Redline

[tokenfanboy]

Just got back from seeing Redline. The animation was kind of cool but there wasn't much of a story to it. There were a few things in it that didn't seem to have much of a point to it. Namely, the flashbacks to the guy, who gave off a totally Akio vibe, that inspired the lead character to get into racing It also was scheduled kind of late (9:30 PM)

Comments

[belindabird]

Summer Wars is "better" in the sense that it's a very complete plot with good characters and a heartwarming resolution that appeals to a wide audience, but the appeal of Redline is that it's very visceral and it's an example of animators reveling in technique. This is the sort of appeal you really get in anime much more than American animation, because there's a lot of fidelity towards what individual animators bring to the table and there's a certain mystique about key animators' style and such.

I actually read an interesting blog post comparing old Tex Avery cartoons to Gurren Lagann, and I think that the author's theory of escalation works well with this film also. Redline may be just about racing cars, but it takes that one idea and really pushed the boundaries of it, raising the stakes beyond the constraints of reality and inviting the audience into this world of violence, sexuality and distorted physics. Its appeal is in the adrenal rush it provides along with the virtuosic handling of the animation.

I would honestly put

[tokenfanboy]

Like I said, I was getting tired near the end so I may be judging a bit harshly because of that. I may want to rewatch the end sometime. Although, I thought the first race was more interesting than the final race.