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Review: Cowboy Bebop
First impressions: It's quite good, good enough to show even non-anime fans. Visually very pretty, plot is perfectly adequate, entertaining yet moderately deep, it's about all I ask for in an anime movie: it's fun.
The movie is strongly reminiscent of the animated series - if you lengthened and filled out one of the standard episodes, boom, you've got a movie. All of the Bebop crew are present, which would put it, time-wise, roughly in the middle of the series. Each of them plays a significant part in tracking their latest target, a bio-terrorist who plans to unleash an unpleasant plague on the population of Mars, but as in the series, they work side-by-side but not necessarily as a team, rather as a loose affiliation of, err, cowboys. The plot is simple but reasonably compelling. The antagonist's motivations are laid out; I didn't find them particularly sensible, but, ignoring that, the actions of the characters make sense and everything pretty much holds together.
The movie is significantly prettier than the series. Instead of the computer-generated beauty of Spirited Away, there are quite a few exquisitely drawn backgrounds. Most of the action takes place in a city on Mars which bears a strong - very strong - resemblance to modern-day New York City. Shadows are rendered with great care, leading to a number of scenes where the shadows play as much of a part in the scene as the character casting them. Although the rendering of Martian daylight is not, perhaps, very realistic (Mars is going to get a lot less light than Earth, even if it's massively terraformed...), the artists do take the opportunity to show us several beautiful sunset shots. The movie is worth watching for the art alone, IMHO.
Fans of the series will know that it's known for its jazz (or maybe jazz-like is more descriptive) numbers. The movie still has some jazz, but there's a lot more rock, leading to a more fast-paced feel. The soundtrack is quite good without being overpowering and without losing the feel that "made" the series. The voice acting is as good as the series, which is not surprising.
At least two of the showings in the movie theater I saw it in were sold out. I imagine that won't continue, since this is a bit of a niche market and the movie hasn't been advertised at all that I've seen, but perhaps it will be enough to get a wider U.S. distribution for the movie, and Spirited Away picking up an Oscar shouldn't hurt either. It's worth seeing in the theaters, I think, assuming there's one near you. If you've ever wondered what sort of beating Spike can dish out when he's really upset at someone, this movie will answer that question. :)
One thing I liked in Cowboy Bebop was the sad ending. No happy ending, no hollywood crap, good japanese drama :)
Karma cannot be described by words alone.
is this Cowboy Neal girlfriend
Overuse of the Pumping Lemma causes blindness
My only major dislike of the movie was that the two new characters (the villain and the chick associated with him) were a little underdeveloped - they remained a little unclear to me even after the third viewing. The movie had fantastic action scenes, though, far outweighing any in the series, and as the reviewer says, the art was fantastic.
What I'm saying is, see the movie. But if you want some real fun, see the series too.
The critics seem to like it overall, and, skimming through the reviews, the ones who dislike it seem to do so for the usual reason: it's a cartoon.
Man, I just don't get it. Cartoons are great for anything with a fantasy element.
Why?
'Cause you can do anything you want with cartoons...cheaply!
Live action has certain drawbacks. Sure, you can have beautiful people at which you can stare, but some things are difficult or downright impossible to do with live action.
The people who don't like cartoon movies are just snobs. Beautiful things can be done with the medium.
To simply deride something because it's a cartoon is so shortsided.
"It's a tarp!" -- Dyslexic Admiral Ackbar
I'm an avid anime fan, and it bothers me to see such meaningless reasons as to why the Bebop movie isn't good. The Cowboy Bebop movie does not have the best stand-alone plot (it goes well with the entire series), but I still think that it's a good movie for a one-shot and the animation did not get as much credit as it deserved in the negative reviews.
However, it is nice to see that a majority of the reviews of the film are mainly positive. It's not like everyone is against it, but the one's who are against it seem to have poor reasoning.
take off every sig for great justice
anime will NEVER become mainstream. As much as I would love to see it happen, I KNOW that the american culture is too pompous and ignorant to let it happen.
People have become way too dependent on what critics say about a movie. They go watch what other people tell them they should, possibly because it costs way to much to see a movie. Critics who diss the movie for poor animation and "Speed Racer" style action obviously never went to see the movie, and instead opted to read some online summary and diss what they do not understand.
So ignore (the vast majority of) the critics, and go see what is a GREAT action movie that actually has a plot.
A common problem with a movie based on something episodic is that it gets tangled up in all of the continuity; you have to know about all of the storylines to make sense of the references dropped into the movie. This didn't happen with Cowboy Bebop. I haven't seen all of the episodes yet, and I really enjoyed the movie. There were a couple of references I missed, but friends assured me it wasn't major plot points, such as, say, Spike's life having Indian influences, or an apparent cameo that got a cheer from the audience.
While I love Bebop, my biggest problem with this movie is that it was just one long episode. It didn't really do anything new or exciting, they just relied on the tried and true Bebop formula, Spike being cooler then Jesus, good fight scenes, good action scenes, and kick ass music (see the movie for the music if anything, Yoko Kanno is a goddess.)
That being said, most anime movies based on TV shows aren't usually that good. Escaflone the movie was fairly bad, and the Eva movies will never, ever, see a US theatrical release. However, Bebop was still a decent movie, and some of the scenes, such as the last fight scenes with the fireworks and butterflies, just demand being scene in a theater.
