it's barebones but for now, it's what is currently out and definitely recommend people giving it a try!

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cool anime sci-fi

***1/2

It's 2067 and Japan has become a nation completely cut off from the rest of the world because it refuses to adhere to a U.N. mandate banning the development and manufacturing of human-like androids. The nation has also set up a sophisticated magnetic force field that effectively bars all outsiders from entering its borders. S.W.O.R.D. is a secret U.S. special forces team sent in to find out what diabolical activities are occurring on the inside. The main character, Vexille, is a feisty female member of this special ops force.

"Vexille" is a stylish and energetic dystopian fantasy, marked by imaginative storytelling, exciting action sequences, and animation that is a canny mixture of art deco, Soviet-era agitprop - with its heavy emphasis on facial shadowing - and technology-based futurism. Nicely done.

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