Escaflowne
Release Date:
January 25, 2002
Limited release
Escaflowne is a darker movie version of a popular animé series, The Vision of Escaflowne, which appeared on Fox Family Channel before it was taken over by ABC. The television series told the story of a psychic young girl named Hitomi who is whisked away to a mystical land called Gaea, where she encounters magical creatures, chivalrous knights, and a special dragon armor. The film's mood is apparently much more grim, though it is still directed by the same individual who worked on the 28-episode series (Kazuki Akane). The animation style is said to be an homage to Akira Kurosawa's Ran, complemented by the outstanding music of Yoko Kanno.
Evidence of the film's bleaker atmosphere is present from the outset, as Hitomi is transported to Gaea as a result of her lost will to live and suicidal tendencies. Van, the youthful king of a country devastated by the Black Dragon empire and one of the heroes of the television series, opens the film by brutally slaying a group of his enemies.
The Escaflowne of the title is an ancient fearsome "dragon" armor which is legendary for its annihilation of ancient Gaea. The original Dragon Tribe (of which Van is a member and from which the main villain is expelled) created this mechanical masterpiece some centuries ago. It may only be summoned by the Wing Goddess, and only a person of true dragon blood heritage can bring it to life.
This television series does, in fact, seem to have a loyal following. Many tribute pages can be found on the Web and some of these fans are tracking the release of the movie. It will initially appear in a limited number of venues in select cities - New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco - before possibly hitting more screens in the month of February. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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