Resident animation freak, Michelle Kisner, tackles the awesome Redline feature.
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| "Dude. Man. Bro. I'm so rad behind this wheel." |
Prolific animation studio Madhouse has done it again; this
time they've added their wacky and over-the-top style to the race car movie genre. Redline is like a jet-fueled
offspring of Speed Racer, Akira and Ninja Scroll, and it’s one of the most exhilarating films I have
ever seen. Madhouse is responsible for many iconic anime films/TV series: Ninja Scroll, Trigun, Perfect Blue, Chobits
and, more recently, the blockbuster hit Death
Note. Redline is so action-packed and fun that even if you aren’t
generally a fan of racing films, you will find something to love about this
movie.
The first thing that will smash you in the face is the
incredibly smooth and gorgeous animation. Madhouse is known for their bold
lines and angular designs, and that style is in full effect. Every single frame
is crammed with chaotic colors and lush backgrounds assaulting your senses.
It’s entirely hand-drawn and has zero CG rendering, which harkens back to the
1980s era of anime film. The amount of creativity and craft put into the
character and vehicle designs is outstanding and really makes me miss 2D
animation. It’s breathtaking when done well, and Redline takes it to its
absolute limits. To be honest, there is so much going on at one time that it
becomes overwhelming, but that just means the film will take a few viewings to
really absorb all the minute details.
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| "...because yellow is so much faster." |
The plot takes a backseat to the action, but in a film like
this it really doesn’t matter. I appreciate the simplicity, as most anime films
tend to over-complicate the story; it usually ends up obfuscating the audience
instead of intriguing them. You got your hot shot race car driver and his sexy
female love interest. Since this is Japan, you get some cyborgs thrown into the
mix. All of it is just an excuse to animate a whole bunch of awesome stuff, and
I am more than okay with that arrangement.
The races themselves are well done; if you have ever played
the video game F-Zero, they look very
similar with the cars leaving cool light-trails as they rocket-blast around the
tracks. Each racer has his own unique car and the designs for each of them are
very clever, as are their various weapons and attacks. Everything is punctuated
by throbbing electronic music; if that type of music isn’t your bag then it
might become grating after a while. I am sore pressed to think of another genre
of music that could possibly compliment the insanity better; at least it’s good
techno. I watched this film in Japanese with subtitles, but I also took a
cursory listen to the English dub. It was okay, but nothing special.
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| "Ummmm...my eyes are up here!" |
Redline should be
on every anime film lover’s must-see list, especially if you are fan of
Madhouse’s previous work. The transfer on the Manga Blu-ray release is
excellent as well, but unfortunately it doesn’t have much in the way of extras.
If you feel like getting your face melted off, pop this bad boy into your
player and buckle up; you’re in for a bumpy ride!
-Michelle Kisner