The film's life-affirming fable offers a richer metaphorical subtext than Vision's intricate coming-of-age soap opera. Unfortunately, clumsy dialogue, characterization, and exposition interfere with that subtext.
Escaflowne: The Movie(エスカフローネ)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Japan · 2000
Rated PG-13 · 1h 38m
Director Kazuki Akane
Starring Maaya Sakamoto, Tomokazu Seki, Mayumi Iizuka, Minami Takayama
Genre Adventure, Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
Hitomi Kanzaki is depressed and plagued by unusual dreams. After a falling out with her friend, she is transported to another world called Gaea, where she is thrust into a conflict between the Black Dragon Clan and rebels who believe that Hitomi may be the prophesized hero they've been waiting for.
We hate to say it, but we can't find anywhere to view this film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
A smoothly structured, earth-toned and well-drawn Japanese anime.
Chicago Reader by Lisa Alspector
Becomes blandly idealistic.
Plenty of dramatic action, stunning imagery and an operatic score add weight to Escaflowne. It may not appeal to fans of traditional animation.
New Times (L.A.) by Luke Y. Thompson
The big-screen surround-sound effects are nice; too bad they're the only aspect of the film that's ready to rumble. And parents, be warned: There's an astonishing amount of bloodletting for a PG-13 film.
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
Beautifully animated epic is never dull.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold
It's endlessly confusing.
Users who liked this film also liked
Vampire Hunter D
(吸血鬼ハンターD
)
A young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Toyoo Ashida
- Cast Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, Seizō Katō, Ichirō Nagai, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Kan Tokumaru
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Horror
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
(劇場版 鋼の錬金術師 シャンバラを征く者)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2005
- Director Seiji Mizushima
- Cast Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya, Toru Okawa, Megumi Toyoguchi, Miyu Sawai, Michiko Neya
- Genre Action, Adventure, Animation, Drama
- Available on Crunchyroll
Barefoot Gen
(はだしのゲン)
Gen cares for his pregnant mother and assists other survivors in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1983
- Director Mori Masaki
- Cast Issei Miyazaki, Masaki Kouda, Seiko Nakano, Takao Inoue, Yoshie Shimamura, Takeshi Aono
- Genre Animation, Drama, War
- Available on Pluto TV, Retrocrush, Cineverse, Plex, Plex Channel
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie
(少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録)
Alone, we have the power to revolutionize the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1999
- Director Kunihiko Ikuhara
- Cast Tomoko Kawakami, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Kotono Mitsuishi, Aya Hisakawa, Takehito Koyasu
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Action, Romance
- Available on Retrocrush, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Pluto TV, Cineverse
The City of Violence
(짝패)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2006
- Director Ryoo Seung-wan
- Cast Ahn Kil-kang, Jeong Seok-yong, Lee Beom-soo, Ryoo Seung-wan, Jung Doo-hong, Ahn Jae-mo
- Genre Action, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Blade of the Phantom Master
(Shin angyo onshi)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, Korea, United States • 2004
- Director Joji Shimura
- Cast Keiji Fujiwara, Jun Fukushima, Noriko Hidaka, Daisuke Kishio, Sanae Kobayashi, Mitsuru Miyamoto
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
King of Thorn
(いばらの王 -King of Thorn-)
What would happen if you could turn imagination into reality?
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2009
- Director Kazuyoshi Katayama
- Cast Kana Hanazawa, Kohsei Hirota, Misaki Kuno, Tsutomu Isobe, Sayaka Ohara, Ayako Kawasumi
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Crunchyroll
Tales of the Night
(Les Contes de la nuit)
Tales of the Night is renowned animation auteur Michel Ocelot's first foray into 3D animation.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2011
- Director Michel Ocelot
- Cast Julien Beramis, Marine Griset, Jonathan Kite
- Genre Fantasy, Animation
- Available on OVID, Fandango At Home, Apple TV, Hoopla
Trail of the Panda
(熊猫回家路)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2009
- Director Yu Zhong
- Cast Daichi Harashima, Li Feng, Ke Jian Qi, Yu Zhong
- Genre Family
- Available on Disney Plus, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled - The Wyvern Arrives
(コードギアス 亡国のアキト
)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2012
- Director
- Cast Miyu Irino, Maaya Sakamoto, Takehito Koyasu, Takehito Koyasu, Nao Toyama, Asami Seto
- Genre Action, Science Fiction, Animation
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Liar and His Lover
(カノジョは嘘を愛しすぎてる)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2013
- Director Norihiro Koizumi
- Cast Takeru Satoh, Sakurako Ohara, Shohei Miura, Masataka Kubota, Kouki Mizuta, Kodai Asaka
- Genre Music, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie
(攻殻機動隊 新劇場版)
- Japan, United States • 2015
- Director Kazuchika Kise, Kazuya Nomura
- Cast Maaya Sakamoto, Kenichirou Matsuda, Kazuya Nakai, Ikkyu Juku, Kenji Nojima, Mayumi Asano
- Genre Science Fiction, Animation
- Available on Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Fandango At Home
Momentum
- ✭
- South Africa, United States • 2015
- Director Stephen S. Campanelli
- Cast Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, James Purefoy, Jenna Saras, Lee-Anne Summers, Marian Frizelle
- Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Plex, Plex Channel
Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu - Day of the Departed
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, China • 2016
- Director Peter Hausner
- Cast Vincent Tong, Kelly Metzger, Michael Adamthwaite, Kirby Morrow, Jillian Michaels, Paul Dobson
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
- Available on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Tubi TV
Edhel
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2018
- Director Marco Renda
- Cast Gaia Forte, Roberta Mattei, Mariano Rigillo, Nicolò Ernesto Alaimo, Camilla Rinaldi, Fioretta Mari
- Genre Drama, Fantasy
- Available on The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VIX