Escaflowne - The Movie

Rating:
Summary: Not Escaflowne (series)
Review: This movie, while it uses most of the main characters, and plotline from the series, is different from the series. I'm contradicting myself, I know. But, after watching it, I didn't get the "escaflowne" feel I get after I watched the series.

Also, most of the characters' personalities have changed (ie. Folken). Although our favorite pyromaniac is still as crazy as ever ^_^. But Millerna became some kind of Amazon princess .... and Allen is a very minor role in the movie.

Most people who haven't seen the series - I recommend you see the series first cause it's usually easier to understand what's going on.

The animation, while it's supposed to be better, was not. In my honest opinion, at least. I mean, it's grown more mature and whatnot but the series animation grew on me and I didn't like seeing Allen as some drugged up guy.

But, it's a good movie. With good fights, and scenes and all that ... but it doesn't live up to the series which is disappointing. Maybe I was expecting too much of the movie. Whatever, see the series, then see the movie. You'll be happy.

The best thing: Yoko Kanno, who did music for Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne the series, continues her magnificent work in the movie. If not for the story, or animation, watch it for the music - absolutely gorgeous!

Rating:
Summary: a bit bloody for a movie based in a kids show
Review: damn... that movie is a little bloody considering that it was based on a kids show. i mean, the horse ripped in two and you could see it's guts and everything, (shiver). but this movie did have sweet action momenets and you can really see the force when the two mecha's are fighting. all around a good movie.

BUT IT NEEDS SOME SPECIAL FEATURES DAMMIT

Rating:
Summary: series was awful movies great
Review: Man after having watched one of the worst anime series I had ever laid eyes on I was then forced by a friend to see the movie. My first reaction was astonishment that they had decided to drop the slow and lame story the series had force fed me to something that was very fast paced and easier to watch. Some reviewers said it was confusing after watching the movie you won't be able to understand how they stretched a story (loosly based on the same thing) across an entire series. The movie was a vast improvement on the show not just visually and harmonically but also storywise. I highly recomend seeing the movie and NEVER watching the series which is lame and the story seemed like some kinda cheesey chick flick. Female anime fans might enjoy it and maybe a few feminine male anime fasn will enjoy it other than that it's just trash. The movie though is gold I didn't spring for the 3 disc special edition thing that's just for people with too much money but the regular dvd suits me just fine i also wanna get the soundtrack cause that was just awsome. Anyway don't waste your time on the series watch the movie and save your money to get a better series.

Rating:
Summary: 2 stars for the animators
Review: The movie has some fairly stunning sequences that are impressive, but the story itself is junk, which really just makes all the flashy art all the more frustrating to behold. Why did the creators bother with all that effort when they clearly didn't understand (or like) the story at all?

I watched the feature film with my wife after finishing the series, which we absolutely loved. Ten minutes into it I thought it was a joke and that Van or whomever was going to 'wake up' from a dream or something. Alas, the nightmare continued.

Each character is hyped-up on steroids to a ridiculous degree, and the final effect made me think of the first Pee Wee Herman movie, where all the 'big name stars' play him and his friends. Unbelievable. Each character is 'the strongest' or 'the sexiest' or 'the meanest' or what-have-you to such a degree that no one really stands out as having any sort of defineable character or meaning in the story whatsoever.

Hitomi is nothing more than a boring and suicidally depressed lump in this director's take, while Van is a homicidal maniac with no meaning or direction (beyond looking or sounding 'cool' or whatever) to anything he says or does onscreen. There is none of the subtlety or interplay or tension that makes the series so riveting. It's just one 'cool looking' scene after another with nothing to connect them or make you care a whit who lives or dies or why.

Can you tell I was disappointed?

; ) See the series first. If you watch this first, you'll lose any interest you might have had in seeing the series, I can guarantee, and you'll be missing out in a big way.

I have a feeling this film was made at the behest of some producer who wanted, or was instructed to 'impress Americans'.

(...)

I urge all Japanese film/anime producers to have more faith in their own cultural vision and mindset.

