Rating: 
Summary: D is back!
Review: I finally got a chance to see an anime movie in the theater, and what better film to start with than Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust? Being a big fan of the original, I had high expectations for this movie. I was not dissappointed. It had a great story, wonderful voice-actors, a great soundtrack, and the true highlight - absolutely breathtaking animation. D and his world have never looked better. This was a real treat to see on the big screen. Fans of the original movie, vampire fans, and animation fans in general should definitely check this out in theaters wherever available before it hits DVD in February.
Rating: 
Summary: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Review
Review: From the moment I saw buff guys with big weapons riding around in a modified tank, I knew this would be different from the original. The entire world seems to work on different principles (less gritty magic, more gritty machines), and it comes across quite clearly in this radically different anime style. Fans of the "X" feature will enjoy it, but others will wonder why so many heads look like triangles with *gasp* huge eyes.But the thing that got me to watch the original was interesting violence, and you've got some here. Unicycle-riding midgets, werewolves with giant fangs in their abdomen, terminally ill patients shooting up to turn into psychic juggernauts, and the voice of Starscream! Some of this does seem like the product of a bad drug trip, but it is well-rendered and imaginative. The parasitic ("but I've always been a good parasite,") hand returns with a bit of sarcastic wit this time, providing the much-needed dialogue and exposition D is incapable of delivering. Still, D seems a bit loose-tongued in comparison to his last appearance in 1985. His voice is well casted (as a matter of opinion, most of these voices are great), but there are times when I sat up in the theatre puzzled, because D just wouldn't say this or that. Still, he delivers the righteous justice and unrelenting effort of any good, sword-wielding anime protagonist. The protagonist complex of so many characters is interesting, because many come across as genuinely good main characters, almost competing for screen time. Some stories are intense enough to push D off altogether, but not for too long. He is never five minutes away from a fight scene. However, the antagonist complex of so many characters (everybody seems to hate everybody that they aren't sleeping with or being paid millions to save) gets a little thin. Carmilla, who could be considered the principle villainess, doesn't even get mentioned in the first sixty minutes of the movie. All in all, there are compelling, intertwining motivations, and enough eye candy to keep the average fan of anime through a sitting, but the ending is cliche (aren't all the best ones?), and other than to catch a few fight scenes over again, I didn't see much rewatch value. But if you can, see this in the theatre. Some of the visuals, and all of the sounds, deserve it.
Rating:
Summary: Familiarly Different
Review: With D, the character of renowned anime status from the original Vampire Hunter D film, ans his symbiotic hand, this was an excellent experience in the theatre. The art is incredible, and the story unique, as well as having the gothic-tech feel of the original. This was, in my opinion as good or better than the original movie, I recommend it highly to all anime fans.
Rating:
Summary: It Rocked !
Review: I just saw the movie today in Austin . I am here to tell you this : I waited two years to see this movie (pathtic no? ) and it was worth the wait . Everything meshed well together . My only complaint is ( unlike most reviewers ) it could have been longer . Espeaiclly when Carmila gets in to the story . That went a too qucikly , but utterwise go see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Dramatic, Fast Paced, and Imaginative!
Review: Japanese animation has never left mush of an impression on me after Akira. There is just to many tentacle films with women being raped and murdered, boring stories, and average animation floating around to give the craft great recognition. But there are a few exceptions. Animation should represent a world that could never be duplicated in motion pictures no matter how high the budget, and I think Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust comes close.
The story takes place in a desolate future, and Hunter D has turned his curse into an asset by using his abilities as a vampire bounty hunter. The local bad vampire has apparently kidnapped a young girl, and her father summons D to hunt him down and return her. At the same time, a group of vampire slayers has also been sent forth to deal with the problem. From there, it is a roller coaster ride of colorful, quick paced action scenes and digital animation effects.
The action in Blood Lust is very good. For example, the vampire slayers battle a town full of vampires, and they rip and tare blood-sucking zombies into chunks with effective weaponry. Also, fight scenes between D and other opponents are full of acrobatic jumps and sword battles. Many of the strange creatures D must battle carry their own dramatic weight. He fights a woman who can assume any material she touches, a character who thrives in the shadows, and a werewolf unlike any I have ever seen.
Also, Blood Lust has some very interesting ideas. For example, the vampire slayers have an ace up their sleeve in the form a bed-ridden comrade who can leave his body in a spectral state. The irony is that this character is helpless, but he also possesses the most destructive power of the bunch. Characters become living trees and try to impale D, the shadows are controlled like puppets by one of the characters that use them to swallow and kill his opponents, vampires can phase in and out of space, invisible eyeballs appear from no where and shoot lasers, and there is even a talking hand.
