Customer Reviews

M.D. Geist - Director's Cut and Death Force (Collector's Series Edition)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recently purchased this DVD since I saw all the extras that came with it. I happen to be a big fan of Koichi Ohata (who created these films). I had already bought the previous DVD release and I own both of the movies separately on VHS. This release is by far the best format for these films. The picture looks better even though the first one is noticeably dated and the sound on the dub and sub are pretty good. The DVD extras are awesome this time around. There is audio commentary, tons of artwork, character sketches, storyboards, the altenate angle comic, and tons more stuff. This is part of the reason why this release is great.

The movies themsleves are not often given good reviews by fans of anime and it is understandable why. MD Geist is different in that it has absolutely no comic relief and is a very somber story. All the characters have some kind of evil and/or selfish intent and are not that likeable. For me that is one reason why I like these films. It is a refreshing thing to see an anime with characters who are truly human in that they show the same flaws as real people unlike other anime that have only one character who is the anti-hero working alongside generous, virtuous heroes.

Story wise, the movies follows Geist who is the second in a line of military experiments to create the ultimate soldier knows as MDS: Most Dangerous Soldiers. After having served in the regular army on the planet Jerra against the Nexrum army (whose goal is to prevent the Earth Government from controlling all planets), he is considered by his military creators to be far too dangerous to live and is imprisoned in an orbital sattelite. With the war raging on, civilization on Jerra is virtually dissapearing. The sattelite that Geist was in crashlands on the planet and Geist is released. He eventually finds himself the leader of a group of bandits after he kills their boss in a fight. The boss's girlfriend is quick to use Geist as a tool to get money from the regular army. After rescuing a tank of regular army troops from a Nexrum strike team, Geist joins them in a mission to stop a malfuntioning doomsday device at their own base that will spread an army of robots over Jerra to exterminate all life. During the mission Geist's true intentions are revealed. The second film picks up where the first left off. Jerra is now being destroyed by the Death force and humanity is without hope. The original MDS named Krauser has the last remnants of humans in a fortress in the desert where he is like a god to them. When Geist's presence is finally realized. Krauser will stop at nothing to stop Geist (now on his maniacal killing spree). The regular army and the Nexrum decide to collaborate to destry the Death Force with an atomic weapon but Geist has plans of his own. The two soldiers clash and old scores are put to rest in this sequel.

I would not really reccommend this DVD even to anime fans because of its excessive violence and thin plot. I happen to like it for what it is so I think the fans that would like it the most are ones who like action packed anime with no comedy. Even in that case I would reccommend trying to rent it first if possible. These films are pure action and not much else put simply.

This is one of those animes that can't be judged by today's standards. The first was released in 1986, and to appreciate it you've got to pull yourself away from all the Love Hina-Tenchi-cute robot girl and overly dramatic series like Naruto. While it isn't the best out there, it's a good piece to own if you grew up on anime from this era. Gritty and gorey.

So, when you're watching this, forget the year 2000 or so date that this package has and remember that it is in fact from 1986.

Where to begin... well, MD Geist's greatness is defintly NOT for deep plot or advocating peace.

If you were ever a fan of B- rate post nuclear wasteland movies from the 80's then this is the anime tribute to all those. If you enjoyed movies in the vein of Mad Maxx then you've probably found something else to satisfy that violent streak in you in full anime style. Since I personally enjoy the cheezyness of the live action types of these movies, I found MD Geist to be a complete hoot =)

If you have a violent streak in you, and you chuckled at things like the bathroom scene in KITE, the anatomy lessens offered in the original Vampire Hunter D, or such fun as the friendly "negociations" in Fist of the North Star then you'll get that wicked smile again with MD Geist.

Past that, there probably isn't much here for the "traditional" anime buyer looking for the usual national release quality anime. If you want that spin then just read the rest of the anime review sites on the net and you'll find that result.

It's hard to review a title like M.D. Geist. Do you go off the intended effect or the actual effect? Many people who have a serious love of anime love it, and still many more cannot stand it. It's a divisive film. As a fan of camp and the B movie genre, I can say unequivocally that M.D. Geist delivers an thoroughly entertaining experience if not a high quality one! In short its like humming bird food. Delicious if you are a humming bird, little more than red sugar water to anyone else. Are you a humming bird... or a jerk? Joking aside, I can definitely see why some people don't like this film. You haven't seen it though have you? Well then let me just break it down for you in a simple Pros and cons sort of situation! Then we will see won't we!

