 |
| Title: BioHunter Run Time: 60 minutes List Price: $24.95 Company: Urban Vision Rating: 15+ |
| 10-19-02 Hrm... What can I say about this? I was browsing the animation section at my local Blockbuster when I happened upon this title. What drew me to it? I can't really say. Regardless, this is definitely a rent and not a buy. The DVD version is actually called a "Special Edition", but why I don't know. There's really nothing extra on this disc. Anyway, the story is about Komada and Koshigaya, but it really doesn't matter. I can never remember their names anyway. These two college professors spend their time studying what they call the Demon Virus. The virus causes one's body to mutate, turning them into a hideous beast and then controlling them. There is an exception, however: Komada is infected by the virus. Something with his immune system enables him to control the virus, transforming into a demon at will. Komada is crucial in the battle against the virus. When Komada saves a young girl, Sayaka, for some thugs in an alley, the two comrades are unknowingly drawn into a conflict with the Demon Virus. Sayaka's grandfather tells of a corrupt politician, killed and then controlled by the virus. He must kill women and feast on their livers. An interesting story, no doubt, but it seems to simply start up out of nowhere. We never actually find out the origin of the virus. In addition to starting suddenly, it ends suddenly, with Koshigaya proclaiming that the bio hunter's fight has only just begun. This leads one to assume that a sequel may have been intended, but nothing has made it out, unfortunately. The movie also features small amounts of sex and nudity. While this normally doesn't bother me, I just found it unecessary. Right from the start, we see a sex scene. It really has no point in the story. While not explicit, it was annoying because of how useless it was. I know some people like that kind of stuff, but I really don't get off on animated characters having sex. There is also a "tentacle" scene near the end, which is mildly disturbing. There are also plenty of gory fights. Not for the weak of stomach. The animation, for the most part, was good. Not the best, but it worked. It has sort of a mid-90's feel to it, I guess. The only problem I had was that they really didn't show many of the fights very well. The sound was great. The music was fine, and I actually liked some of the fight tunes that played. The dubbing was done very well, better than most of the anime out there. I really can't say I had a problem with any of the character's voices. Fans of Tenchi may notice that Koshigaya is voiced by the actor who did Tenchi, and Sayaka is voiced by the actor who did Sasami. Now, with what good I have said about the movie, why do I not like it? Well, the length is a bit on the short side. I really would have liked it to have been a bit longer. I guess variety is necessary, however, and some people out there must like short movies. Also, the story seemed disjointed, with the major questions not even answered. And I really just didn't find the movie interesting. In a way, it was kind of like a chore to watch. While not all bad, it's not all that good either. I definitely recommend that you rent it if you're still interested enough to bother with it. This isn't one you'll need in your collection. Rating: 5 / 10 |
 |
 |
 |