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| 4.
3rdEyeVision  
I think Leliel hit the nail on the head when comparing
this movie to the offspring of Akira and Indiana Jones. There is
action by the ark-load (that's a lot) and animation , sound and production value
to go along with it. The story itself , I thought was great. True, we aren't given
any info on the hero's background until so late into the movie that we could care
less. And it is true that this movie contains every action movie cliche in the
book, but for some reaon , I liked that in Spriggan. The story could have
been much deeper, yes, but there is a time limit to think about with a movie,
as opposed to an OVA or series. We are introduced to the main character, Yu Ominae,
member of a group called ARCAM, who needs to make sure the legenday Noah's Ark
does not fall into the wrong hands. Some kid that reminds us of Tetsuo from Akira
is out to harness the Ark's power to wipe mankind off the face of the earth (
like the Bible says happened so long ago). I must say I gave this a little bit
of a higher score than I would have , due to the story's subject matter. I was
drawn into Neon Genesis Evangelion for the same reason; I love any story
that puts a new spin on conventional beliefs. The idea that Noah's Ark could have
existed on some level is an interesting thought , but to expand on that and get
into what it's actual purpose was and who built it, that is true entertainment
to me. It made me think about other wonders and artifacts on this planet that
are still such a mystery to us. If nothing else, it's a good movie for guys who
might not really be into anime and I would suggest it to anyone who liked Ninja
Scroll or Predator. |
| 3. Leliel
 
SPRIGGAN EQUALS ACTION!#$"!$#"#" Words
of wisdom first uttered by anime club execs many moons ago, and they ring as true
today as ever. Indiana Jones meets Akira in
a beautiful but ultimately mindless popcorn flick. Soak up the gorgeous visuals
with Haijima Kuniaki's ethnic soundtrack lovin'. Tibet singer Säju
provides an ethereal theme song in Mandarin. Fantastic animation, great music,
great acting (perenial bishounen Koyasu Takehito steals his scenes as
Jean), all it's missing is a solid plot beyond something to move the story forward.
Just turn off your brain at the door and enjoy. |
| 2.
Tempy
The biblical Noah's Ark has been discovered in Turkey and two
secret organizations fight over it. You see, Noah's Ark isn't just an ordinary
wooden boat; it houses powers beyond belief and could threaten the whole world!
One of those organizations is ARCAM who send their elite soldiers (Spriggan) to
seal off the Ark. One of the Spriggan is Yu Ominae, an athletic and brash young
man, and the protagonist of this movie. Spriggan
is loud. Filled with gunfire, fisticuffs, explosions, explosions, and more explosions.
There's a fuel barrel, oxygen tank, ammo depot, petrol tank in about every corner,
just waiting to explode. Yu Ominae gets a nonexistant introduction and when we
finally learn his dark secret and what really drives him, it's already too late.
Spriggan moves like a speeding bullet, tossing aside character development
and plot, stuff that could have accentuated the action bits and made them more
meaningful. Spriggan almost succeeds in throwing away timing as well, which
I'd say is rather crucial in an action movie. Fortunately we're still left with
some moderately entertaining action bits. I'd rather watch Blood, although
hampered by its short length, still managed to create a neat little atmosphere,
as well as an aura of mystery and intrigue around its protagonist. |
| 1. Dreamer
Spriggan is another sci-fi action thriller that combines
brilliant action scenes with an average story. Somewhere in Turkey, Noah's Ark
was discovered by some scientists group but mysteriously the whole expedition
was annihilated. This brings the attention of various groups including the Arcam
who has a caring for civilization contacts they sent Spriggan (special
agents with high physical and psychological abilities) to see things there. The
plot development is okay, I guess, but was not as fast in happening as the action
sequences. From the first scene of action, I thought, wow, the producers have
really succeeded in giving this movie a distinct look with high frame right scenes
and innovative camera angles. I enjoyed Spriggan
quite a bit - mainly for its action sequences - as I think the story was not mature
enough or just not my personal favorite type of stories. But with intense action
like this, I don't have to worry about the story that much although I wished there
was more room to develop the story than to concentrate on action. |
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