Escaflowne: The Movie is an anime film released in 2000, directed by Kazuki Akane and written by Shoji Kawamori. It is an alternate retelling of the original anime series, The Vision of Escaflowne.
The story begins with a high school girl named Hitomi Kanzaki who possesses psychic abilities and has the gift to see the future and alters it, but she doesn't always fully understand what she sees. One day, she is magically transported to a world called Gaea, which is ruled by a group of powerful individuals known as Zaibach Empire.
Hitomi is soon found by a young prince named Van, who is the sole survivor of his kingdom destroyed by Zaibach. Van is seeking revenge against the Zaibach Empire and hopes to use the ancient mecha suit of armor, called Escaflowne, to defeat them. Hitomi sympathizes with Van and decided to help him on his quest.
As they travel through Gaea, fighting off dangerous creatures and enemy soldiers, they encounter other allies, including the skilled swordsman, Allen Schezar, and his loyal companion, the cat-girl, Merle.
As Hitomi spends more time in Gaea, she begins to develop romantic feelings for both Van and Allen. However, the impending conflict keeps them apart as they fight to save Gaea and retrieve the powerful Escaflowne from the clutches of Zaibach Empire.
The film's action-packed story features stunning visuals and a powerful musical score by Yoko Kanno. The characters are well-developed, and the film explores themes of love, loss, and the consequences of war.