In comparison to the 2004 reboot, it is an absolute crime that this movie is rated lower than its successor. It has actually comprehensible storytelling, likeable characters who establish motivations for their traits, and actual buildup and tension. Sure, Briareos has terminal anime protagonist syndrome with his chrome V head amongst a bunch of regular people, but the characters have a good dynamic which the film actually bothers to justify!
It's not realistic, but the movie doesn't shy away from showing death on screen, which I can respect. There are consequences, too; Deunan and Briareos visit their fallen comrade's grave after the mission goes sideways, and so implicitly tell you that they both care about their team member and that they're a tight-knit group--they wouldn't immediately suspect one of their own to be treasonous, and the idea actually earns its shocked response.
The music is a bit mismatched for the situation in places, being either too chipper or too somber for situations which require the opposite, but otherwise, the soundtrack is great. The opening, even if it's a bit cheap with the 'just a dream' fakeout, still comes back to hit by virtue of being Charon's recurring nightmare: watching his wife's suicide (or Karen's nightmare, in my sub). Apart from AJ, *every* character has a believable motivation for acting the way they do, legitimately. When they don't, it's because the movie lets your imagination run with what they could be thinking. It's hard to create a movie full of likeable characters, but Appleseed (1988) does it! And at only just past an hour, it's more than worth the watch time.
I should note that I haven't read the manga, so maybe there's some disappointment there other fans have that I lack. But in comparison to its successors, I'm glad to see the original material is at least worthwhile.
It's not realistic, but the movie doesn't shy away from showing death on screen, which I can respect. There are consequences, too; Deunan and Briareos visit their fallen comrade's grave after the mission goes sideways, and so implicitly tell you that they both care about their team member and that they're a tight-knit group--they wouldn't immediately suspect one of their own to be treasonous, and the idea actually earns its shocked response.
The music is a bit mismatched for the situation in places, being either too chipper or too somber for situations which require the opposite, but otherwise, the soundtrack is great. The opening, even if it's a bit cheap with the 'just a dream' fakeout, still comes back to hit by virtue of being Charon's recurring nightmare: watching his wife's suicide (or Karen's nightmare, in my sub). Apart from AJ, *every* character has a believable motivation for acting the way they do, legitimately. When they don't, it's because the movie lets your imagination run with what they could be thinking. It's hard to create a movie full of likeable characters, but Appleseed (1988) does it! And at only just past an hour, it's more than worth the watch time.
I should note that I haven't read the manga, so maybe there's some disappointment there other fans have that I lack. But in comparison to its successors, I'm glad to see the original material is at least worthwhile.