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Movies / On DVD / Steamboy
Steamboy

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Steamboy (2005)

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Reviews Counted:86

Fresh:50

Rotten:36

Average Rating:6/10

Consensus: The story isn't the greatest, but there's an abundance of sci-fi eye candy to compensate.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for action violence.

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:02-12-2005

Synopsis: Katsuhiro Otomo, the master Japanese anime director behind the international success AKIRA, scores again with STEAMBOY, the inventive story of a family of inventors from Manchester, England, that... Katsuhiro Otomo, the master Japanese anime director behind the international success AKIRA, scores again with STEAMBOY, the inventive story of a family of inventors from Manchester, England, that gets ripped apart by greed, pride, and power. Ray Steam (voice of Anne Suzuki) is a young boy following in the footsteps of his father, Eddy (Masane Tsukayama), and grandfather, Lloyd (Katsuo Nakamura), scientists dedicated to advancing technology through the use of steam. When Lloyd invents a steam ball that has unheard-of possibilities, everyone wants it--world leaders, wealthy industrialists, and even the government--but most of them want it for evil purposes. And so it is up to Ray to protect the fate of the earth while also choosing between his father and grandfather. The background paintings and 3-D CGI animation are gorgeous, creating a gray-and-white palette of gear-driven machines that melds perfectly with the story, which takes the main characters to a major science exhibition in Victorian-era London. In addition to the original subtitled Japanese version, there is an English-language edition featuring the voices of Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, and Patrick Stewart. STEAMBOY is an animated gem both kids and adults can enjoy. [More]

Starring: Anne Suzuki, Manami Konishi, Katsuo Nakamura, Masane Tsukayama

Starring: Anne Suzuki, Manami Konishi, Katsuo Nakamura, Masane Tsukayama, Kiyoshi Kodama, Ikki Sawamura, Susuma Terajima, Satoru Saito, Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, Patrick Stewart

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Screenwriter: Katsuhiro Otomo, Sadayuki Murai
Producer: Shunji Komori, Hideyuki Tomioka
Composer: Steve Jablonsky
Studio: Columbia Tristar

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Steamboy

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

When massive bursts of steam are frozen into giant flowers of jagged ice, Otomo gives us a literal Cold War, to remind us of the folly of the arms race.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
05/04/05
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

I’m all for anime getting wider release here domestically, but not if it’s top heavy with the Explodo and half-baked philosophy.

Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com | comment Comment
04/17/05
Widgett Walls
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com

...for a fun drinking game, take a sip every time steam loudly hisses out of something

Full Review Source: New Times | comment Comment
04/08/05
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

No matter how big and impressive, all of this pales in comparison to the human soul, which this film simply does not have.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
04/08/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/02/05
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I would have preferred less moralizing and more character development.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
04/02/05
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

Until it careers into cacophony ... it's a lot of fun.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
04/01/05
Jeff Shannon
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times

A lot of chore for a tiny bit of reward.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
03/31/05
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

The talky debate over scientific morality is simplistic to say the least, but there is a sneaky undercurrent of social satire and a retro glory to the animation...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
03/31/05
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Exhausting ... While [Otomo's] return from the wilderness is certainly cause for celebration, it’s hard not to wish that he had spent a little more time tightening things up.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
03/31/05
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Masculine brooding [fuels] Steamboy, with its monolithic, steam-spewing tower, powered by balls, constantly rumbling out of control.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
03/28/05
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Though it falls short of the crossover standard set by Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning Spirited Away, the attempt is far too accomplished and inventive to dismiss.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
03/27/05
Wade Major
Wade Major
Boxoffice Magazine

Steamboy, ultimately, shares deep-seated themes with the futuristic Akira. Both offer cautionary tales about scientific responsibility and the evils of war. And both look pretty cool, too.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
03/25/05
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

Character development and story line, unfortunately, evaporated during the decade of this film's production.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
03/25/05
Jeffrey Bruner
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register

You'll see things in this film you have never seen anywhere else.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
03/24/05
J.J. Marley
J.J. Marley
Orlando Weekly

The city blows up good, but the narrative never loses sight of its moral imperatives.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/24/05
Rex Roberts
Rex Roberts
Film Journal International

With its stunning visuals, exciting set pieces and larger-than-life characters, Steamboy often succeeds as a ripping good yarn -- but only in fits and starts.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
03/24/05
Timothy Knight
Timothy Knight
Reel.com

The result is a welcome and exhilarating steam-powered flight of fancy.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
03/24/05
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When the "steam castle" morphs into a Spielbergian mother ship, I knew that Otomo's overheated fantasy had, yes, run out of steam.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
03/24/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

Steamboy is breathtakingly detailed and ambitious beyond anything I have ever seen in the realm of animation. But the chase goes on much too long, and Ray and Scarlett are never still long enough to develop any inner resonance or romantic rapport.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
03/24/05
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for Steamboy

November 18, 2005: Ten Animated Movies to Compete for Oscar Consideration
ComingSoon.net shares a press release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) regarding the Best Animated Feature hopefuls. Seems we have a solid ten movies... More...

March 07, 2005: Visually stunning . . . Opens in new window
More...

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