| Appleseed: Ex Machina | |
|---|---|
 Japanese release poster |
|
| Directed by | Shinji Aramaki |
| Produced by | John Woo |
| Written by | Haruka Handa Tsutomu Kamishiro |
| Music by | Haruomi Hosono Tetsuya Takahashi |
| Studio | Micott & Bassara Digital Frontier |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures Madman Entertainment |
| Release date(s) |  October 19, 2007 March 11, 2008 |
| Running time | 105 min. |
| Country | Japan United States |
| Language | Japanese English |
| Preceded by | Appleseed |
Appleseed Ex Machina is a 2007 CG anime film and is the sequel to the 2004 Appleseed film, similarly directed by Shinji Aramaki, and was produced by Hong Kong director and producer John Woo.[1] It was released on October 20, 2007 in Japan and made its American premiere at the Jules Verne Adventures Film Festival in Los Angeles on December 15, 2007[2]. The MPAA has Appleseed Ex Machina rated PG-13 for action/violence and brief strong language,[3] though the first film was rated R for some violence. It was released in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures on March 11, 2008, for DVD and Blu-Ray, and released for HD DVD on April 1, 2008. It was released in Europe on May 30, 2008 on DVD, with HMV releasing a 2-disc DVD special edition box set in Ireland and the UK, while Blu-Ray edition was released on June 2, 2008. In July 2008, the film was released theatrically in Australia as part of an anime film festival screening known as REEL ANIME hosted by Madman Entertainment, however it was the Japanese version. The film was shown theatrically along with other films such as Vexille and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in various selected cinemas throughout the country. The film was released on DVD in Australia in September 2008.
Contents |
The world is in recovery in the aftermath of World War III, and a new nation has risen above the rest: Olympus. By maintaining ESWAT as an elite law enforcement unit with worldwide jurisdiction, Olympus is intent on maintaining world peace. Though ESWAT is successfully employed when dealing with military threats, the greater of threat of human nature must also be combated, and Olympus does this with bioroids - genetically engineered humans who are unable to feel emotion, and thus cannot have their judgement impaired by it. They are in control of Olympus, occupying every major government office, though there are others who maintain ordinary lives among the population.
Poseidon, a multinational industrial conglomerate whos operations include the manufacture of cyborg components and consumer electronics, has a dirty little secret to hide. One of their top researchers has gone renegade, taking his expertise in mind control and delusions of grandeur with him. Using his knowledge, he plans to take over the world by transmitting a signal to the latest consumer gadget manufactured by Poseidon which will allow him to control the mind of whoever is wearing it.
The English version dub was produced at Amusement Park Media in Houston, Texas. The cast were made up of actors from ADV Films.
| Role | Japanese seiyū | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Deunan Knute | Ai Kobayashi | Luci Christian |
| Briareos Hecatonchires | Kōichi Yamadera | David Matranga |
| Tereus | Yūji Kishi | Illich Guardiola |
| Athena | Gara Takashima | Allison L. Sumrall |
| Nike | Rei Igarashi | Shelley Calene-Black |
| Hitomi | Miyuki Sawashiro | Hilary Haag |
| Commander Lance | Shinpachi Tsuji | Chris Hutchison |
| Manuel Aeacus | Kong Kuwata | Mike MacRae |
| Dr. Riharuto Kestner | Takaya Hashi | John Gremillion |
| Yoshino | Rika Fukami | Melissa Davis |
| Arges | Takaya Kuroda | Quentin Haag |
| Dr. Xander | Naoko Kouda | Alice Fulks |
| Yoshitsune | Yasuyuki Kase | Chris Patton |
| Role | Mocap actor |
|---|---|
| Deunan Knute | Toyoe Sekita |
| Briareos Hecatonchires | Moki Ogawa |
| Tereus | Yoshiyuki Kamata |
| Manuel Aeacus | Taisuke Nishimura |
| Commander Lance | Michihiko Kuwagaki |
| Athena | Miyoko Hanai |
| Nike | Hideka Suzuki |
| Yoshino | Junko Hiratsuka |
| Dr. Riharuto Kestner | Inaho Miyazaki |
| Hitomi | Naoko Ito |
| Yoshitsune | PEPE |
| Aeacus' son | Tomoki Mure |
In this film, two of Deunan's costumes were designed by Italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada.[4][5] Prada was apparently already a fan of the first Appleseed movie, and she jumped at the chance to work on the second installment. At a press conference for the film, she said:
| “ | Watching the previous 'Appleseed,' I thought that the expression of contrast in man and machine, violence and love was wonderful[4]. | ” |
Warner Home Video created a trailer remix contest[6] in December 2007 to promote the release of the film. The contest's aim was to have fans remix the Appleseed Ex Machina trailer into new short videos, using clips from the film and songs from the soundtrack. Fans could put these assets together into new short videos within an editing program on the contest site. Visitors to the site then voted on their favorite video, with the creator of the winning video winning a trip to WonderCon 2008. The contest ended February 7, 2008.
Following the release of the film, Hot Toys released 1/6th scale poseable action figures of Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires.[7]
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   | Official webpage announcement - Twitch - Website and Trailer for Appleseed Saga Ex Machina |
| | Twitch - Welcome To Twitch. Spreading the News On Strange Little Films From Around the World. |
| | Official North American DVD release (English) ''Appleseed Ex Machina'' (2007) movie website - Appleseed Ex Machina DVD - Warner Brothers Home Video |
| | imdB: Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina (2007) - Ekusu makina (2007) |
| | Official DVD release contest homepage - Appleseed Ex Machina :: Trailer Remix |
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