It's a decent R1 rip presented in the original's widescreen format, unlike some other versions out there. It has good quality video through out, except for the middle part of the movie in which they totally dropped the ball. There were some massive macroblocking and skipping in the mid point the likes of which I've never seen, even from HKDVDs. Fortunately, it only lasted for 5 seconds but it does warrant a mention given how severe it was. The picture is sometimes a bit dark and hazy in some scenes but that's also found on the R1 so I can't really hold it against them. (I've seen a few rips in Divx from other sources and it's always present) I think it's actually the director's way of making the scenes seem dream like to reflect the surreal world of Gaea. The overlapping real time story board option from the R1 is also present.

Excellent audio. No problems at all. Both the English and Japanese tracks sound crisp and clear. And there's an option to watch the movie with the isolated score audio track just like the R1. But I still think the JPN track is better in terms of voice acting.

Excellent audio. No problems at all. Both the English and Japanese tracks sound crisp and clear. And there's an option to watch the movie with the isolated score audio track just like the R1. But I still think the JPN track is better in terms of voice acting.

Chapters are conveniently divided. So no problems searching when you have to stop watching part way. The DVD menu is animated. Nothing fancy but at least it's not static like most HKs out there. I've watched this movie on my Philips 727 and with the exception of the aforementioned video problem, it performed flawlessly. No skipping, no pauses, no problems reading the disks etc. Your mileage may vary depending on the hardware you use. I suspect if your player could read other FX disks, you shouldn't have any problems with this one. I really like the fact that there was a reverseable DVD cover slip, albeit an ugly one. =P It's unfortunate they didn't use the cover from the 3 disk Ultimate Edition with Hitomi lying down.(They partially used that pic for the back...BOO!) However the R2 cover they have here is nice too. Being a huge fan of the show, I can honestly say the movie is not as good as the TV series. However, you have to appreciate it for what it is; it is a retelling of the story of Escaflowne in a different form and if you treat it as such, it is an enjoyable movie. The story is far more simplistic and won't blow your mind but the lush scenaries, interesting designs, smooth animation, and the mesmerizing score from Yoko Kanno makes the experience worthy of your time. It is unfortunate that an otherwise quality release is marred by the subpar video ripping.

Don't watch this one during the day, the colors and scenes are so darkly lit that it is very easy to miss details

had no problems with the audio

had no problems with the audio

Well considering I had the opertunity to watch the series in whole before seeing the movie I was rather disappointed with the film. The characters seem almost different personality wisethen in the series and the movie is just so dark a real turn off if you have seen the series already.

For the most part, very ery good, but there was pixelation/blocking in some scenes. Very forgiving though. The movie is mostly animated with very dark colors, so this one is a real toughie.

All the tracks were there. 4 of them total. All of them were strong and clear. The english dub was actually pretty good. I like Hitomi's english voice better then japanese, and I HATE dubs 9.5/10 times.

All the tracks were there. 4 of them total. All of them were strong and clear. The english dub was actually pretty good. I like Hitomi's english voice better then japanese, and I HATE dubs 9.5/10 times.

Packaging: Oh yes yes! A reversible cover! Now THERE'S an HK First (I think)!!! Unfortunantly, both covers blow because of that big honkin' "MOVIE" written over the logo both times. The back is rather hideous too, with no summary or anything, along with inccorrect info (Japn audio only, chinese or english subtitles). The back and spine (also disgusting) are identical for both sides, but the cover changes. It's a real real pity they didn't use that picture of Hitomi lying down with the feathers for one of the pictures though. Menus: Look like the R1 menus. I saw no place for extras, so maybe I got a different disc then the previous reviewer? All the menus were pretty cool, although the main one was pretty bland. You think they could've come up with something a little better. ------- Overall a very nice release. I didn't enjoy the movie half as much as the TV series, but it does have its good moment. Not that much of them, though. They really changed some of my favorite characters. As usual, the soundtrack is very nice and strong throughout the movie.

Video was good for the most part BUT... there was some serious blockiness right around the middle of the movie. It didn't last for too long, but it was pretty annoying.

Audio was good, the dialogue on the dub was low though and hard to make out at points.

This movie was okay, but not nearly as good as the series. It was darker and bloodier than the show. They also made some weird changes. If you love the series you'll probably like the movie, but if you haven't seen the series I doubt this would make you want to.

This is a R1 rip and all the special features are here, including the storyboards and the option to watch the film with the isolated score (only music, no sound effects or dialogue). My only issues were the packaging (the case says Jap. dialogue and Eng./Chinese subs, it should say Jap. dialogue with Eng. subs and Eng. dub.) and a little bit of menu quirkiness (when you select an option, it is not highlighted--this might be an R1 problem). But those are really minor things. Excellent work, FX! Highly reccomended. Video: 4.5/5 No detectable difference from R1 release. Audio: 4.5/5 Volume on the English dub is low, Japanese sounds great. Subs: 5/5 R1 rip, so it would be hard to go wrong! EDIT: I re-watched on a different TV, and video was perfect, so I've edited my earlier comments about the colors.