Vampire Hunter D
Picture:
C Sound: B- Extras:
A- Film: A
Vampire Hunter D at one time was a very much
sought out video. I saw original VHS copies of this movie on eBay go for
$50+ before the DVD reissue of this classic anime. There is a reason why
it would go for this kind of money. It is because it is one of the
greatest anime films ever made. Originally released in 1985, Vampire Hunter D is considered a
classic animé film. It was one of the earliest animé feature films
imported to the United States.
The story
takes place in the distant future. It is the year 12,090 AD.
Aristocrats (vampires) rule the earth and monsters lurk in every
corner. A family that lives in a secluded village is out
protecting their livestock one night. A young girl named Doris finds a monster eating an animal
of theirs. She attacks the monster and is defeated easily. She is
taken to Count Magnus by this monster. Count Magnus falls in love with
her at first sight. There is only one way that she could be with him
forever. That is to make her immortal.
She has
been marked by the Count. Doris has been selected to become the next bride of
Count Magnus. When the villagers find out that she has been bitten,
she is exiled from the village. There is only one way to break the
curse. Doris needs a man that can hunt down and kill Count Magnus. And that
man is D. D is a “dunpeal” (half vampire half human). He scours
the land hunting down the evil beings of the earth. D has met his match
with the powerful Count Magnus. The count sends every monster and
creature out to kill D. It leads to an exciting adventure on the hunt for
Count Magnus.
The
animation is a little primitive in this movie. In 1985, when it was
released, it was an amazing achievement for the animators. The picture
quality is average and a bit soft with its 1.33:1 full frame presentation.
It is better than any other format that it has ever been released on, but if
you are going to reissue a classic like this you should try to get the best
possible quality. I am not disappointed, because it does looks so
much
better
than my old VHS copy. I just think they could have done a better transfer
to get the best picture possible.
The sound
of this animé is also very average. It is offered in Japanese Dolby
Digital 2.0 and 5.1 English. The Japanese soundtrack is very loud and
mixed very poorly for surround sound theatre. It is real in your
face. The English has better sound quality and is mixed better for
surround capabilities. All in all the sound is very average for a
multi-channel mix. It is a basic Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3 mix with the
usual sonic limits, the show the pre-digital sound age of the film.
There are
some decent extras included on the disc. There is an 80's
promotional spot that is a behind the scenes featurette on the making of Vampire Hunter D. There are also the
original trailers, a trailer for the new Vampire Hunter D movie called Bloodlust and
character sketches from the artists of the movie. There is even a preview
for a Vampire Hunter D Playstation
game.
Vampire Hunter D is a classic in every way
possible. Good animation, cool characters, dark settings,
blood, and fierce battles. I highly recommend that people see this
movie. Even if you are not a big fan of animé, I think it is very worth
your while to see this movie. I would not let the kids watch this
one though. It is very scary, violent, has brief nudity, and harsh
language. If you ever want to get into the animé genre, this movie is a
good place to start.
- Ryan Higgins
