REEL Anime 2010: Red Line

This is the first of three reviews as part of my post analysis covering the very well executed REEL Anime 2010 that wrapped up today in Melbourne and interstate.

Overall it was an incredibly successful event (making the top 20 box office sales) held by Madman highlighting some seriously brilliant Japanese anime.

Start your engines ladies and gentlemen, for a truly out of this world experience! The visual and auditory treat of a lifetime, indulge in the sight and sound enhanced on the incredulously over the top, no holds barred, white knuckle, conventional but exciting words here, insanity that is Redline!

REEL Anime showcased this blitzed anime movie, even before it premiered in Japan, this definitely added to the hype factor. Regardless of where or when it showed, once viewed there is an immediate need to see it again, because it was just going too fast the first time around! Redline could be best described as Speed Racer on crack, with a copious amount of adult oriented Wacky Racers thrown in to ramp up the insane grudges between each racer, but there is a lot of video game influence in play too such as the commenters overblown English and the cheesy racer theme songs. Redline takes its speed to preposterous levels and on their racing 'cars' there is always an option to go one gear higher, absolutely shattering any sense of barriers to the point where it almost feels like you, the viewer can feel the speed.

In terms of the plot Redline contains a likable punk and a very bitter antagonist, ruler of the entire planet that they illegally race on, Roboworld, yes the entire planet, in this case, is the enemy. The film is also an over-the-top parody of the sport celebrity, one of the key scenes is a pre-race analysis and it details every competitor and their particular style, shtick, pet-peeves and rivals and this satire works to great effect. There is a plethora of weirdness, nothing registers as completely human, and there are enough terms, locations and characters to fill a lexicon, Star Wars style. "Don't judge a man's skill by his character" says one racer, and this statement could not be truer as an assortment of majorly corrupt and morally bereft individuals seek the Redline (which is the next level of the racing circuit) for their own selfish means.

JP, the likable punk seems to have a genuine passion for winning, and even helps his love interest and rival Sonoshi as the unimaginable happens on Roboworld. The race reaches a level of danger and insanity that includes magical girl-mech battles, massive bio weapons, huge lasers, an entire army and a secret weapon that obliterates the concept of speed as a determinable factor in racing altogether.

There are many other memorable supporting characters and for freaky alien people they have a range of believable emotions, motivations and intentions. It is hard to imagine within all this chaos Redline creates a very solid galaxy of different races and creeds, the source material is rife for expansion, as the ride is over way too quickly and just barely touches on everyone involved, still it is an intense experience, repeated viewing highly recommended.