One Word: R-r-r-redline!

I know that it’s only been a few weeks now, but I think it’s time that I got started on another anime film.  This week’s review is on, by far, one of the most beautifully animated films I have ever seen-and that’s not just in anime, but in animation overall.  And that’s interesting considering this is a movie that can compete with Fast and Furious-but Fast and Furious wasn’t animated.    Well, enough of my talking about the animation and let’s talk about the film itself.

Redline is an anime film that was released back in 2009.  The plot chronicles “Sweet” J.P., a young racer with a retro style in racing-that is, everyone is driving hovercraft vehicles while he chooses to race in a Trans-Am-who is bent on becoming the best racer in the universe by competing in Redline, the most dangerous race in the universe.  And he also has one heck of a pompadour.   After losing Yellowline, a race that serves as a qualifier for competing in Redline, J.P. thinks that it’s all over for his career in racing.  However, when two of the competitors for Redline suddenly dropout, J.P. is eligible to compete.  He takes the offer instantly and ships off to Roboworld- a totalitarian planet hell-bent on keeping Redline racers and anything related away…and the site of the next Redline (cue dramatic music).  The plot does sidetrack a little as everyone makes preparations to win-or annihilate in Roboworld’s case- Redline.  It is also here that we meet the love interest, Sonoshee McLaren, who is also a racer competing in Redline and the winner of Yellowline.  We finally get to the race, and of course all hell breaks loose.  We get everything from Roboworld’s military attacking the racers, the racers attacking each other, and there is even a battle between a bio-weapon monster and Roboworld’s top general.  Not only that, after her own ship breaks down, Sonoshee decides to team up with J.P. and rides with him for the rest of the race.  Now, assuming that many of you have either seen the film or are going to see it later (hint, hint), I will spoil the ending.  J.P.  and Sonoshee win Redline and the movie ends with them kissing and admitting that they love each other.

J.P. and Sonoshee McLaren

Now, despite what praise I’ve given this film, I have to rate it three and a half out of five stars.  Why?  I’ll get to that in a minute.  But for now, I’ll talk about the good stuff.  By far, the animation is what makes this movie.  Redline is a visual treat for the eyes!  Even critics will tell you that.  The detail that went into this fillm is phenomenal.  So much detail went into the animation that it took five years to finish!  That’s a long time for an animated film.  Another thing that I liked about the film mainly dealt with Sonoshee.  In most action films with a romantic twist to them, the love interest often plays the damsel in distress role-particularly if the love interest is a woman.  Not Sonoshee.  She’s independent and driven and wants nothing more to win.  And remember, she’s also one of the competitors.  It certainly is nice to see a love-interest character who strays away from the stereotypical.

Alright, now to the negative stuff.  For the biggest problem in Redline, I’ll answer it with a question.  What happened to the plot?  There are a lot of HUGE plotholes that are never resolved.  For one thing, we get glimpses of J.P.’s past, which entails that he and Sonoshee had met before.  Apparently, and according to the Wikipedia page for the movie, they were acquaintances.  However, these past events are never explained in full detail, which also makes the idea of J.P. and Sonoshee being together seem kind of random.  Also, the film ends with a lot of loose ends.  What happened to J.P. and Sonoshee after Redline?  What happened to Roboworld’s government?  And who won the fight between Funkyboy the Bio-Weapon and General Volton?  All of these questions are left unanswered.  In fact, the film ends on an awkward note because of this.  And even critics have said that Redline should be seen strictly for the animation, not the plot.  You’d think that with all the work that went into Redline, there’d be a decent plot.   Apparently, that’s not the case.

So, to close for this week, Redline is a film that is the epitome of animation art, but the plot is all full of holes.  Now unfortunately, this film has not made it to the small screen, but you can buy it where anime DVDs are sold-I highly recommend f.y.e- or you can buy it online.  But it is certainly worth it and you will not be disappointed-at least with the animation anyway.  Well, that’s all that I have for this week.  So as always, stay tuned for more!

-Hanime on Anime

And to all you dads out there, Happy Father’s Day!  ;)