Cowboy Bebop: Il Film

As a new Anime enthusiast and watching it for the 1st time in 2013, Cowboy Bebop has surpassed its era by simply detailing it more maturely with less kiddish characters. Even though the story line is pretty predictable, you'll be wondering that an Anime made some 12 years ago isn't out of shape or features. It will not disappoint you. To add some information about it, I have not watched any episodes of the series itself, I'm merely commending on the movie itself. If you're a new Anime fan like me, it would definitely help you achieve familiarity and conclusion of you're own grasp of genre. With that Cowboy Bebop have to be on your watch list. Its a lot better Anime than some of the current Anime movies.

"Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door" is an animated feature based on a tv anime series (released on DVD) that has gained quite a following on both sides of the Pacific. It is interesting to note how Mr. Watanabe manages to pull off a balancing act required to satisfy both the loyal following of the tv series, to whom the introduction of principal characters and setting would be redundant, and to those who are relatively new to the "Cowboy Bebop" universe, of which I am the latter.

To those not well versed in the "Cowboy Bebop" lore, it takes some time to get familiar with various featured characters. The film begins in the same fashion as any of its self-contained tv episode would, in that not a lot of exposition is provided for grasping the setting. The characters are more or less introduced as 'bounty hunters' and that is as much of a background the film lets on before establishing the main plot.

It is not too much of a setback not to be given any opportunity to become attached to any of the characters. They are there to simply convey various scenes of the main plot and arrange them into place before they culminate into an oft-tread climax. The plot is briskly disclosed (rather literally spelled out by dialogue, no implication) and turns out to be a fairly mundane yarn that does not break any new ground in narrative nor provide any catalyst for any interesting character development or revelation.

The symbolism and nuance that are laid thick in colorful locales and poignant sceneries may merit repeat viewings to appreciate them; a careful analysis of the film brings another level of enjoyment to overall experience. Also relationships between the characters and circumstantial developments of the plot seem to rely too impulsively on coincidence, not mindful of what the viewer is meant to discern. This could be attributed to attempting to weave a credible plot involving diverse elements and subplots in a limited frame of time, or it could have been something else relevant in the context of the "Cowboy Bebop" tv series. Some have suggested that this film is nothing but a figurative dream, in which the main character confronts the guilt of his past to help him proceed to his ultimate fate in the last remaining episodes of the tv series.

If that was the case, then the film ends up being not as complete or entertaining to the "Cowboy Bebop" novices as it would have been for those well acquainted with the tv series. To that effect, it is rather disappointing.

"Cowboy Bebop" features lush animation that features some of the most impressive displays of action sequences put to cel, particularly the confrontation at the medical lab between Spike and Electra, not to mention the prolonged martial no-holds-barred showdown between Vincent and Spike. The character designs are fairly distinct and varied, although in some instances they linger a bit too long on stereotypical depiction of some races. The details given to many of the locales are unsurpassed in their variety and ambience; it is a testament to how artists went as far as to include references to mainstream culture, dotting the background with "WcDonald's" and "Kodac" (although I am lead to believe such play on words is the Japanese equivalent of product placement).

The music is another highlight of the film, which is not unexpected of Yoko Kano, who is a renowned composer of anime soundtrack who have previously lent her resourceful talents to other popular anime such as "Macross Plus" (another collaboration with the director Watanabe). The compact blend of blues and jazz heightens the urgent mood and graces slower parts with an equally effective repertoire. I don't know about others, but I did not mind the dubbing of the film too much. Maybe because the voices are supported by a script that is partially altered to bring out genuine emotion to the dialogue and to resolve colloquial barriers between the languages.

"Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door" is a good standard action romp that is further enhanced by superb animation, equally enjoyable music, and more or less succeeds both as a tribute to the series' fans and a good introduction of the series to those who might be interested in one of the better anime licenses to have come ashore. Recommended.

This movie combines style, gunplay, a compelling story, deep characters, detailed visuals, and a wonderful jazz score. A+

To be fair though, you must be at least a little familliar with the series to fully appreciate this movie. The series itself is a masterpiece; in my opinion one of the greatest television series of all time. The dub is a cut above most imported anime. Dialogue is often underapreciated in an animated series, so dubbing companies will be indiscreet with selecting voice actors. Bebop's dub, however, is very close to the original script and the voice acting is quite impressive. None of the jokes or subtleties were lost in the translation.

I'll start off by saying that I'm a huge fan of Cowboy Bebop. No other anime has characters that are as real and deep, yet fantastic and archetypical as this series. Every episode in the series manages to be visually stunning and/or humorous and uplifting while at the ame time being beautiful and poetic all in a twenty-minute timeframe. So its hard not to judge Coboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door under the same light or along the same lines as the series. That said, the movie is very cool and very enjoyable, and from the fansub that I watched, I know I'll be snagging this as soon as (or if ever) it is released on DVD.

