A.LI.CE
Synopsis
In the year 2000, Alice Hayashi wins a trip to the moon in a sweepstake. However, when her shuttle launches, something goes terribly wrong, and the next thing she knows, she has crashed somewhere in a frozen wasteland. Before she can get her bearings, strange soldiers begin to attack her, forcing her to flee. Eventually, Alice meets a young man called Yuan, who tells her that she is in Lapland in the year 2030. The soldiers pursuing her belong to Nero, an enigmatic leader who controls the world through his supercomputer. He is also responsible for reducing the Earth's population by over seven billion. Convinced that Nero has something to do with her time jump, Alice, Yuan, and the android maid Maria journey to Kingdom, the shadowy fortress that Nero rules from. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
A.Li.Ce is widely considered a poorly executed and incomprehensible anime film, plagued by a messy story, dated CGI, and questionable audio. While some find it unintentionally funny and appreciate its historical significance as the first full CGI anime, the majority view it as a significant failure. The film's ambition is evident, but its execution falls short on nearly every level.
Strengths
- Unique historical artifact as the first full CGI anime film.
- So bad it's good - entertaining for a 'Friday night watch party'.
- Some find the dated CGI charming and appreciate the ambition despite limitations.
Weaknesses
- Incomprehensible and frustrating story with a muddled moral.
- Poorly executed time travel plot with paper-thin characters.
- Mediocre PS1-level visuals with ugly character designs and bland environments.
- Messy sound design with mismatched audio and cheesy 90s techno music.