Rating:
Summary: A Dark and Mysterious Escaflowne
Review: Have you ever watched a movie after reading the book, or watched a remake of an old movie, and said, "wow..."? I did after seeing "Escaflowne: The Movie" the first time. Then I watched it again. Immediately. That's how much of an impact this movie made on me even after knowing the entire storyline from the original series. It's dark and it's fast. The action scenes are incredible and the detail was unexpected. If you're expecting more of Hitomi being confused, you're in for a surprise. She is a much darker girl than in the TV series compilation. Van is at the center of the movie from the beginning instead of being overshadowed by knightly Allen. As usual, the music of Yoko Kanno is superb and sets the mood of the entire film. The only thing that _might_ turn Esca fans away is the violence of the movie in comparison to the original series. However, if you watch this with an open mind and don't compare it to the TV series, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Rating:
Summary: A true masterpiece!
Review: For buyers who aren't familiar with the TV series of Escaflowne, the movie will seem rushed and the characters lacking depth. This movie is intended to be an alternate setting to the TV series, so it should be considered as a separate show and not a sequel to the TV series. It's true all the characters in the movie aren't too deep in terms of personality, but the main focus is on Van and Hitomi's emotions. The action in fight scenes is quick and often brutal, but it's not so violent that the movie should have a R rating. The music sets the mood perfectly, whether it's a scene filled with action or a sad moment.

The second and third discs are extras and the soundtrack. These are typically for serious fans of the Escaflowne series and is not necessary if all you're interested in is the movie. The extras disc has some fun facts about both the TV series and movie due to a number of interviews with the staff. There is even a live performance of the movie's ending song by the singer, Maaya Sakamoto. The soundtrack is the same as the original Japanese one, only the titles are now translated into English. An excellent listen with many various tunes emoting dread, thrill, depression and even laughter, despite the grim atmosphere of the movie.

If all you want is the movie and the thought of a DVD filled with interviews doesn't appeal much (which is what the extras disc mainly consists of), the regular edition would be your purchase. If you are truly interested in staff interviews as well as a soundtrack, the Ultimate Edition box set is well-worth a purchase.

Rating:
Summary: Different aspects of a perfect anime
Review: The Vision of Escaflowne Series is a wonderful anime, anyone who thinks otherwise needs to watch the un-edited version NOT on Fox (Basically they butchered it and took out all blood and gore) Then I heard about The Vision of Escaflowne MOVIE! When I saw the blood and gore put back into the series, I was kinda shocked to see how much there really was, yet the Movie is a whole new aspect.

The Series was originally aimed at boys but with the light, sunny atmosphere girls were attracted to it more. To regain the attention of boys, The movie was created so much darker. The characters, although looking different, still capture your attention with their intense detail and stunning colour. What is there to not love about them?

The storyline is not the same, though still great, with Hitomi as a suicidal depressive girl who has nothing to aim for. The basic storyline is meeting up with Van and the others and learning that there is so much for her to live for.

The character interaction are a little shallow but they are there, you only have to watch the series to understand where everyone lies.

I promise, if you buy this movie, you will not be let down no matter what anyone else says.

Rating:
Summary: Not the anime series, and not good either
Review: The coming attractions for this movie are what drew me into Escaflowne, so I suppose I can credit it that much. Obviously, when compared to the series, anyone will say that the series will be better. But that's a give-in: how can you compare nearly 13 hours of plot and character development to a little over an hour and a half?

But the movie isn't good as a movie. It can't stand on it's own. Hitomi Kanzaki is a depressed teenager who wishes she could fade away; and she does, to the world of Gaea, where she is percieved as the Wing Goddess, the only one who can call Escaflowne. Escaflowne is said to be able to destroy the world. Van of the Dragon Clan wants to use it to stop the Black Dragon Clan from destroying the world, while Folken, Van's brother and leader of the Black Dragon Clan, wants to use it to destroy the world so he can end all suffering (if everyone's dead, no one suffers anymore.)

There are several problems. For one, aspects of the movie need parts of the anime to explain them, as they get none here. That's minor. Another problem is that Folken's intentions are never really explained properly. We know why he was set on his path, and what he wants to do, but there's no real connection between the two. The major theme of the movie is of specific characters being depressed and over-coming that depression.

Worse, many characters are added in simply because they were in the anime. The movie really only needed Folken, Van, Hitomi, and Allen's crew. The rest were easily disposable, particularly Dilandau, who has no real closure in the film (perhaps setting up a sequel that doesn't deserve being made.)

