Appleseed

No, this is not a bio-pic about a certain itinerant American folk hero with a penchant for planting Red Delicious seeds, but rather a classic anime mecha adventure based on a manga series (i.e., graphic comic books) by Masamune Shirow. Set in a post-World War III utopian city named Olympus, where Biodroids (half human, half robot) hold the political reins of power, and even have members on the police force, Appleseed's backstory is delivered on a few screens of text before slamming the audience straight into the action. Here, Deunan (a human ESWAT police officer) and her partner Briareos (a huge cyborg with really cute rabbit-like ears) find themselves pitted against a wily terrorist, whose fight for "human freedom at all cost," makes for an interesting philosophical twist (since our police "heroes" are part of the potentially repressive human/machine administrative system). While the animation definitely shows its age after 12 years, the swiftly paced narrative has held up well, the female heroine is tough-as-false-nails, and the relationship between the two principals makes for a satisfying, if offbeat, buddy flick. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)