Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust @ Amazon
Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust is the third film to accompany the TV series. I’ve not seen the episodes but I was able to watch Mardock Scramble: The First Compression and Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion on the big screen during Scotland Loves Anime. As it happens, I actually had to double check that this third film was in the same franchise as the first two. They felt very different!
I think Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust is a gamble. It’s a brave gamble. This anime might have the record for the longest scene in any “action” anime and it is a scene in which very little happens. The Third Exhaust begins at a high stakes poker match. Rune Balot, our hero, is trying to win some special poker chips.
I’m a Hitchcock fan. I especially like “Rope” in which the entire film, based off a play written in 1929, happens in a single scene. Rope builds the tension. First you ask – what are they trying to do (get away with murder) and then you ask yourself whether they’ll get away with it. Mardock Scramble tries the same approach. Why are they playing poker? Will they get away with it? I’m not saying that the anime manages to get up to Hitchcock levels of tension – but I think the gamble works. I watched the long poker game.
And then all hell breaks loose.
Mardock Scramble is all about cyborgs, killers, international espionage and action. Rune Balot is certainly able to give us that as she finds herself taking on murders and other technically enhanced assassins.
I followed the drama in the poker game. Once the action blasted to life I started to get a bit lost. I tried to think back to the first two films, trying to remember some context or background as to why all this is happening – and failed. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the film a lot more if I could have remembered enough for it to make sense. I still enjoyed the film without the context. After all, our poker player is now fighting a guy who seems to be using a rainbow force field instead of his arm. What’s not to like about that?
While the plot is a gamble – from the slow, calm tension of the poker game to the mess, chaotic action of the fights – the animation quality is a sure thing. This is another stunning animation from the Mardock team.
I enjoyed the film. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the lengthy game of poker most of all. Without a doubt this won’t be a Mardock Scramble film for everyone, though, including Mardock Scramble fans.
My copy of Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust was provided for review. Mardock Scramble is distributed in the UK by Manga.
