Movie:
Appleseed is based on the original story by Masamune Shirow, of Ghost in the Shell fame. It was originally released in 1988, and is now available on DVD from Manga Video.

A small point before starting the review: The two main character's names are spelled differently on the back of the case and during the film's subtitles. Deunan and Briareos are the names that appear throughout the film and in the character bios, but on the bios on the back of the case, they're spelled Dunan and Buliarous. The names from the subtitles will be used for the review.

After World War 3, the General Management Control Office was formed by the remaining governments of the world. They were charged with rebuilding the now-ruined world, and to that end, they constructed Olympus, a sanctuary for surviving humans and a home for biodroids, who are responsible for the city's administration. However, some freedoms are inevitably suppressed in maintaining the utopia. Terrorists, who seek to return control of the city to humans, plot to destroy Gaia, Olympus's central computer. Charged with capturing the terrorist leader and uncovering their police connection are two SWAT officers: Deunan, a tough female, and Briareos, a biodroid. Together, they must work to prevent the destruction of Gaia and the terrorist takeover that would follow.

I'm a huge fan of Ghost in the Shell, so I was eager to take a look at Appleseed; however, I found the film to be a bit disappointing. The box promises a "high-tech animated thriller" and touts it as a "high-octane, action-packed race against time," but really, I found it to be a slightly above average anime film with few thrills. The action sequences were fairly good, but nothing too impressive. The plot is interesting, but nothing deep or thought provoking, like Ghost in the Shell.

Picture:
Appleseed is presented in a digital 4:3 transfer. Colors are vibrant throughout, with accurate flesh tones and decent blacks. There is a bit of grain in a few of the scenes, but it isn't too distracting.

Sound:
Appleseed is presented in English and Japanese 2.0 Stereo and English 5.1 Surround. The 5.1 track features better definition and increased directionality, though the rear surrounds are seldom used. The 2.0 tracks, in comparison, seem a bit muted and the action scenes have less "punch." Dialogue in all three is crisp and clean with no distortion that I detected. Optional English subtitles are included, though the subtitles and the English dubs are quite different.

Extras:
Extras include character bios, the original Japanese credits, Manga Video previews for Black Jack, X, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue, and Ninja Scroll, merchandise & DVD catalogues, and weblinks.

Summary:
Manga has provided a great presentation for Appleseed, though like most other Manga DVDs, the extras are mostly generic, with the focus on promoting their other releases. Fans of Appleseed will definitely want to consider a purchase, though I recommend a rental for those who haven't seen it, but enjoy action/sci-fi anime. Rent it.