Vexille (2007)

60% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(4,127 ratings)

Ten years after Japan withdrew from the U.N., cut their ties with all the nations of the Earth, and built an impenetrable electromagnetic field to prevent any outsiders from entering their borders, a high-tech American commando unit is dispatched on an unofficial mission to penetrate the shield… More Ten years after Japan withdrew from the U.N., cut their ties with all the nations of the Earth, and built an impenetrable electromagnetic field to prevent any outsiders from entering their borders, a high-tech American commando unit is dispatched on an unofficial mission to penetrate the shield surrounding the country and gather information about their highly advanced robotics program. The year is 2077, and Japan has been accused of conducting illegal robotics research. As a result, the leaders of Japan have decided to construct a massive electromagnetic field known as RACE to prevent any further meddling in their domestic affairs. Meanwhile, back in the United States, an elite commando unit dubbed SWORD launches a surprise attack on a powerful Nipponese conglomerate known as Daiwa Heavy Industries and nearly captures primary android Saito (voice of Akio Otsuka). The leader of SWORD is fearless commando Vexille (voice of Meisa Kuroki), and though she may have failed to capture Saito Vexille is determined to succeed at her team's next mission. American intelligence has gathered that Daiwa has recently made substantial advancements in the realm of robotics, and despite the difficulty of breaching Japan's borders they are determined to learn these valuable trade secrets. In order to make this happen, Vexille and her boyfriend Leon (voice of Shosuke Tanihara) will have seventy-two hours to lead their team into Japan, gather the information on Daiwa's robotics program, and get out. It's a secret mission that hasn't been officially sanctioned by the U.S. government, but could benefit that current leaders and politicians greatly. But once in Japan Vexille is separated from the group, and quickly discovers that Saito has been awaiting their arrival. Upon awakening in a barrio-like district that was once the capital of Japan, Vexille quickly teams with resistance fighter Maria (voice of Yasuko Matsuyuki) - a former girlfriend of Leon's who also harbors a growing grudge against Daiwa. Later, after Vexille gathers the necessary resources and locates the rest of her team, she, Leon, and Maria lead a daring attack on Daiwa's artificial, offshore fortress. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Fumihiko Sori
Written By: Haruka Handa, Fumihiko Sori
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Animation, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Feb 14, 2008 Limited
On DVD: May 20, 2008
Studio: The Bigger Picture

Critic Reviews

Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
...Vexille is worth seeing for the art alone, which is light-years more sophisticated than the jumpy animation usually seen in popular kid's anime series
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
A flood of visual inventiveness keeps us watching this futuristic animated action thriller ... even if it feels a bit derivative and thin.
Anton Bitel, musicOMH.com
its undeniable sense of spectacle is best appreciated on a very big screen - even if, after a full-throttle build-up, the film's final sequences seem oddly anticlimactic.
Filip Vukcevic, IGN Movies
Anime fans should check it out, but for anyone looking for a cool, futuristic actioner, you'll have to keep looking.
Scott Weinberg, Cinematical
Set to a pounding Paul Oakenfold score, Vexille offers a half-dozen action sequences that are really quite thrilling.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Excellent animation and an interesting story combine in this action sci-fi success. The voice work is sometimes clunky, and the characters are all dull as dishwater. In fact, I can't really tell you about the characters, they are all fairly similar. Despite this flaw, the action… More
Excellent animation and an interesting story combine in this action sci-fi success. The voice work is sometimes clunky, and the characters are all dull as dishwater. In fact, I can't really tell you about the characters, they are all fairly similar. Despite this flaw, the action scenes are fantastic. Chases, robot fights, fast and well edited cuts, this is how action scenes should be seen. As a combination of both robot/zombie film, it would have been better for some not so obvious mad scientists. Enjoy the action, and try and make it through the dialogue.
_kelly .

If you want action scifi, this is what you need to watch. This movie marks the point at which "stunning modern visuals", meaning the CG style, is no longer enough to keep me satisfied. The way I see it, this style of animation is the new standard so it can't be… More
If you want action scifi, this is what you need to watch. This movie marks the point at which "stunning modern visuals", meaning the CG style, is no longer enough to keep me satisfied. The way I see it, this style of animation is the new standard so it can't be visuals only like FF:The Spirits Within. Many of this story's elements are very similar to Appleseed. They fit the same sub-genre of scifi and have essentially the same protagonist. So though the template of a heroine in a war-ridden future grappling with the issue of android life is the same, many unique elements exist such as the giant masses of metal called "jags", the future vision of Tokyo Japan, and the uncovered root of the conflict.
Lewis C

Um, I just have to say that Vexille looks like a cool video game. I don't know if that's a good thing, though. The story was a bit "meh" and the characters didn't really jump out at me. A decent movie, but I'm glad that I rented it instead of buying.
Justin Y

Japan is well known for producing some great non-live action films and this is no exception. Vexille is one awesome CG animation with sci-fi flavor.The story for this movie is excellent. It actually takes the time to develop characters and… More
Japan is well known for producing some great non-live action films and this is no exception. Vexille is one awesome CG animation with sci-fi flavor.The story for this movie is excellent. It actually takes the time to develop characters and settings without feeding you non-stop senseless action. The setting takes place in a futuristic world with a strong sci-fi feel to it. While some parts of the story may not entirely be original, it is able to hold its own and keep the viewer watching. There is a good variety of characters with some good development, but there are a few supporting characters with not much depth. This is only a minor flaw.The action isn't the greatest, but it is still superb. There is quite a few gun play sequences, but it isn't anything fancy. The real action comes in at the dune buggy-gate sequence. This is probably the most memorable part of the movie. Put together these scenes with the original rocking soundtrack from Paul Oakenfield and you have quite a combination on your hands.Visually, this film is first-class. The characters and settings look terrific and the good directing just enhances this film even more. Still, there are things in CG that cannot match live-action. One of these things are some of the human emotions.The best part of this film is the sound effects. The movement of suits, the vehicle engines, the gun fire, and the previously mentioned soundtrack take full advantage of surround sound. Phenomenal stuff for the ears.Fans of animation, sci-fi, and/or Appleseed will definitely want to check this out.
Fascade F

THOROUGHLY A FUTURISTIC ANIME VIEW WHAT IT IS LIKE WHEN A POWER BROKER LIKE JAPAN PACKS IT'S BAGS IN THE FUTURE AND LEAVES...THE UNITED NATIONS....WITH ALL OF WHAT THEY KNOW IN ROBOTICS...IN THE FUTURE. IF YOU SAW AND LOVED LOVE "APPLESEED" AND THE SEQUEL… More
THOROUGHLY A FUTURISTIC ANIME VIEW WHAT IT IS LIKE WHEN A POWER BROKER LIKE JAPAN PACKS IT'S BAGS IN THE FUTURE AND LEAVES...THE UNITED NATIONS....WITH ALL OF WHAT THEY KNOW IN ROBOTICS...IN THE FUTURE. IF YOU SAW AND LOVED LOVE "APPLESEED" AND THE SEQUEL "APPLESEED : EX-MACHINA"...THIS IS AN ANIME VIDEO EVENT EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU!