Redline

Frankly I must admit that I'm not a big anime fan and this was my first anime. But to my sweet surprise this is a very good and entertaining. This has everything that you can expect in a racing related movie. I was more astonished to find out that it took them 7 years and more than 100000 hand drawn pictures to complete this movie which only increased my appreciation for the movie.

In spite of the praise that has been heaped upon Redline, I was not actually expecting it to be that good. The movie's over stylized and exaggerated characters brought Yoshiaki Kawajiri (incidentally a mentor of sorts for the movie's director, Takeshi Koike) immediately to mind, and I have never appreciated Kawajirisan's work. Within 20 minutes of starting to watch Redline, though, all of my reservations were blown away. The movie, which seems to be at least partially based on Kawajiri's similar Running Man segment from Neo Tokyo, follows a car racer named "Sweet JP" as he competes in two large races, the Yellowline and then the Redline. The Redline race happens to be held on a planet that doesn't want it to be, so the Redline racers have to dodge not only each other's artillery, but also that of the entire planet's military. While the characters are mostly light on meaningful personality, and the story is little more complex than "he's in these two races", the movie turns out to be a flashy action ride that should not be missed. While on the hostile planet for the Redline race, the story does take an Akira-style turn for the bizarre, but with all the other weird and crazy things assaulting your senses throughout the movie, it doesn't seem as out of place as it otherwise might. Do yourself a favor and catch Redline on Bluray some evening and enjoy a ride that you won't soon forget.

Redline is an anime movie directed by Takeshi Koike and written by Katsuhito Ishii. Originally Redline is a spin off anime of Trava: Fist Planet (2003) and although the characters from Trava: Fist Planet are in it briefly, this is a story that conceptually was developed from Trava: Fist Planet into a full length movie.

Redline itself is a story about a race driver JP who is in driving under influence of some Yakuza/Mafia types. Although, JP is an excellent and exciting driver he just does what he's told. When he finds out he qualified for The Redline competition he's up and about and this time ready to race the way he wants no matter the consequences. However, the Redline race is unlike any other race and is hosted in a hostile war-like environment that can get you killed just for participating. Prior to the Redline race JP meets female driver Sonoshee. Though they do hit it off right away, they slowly come to realize they have met before.

Redline takes you on an exciting ride that is visually stunning filled with hilarious animated characters. In the whole movie there is just one scene with some brief nudity but nothing that is shown in a sexual or perverted context. Personally, I would have liked them to have followed Trava's quest and competition in the Fist Planet Competition and maybe once again have a run in with Princess Mikuru, or even just have seen more of them in Redline which you do not see a whole lot of. Still Redline in itself is a cool anime movie and stands out by itself.

You do not have to see Trava: Fist Planet before watching Redline, but it wouldn't hurt to see it. I do recommend Trava: Fist Planet if you're into funny action packed anime with some nice trippy undertones and cool looking visuals. Redline is awesome! Check it out!

Redline is one of those movies that is absolutely popping with adolescent joy, from the sleekly-animated racing sequences to the ridiculous bravado of the characters. It's a bold debut for director Takeshi Koike, and what really amazes is that it manages to be an epic story that at the same time seems to be only a sliver of a crazy and exciting universe. You get the feeling that any of the other racers, some of whom only get a sliver of screen time, could easily support their own movie, and that kind of overflowing exuberance is hard not to buy into. The only other media that comes to mind as capturing this sensation is the anime series Giant Robo, which seems like a clear precedent here.

Plot-wise, there isn't much going on, with the story a serviceable vehicle to get from one action sequence to another. It does, however, manage to use common tropes in a way that feels mythic and not derivative. Redline really only does one thing -- epic action -- and those looking for anything else will probably be disappointed. But man, does it succeed on that front.

This review would be incomplete without mentioning the amazing music, an eclectic group of tunes that completes the adrenaline rush. Hell, every character gets their own theme song. How cool is that? (My favourite is Machine Head's.) And, in the end, that's what Redline ultimately wants to leave you thinking: "How cool is that?"

Out of random happenstance I went and saw this movie at the Reel Anime movie festival as it came to Canberra Australia. My only regret is that I didn't see this in a higher quality cinema.

When you see this movie, have the sound loud and the screen big. Its an experience I haven't had with a movie in a long time. I went in without any preconceptions other than the movie looked very zany after seeing the trailer on YouTube.

What surprised me most other than the very energized racing sequences, is that there seemed to be a whole back story to the universe where the races were taking place. There were hints of politics, history and other tidbits that made each of the locations that are visited and the characters shown have a lot more substance than just a pretty backdrop. You can almost imagine a whole prequel movie leading up to the events in this movie.

Of course this is anime so they did have a few of the cliché characters such as dashing yet arrogantly confident pretty boy and the "I have to be independent and strong" female character that gets his attention. Plus the usual loud characters or cool tough guys. But don't let that stop you, as it is what gives this story a bit of depth rather than being a series of mindless races. Plus the characters are a fun mix of races and designs.

The movie isn't about the subtleties of racing such as taking corners well or the art of overtaking by any means, its very much a "I'm much more driven and angrier than you, so now I'll catch up and overtake!", but with the world this is taking place in, the different array of vehicles all going up against each other and the obstacles that keep popping up, its just fun.

There is a scene where there are some boobs hanging out, but the story never gets sexual, so if you don't mind your kids seeing a little bit of breast you should be fine. The violence is a hard one, there is some serious fighting and some of the concepts as to how a person died may be a little scary to the younger kids, but a lot of this happens very fast.

Do see this movie if you want something visually engrossing, good for when friends are over. Just remember, have it loud and on a big screen!