The musical score is also very good. It features dramatic and gothic tones that work well with the film's story and action.
The animation features a combination of hand drawn and computer generated effects. This CGI consists of digital backgrounds and castles. The colors are vibrant and beautiful, and the animation is pretty smooth.
The film has a good sense of continuity. The film starts out with some good action and slowly builds until the climatic battle toward the end in a nightmarish, huge castle. The fascinating story about the castle and the ghost that haunts it creates suspense and curiosity that draws the audience in a little more.
The combination of creative characters, nice animation, a great sound track, and some very interesting ideas give Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust an edge.
Rating:
Summary: Animation at its best
Review: Not only is this movie visually appeasing, but it develops a story that is simply awsome. The ending leaves viewers in just awe. This is an extremely underrated movie that did not get the exposure and recognition it deserved.
Rating: 
Summary: D looks like Boy George gone goth.
Review: (...) I don't care how much effort they put into drawing those vampire castles, because in the end it's a lot of static, 2 dimensional scrolled images. There was hardly anything 3D and cinematic about it at all, definitely nothing close to Akira or Ghost in the Shell. The first third of it was entertaining, but I expected a much darker, more advanced animation style, especially considering how they were supposed to be using state of the art computers for it. It appears they used the computers simply for speeding up the animation and layering the sprites. The biggest problem I had with the new D film was the lack of game rules on how the vampires can be killed. By the end, the same entities keep coming back to life, seemingly at the whim of the film's creators. Without rules, a film becomes a pointless exercise. I just wanted someone to die for good and the credits to start rolling.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect... but you ought to go see it. (NO SPOILERS!)
Review: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. I really enjoyed the character of D from the original movie, so I had to see this prequel. The original movie was an interesting idea and story, but its implementation could have been better. I had a feeling that the prequel would be a tighter movie, but would the plot be compelling? Well, in my opinion they did a great job. As you'd expect, the movie is beautifully animated (Kawajiri also made Ninja Scroll, a personal favorite). The opening animation draws you in, the music is wonderfully moody and appropriate throughout. The action comes fast and hard and often, more so than the original. They did a nice job of breaking up the dark subject matter with some levity and human emotions. One criticism I will convey is that the movie doesn't try to adhere to popular vampire lore. This didn't bother me--I just accepted these vampires as they were conceived, but I've heard complaints from vampire purists that they've taken too many liberties with the traditional lore. Eh, maybe. Personally, the issues I had were few, but here they are: (1) Too many characters = too little development, and ultimately some characters kind of felt like throw-aways because you never really had any attachment to them thanks to their lack of lines and on-screen time. (2) It's really hard to feel like D is ever in danger. You know, it is a PREquel, but that aside, D sometimes comes across as Superman sans kryptonite-equivalent. But, to end on a positive note, I was never bored in the slightest. The movie flowed well, the story unfolds well, and everything made sense. Often, I find plots in anime to be too dense or to have a certain Japanese sensibility that isn't well-appreciated by westerners, but that wasn't the case with this relatively simple plot and the masterful way in which certain things are revealed. The movie ends thoughtfully, but it doesn't make you sit there with a puzzled look or make you engage in philosophical debate with your neighbor. So what? It wasn't Akira, and for that reason, it's probably a pretty good movie for people who haven't seen much anime. Fairly accessible if people don't get hung up on preconceived notions of vampires, and if they've had at least a brief synopsis on the original, and if they're willing to suspend their disbelief the requisite amount for appreciating most of the anime out there. I've always felt that you have to be open-minded to appreciate japanimation. Hopefully, I'm preaching to the converted.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful, romantic, and action-packed . . .
Review: I had seen the 1985 Vampire Hunter D and when I found out this was playing in theaters, I was overjoyed to see it. The animation was great, not to mention the beautiful musical score. Along with plenty of gore and toughness, there was a moving romance with two very different beings playing parts in a doomed love affair (my favorite). As if this weren't enough, there were two GORGEOUS foes. I highly recommend this excellent film!
Rating:
Summary: Up There With The Best
Review: When looking at genres, Vampire Hunter D-Bloodlust ranks among one of the best in the Horror Genre of Anime. This film does for horror what Princess Mononoke did for fantasy/nature, Ninja Scroll did for martial arts and Ghost in a Shell did for Cyberpunk. Although not the same as the original, it stands up to this film, as well as other classics like Blood and Wicked City. I will probably see it again in the theatre and most definitely buy the video when it comes out.
|
