I've seen all the Appleseed flicks and enjoyed all of them.

This is the next logical step in improving the computer animated versions one step further.

This is not "state of the art" as the final fantasy movies are. As someone mentioned the skin of the characters looks a little plastic, and they haven't gotten the movement quite right (but what computer animated film has?). Also, where in FF The Spirits Within you could see the animation quality and the effort to make things look more realistic, in this movie the animation is actually a little step back. The best example is the hair of the characters (also as previously mentioned by someone else). The only realistic hair you see in the film is on Bularios clone, where although his hair is tied at the back, you can see individual strands. Personally I can't wait to see a computer animated movie where they get the movement of the characters spot-on.

The plot of the movie is great, well done. The acting is good and the script is also good. I thought the lip syncing could have been done a little better, but it is done well enough that you don't notice unless you look for it.

Also, thank the powers that be that it is "almost totally devoid of the philosophical musings that make" many animes so utterly boring. I remember the first time I watched Ghost in the Shell. Half way through the movie the main character starts rambling on about "philosophical musings" that bored the hell out of me and the other people who were with me seeing this film. Personally that is not why I enjoy anime.

This movie is pretty much none stop action all the way through, as we would expect from John Woo. It's done very much in his style, which is good. The actual rendering of the characters has been changed a little, talking another small step back away from the big puppy eyed classic anime character look. However, they didn't go overboard, and it still has that look we all love so much. (read, the babes still look awesomely cute). They sort of rub your face in it a little as the main character Deunan Knute has a great tush that apparently is so strong that while the rest of her body is covered in body armor, her tush is not. Hey, I'm not complaining....it IS anime.

I have watched this movie four or five times, and it's every bit as good now as it was the first time I watched it.

Anyone who is an anime lover (there are more and more of us all the time) will love this movie to pieces. People who just enjoy animated movies will also enjoy this movie because it is not your classic anime, but a little bit of an evolution of that genre.

I was surprised and glad to see John Woo joined this project. I was expecting a bigger and better Appleseed with a John woo twist, but I was disappointed.

pro: John woo's style dominates the whole movie. cool fighting sequence, double-team shooting back to back, bullet time. It's such a reminiscence of John's 80's HK movies. I highly recommend this title, if you like John Woo and has not seen "appleseed 1".

However, all the characters and CG are really really pretty, if you like the Japanese style, which I like better than Disney.

Con: John changed the whole Appleseed style, and he has lost his creativity. I'm sorry to say this, since I'm a huge John woo fan. I would rather see a new title or a completely different setting, than naming this a sequel to Appleseed. Remember what he did to "mission Impossible"? He did it again.

The twisted plot and subtleness of story-telling is all gone. The characters got insanely talkative and cliché. John woo focused on the main characters, but they are mundane and quite predictable. John woo has told the story 100 times in HK and similar plot has been in 1000 Hollywood movies.

After all, "appleseed 1" was a great Japanese anime following "ghost in a shell" heritage. "ex machina" is a just another pretty-looking Hollywood movie with John Woo, but not to the height of "face off" or even "broken arrow". If you want to see a great anime, go see "appleseed 1". If you just want John Woo, then "ex machina" is what you want.

I think John Woo has lost his edge since "face off". I hope he picks it up in the next big production "Red Cliff" (chi bi).

From the first minute on the movie was playing, I was in love! Appleseed Ex Machina, is brilliant! The first installment, when I discovered it a little over a year ago, was good; an exiting journey in cool environments and with a captivating story. Ex Machina, takes that to the next level.

The action scenes are better, the motion capture is grander and the camera movements even sweeter. The whole movie long your in that world. Feeling all the emotions displayed by the beautiful, yet still traditional anime-style looking characters. The storyline is beautifully symbolic and the characters a dream to come true! Their cool, strong and yet so human.

I wish more 3d movies like these where made, with so much tender, love and care for the materia that is sometimes so underestimated by the grand audience. I take my hat of for the amazing team that has been working on Ex Machina - it's incredible from beginning to start and I can't wait to watch it again!