Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Starring the voice talents of Steven Blum, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingslea, and Melissa Fahn

Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe

Release Date(s):

September 1st, 2001 (Japan)

August 11th, 2002 (USA)

Adapted from the hit anime series, CB: Knockin' on Heaven's Door brings the ecclectic bounty crew of the stars to the big screen.
On Mars 2071 A.D., a madman has caused enough chaos to leave hundreds infected with a strange virus and the Martian government to declare his capture worth 200 million woolongs (this universe's currency). While tracking down the elusive terrorist, aloof bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and short-tempered Faye Valentine uncover a sinister plot that set this man down his path. Will our Bebop crew stop his devilish plan? Maybe, since the bounty  is good......

I like the original Japanese subtitle rather than our translated, generic "the movie" that gets slapped on every movie adapted from a tv show. I'd like more TV movies to get a little creative when titling their movies, but whatcha gonna do? Still, the movie is great for Bebop fans, even for those new to Bebop. It's good that the movie gives you a fun, action-packed adventure that fans don't have to worry about where it fits into the chronology of the series; while newbies get a fun story without getting lost. The best thing about the movie is how great the animation looks: it is very similar to the show while being more cleaned up and detailed for a big screen presentation. Finally, the voice cast is back from the series, both Japanese and English cast, that brings that energy and fun into bringing the characters to life. It's always awesome to hear Steven Blum's Spike Spiegel; Blum's Spike is one of my favorite anime characters and his charming bounty hunter is a perfect introductory character to non-fans of anime.  Finally, there's the mysterious Vincent, clearly modeled after Bob Dylan. Vincent is a great addition to the Bebop Universe and quite the complex antagonist.
 
Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5

Click Here to buy Cowboy Bebop Remix Complete Collection (Anime Legends)

Click Here to buy Cowboy Bebop: The Movie [Special Edition]

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