Well, here we are...the review(s).

ENJOY!

Review #1: Kerry Gibbons

Similar to the X-Men Movie, this film is a wonderful freestanding piece, but meanwhile an abismal representation of a larger work with an even larger fanbase.

My personal opinion is just that; my personal opinion.  Please do not get offended by this "review," because it is what I truly and honestly think.  If you would like to express your opinion, please feel free to e-mail me your review, it would be most appreciatied.  Thank you.

This movie has gorgeous (really gorgeous) aritstry at work, as one would naturally expect from the great production team.  Watching it on a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, on VHS, and on my tiny little TV screen are not the recommended viewing conditions, however, most intended effects came accross rather well.

Although  confusing in the beginning, the movie was well-written and directed, although obviously intended for previous fans.  I doubt a non-Esca-fan could watch the whole movie and have a clue what was going on.  This was partly due to the efforts by the creators to include as many original characters as possible.  This created a sort of soup of unimportant characters with little or no character development.

Of couse, this was to be expected because of time constraints.  However, cameos for Nariya and Eriya, Mr. Moleman, and others seemed to be quite sufficient.  Still, Dryden's sudden and brief appearance kind of left me going "What the hell just happened?" and blinking randomly.  Still, I applaud the creative teams on their efforts to please many a disgruntled fan.

The character development of Hitomi and Van was just about optimal (I still object morally to Hitomi's suicidal tendencies, though), although the lack of a romantic relationship between the two was disappointing.  In fact, it seemed that there was absolutely zero romantic attachment between any of the characters, almost throwing A Girl in Gaea into the dreaded "Shoujen" category.  I, indeed, didn't actually notice this until the movie was over and I had that feeling in my stomach when I leave my wallet at home; That I forgot something.  I found this a very disappointing factor, as Hitomi's romantic trials through the series gave it that more human aspect (every guy she like, on of her friends had liked before her!), which the movie simply lacked.

Now, I must comment on the soundtrack.  I bought the CD in October and found it most enjoyable (it's my favorite CD now), but put with the video component of the movie, it just seems somehow greater as a work of art than it did before.  Maaya Sakamoto, for all her fans out there, does (I think) perform on the CD, with WONDERFUL efforts from Yoko Kano, my favorite modern composer.

As a whole, the movie IS worth seeing, although if you get the same version of subs that I did, you better sit CLOSE to the TV... They're SO small.  It's really an amazing animation and if you were to analyze what all the subliminal messaging and symbols mean, you'd be there for months.  Seriously, though, I enjoyed it immensely~!

Review #2: Jesse Mai

Story? This is an alternate story, set in an alternate timeline/dimension with alternative characters. The movie is completely separate and almost unrecognizable from the original TV series, although they do share many of the same themes. The plot of the movie is a much darker story than the original TV series. Many in the audience who expected a continuation of the original series were left very confused and shocked. You will not recognize some of the original characters at all. The story development was perhaps the most surprising element (and possibly the only weak point, depending on who you ask) of the movie. To find out any more, you would have to e-mail me.

Visual quality? Simply outstanding and top-notch. The artwork as well as the animation itself was superb and unbelievably clean and detailed. Except for a particular scene close to the end, it was obvious that there was no expense or effort spared for each meticulous frame. For those in the club who viewed the Nadesico Movie and the You're Under Arrest Movie, I would say that the animation from the Escaflowne Movie was equal to or maybe even better in terms of quality. The only area of possible opposition (very minor) might have been the character designs (faces quite different than from the television series). The action scenes are among the most amazing I have ever seen.

Soundtrack? Perhaps the best element of the movie. The BGM's were absolutely breathtaking (they were a mixture of newly composed music and instrumentals from the original series). The vocals were even better, with a hauntingly beautiful image song ("Sora") that blew everyone away as well as a gorgeous ending theme ("Yubiwa" or "Ring") by Mayaa Sakamoto (Hitomi's voice actress). The movie's soundtrack will be guaranteed to be one of the most highly sought of all time (I purchased it the moment it was released just two days after the convention).

Final verdict? I do not wish to color it too much with my own personal impressions, but let me say this. I recommend everyone who watches this movie not to compare it to the original TV series, as they are much too different and are virtually unrelated to each other. If you see this movie as an anime of its own, you will be thoroughly impressed by its style, quality, and production. The movie is very dark and gritty (the violence can become quite graphic) though, especially as many of the main characters have dark personalities of their own (even Escaflowne has become much more "demonic"). The age of the movie's target audience was obviously set much higher than that for the original series. As a comparison will inevitably be demanded of me, I will only say that I would recommend for new viewers to watch the original series over the movie simply because the TV series was targeted for a more general audience and the story obviously had much more room to develop. But the movie should not be missed, if at all possible.