M.D.C. (Most Dangerous Cons)

1. The animation is of a low quality. Now who knows what would have happened if everyone had access to the resources and time they would have wanted? Would it have been better? Worse maybe? Who knows, but this is what you got, and its a low frame outing, but hey I personally think that adds to the hilarity.

2.Too short. ...Well it is.

3. Steeped in a shroud of ambiguity is this film! Now readers, your dear reviewer never got a college diploma, but I... uhhh HE still...err, your dear reviewer still thinks he knows how to think smart thoughts! This movie has a plot that is all but inscrutable. Characters whiz in and out of the plot with little to no closure on major story events. Unless of course they get disemboweled or exploded or otherwise mangled by some combo of knife, sharp stick, or heavy ordnance.

M.D.P. (Most Dangerouser Pros)

1. See above


PARTING SHOTS
That's the kind of thing this is. So bad its good. So hot its cold. So dangerous, its... even more dangerous than that! If you have ever had the urge to see a man in shades and a blond mullet evil Knievel on the handle bars of a future hog over to a man in a Mech suit and stick a knife with a grenade on it into hisforehead like it goes there, then this is the movie for you. If not... why not?

OKay I know people complain complain complain about this set of Movie length OVA's but This can be said about a lot of movies or anime in general this is an Acquired taste in terms of anime as it is post apocalyptic but it also is unique in the fact it was concevied of by a 21 year old newbie director and he the movie was overseen by Koichi Ohata. Thus why the plot is pretty straight forward Next Gen soldier who was to good at his job, sealed away then returns. But the problem people have is it also doesn't follow anime in a lot of respects. Their isn't a single moment in this movie you will laugh. It is not funny and has no comic relief, Also Geist is often claimed at an attempt to be bad ass this is not true. Geist is one thing and one thing only A Gen soldier who gets the job done. He doesn't give a damn about sex, money or even power. He just wants to do his job. He will at often times come across as wicked. So will other characters. Thing is These are what people don't tend to want to see. Well the truth is your buying a war, and it is showing mankind's true colors during this kind of catastrophe.

If you think this is going to be a typical anime your very wrong I suggest you rent before buying as this classic is like certian foods an ACQUIRED TASTE if you like short plots with no messing around and people ready to screw one another in the back try this but only buy it if you like it.

Also if you don't like it its your fault for buying it do not buy this classic because its cheap only buy it if you like it. Rent it off netflix first

Sorry to say this was a dissapointing purchase. Aside from a few half interesting battles, this is a very lazy-stillframe-dissolve-montaged excuse for animation. Then I could start complaining about the unsatisfying/incomplete story. It claims to be a "directors cut" but I can't imagine what an even more truncated version of this could have looked like. It also feels fairly ancient but with none of the drama or character of Space Cruiser Yamato or Gundam. Very poor all around. Stick with Neon Genesis, Blue Gender, or Cowboy Bebop, or...you get the idea I hope. Save your money!

The MD Geist DVD immediately draws you in on first sight.

What a cool cover! A super-cool guy in a futuristic helmet. Cool pull out scenes on the back--detailed-looking robots in action, one of them smashing and instantly disemboweling someone. And then the advertised storyline of Geist, one of the Most Dangerous Soldiers (very much in the vein of Van Damme's Universal Soldier), must join Jerran battle forces against the Nexrum invaders to stop a "Death Force" doomsday device. Part II promises more of the same, with the added element of Krauser, Dolph Lundgren to Geist's Van Damme.

It's a pretty package that hides a horrendous effort at anime.

Now let's re-learn why you should judge a DVD by its Amazon.com review and not by its cover. The ultra-cool looking, blue-eyed futuristically helmeted Geist? Actually an emotionless, unattached "hero." Films will generally push you to hate or love the protagonist so you can root for or against him. The viewer is never privvy to Geist's motivations until late into the first disc, so you have no idea what he's up to. He's just a cold-hearted, "whatever" type of figure for most of the film, not even developing any relationships, romantic or otherwise. Geist would do well as a side character, perhaps a goon, on another series. If the main character is so undeveloped, you can imagine what the rest of the cast is like.

