noblerebeller
I saw this film for the first time two years ago, and my general opinion of it wasn't cemented until I watched it again. It really is a beautiful work; the animation quality is very enriched, and the narrative, both simple as a groundwork is able to create a sense of many layers under its surface. I have never seen the series in it's entirety, but the movie alone works well as a fantastic adventure, if not an often violent one, and the heart of the work; the maturing love between Hitomi and Van touched me the most. The last scene made me cry.I will often value a movie great when it stands out on several levels, and in this case the strongest feeling I came away with was a sincere empathy for the characters. Really great movies will do that, and I think this is one.
stitchman001
I liked this movie mainly because even if it was separate from the anime it kept with a theme and was unpredictable. The movie didn't need to be accurate to the anime. But I would have preferred it to be more gritty and dark and a hint of Gothic. The movie had similarities to Evangelion, but other than those this movie was a pretty good example of how stories, books and TV shows should be adapted to a 2 hour movie. And I'm glad they didn't edit the movie to try to make it more of a kiddie adaption. They even kept most of the violence in the TV show on FOX KIDS. Anyway this movie was quite a beautiful masterpiece of mecha action and romance mixed with angst and pain. This movie enhanced the image of Escaflowne to something more dark and violent.
Timothy McKann
When I first heard about this movie in a magazine, it was the most popular motion picture since the series. I wanted to get this for my collection, and I did. My father bought me the collector's edition for Christmas and I enjoyed it.I know that this movie does not follow the series, and the storyline is different but is not the same as the series. It was cool to see some of the characters from the show, and of course the Guymelef Escaflowne. I know it's a shame we never get to see Allen's Guymelef Sherazade in the movie, and of course the flying ship, the Crusade. Another thing, I liked about this movie is the music. I do like the Escaflowne theme, and some of the new music that was never used in the series. The movie also have the same voice cast that did the series and I do believe they did a good job. So in closing to this review,if you like the series,then you got to see this movie. You'll see what I mean,and it's the best.
tv_pikachu
Escaflowne the movie is my favorite Anime feature film. This film, albeit darker and a bit more brooding story, it still contains the wonderful pastel colors of the OVA television series, and is one of the finest pieces of traditional animation I've seen in years. Also most of the original voice cast returns for this feature. In my personal opinion, the Escaflowne American voice cast is right on par with their Japanese counterparts. The only series I can openly say this about. Yoko Kano once again writes a wonderful musical score, reminding us why we fell in love with the series to begin with. It's sadder music with a more mystical feel, but fits the mood of the feature film. The characters and their costumes were redesigned, but if you found the long pointy noses and girly look of the men of the OVA to be laughable, then the movie will strike you with awe. The realism of the character design was upped for this big budget feature, and even though the story and universe is a bit altered, it's still a treat to be back with Hitomi on her adventures in Gaea once again.
AD
