Movie Reviews for Cowboy Bebop - The Movie

Cowboy Bebop - The Movie

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Movie Reviews of Cowboy Bebop - The Movie

Movie Review: A great choice for my very first anime experience
Summary: 5 Stars

This was a new kind of viewing experience for me, and while I enjoyed the movie a great deal, parts of the storyline took a while to sink in or missed me altogether; I'm sure this is because I have no familiarity with the original series. Spike Spiegel is certainly an interesting character; I would not call him an antihero, but he is certainly a hero of a different stripe, as is his whole gang of fellow bounty hunters. Spike can be cryptic at times, and he spends a lot of time sleeping. When the time for action comes, however, he is up and at 'em, doing superheroic things in spectacular fashion. Then there is Faye Valentine, a partner who pretty much does her own thing and looks good doing it. She and Spike almost seem to be working at cross purposes at times, but their own paths converge eventually; the relationship between the two is a mystery to me. Former policeman Jet Black is the general of the bunch, but his arguments for slow, methodical action are rarely acknowledged by Spike and Faye. The most unusual character, particularly for a Cowboy Bebop neophyte such as myself, is young Edward, apparently some kind of hacker savant who oftentimes speaks in a child-like language all her own. Lest I forget, I should also mention the wunderdog Ein.

When a tanker truck explodes in the middle of a crowded city, unleashing some type of unknown agent that kills everyone who comes into contact with it, a huge reward is promised to anyone who discovers the culprit and brings him to justice. This reward gets Spike and the gang right on the case, one in which they have a head start - Faye actually saw the man who drove the tanker. This is no regular old bounty hunt, though, as our intrepid heroes soon discover. The man behind the terrorism is planning to kill everyone on the planet with the unknown agent in his possession, and there is precious little time to stop him and save the world. Treating the tanker explosion as an act of bioterrorism, scientists work feverishly to identify what they think is a virus while both the cops and the military make moves to find and stop the terrorist from striking again. Spike and Faye wind their way into this seething world of mystery and hidden danger, only to find that identifying the culprit makes their job that much harder.

There is plenty of great action throughout the movie, including several fights and a number of spectacular chases by both land and air. I had a hard time getting a real grip on the story until I made it pretty far into the movie, but the story is a compelling one from the very beginning. Visually, the film is a joy to watch, exhibiting levels of incredible detail and fluidity of movement, really bringing to life every character in the story. More striking than the visuals, though, is the sound. The soundtrack of cutting edge music fits perfectly with the evolving story and stands out as one of the more memorable features of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. Don't make the mistake of dismissing this film and others like it as mere fancy cartoons. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a marvelous, gritty, realistic presentation of a breathtaking world of serious intrigue and excitement.

Movie Review: One of the best animes I've seen since "Akira."
Summary: 5 Stars

Normally, making a movie out of something that began as a half-hour series is a difficult thing to do, and the end product usually alienates fans of the series. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (the alternate title for this movie) is an oustanding exception to this rule. There are many trademarks from the series that were carried brilliantly over to the movie, some of which were taken to new levels.

First off, the film's hour and 55 minute long running time is almost four times longer than an episode of the series. The director and writer were thus presented with the opportunity to tell a deeper, more complex story, and they delivered in spades. One of the things that impressed me about the series was how much they were able to cram into a half-hour. Anyone who has seen Cowboy Bebop knows that in addition to action, there is also a great deal of character development. Every character on the Bebop (Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed) has a complicated past. Delving into the pasts of the main characters, as well as keeping the storyline interesting with beautifully edited action sequences, is difficult. But they somehow manage to pull it off. Now take the same formula - a storyline of interesting, complex characters kept moving with very smooth, yet edgy animation - translated into a feature-length presentation. Oh yeah! Fans of the series know that it is everything you would expect it to be. There's never a dull moment in the story, even when the action slows. And the action is slick, flashy, and beautifully edited. Everything you would expect. The final battle between Spike and Vincent (the main villain) at the end is outstanding! I don't really want to give away the story to someone who has never seen it, but they created an excellent villain. Vincent Volaju might actually be able to take Vicious with one hand tied behind his back, he's that tough.

