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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2003)
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Synopsis: Set on Mars in the year 2071, COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE is based on the much-loved animated television series by Japanese director Shinichiro Watanabe. (The show airs on the Cartoon Network in the U.S.) As the film begins, Spike (Steven Jay Blum) and his gang of gypsy vigilantes are roaming the... Set on Mars in the year 2071, COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE is based on the much-loved animated television series by Japanese director Shinichiro Watanabe. (The show airs on the Cartoon Network in the U.S.) As the film begins, Spike (Steven Jay Blum) and his gang of gypsy vigilantes are roaming the city, looking for trouble when Faye (Wendee Lee) witnesses a bioterrorist attack. Hovering above the city in her spaceship, she sees a man fleeing the scene. Over 500 people die in the attack, and the city offers a monetary reward for any information. The gang jumps at the opportunity. They decide to branch out, each using their own tactics to research the tragedy. Spike slinks through Chinatown, being led by shady underground characters. Faye traces the image of the man she saw back to military files. And the young Ed (Mellisa Fahn) and her dog Ein do some handy computer research. Meanwhile Jet (Beau Billinglsea), holds down the fort, worried about the gang. When the criminal Vincent (Daran Norris), is identified, with a connection to Spike's love interest Elektra (Jennifer Hale), the real action begins. COWBOY BEBOP is a visually dramatic film that combines several styles of illustration into one beautiful, cohesive animated environment. The Mars of this film is a combination of cities: New York, Hong Kong, London, Paris, and many more. Viewers are compelled to identify monuments and familiar structures, while the terrorist theme hits fearfully close to home. [More]
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Starring: Steven Jay Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Mellissa Fahn, Daran Norris
Screenwriter: Keiko Nobumoto, Marc Handler
Producer: Yutaka Maseba, Haruyo Kanesaku, Masuo Ueda, Minoru Takanashi, Mashiko Minami
Composer: Yoko Kanno
DVD Info
Release:
Feb 7, 2007
DVD Features:
- Note: This release is in the UMD format for Sony PSP players only.
- Anamorphic - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 2.0 - Japanese, French
- Subtitles - English, French - Optional
Reviews
A brilliant feature-length anime that's good enough to deserve mention in the same breath as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Spirited Away.
Chock full of stylized exploding chopsocky for the veterans, yet quirky enough for the cautious newbie.
Based on the popular Japanese animated TV series, it features many of the strengths and weaknesses of the genre.
The strangely planet-bound James Bond plot unfolds just like you'd suspect, only slower.
Cowboy Bebop fans will be slightly disappointed and newbies will be nonplussed as to the show’s cult following.
The screenplay walks a tightrope, managing to stay amusing and lighthearted while handling hefty themes.
It's a mixture of the military/industrial complex paranoia of The X-Files, the deadpan style of Sam Spade and the wisdom of Confucius-lite.
The movie, with room to gallop through nearly two hours and an R rating, often just kicks around in the stable.
[Nonfans] will be admitted to the clubhouse, but will not be made to feel welcome.
Related Forums
by: captainlela 5/30/03
Pictures
Around the Network
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie at IGN
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie at AskMen


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