Up until this point, I have been avoiding reviewing anime movies in order to show that Japanese cinema is much more than just anime, but today I would like to take some time to talk about one of my favorite anime movies of all time. I will be reviewing Takeshi Koike’s 2009 animated film Redline, and talking about why it is one of my favorite animated films of all time. This is one of the most technically impressive animated movies that I have ever seen, and it is an absolute roller-coaster ride from start to finish.
Story
Redline follows JP, who hopes to win the galaxy’s biggest and most prestigious race, the Redline. The film opens with JP and other racers in the Yellowline, which is the preliminary race to the Redline. During the Yellowline, JP faces off against Sonoshee McLaren, who goes on to get first place in the race, and becomes JP’s friendly rival for the Redline. The Redline is set to be held on Roboworld, a planet with a militaristic leader that wants nothing to do with the Redline and that vows kill all those who come into the planet unauthorized. The last third of the movie shows JP and Sonoshee facing off against many other eccentric racers on Roboworld in an explosive and action-packed final race.
What I Like
The reason why this movie is so good can be easily described in one word, and that word is “hype”. I have never been more hyped up while watching a movie than when I watched Redline. The races in this movie are so beautifully animated and directed, that not a single moment goes by where I’m not blown away by just how awesome and impressive the film is. The film’s production took seven years because they chose traditional hand drawn animation over computer animation, and the fruits of studio Madhouse’s labors definitely show off here. I don’t think I have ever seen another animated movie as technically impressive as Redline, even to this day. Here is a trailer to help get an idea of the amazing visual style of this movie. Watching this movie is pure adrenaline, and that alone makes it worth watching. On top of the adrenaline filled races and the beautiful animation, this movie also has a great soundtrack and memorable characters. Not only are the two main characters JP and Sonoshee both wildly entertaining, but every other racer is filled with so much personality even though many of them get very little screen time. Each racer even has their own theme song, which helps to make them even more unique and memorable. Another highlight is the voice performances. I have watched this movie both dubbed in English and with the original Japanese voices and I can say that both casts do an equally amazing job at capturing the feelings of the characters. It is clear that an immense amount of effort and passion was put into every single aspect of this movie.
Final Thoughts
Redline is and amazing experience and I recommend it to anyone and everyone that likes adrenaline filled movies. This movie really pushes the limits with what can be achieved with animation and I think it is a must see for all fans of animated movies. I think that this movie is an absolute masterpiece, but if I had to give at least one criticism, it would be the structure of the movie. The middle section of the movie is sandwiched between the two big races at the beginning and end, which makes the more dialogue focused middle section a lot less exciting in comparison, but I think that it still does a good job building up the characters and building tension for the final race.