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eX-Driver the Movie DVD Review and a Look at Daphne in the Brilliant Blue Vol. 4

© Holly Ellingwood

ÉX-Driver the Movie is an action packed thrill ride of fun from Geneon Entertainment. A world set in the near future when all vehicles are AI operated (by computer intelligence), sometimes vehicles go rogue. The AI malfunctions and lives are in danger. Enter in the adrenalin seeking éX-Drivers to stop the rogue cars in high speed chases like none other. A team of Japan's top drivers, the beautiful Lorna and Lisa along with brash but kind hearted Souichi, race in their gas-powered cars to save the day! A high speed action packed anime, this title is sure to appeal to fans of You're Under Arrest and Gunsmith Cats. Plus it's loaded with extras.

The movie should not be confused with Anime Works much earlier release of the éX-Driver OVA series. This movie, though with the same characters, is all new story set as a feature film. Rather than taking place in Japan, our beloved éX-Drivers travel to Los Angeles to compete in the annual worldwide éX-driver race. However, no sooner do they arrive in America before they are embroiled in a conspiracy involving the mob and explosives.

As if the movie weren't enough, this DVD release also features a thirty minute featurette with Nina and Rei, the predecessors to Lorna and Lisa briefly featured in the OVA series. This featurette is a great anime as we watch the éX-drivers trying to thwart a person menacing the streets with miniature explosive cars of destruction.

Vibrant animation, fun action, and enough excellently rendered CG animated cars to please any automotive fan, this anime along with it's myriad of excellent extras, earns a strong 8/10 kendo swords. It's a real fun anime.

Extras Along with the aforementioned featurette, this DVD release also includes the theatrical trailer, three illustration stories of Lorna and Lisa that are hilarious, Geneon previews, an extensive illustration gallery of the vehicles including Lotus, Datsun and more, and the clean (without credits) opening and ending of the movie as well as the featurette. Fantastic! I love it when an anime DVD has such a diverse and packed array of bonus features. It's rare.

Rating: This DVD is rated 13 and up for some action violence; nothing at all graphic here.

Release Information éX-Driver the Movie is available now.

Daphne in the Brilliant Blue volume 4 continues the light comedic action of Maia and the beautiful women of Nereides. Geneon Entertainment's fourth volume of the sci-fi lite series sees the anime returning to the lighter comedic stand alone episodes and moving away from the more dramatic storyline of the third volume. There is a return of the incompetent Wang Chang Lee brothers we saw in earlier volumes, who escape from prison and have their minds set on revenge against the sexy female agents that make up the Nereides. Then we see a hilarious anime take on The Old Man and the Sea called The Old Kook and the Sea; where Maia is given the task of helping an old man hunt down a sea monster. And finally, a story about a runaway boy and Maia's dangerous job to return him home after her path crosses those of a bunch of terrorists! Fun, comedic and filled with more fan service (the abundance of barely clad women); this is the perfect anime for those of you wanting something non-demanding and pure fun-filled entertainment. Although it loses some points with me for digressing from the more intriguing mystery presented in volume 3, it still earns a respectable 7.5/10 kendo swords.

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