The cool scenes on the back of the DVD? No exaggeration, but Thundercats is cut more cleanly than this video (although Lion-O fight scenes would be nowhere as "complex" as Geists). The superb looking robots and fight scenes on the back only look that way because they're in such small scale. The art is actually very bubbly and soft, meaning the art looks like it was drawn with pencils blunt from when they were sharp and used on cleaner anime efforts like Ninja Scroll or Akira, which came out 10 years BEFORE Geist. The violence is the only competitive factor in these films, although the blood, body crosscuts (which look like Disney hams, with the bone sticking out from the middle of a reddish meat) and severed limbs are nowhere close to convincing.

The story? Passable, but not matched by the direction. From the read through, you would expect a non-stop, frenetic, chaotic pace of dodging bullet after bullet to stop the doomsday device. Yoink again. There are too many "dramatic pause" moments where characters stare menacingly at each other AFTER a major fight. How does that build tension? You use dramatic pauses to build up to the fight. There is never really a sense of urgency in the film, despite the fact that a major issue is the race to stop something.

The Terminator was cold-blooded, but you felt one way or the other about him. Van Damme's Universal Soldier at least struggled with his humanity. Geist never reaches out enough to the viewer to engage thought or emotion. It's a mere run through violence, explosions and a fragile plot, which its hollow protagonist can't stop from shattering.

If you still want to watch it, buy it as a gift for someone you don't like, and go over and watch it sometime, but do not add this film to your anime collection.

.... and that right there is the only reason to ever watch it. I don't consider myself a huge anime fan, I enjoyed Akira and Cowboy Beebop, I gag whenever anyone mentions Dragonball Z. This movie, though, is a monstrosity. It starts out with about 12 minutes of text scrolling on the screen before any actual animation takes place. Even after the excrutiatingly long text bonanza, things rarely move, instead, characters kind of shake between two frames of animation, or the camera simply zooms or swipes over a crudely painted image. All of the blood and gore is crude, it's your usual anime head-exploding stuff, although there is a particularly interesting scene where a guy's eyeball pops out of his head and lands right back into his socket. If you can imagine this happening in four frames of animation, you should consider animating MD Geist III.

The first fight scene is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen. I'll give you a run down (Just imagine 80's porno music in the background):

MD Geist- Okay, you want to fight. What are the rules?
Huge African American Stereotype- Only one rule (looking directly into the camera) TO KILLLL!!!!!

The fight scene that follows is possibly one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I won't ruin it for you, but just as a hint: expect dialogue from a man with his arms cut off and a knife jammed into the side of his head.
The dubbing is some of the worst I've ever heard, it sounds like a bunch of high school students nervously grumbling into a walkie-talkie. Scratch that, make that high school student, because I'm pretty sure the same person does the voice for everyone.
Oh yeah, there is pointless nudity scene, and seeing as how the animation looks like the old GI Joe show, this might satisfy some 12 year old who always dreamed of saturday morning cartoons in the buff.
Well, as for plot, just forget it. As for animation, I've seen better animation from my Grandma slowly handing me Christmas cards. And it's made in 1996!! Inexcusable!!!!!!! As for laughs, I definitely reccomend this movie. Just make sure that you DVD remote is equipped with a "Fast Forward" button for all of the long "dramatic" pauses.

Rent it.

Great Movie you will want to watch it again and again.A anima lover must have.watch and judge for yourself.MD GEIST A CYBRONIC HUMAN IS 1 WHO DELIVERS AN ASS KICKING TO MECH'S ROBOTKILLING MACHINES.UNSTOPPABLE,MOST DANGERIOUS,NUFF SAID.

M.D. Geist was one of the first anime I saw, when I was, oh...12, I think. At the time I thought it was "OMG TEH COOLST THINGEVAR!!1111". So, having now re-watched the first, and watched second one, do I still hold that opinion? Nah. Let's make no mistake, these films aren't that good, in certain areas, although I'm not entirely sure whether the horridness of the first one is all Koichi Ohata's fault.

The animation on the sequel is better by far, but relies entirely too much on single scenes that have little movement. But at least they improved Vaiya's character design...*Shudders* However, Ohata's designs on fighting suits and mechs are utterly kick-ass cool, and somewhat insect-like at times.

The dub isn't that good either way on both films, and Geist himself sounds too deep in the second one. The Japanese actor for Geist did a admirable job, however.

The storyline is a little cluttered, but believable. And yes, every character pursues their own goals and greed.

If you like ultraviolence or something a little different, I recommend this. Just be advised that not everything is perfect.