Search - Zone of the Enders: 2167 Idolo on DVD

A surprisingly wonderful anime movie based upon a game!

arxane | Oklahoma City, OK United States | 01/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A long while back, Konami released the game "Zone of the Enders" for the Playstation2. While the game have several glaring flaws, it still managed to gain a cult following, especially among anime fans who felt the game expressed the experience of piloting a giant robot better than any game before it. With a sequel in the works, one that promises to improve upon all of the game's major flaws, the "Zone of the Enders" franchise has also been made into an anime series set in the games' timeline. Kick-starting the anime series is an hour-long movie, "Zone of the Enders: I Dolo." Now most anime fans will tell you that anime movies/series based upon games tend to be pretty awful ("Tekken", "Battle Arena Toshinden"), but "I Dolo" goes against the grain by providing solid entertainment value.The story deals with Lieutenant Radium Lavans, a Mars-born human living under the oppressive rule of the Earthlings on his home planet. With his longtime girlfriend Dolores and his close friend Viola, Radium hopes to one day see the moment when Mars will be liberated from Earth's iron fist. One day, that dream seems to start bearing fruit when he is chosen to be part of a project involving a new type of Frame (mecha), an Orbital Frame, infused with a powerful element called Metatron. Once mastered and mass-produced, this Orbital Frame would lead the Martians against the Earthlings for Mars' independence. But as the project moves forward, things begin to get out of control as Radium is exposed to unforeseen side effects of Metatron, and the ever watchful eye of the Earth could at any moment discover them.For an hour-long movie, "I Dolo" is surprisingly well thought out and executed. No knowledge or experience with the original video game is necessary to understand "I Dolo", although it would definitely heighten the experience. The story plays out at a steady pace, and character interaction is performed wonderfully without being melodramatic or unnecessarily tedious. The characters themselves feel and act real, with small touches that make "I Dolo" stand out from all other anime movies/series based upon video game properties.Visually, "I Dolo" gives a polished presentation. While it's not the best-looking anime series on the market, it's a lot better than most game-based anime series and manages to hold its own. And when the series wants to look good, such as during explosive mecha battles, it can really look good. Character designs are memorable and well-designed, and movement flows smoothly. Quite a bit of effort was put into this project, and it shows.Audio-wise, the music isn't anything special, but it does manage to get the job done. As for the dub, it's neither good nor bad; it's completely average. While the voice actors don't fall into the trap of stale melodrama that many early anime dubs did, the VAs seem to have trouble putting the right emphasis in their speech at the right time. So while the dub isn't flat-out terrible and can be enjoyed by most dub fans, it's just a pity a little more effort wasn't put into the performances. But if dubs aren't your thing, then the Japanese track is here and good.DVD-wise, "I Dolo" gives a few solid extras. There are interviews with the director, character designers and mecha designers, a slideshow of concept sketches for characters, mecha, and backgrounds, and a timeline outlining the "Zone of the Enders" history. However, the timeline does feel a little incomplete, only giving events during the early history before of the story. Only people who are familiar with the game or the anime series will get anything out of the timeline.Overall, "Zone of the Enders: I Dolo" is a solid movie. Video game fanatics who love game-based properties would definitely want to look into this movie as well as the series, and anime fans in general should also give this movie a shot. Where past franchise such as "Tekken" failed miserably, "I Dolo" gives hope that the "Zone of the Enders" series will be a gem in the sea of bad game-to-anime conversions."

Simply awesome.

Adam Grigsby | Bothell, WA USA | 09/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie really is quite amazing. I initially bought it because it featured giant destructive war machines, and it ties into the video games. This movie has that, yes, but after watching it, what really struck me was the intense drama it has. Let me mention that this movie is best seen with subtitles, though, because a few points to the plot are glazed over in the English dub. Perhaps the most moving part of this movie is the dramatic climax with the Idolo going on it's last attack -- if you've been paying attention, you'll be practically in tears over it. All in all, a great movie, with some decent extras (look into the timeline, very interesting information is contained there)."

GREAT FOR ZONE OF THE ENDERS FAN.

Roger Meza | Managua, Managua Nicaragua | 08/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS OVA IS REALLY ONE OF THE BEST THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IS TRULY AND VERY GOOD PREQUEL FOR THE GAME AND CERTAINLY OF THE ANIME SERIE TOO, SOME OF THE BEST ELEMENTS THAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS IS THE OST SOUNDS GREAT, MELANCHOLIC MUSIC COMBINING AT PERFECTION WITH THE SAD MOMENTS AND THE GREAT ACTION WITH TECHNO ELECTRONIC MUSIC.THE ANIMATION IS OF VERY GOOD QUALITY, GOOD DETAILS AND THE HISTORY WILL TRAP YOU, YOU WILL SEE ;)IF YOU BUY IT YOU WILL BE CURIOSITY ABOUT THE TV ANIME SERIE AND WELL THE VIDEO GAME BOTH OF THEM. EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED TOO."ZONE OF THE ENDERS" &
"ZONE OF THE ENDERS THE SECOND RUNNER" (THE CLIMAX)"

Worth Seeking Out

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Guys in giant armor' films don't usually take me by surprise and by all rights this Zone of Enders OAV should have been just like its relatives. The film inherits its plot basics from a game, and a series (Zone of Enders - Dolores) came out of it. Earth has come to dominate the martian colony, not only in terms of weaponry, but in sheer body mass and bad attitude as well. The Martians have opted to appear cooperative but work in secret to create a suit of bio-armor that will outgun the current generation or mecha touted by earth.

I Dolo (not Idolo, no matter what the DVD English says) is the name of the prototype orbital frame, and Radium Lavans has been assigned as its pilot, with his girlfriend Dolores he has moved to a secret base where he undergoes training. But I Dolo, made of the mysterious metatron element is no simple servo-mechanical suit. Somehow it harmonizes with Radium's inner anger at Earth's oppressiveness. As the suit reaches its full capabilities, its pilots humanity begins to deteriorate.

Which, unlike most mecha films, is where this OAV diverges from the pack. The focus here isn't the battle scenes, but on the thinning boundary between human and machine. Radium must face what he is losing and, with Dolores' help regain his ability to do what is right rather than indulge in random destruction. When the Earth forces discover the secret Martian base and the climactic lesson, in a characteristic Japanese way, raises as many questions as it resolves.

The artwork is very nicely done although in an older style than we've gotten used to in the latest anime films. The character designers have avoided the 'big eyed' look, making the faces more expressive. Since this film is very much about the feelings of the characters, this works perfectly. You may want to keep away from the dubbing - it's a little too freewheeling. In addition to the one-hour feature there are a set of short interviews with the director and the designers.

I'm not precisely a mecha fan, but I Dolo is special. Make a point of seeing it."