Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Stuart:

I feel I really shouldn’t be reviewing this film because I know so little about the overall Cowboy Bebop saga. Also I fell asleep during the film… or at least I think I did… it’s hard to be sure. So I shall be brief.

Cowboy Bebop - The MovieCowboy Bebop works because it rarely tries to be more than the sum of its parts. This unassuming sci-fi/action/terrorism film tells its story simply and without fanfare. Most importantly this film never gets unintelligible in the way that most anime does (think the last ten minutes or so of Akira or Ghost In The Shell… I have no idea what’s occurring at the end of those movies… Those movie makers must love 2001: A Space Odyssey).

The motley collection of bounty hunters are interesting, the child-like computer hacker being the most impressively quirky anime character I have ever seen.

This film spent no time explaining the back story to the characters, and thus I recommend having seen at least some of the series first.

One thing worthy of mention is the opening credits which were actually directed by the uncredited Hiroyuki Okiura. These appear to be actual people filmed and then drawn over. The result is astounding.

There were some awesome moments in Cowboy Bebop. You know, traditional anime moments: slow motion, big explosion, cool hair.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Review by Stuart Wilson, 14th July 2004
Hoopla Factor: 2.5 stars


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