Appleseed: Alpha

2014 • 93 minutes

About this movie

From the creator of Ghost in the Shell and the director of Appleseed comes the intense post-apocalyptic prequel, Appleseed: Alpha. Left to survive in a post-World War society, two mercenary soldiers - Deunan and her cyborg partner Briareos -- are sent on a mission on the outskirts of their war-torn city. During the operation, they run into Iris and Olsen, two citizens from the utopian city of Olympus, who might have a way to save the world but the ruthless Talos and the scheming warlord Two Horns have their own plans. It's up to Deunan and Briareos to safeguard their newfound contacts and help save humanity's last hope.

Ratings and reviews

Spoiler Alert! This is Not Appleseed. There is nothing here that has anything to do with the lore outside of Briarios, Dhunen and Hitomi...kinda. I was bored to tears almost immediately. The voice acting was garbage and the characters were less than believable. I know it's fantasy, but this was horrendous. Do not waste your time if you're a fan. You've been warned

The various attempts to anime-ize Appleseed over the years have largely resulted in a collection of disappointing misfires. Which is surprising because the Appleseed series (talking Masamune Shirow in the 80s here) is some of the most brilliant manga ever to leave Japan. While Shirow's other effort--Ghost in the Shell--has managed to keep itself interesting and engaging over the course of the last 20 years or so, the same cannot be said for the Appleseed franchise, such as it is. So then, what to call this latest installment? Boring? Check. Wooden and cliche characters? Check. Rehashed plot elements lumbering predictably through each attempt at a reboot? Check. Those city-sized mobile weapons platforms--destroyed anew every few years--have come to epitomize the lumbering single-mindedness serving us the warmed-over mediocrity that is all this series has left to offer. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Animation looks great but the story just makes no sense. Definitely enjoyed the previous Appleseed movie more. Still love the original Manga the most.