After the initial five minute attention grabber and wonderfully cheesey rotoscoped-looking opening credits, Spike and the gang set off on the trail of a bearded bioterrorist worth 300,000,000 woolongs who plans to do some bad stuff to whatever planet it is they're on (I think its Mars, but I'm pretty sure they never actually say in the movie). Along the way, we get action, not-so-much action, Maracans, we get to hear some more awesome Yoko Kanno music, Spike reaffirms his position as the most badass character ever in animation, and we almost get to see Faye's boobies. The action scenes are superb, especially two in particular. Spike's first fight with the woefully underdeveloped Electra is easily some of the best martial arts animation ever. Also, the monorail scene is probably one of the coolest and definitely the goriest thing ever seen in Cowboy Bebop.

The movie does, however, slow down at parts, especially when the focus is lifted from the main characters. A lot of times I just felt like I was waiting for the movie to pick itself up and get going again, something that never happens in the show, but, then again, this film is nearly two hours long (awesome for an anime). One reason the film seems so slow in comparison to the series is that there are a lot more establishing shots and the like. It makes you wonder whether Shinichiro Watanabe was trying to be theatrical or just padding the film. Its almost as though they got too good at pacing their own show, which, I suppose is a testament to the original series. Every storyline moved so fluidly and was paced so well that the movie seems sluggish in comparison.

The movie's supporting characters aren't all that great, either. Electra is pretty bland, as is the antagonist, Vincent. That's kind of disappointing, since the Bebop crew was able to give so much personality to other lesser characters who had a lot less screen time in the original series (like Indian dude and the card-playing old guys, who both, thankfully, show up in the movie and play pretty cool roles in some scenes). Most of the other supporting cast is just fodder for Vincent to off to make him seem less likable. One thing that's sure to annoy a lot of people is Vincent's pseudo-religious rants and vague creepy-talk. The way that he talks and the way that others talk about him is a bit indicative of Shinji Ikari and Evangelion, but really not as good or interesting. If you look hard enough, you might be able to find some meaning in the symbolism they're trying to impose, but most of the time it will just come off as BS. At least he looks cool, and in the end, that's all that really matters in a villain.

Electra, on the other hand, is just your average sterotypical good-lookin' hard-ass female cop-type person that shares a mysterious past with Vincent that really isn't all that mysterious or interesting. But the film is really about Spike and the gang, and none of the principal cast go neglected. Each character has some pretty cool/funny scenes, even Ein and Ed (who I'm sure annoys the hell out of some people). The sad thing is that there's none of the ass-slapping hilariousness of "Mushroom Samba," nor is there any of the frenetic and fast-paced shooting action of "Pierot Le Fou." But we do get to see Spike use his 'leet jeet kun do fighting skillz to kick a fair share of ass. In terms of pacing and character development, the movie comes off as an extended version of "Jupiter Jazz" parts one and two, probably my least favorite episodes, sans any cool character revelations. I guess you can't really expect to learn anything new about the characters since the series tied itself up so nicely.

In the end, though, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is freaking awesome. It may sound like I've been ragging on it, but that's just because the series is so awesome its hard for anything to hold a candle to it. So does the movie do the series justice? Absolutely, if you're a fan, definitely check it out, but you'd probably have to be a fan to really enjoy it. If the movie were a regular thirty-minute episode, it would be pretty forgettable. Even still, chances are that that's ten times better than most other anime out there.

This movie is just as good, if not better, than most of the episodes in the series. If Bebop fans learn to accept the story for what it is--an extended version of a typical(albeit superior) episode, this movie will live up to the exceptional quality of the series. And if someone with no knowledge of the series watches this movie, they will have very little to catch up on. The great thing about the film is its accessibility to all audiences with its stand alone storyline(although Bebop fans can still get new things out of it).

With the introduction of the character of Vincent Volaju, the Cowboy Bebop brain trust has provided a great nemesis for the protagonist Spike to interact with. These two characters' fight scenes are exceptional, and the bond that they share works great with the overall tone of the series. The subtle philosophical points of the film may not be mind blowing, but they are definitely above average. Great dialogue is rare in animation, let alone anime, and this is one of the strong points of both the series and the movie. It is obvious that the creators have tried to fit almost all elements of the series into this work, and they have succeeded, despite that great burden. Each of the five major characters from the series(Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein) get the right amount of time in the spotlight, while allowing the new characters(Vincent, Electra, and Rashid) time to develop properly. Also, as any fan of the series can vouch for, the music is not only original, but almost like a character unto itself.

Ultimately, this film boils down to the centerpiece of the series, Spike Spiegel, and his final meeting with his kindred spirit, the tortured Vincent Volaju. The result of this film helps propel the series into its heart wrenching conclusion and underlying philosophical tone.

More than worthy of being associated with the Cowboy Bebop series.