The Last Exile - The Complete Series Boxed Set (Vol 1-7)
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Movie Reviews of The Last Exile - The Complete Series Boxed Set (Vol 1-7)
Movie Review: Simply Wonderful!
Summary: 5 Stars
**Some spoilers below if you have never seen this before**
Are you ready to embark on a breathtaking journey? I sure was and "Last Exile" delivered on its promise and then some! I'm always in the market for something good and creative. Personally I am not so concerned if it has similar story elements, such as a group of friends overcoming great odds or saving the world, as long as the world they are put in is very creative and seeing how they interact in that world... it's just a lot of fun for me to enjoy. One of the most amazing creative forces of the human psyche is our ability to create worlds, worlds that are sometimes anything like our own. I want something new to explore and products like "Last Exile" or games like Mass Effect provide that for me in a huge way! That being said the art and elements are beautiful to behold in this series.
Meet Claus and Lavie, two young Vanship pilots that are about to embark on the grandest journey of their lives. They've been good friends since they were just kids and they were taught to fly Vanships from their parents. All they've ever wanted to do was fly the skies. To make money they would be couriers for special messages and as they got better they would take messages with a higher danger rating for a better rate of pay. One day a seven star danger rating suddenly falls in their hands in the guise of a little girl named Alvis. Unbeknownst to them their destiny was so much more than they ever believed and their cargo so much more precious! This is their journey of how they wound up on the Sylvana with her quiet captain Alex and would then be caught in the middle of a fight for freedom against The Guild and their leader Delphine. As you can see this is a pretty in depth tale with a great deal of character development. I think it's a testament of the writers to expertly craft in this much character development amidst such an engrossing story line.
Once you get pulled into the world of "Last Exile" you don't want to stop watching, nor do you ever really want to leave. You feel like you're on the journey with each and every character, involved to the bitter end, which is tragic for some. I was especially disappointed with Dio's tragedy. He was one of my favorite characters, he was so eccentric and somewhat out of place that he just belonged. I did like all the other characters in this though, they all just worked so well that you actually wanted to join in and be a part of the Sylvana's crew as well. Their journey focuses on a single goal to find a very special ship called Exile. This ship will apparently allow them either salvation... or if The Guild gets a hold of it, it will only enable them to tighten their grip even more! I guess the one part I would've liked the show to delve into more was about Exile's origins and the origins of the land they're in. Judging by the ending, there's a lot more to the story than what we only see. Which just leads me to more questions about how The Guild came to have such great power?
I have this great theory about how the people got in this very strange world. If you notice all the writing is using Ancient Greek characters. It might not all be the correct words, but it does inspire me to try and figure out what happened to these people. I think in ancient times they ended up somehow getting out to this different part of the universe and their entire culture developed independently. This would explain why the language doesn't appear to evolve much beyond where it was long ago. It also explains the development of all this technology as well. Well it's just a theory, but I just might be right!
"Last Exile" is a wonderful fantasy story mixed in with definite science fiction themes. For the most part it stays away from being a total science fiction story. It's based around flying air ships that are more akin to those that float in the water than what you would see for space ships. It's not a wholly new concept; I mean Gulliver's Travels had a sort of similar concept. Some of the armies even use British fighting tactics where they stand in a line on the deck of the ship and just fire at the enemies! When that line falls, the next steps up. "Last Exile" has a TON of influences from all over the spectrum. If anything I've mentioned thus far seems very intriguing then I would say don't hesitate to try this out! This particular edition came with a small figurine of Alvis and a mouse pad, but the best part was the booklets in the DVD cases. There are seven DVD's and each came with a fold open detailed schematic of the different ships. Unfortunately this doesn't cover ALL the ship designs we find in "Last Exile" which was a little disappointing, but I wasn't expecting to get any of these at all! So it was quite a pleasant surprise. What do you say? Ready to take a ride with Claus and Lavie on their Vanship?
Movie Review: Nice for teens and young adults
Summary: 3 Stars
I know I am in the minority but I was not impressed by this series. My main beef is that all of the crucial characters are under 19 years of age with the exception of Capitain Rowe who was only 28, so you have to suffer through alot of teen and young adult angst and shallowness which was quite annoying. There just seemed a lack of depth that you tend to get with older more experienced characters. I know this is the Japanese obsession with youth but after awhile you want to slap them upside their heads. The animation is pretty good. They were especially adept at combining the CGI and traditional animation techniques. The general plot of "world in turmoil, world saved by 'special' child" is typical anime. It is entertaining however I would not recommend spending $150 on it. It is nothing new. Rent instead.Movie Review: Quick overview
Summary: 4 Stars
A story of growth and adventure. Two friends are also flying buddies in a world where flight is the main form of transport. They take on a difficult mission that lands them into the thick of a great war. As they struggle to stay alive, they meet new friends and learn how to cope with their own choices.Movie Review: Graphically brilliant....buuut...
Summary: 3 Stars
Last Exile is a beautiful series, many of its bulky wingless flying machines, some inspired by 50's aircraft, including the silver monster flown by the main characters. But before the first floating battleship rumbles onto the screen, you will find yourself doubting their depth. In a steampunk world pleasantly reminiscent of Skies of Arcadia, they seem remarkably similar to, not only Vyse and Aika, but almost every anim? combo out there. Klaus is the "shy sensitive boy with the tough streak and a see-it-through-attitude", where as Lavie is the opposite, and AL is the generic "little girl with probable superpowers who has to be protected but who will win the day".
And, unfortunately, even with the amazing budget and the beautifully ugly flying machines, it is in the generic characters (Though one or two stand out), underdeveloped plot, and lack of anything to help you understand either, where Exile falls down. Few characters have any back-story, the musketeers never really have any fathomable purpose, even after the shackles of the corrupt guild are removed. The skulduggery surrounding the big race is unexplained and seemingly pointless.
I would love to have given this series raves, but I just can't. Even though it is beautiful. And it has its moments. And the designs are faultless. And even though it is six DVDs long. They didn't manage to make what could have been a great series.
Movie Review: Great Anime!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok... first of all, the muh-roon that rated this dvd series with only "1 star" must be high on crack... I recently bought the "Range Murata Complete Set" and I gotta say, this is a BEAUTIFUL anime series. The artwork on each dvd case are equally beautiful.
Although I wouldn't go as far as call it a "perfect" anime, it's definitely a beautifully done show. It maintained its quality and consistency throughout the series. I'm a character animator, so I'm especially sensitive to spotting inconsistencies in an animated show. There are times when you can detect the cg elements, but overall everything feels right.
There are some especially neat touches that make it a great anime... One being that their written language uses Greek alphabets and Roman numerals. The others are small details that really sell the characters such as having to boil their drinking water, cranking the engines to start their vehicles, keeping an eye on fuel levels while operating their vehicles, having limited resources during missions, etc.
Obviously, anime isn't for everyone just like many movies/shows; Some people like "Heroes" while others prefer soap operas... If you hate a thing, IT JUST AIN'T FOR YOU.
I personally recommend this to animation fans. If you never watched anime before or aren't particularly into them, don't bother.