I love the fact that there are a number of North American companies that are falling over themselves to release all sorts of Asian films. Where the quality does tend to vary depending on the company that is releasing them, Well Go is one of the few that continually releases strong stuff. Case in point is Assault Girls, a 2009 film released by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers). A quartet of killers are charged with killing baddies in a virtual landscape called Avalon. As the movie continues, it becomes known that these characters are just virtual ones, played by individuals that have nothing to live for in real life. Blurring the lines between reality and virtuality, Oshii’s work here creates a bright and vibrant world beyond the grim and drab future that exists for the characters in the film.
Thus, Assault Girls is an amazing-looking film, with enough special effects to even sate those Avatar-heads. While there is not too terribly much to the plot, Oshii sticks with the storyline and makes a compelling sci-fi film. Where much of sci-fi has ventured into a more realistic vein in the last decade or so, a simple removal from reality is sometimes what viewers need. The tension that is present between the four lead characters provides a serious amount of humanity to Assault Girls, and parallels well the type of dynamic that is present in online titles like World of Warcraft or Aion.
Well Go’s version of the film provides viewers with a tremendously sharp picture, great graphics, and similarly-fitting vocals. Released for both DVD and Blu-Ray players, Assault Girls should be a purchase for any individual into sci-fi or video gaming types of titles.
Rating: 7.0/10
Assault Girls (DVD) / 2010 Well Go / 85 Minutes / http://www.wellgousa.com