People watching this movie without seeing the series will get what's going on, but they won't be impressed by it. The story is horrible, plain and simple. The story is what carried the series when there wasn't much action. The audience for the film is supposed to be impressed by the animation, but that's hard to do when so little is going on. The movie isn't a re-telling of the series either, aside from Hitomi going to Gaea. It's very different. That's the right thing to do, as it'd be impossible to re-tell the entire series in such a short timespan. However, the alternative story should have been good. The idea of one clan wiping out other clans and taking in their survivors is interesting, but it isn't really fledged out. It would have been interesting to see Van's group taking in other survivors. But those are minor side-notes. The movie goes nowhere, from start to end.

The art is an improvement over the series, but it's not very impressive. The characters all look good, but they don't do much. As I said, the story is what carried the series. The fact that characters are standing around not doing much here without a good story to be told at the same time is nothing but frustrating. No character development, no plot development, aside from Hitomi's conversation with Van in the forest.

The music is very good. The composers use themes both from the series and some news one. They fit well with what's going on and are entertaining to listen to. I recommend the soundtrack, but not the movie itself.

This isn't just a shadow in the face of the anime series, it's a shadow in the face of anime films. Its idea of ringing in characters for a quick quest is something that works for Dragonball movies, that aren't trying to be anything more than children's fun, but this movie plays itself seriously, and such thin development of plot and character does not hold well at all. A disappointment considering its strong advertisements and the work it follows. Not worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie, great for Escaflowne fans and otherwise!
Review: ESCAFLOWNE: The Movie runs as an apparent widescreen retelling of the ESCAFLOWNE series, with better animation quality and a rich musical score. Our story begins as the warrior-king Van attacks a Black Dragon airship carrying Escaflowne, the legendary dragon armor said to hold the fate of Gaea. The Black Dragon Empire is ruled by Van's traitorous brother Folken, who will stop at nothing to obtain Escaflowne for his own ends. Meanwhile, in our world, a young girl named Hitomi is mopping about, wishing she could just drop out of reality and forget about her life. Her wish comes true, and she is transported to Van's world and hailed as the legendary Wing Goddess who can awaken Escaflowne.

All I can say is as a new-comer to ESCAFLOWNE, I was highly impressed. I had not seen the series prior to watching the movie, but I still enjoyed the movie a great deal. For me to enjoy an anime, it has to feed my senses. This movie did that and then some. The haunting melodies, the mystic prophecies, the selfless heroics, well-depicted action sequences, and beautiful artwork come together to make this movie a feast for the eyes and ears. Everything from the backgrounds to the wide variety of characters kept me enthralled for the movie's full ninety-six minutes.

Considering the length of this feature, I was impressed at how the writers were able to flesh-out most of the main cast and present a coherent storyline with a deep background. My few riffs are minor; the hurried journey of Van and Hitomi during the middle of the movie, as well as the lack of explanation for the mystic elf-like woman who stays at Lord Folken's side.

All in all, I enjoy ESCAFLOWNE: The Movie more than THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE series. My reasons? To begin with, the film is slightly darker and the characters designs for the movie are much better. Escaflowne is a living, biomechanical suit in the movie, where as in the series its a robotic gymelf made of metal. Van is more brooding, and he and Hitomi appear to be slightly older (eighteen or nineteen years old) in this movie version of ESCAFLOWNE. Each of the characters are drawn more realisticly, with slightly less cartoonish appearences. All these attributes combined make ESCAFLOWNE: the Movie more mature than the series; and in my opinion, better.

In closing, this is an excellent anime movie. Even if you have not seen the series, you are likely to enjoy ESCAFLOWNE: The Movie.

Rating:
Summary: For Collectors Only.
Review: I got the single DVD movie, and I recommend buying the Ultimate Edition instead that has the soundtrack.

Graphics and sounds are up-to-date, but you will need a widescreen to fully enjoy the movie. I've watched many times this movie during my free time, and like it a lot. I had a chance to watch it in a friend's house once on a widescreen TV, and the experience had been much more different.

This movie is a classic. Don't expect extraordinay sword fights nor grandiose inner-power a la DBZ. It's more like a short romance...