Lady Death The Motion Picture - Anime Advanced
- Anime Advanced
- Vincent Del Vecchio
- 10/13/04
- click here
'A broader variety of animation is always a nice choice to have and Lady Death is a very welcome choice indeed.'
Disc Description
A powerful story of innocence lost, savage betrayal and glorious rebirth, Lady Death begins in 15th Century Sweden, where Hope, the beautiful daughter of Matthias - a skilled mercenary who is in actuality Lucifer, the Lord of Lies - is accused of being the devil's consort following a hellish incident witnessed by local villagers. Sentenced by the town priest to be burned at the stake, Hope is visited by the malevolent Pagan as she writhes in pain. Unable to think clearly, she accepts Lucifer's offer of life in Hell over a hideously painful death... only to discover that there are far worse fates than dying. Lucifer's grand plan to corrupt a soul of pure innocence meets unanticipated resistance, as Hope rejects Lucifer's scheme and eventually finds herself transformed into the powerful warrior Lady Death, who challenges the Lord of Lies for control of Hell itself.
Disc Features
Visions of Hell
Animating Death
ADV Previews
Director?s Commentary
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Disc Review
Content:
When we obtained Lady Death, I didn?t know what to think. I had not heard any news or previews of the movie nor was I familiar with the Lady Death comic book series. So with great interest, I popped this disc into my player. After the usual ADV opening videos and advertisements for services such as The Anime Network, I was quickly thrown into the main menu of the disc. Upon starting the movie, I quickly noticed the different animation style used in this film. The animation style was excellent for the show and definitely allows for the more violent aspects of the film to run wild. We?re told of the story of Hope and her father Matthias, who is actually Lucifer. Hope is accused of being in cahoots with the devil himself after the village priest witnessed an unholy incident where she was the only survivor besides him. He immediately accuses her of being a hell-spawn due to the fact that she is his daughter. She is imprisoned and then burned on the stake, in a very violent and disturbing scene. Unable to withstand the horrendous pain of the fire, she accepts life in hell. Once there, she learns of the fates of her mother and lost love. Cast out of Lucifer?s castle, she vows to destroy Lucifer for all time.
The story goes on as she befriends an outcast weapon smith, some nameless wolves, and her steed Vassago. She is transformed into the powerful Lady Death during her training with Cremator. This was the only fault I saw with the story of the film. The scenes where she?s being transformed into Lady Death all happen so quickly. The way it plays out makes it seem like only a few hours have past where in actuality, it has really been a few years. I wish more in-between storyline could have been implemented here so that way the character development wouldn?t have seemed so rushed. One moment she?s cast out of Lucifer?s castle like a rag doll and what seems like the next moment, she?s leading a full on attack with a gigantic army against that same castle.
Other than that, the movie definitely shines. The animation is different yet refreshing at the same time and the movie is anything but boring. It is, in fact, quite fun to watch. The background art is wonderful, the characters are interesting, and the voice acting is top notch. Christine Auten as Hope/Lady Death nailed her role perfectly, while supporting cast members all perform flawlessly in their respective roles. Produced by Andrew Orjuela in his maiden production, Lady Death was very enjoyable and overall I was very surprised and content by the time it ended.
Video:
Lady Death?s video quality is incredible. Presented in anamorphic widescreen, the film just shines. Colors were spot on and no cross coloration or aliasing could be seen anywhere. The video here is something that must be seen to be appreciated and in order to be truly appreciated; it should be seen with quality video components. Anyone with a half decent home theatre system is definitely going to appreciate the hard work and quality that went into the making and production of this movie and DVD.
Audio:
Excellent 5.1 track here. Sounds, voices, and music all sounded well spaced and directionality was excellent. Lady Death houses one of the better 5.1 mixes from ADV which is saying a lot because ADV usually brings to the party some very nice 5.1 mixes in general.
Menus:
A very original menu here by ADV. The menu?s main set is a graveyard with a decaying demon popping out of the ground. Sub menu access is nice as fast just how we like it and the overall feel keeps with the demonic, frightening aspect of hell. Menu choices load quickly and painlessly and overall the menu presentation is of overall excellent quality.
Extras:
The disc doesn?t have an enormous amount of extras per say but what is included is definitely welcome and suffices. We get director commentary, visions of hell featurette, and an animating death featurette which include interviews with the animation production team, background designs, and the evolutionary process of the characters and background animation. Overall, the amount of extras may be a bit lacking but that shouldn?t stop anyone from watching the film.
Dialogue:
The only language track on this disc is English to we, obviously, viewed the disc in English. The cast, it goes without saying, was fantastic. Christine Auten?s portrayal of Hope was excellent and her ?evolution? into Lady Death was seamless. From quiet, reserved, and innocent to commanding, powerful, and often times brutal. The supporting cast including all filled their rolls nicely which added to the overall good feel of the show. I?d also just like to say that seeing the character?s lips move in almost perfect synch to the English voice actors was definitely something that brought a smile to my face, for whatever reason.
The Bottom Line:
Well, this is a tough cookie to cut. Overall the movie was very entertaining and the storyline, characters, and animation are all top notch. During the middle parts of Lady Death (the character?s) evolution, the action seems a bit rushed. The overall story could have benefited a little if they slowed down a bit instead of rushing through her change into the powerful warrior she becomes. I believe the intentions were good but in my opinion, her training scenes didn?t really flow well. Another thing is that people may not exactly rush out and buy this release simply for the lack of hype. That is a shame though because the movie is very good and I?m sure a lot of people that will look at the cover and just pass it up in the store would very much enjoy the dark storyline and interesting characters and settings. In closing, Lady Death is an excellent first outing for ADV and producer Andrew Orjuela. If you had any doubts that Lady Death might not be your cup of tea in regards to style, story, characters, settings, let me just say that while it may be different, it is also very good. Lady Death offers a nice change of pace. A broader variety of animation is always a nice choice to have and Lady Death is a very welcome choice indeed.
Content Good plot and interesting characters set upon a familiar yet different setting make for a enjoyable story. 8.2
Video Video is pretty much flawless. Anamorphic widescreen looks excellent! 9.5
Audio Good use of Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. A treat for the ears especially for anyone who has a decent home theater setup. 8.6
Menus Menus are graphically intensive and beautiful. Layout is clean and nicely set. 8.2
Extras There aren't a lot of extras but what we're given is of good quality. Commentary is nice and so are the viewable background designs. 7.6
Dialog Cast nailed their roles perfectly. Excellent work by all of the dub cast. Characters sound convincing and strong. 9.2
Verdict
There are those who will love it and there are those who will hate it. Just because it isn't along the lines of animation you're used to, doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. Lady Death is a good film that shouldn't be overlooked by anyone who likes action, a good storyline, and some good, clean death.
8.6
+ Video and animation are superb.
+ Excellent use of Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.
+ Voice acting is excellent! Cast does a good job.- Animation style may turn some people off.- Some scenes may seem rushed in the middle.- Lack of a large number of extras on disc.
Posted on Wednesday, October 13, 2004 (Archive on Saturday, November 13, 2004)