Second, the soundtrack is incredible. Yoko Kanno, the composer for the series, wrote a new score for the film (a mix of instrumental and spoken word), and just like her work on the series, it is brilliant. Kanno somehow manages to employ many different styles of music (blues, pop, hard rock, jazz, and techno, to name a few), sometimes on their own, sometimes blended together. It matches the action on-screen perfectly; I was tapping my foot several times as the film progressed.

Finally, I would have to say that the English voice talent on this is some of the best I've ever seen. I have a problem with dubbing in most foreign films; the talent that they get is either over-the-top in their acting style, or else the sound of their voice just feels wrong for the character. With Cowboy Bebop, anime fans finally have something they won't be ashamed to watch in English. Every actor takes their job seriously, and the dubbed vocals fit the characters perfectly (even Ed was tolerable).

I was thoroughly entertained by this movie before I was familiar with the series. And I have to say I enjoyed it even more the second time I watched it. Whether you're a fan of the series or not, you'll be satisfied with this. It stands tall on its own, and it also lives up to the expectations of Cowboy Bebop fans. What more could you ask for?

Movie Review: The best.
Summary: 5 Stars

I believe the events in the Bebop movie take place somewhere in between some of the episodes around the late 20's. Like 24-25. But given that you should take this on as a viewing unrealted to the TV series. You don't need to see the TV series to watch this movie also. You can pop this in and watch it as if it were a stand-alone action film like Bad Boys 2 or The Matrix.

The movie opens in a convienence store. A few guys are holding up the joint and that's were Spike and Jet Black come in hunting down a bounty and accidentally becoming the heroes all at once. This sequence intorducing fans and 1st time viewers to several things. The two main characters, Spike's hand to hand combat skills and his light-hearted apporach towards life threatning situations, Jet Black's role as a freind, and sort of a worry some father figure, the incredible level of animation, I have yet to see better, the high level of writing and dialouge, and the entertainment value of the film. The opening sequence does everything a film of any kind needs to do to keep the watcher watching.

Then we set into the story. We are introduced to Faye Valentine, a unrealistically beautiful bounty hunter. Her role in the Bebop team is established in a fun manner as she bobs her head to some girly pop music. Off the top we can see that she's as laid back about this work as Spike. Then comes the main antagonist, Vincient. He's introduced in a fashion that you will never forget. In an explosion that has to be the best I've ever seen in an anime and finer than most explosions in live action TV or film. Vincient releases a deadly virus, and from there the story kicks into high gear.

The pacing of this movie is great, some might call it slow, but that's Bebop's style. Believe when the action starts you'll be inches away from the TV with your eyes bulging and mouth open, or rubbing the markings of your DVD remote's search button to see it again. Vincient and Spike's 1st meeting is so incredible you'll be wondering how the got some of those angles on the gun fight for weeks. The movie moves along perfectly as Bebop style, action, and comedy are carefully woven into each scene until the end were Spike and Vincient duke it out in a hand to hand combat brawl that makes other anime fighting look like stick figures bumping up against each other. Everything is so bright and alive, even when the setting is dark.

The music is nothing short of incredible. Even the opening peice will have you smiling anticipating the fun. Every peice fits and serves to enchance each scene but not overshadow it. Point blank you won't be entertained better by any other anime out there, this is as good as it gets folks.

My only problems with the film is a couple detectives that are introduced early on. The add a bit of comic relief but seem to be out of place and just taking up time that could be better spent developing other characters and there stories like the gorgeous

Movie Review: "Just a humble bounty hunter, ma'am."
Summary: 5 Stars

The movie revolves around a bunch of outlaw bounty hunters. In Mars, there's a suspected terrorist running around with a virus that could very well wipe out the existence of human beings. Spike and company decide to take the case, as there is a large reward that will be given to the person or persons who catches the madman. The only trouble is that Spike and the gang have stumbled onto something that is much more than a simple bounty and end up discovering a big conspiracy that will throw their lives into ultimate danger. The action and excitement never ends until the shocking finale.

