Appleseed Alpha (also styled as Appleseed α) is a computer-animated military science fiction and cyberpunk action film. The voice cast includes Luci Christian (Deunan Knute), David Matranga (Briareos) and Wendel Calvert (Two Horns).
Appleseed Alpha had an advance digital release on July 15, 2014.
Plot
Set in a different series of events, this story does not follow the previous Appleseed movie canon (despite being directed by the same director of the previous movies); it is an alternate story to their beginnings. Briareos is already a cyborg and did not become separated with Deunan to be later reunited in Olympus to join ESWAT. Appleseed Alpha depicts the early days of Deunan Knute and Briareos in the 22nd century. Similar to the original story, there was a world war and nobody won; governments had destabilized and cities had fallen into ruin. The city of Olympus is the unseen city of legend and dreams. Deunan Knute and Briareos are former soldiers and now work as mercenaries, dreaming of a better life. Their story begins within the ruins of New York City.
Given a job by a local despot who calls himself Two-Horns, Deunan Knute and Briareos are making a delivery run for Two-Horns. Minding a case of vaccine(s), the duo travel through the old MTA subway system to avoid trouble, but were ambushed by cyborgs; the two defeated their enemies and made it to ruins of Times Square. Worried that Two-Horns might get the wrong idea that they ran for it, Briareos and Deunan returns to see Two-Horns and explained they had complications and the mission was a failure. Despite the failed mission, as far as the two are concerned, all their debts to Two-Horns are repaid and they want out of their operations. However, Two-Horns values them and refuses to let them off that easily. It was Two-Horns that secretly sabotaged his own assignment, hoping to use it as a means to extend the duo's service to him.
Despite Two-Horns' displeasure at the situation, things change when Briareos experiences internal system problems. Deunan reluctantly agrees to help Two-Horns for one last job to help get Briareos patched up. Assigned to the outskirts of the city to clear up some old war drones, the duo were attempting to clear the drones when they encountered a transport driving straight into the target zone with the drones. The duo jump in and saved a cyborg soldier and bioroid girl, Iris (voiced by Brina Palencia) and Olson.
Grateful for being saved, Olson, the cyborg soldier, helps troubleshoot Briareos' malfunctioning systems and Briareos helps them get their Humvee working again. Both groups distrust each other but because there is no cause for alarm, the two groups travel together while figuring out the next moves. Shortly afterwards, a powerful cyborg named Talos, leader of the Triton faction (a group of highly skilled and advanced cyborgs), who has grand ambitions to remake the ruined world in his image, but needs Iris to help him complete his quest arrives on the scene to investigate his targets of interests, but only to find the remains of combat. When the four realize Triton is after them, they decided it best to stick together until their situation is resolved. Olson knows of Talos' reasons for hunting them, but couldn't tell Deunan nor Briareos due to his classified mission.
Talos was an agent of Olympus until he developed a messiah complex and planned to rebuild the world in his image. He had previously had Two-Horns work for him, but after discovering Deunan and Briareos had Olson and Iris, he suspects Two-Horns of betrayal. Talos confronts Two-Horns about his men, but Two-Horns claims innocence. Although Talos believes him, he feels their partnership is at an end and has his right-hand woman, Nyx, finish off the gang. Although Two-Horns' base is destroyed, he and his gang survived and decided to take their fury upon Deunan and Briareos. Two-Horns and his men find and attack the duo with a battle tank, but Olson and Iris help defeat them; it is then that Talos arrives and takes them under his custody and flies off.
Talos was looking for Iris and Olson due to their classified mission from Olympus: to destroy an abandoned super war machine. He forcefully downloads the data from Olson and throws him out of the plane, killing him, but not before Olsons leaves a clue for Deunan and Briareos to find. Briareos locks onto Olson's cybernetic signature and finds Olson's body; he had downloaded a chip that explains their mission and the duo now search for Iris. Talos eventually finds the abandoned secret underground hanger that holds a giant arachnid-themed mobile battle fortress, the very source of power he wanted to help remake the world. However, Deunan and Briareos intervene..
Two-Horns had survived his last fight and decided his real target is Talos, so siding with Deunan and Briareos, he helps them take on Talos' cyborgs by providing firepower and an exo-suit for Deunan to fight in. Talos uses Iris to activate the sleeping giant but the machine detecting a hull breach (Deunan fought her way through the behemoth's defense system at the cost of her exo-suit) goes on the offensive and targets New York city. Briareos tries to assist Deunan, but is confronted by Nyx; he kills her in melee combat. Deunan now inside the fortress battles Talos, Talos is shot and down, but gets up again and grabs Deunan, with the help of Iris, Talos is crushed to death. Deunan and Briareos, manage to destroy the giant, but at the price of Iris sacrificing her life. After the long battle, Two-Horns accepts the duo's departure and offers Deunan the repaired exo-suit as a parting gift. The two ride off to find Olympus.
In the post credits, Olympus Officer Hitomi (Iris' original clone template) is speaking with another officer. They confirm the destruction of the prototype super-weapon and the officer asks Hitomi about retrieving Deunan and Briareos to Olympus. However, Hitomi believes the duo are like Appleseeds, wherever they travel, they will bring hope and others will follow in their wake; Hitomi wants them to do more good in the bad lands before taking them in.
Voice cast
Reception
The film received a PG-13 rating by the MPAA due to "sci-fi action and violence throughout, and a sexual reference". Zac Bertschy from Anime News Network called it "the most visually stunning Appleseed movie yet". Hollywood Outbreak website wrote that "thanks to the extensive motion and facial capture work on the project, the animation is a perfect balance of realism and science fiction-esque fantasy". Appleseed Alpha was selected for screening at Fantasia Festival on July 19, 2014.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Appleseed Alpha (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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