Review of Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007) by Justin S — 07 Aug 2008

I enjoyed the 80's version of Appleseed when I was a teenager and when I learned of the 200 reboot I immediately went out and got myself a copy of the DVD. It was pretty damn good and figured that it was a one-off. But now we have this sequel which proves that there is actually loads of potential and imagination in the Appleseed universe and certainly enough to warrant further sequels.

Denaun Knute and her mostly robotic, rabbit-eared boyfriend Briareos are still working for ESWAT in the Utopian future city of Olympus when a new personal device, a sort cross between a cell phone and a holographic visor, goes haywire and turns the population into a bunch of techno-zombies. Briareos suffers seizures of his own too and a duplicate of his old human form has been recruited to work with them and save the city from this mysterious evil.

Yes, it's nonsense. But entertaining nonsense and a weird cross between Robocop, Star Trek: First Contact and The Matrix. But the animation is gorgeous and the story and action absurd enough to keep your attention.

Come on, John Woo, give us another 'un.