Redline (Review)
Redline is Wacky Races on LSD!
Delivering a pulse-pounding visual adventure filled with vivid colors, bizarre character designs and physics-defying action, Redline is one of the most unique anime to come out in the past decade. Filled with a bass-centered soundtrack, the film has the look and feel of a high-octane night club. While the plot might not make much sense, the overall experience more than makes up for the lackluster storytelling.
Redline is the story of an intergalactic racer named “Sweet” JP (Takuya Kimura), who has found himself in some hot water with the Yakuza and is forced to throw several races. When the chance to take part in the biggest race in the universe falls into his lap, JP jumps at the opportunity. However, this race might be the most difficult of JP’s flamboyant career as he not only has to go head-to-head with the best racers in the galaxy, but deal with the planet Roboworld, which has declared war on the race. As if that wasn’t enough, the Yakuza is trying to fix the race to prevent JP from winning.
First-time director Takeshi Koike makes a splash with Redline, creating an experience that seems like it’s the brainchild of graphic designers more than it is a traditional anime. The characters are all unique and memorable (at least in a visual sense), especially the pompadour-sporting neo-greaser JP. The entire film has an out-of-control feel, with the cars fishtailing around corners and as they constantly defy the laws of physics. Filled with vibrant colors that border on being too harsh, Redline has a bubblegum pop feel to it, which makes it feel pointless at times. However, it’s an incredibly crisp and clean anime filled with rich, detailed animation.
While the film might be visually memorable, the actual character development and script is anything but. The characters all look unique, but many of them never get enough screen time for the audience to be able to differentiate between many of them. Then there’s the unbelievable amount of cheese in it. All of the characters have their own schtick, which centers on their design or some sort of goofy personality trait. Toward the end, it even starts to become difficult to tell them apart.
In addition to the weak character development, the story feels a little cluttered, with a number of scenes seemingly tacked on to draw things out. A lot of the plot elements also feel forced: For example, JP’s romance with Sonoshee (Yû Aoi). Another pointless plot device is the bio-weapon, Funky Boy, which, while incredibly creepy, does little to advance the story.
Redline depends heavily on the engrossing animation it features, but at times it starts to feel over-stylized and it falls apart a bit at the end. While it is a fun film, the risks it takes are hit-and-miss and leave the audience with mixed feelings by the end of it. If one were to compare it to an American film, Redline would be the equivalent of a Michael Bay film. It might be pretty, but visuals seldom make up for a weak script. Still, fans of anime will probably be happy with it, since it embodies the melodrama the medium is known for. However, those outside of the diehard fan base would probably be better off skipping this movie.