I watched the movie TWICE in one day. Right after I had seen it for the first time, I had to immediately watch it again. You know a movie is powerful when it has that kind of effect on you. Very rarely do I run into movies that make me want to watch it again right then and there. When you're watching "Cowboy Bebop," you really don't view it as an animated feature, but as a real living and breathing film. It is done that well. And, the great thing about this movie is that you do not have to have seen the show before. I watched this without seeing any of the shows and was able to follow it without any problems. Of course, chances are that you will want to watch the series after viewing the movie. The story is well thought out and appropriately structured. There isn't a single dull moment in the entire movie.

A little warning; although this is an animated feature, the movie is rated R. While it is certainly more mild than most anime, the movie does contain violence and language. I don't think this is anything for very young children, but I don't see a reason why older teens shouldn't be able to enjoy it.

The DVD has some nifty features to offer. First off, the picture quality is GORGEOUS. Even though it is an animated movie, the picture quality is fantastic and it really shows if you have great home theater system. The sound is also very good. Extras included are featurettes, music videos, storyboard comparisons, trailers and more. You can also watch it in the original Japanese audio track or the dubbed English one. I have to say, they do a great job of dubbing it in English. If you're not a fan of subtitles, then check it out in English. Overall, a very cool DVD package.

If you're looking for a wild and exciting trip filled with humor and thrills, "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" is just for you. Again, you do not have to have seen the actual TV series to understand the characters or the story. The movie does a fine job of standing on its own. This is truly a great movie that shows you just how exciting anime can be. Definitely a favorite. -Michael Crane

Movie Review: Great movie that compliments a great series.
Summary: 5 Stars

So with the background info out of the way, this movie takes place right around episode 24 in the series.(SPOILER**) It begins with Faye going after what should have been a routine bounty pickup, but while out she witnesses a massive explosion. Many people miles away begin to get sick for some strange reason that may be linked to the explosion and a man that Faye saw at the scene of the explosion. What ensues is an action packed movie dealing with the threat of terrorism. Spike and the crew discover that they are dealing with a man named Vincent Volaju that was presumed to have died in a war. But he is alive and he has a plan to take out the human race by the use of nano-bots that can't be seen by the human eye. Can the Bebop crew stop Vincent and save Mars from destruction? Watch to see how this one ends, I wont say.

Overall I love this movie. Maybe I am slightly biased because I am a huge fan of the series. In anime nothing is better than Bebop, at least in my mind. This movie perfectly compliments the series, unlike most movies that take more of your money. For any fan of Bebop you have to own this along with the series. Honestly I think CBTM is as good as any movie of any kind that I have seen in the last few years. It has a believable plot, with the serious topic of terrorism which we now deal with in our world every day. The movie is just under 2 hours I believe, but it never drags. The whole storyline flows smoothly from beginning to end and I never became bored the longer the movie went on. So let us sum this up: great cast of characters, lots of action (specifically the magnificent fight scenes between Vincent and Spike), wonderful animation and lastly it is just plain cool. And I mean everything about it. You can usually find it for a not-too-bad price. There are some cool extras included, but it isnt "loaded" like you would think special edition would be. This is a great movie bottom-line, with a great but complex theme, and features the coolest character in anime, Spike Spiegel. If you have never watched the series that is okay, you will still catch on to the storyline pretty quick. Not much backstory is required to understand what is going on. And if you are not into anime at all, I think this is a movie that can even be enjoyed by you, it is just that good. So check it out if this sounds like your thing. But beware, you may want to buy the whole tv series after seeing this if you don't already have it, because it will leave you wanting more.