Sleep is for the weak!
I enjoy the television show, but I suppose I realize now that a big part of that is the fast pacing they are forced into by the 30 minute episode length. While I did enjoy the movie, there were many times when it dragged. And the fighter sequence with Spike in his jet... not only did it have nothing to do with the plot (only an excuse to show his jet) it was soooo loooong.
And was anybody else disappointed that the credits song from the TV show was missing? That is consistently my favorite part of the show.
[LOOK OUT!!! MASSIVE SPOILER!!]
No, he didn't. That, in my opinion, is the beauty of bebop. They had the nerve to kill off the main character. They said "This is the end. No more Bebop."
I said "No he didn't" pretty finally, and all there is is symbolic proof, but I think its pretty solid. The flock of birds flies up as the camera pans; they used that a couple times to signify death, most notably when Julia died. The lyrics of the song that plays is "I'm ascending" (good news; he went to heaven). And most importantly, in the very last shot of the series, looking at the stars, there is that star that fades out, just as Old Man Bull says happens when someone dies.
I think that the series up to the last 3 or 4 sessions is good, but it is those last 3, where everything comes crashing down for everyone, that really makes Bebop great.
Cowboy Bebop doesn't come off as particularly adult. The characters can be described with 2 or 3 adjectives, Faye is around mostly to show off her animated ass, and in general it's not as intelligent as an Hollywood action flick.
Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
I've seen it, and the nicest thing I can say about it that it's not Cowboy Bebop. Ed is messed up, grapically and character-wise. The computer animation is pretty poorly integrated. Jet's barely in the movie and spends most of it moping around like a schmuck. Faye's top is cut open for no particular reason. Spike's at least about right, but Ein is painfully obvious.
The villain is some kind of nihilistic joke who can't even keep continuity -- he survives, without disfigurement, exploding a grenade in his hand that blackens and twists a nearby metal seat, but takes one bullet in the climax and dies.
Speaking of which, the entire story around the contrived love interest is incredibly hammy, and if anyone didn't see that twist at the end coming you'd best get your eyes checked. Ugh.
I didn't expect the world from this movie, but it didn't come close to matching up with the worst episode.
Where would we be if Wheel had hid her round rock in a cave instead of showing everyone how it rolls?
"Bebop" is a jazzy type of music from the 40's and 50's, which can jump around in tempos and such. For more on Bebop, check AllMusic.com [allmusic.com].
The title actually makes quite a bit of sense. The famous jazz musician Yoko Kanno does the music for Bebop. In addition, she actually had quite a bit of influence in the series. One interesting thing, is that during the opening credits, in the background, there are a few sentences about the creation of the bebop jazz style in New York in the 40's.
If you don't understand any of my sayings, come to me in private and I shall take you in my German mouth.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail:
Jan Stuart, Newsday: Mick LaSalle, San Francisco ChronicleMaybe you could put down the end of that last quote to an "anti-cartoon" bias? But from the paragraph as a whole its clear that the reviewer thinks the animation is actually the only thing that the movie has going for it.
I don't mean to bash the movie. (In fact, I had to read through a lot of positive comments to get to the above quotes. Sounds like it might be a fun movie!) I just question the article's claim that the reviewers disliked the movie just because it's animated. Seems to me that does an injustice to the criticisms raised, criticisms which are actually repeated by a lot of reviewers, and which have less to do with the medium than with the dialog, the story, and the characters.
--Bruce F.
Im only interested in this if there are graphic depictions of tentacle rape
Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.
>> Although the rendering of Martian daylight is
>> not, perhaps, very realistic (Mars is going to
>> get a lot less light than Earth, even if it's
>> massively terraformed...),
Actually the reason for that is implied, if not
directly explained in the context of the series.
The Hyperspace gateways that were created to allow ships
to travel between the planets (and facilitate the migration
from earth after the great Gate accident) are also used
to pipe sunlight from near-earth orbit to the other colonies.
It was a convienient vehicle used to give the other planets
consistent conditions without having to nit-pick too much
on other physical differences between Earth, Mars, Venus, Ganymede
and a few other spots.
Half the fun of watching anime is trying to figure out what the
hell the creators were thinking when they came up with scenarios
like that.
The movie 'takes place' mid-series if I recall. It was really cheating most of the US to show them the complete series first- the movie should have been timed to premiere in the US around ep 20 or so, but well before the last episodes. Sadly, I think the only reason this is in theaters(and/or perhaps the reason it took so long) is because it's about terrorism; as a topic for entertainment, first it was taboo, now it's all the rage.
It doesn't have to have a sad ending to be good, by the way. Watch the third Patlabor movie some time if you like the whole political intrigue/detective story(which is part of what Knockin' on Heaven's Door is about.)
Personally, I would have been just as happy if Cowboy Bebop had a happy ending, since I enjoyed every episode. If anything, the sad ending was a huge let-down. Then again, the first episode in the series was a pretty tragic, and should have been a clue that they'd go any-which-way.
I've already seen the movie(it was fansubbed at -least- a year ago); I highly recommend it; everything you've come to love in the bebop series. There is a GREAT dogfight sequence, worth the cost of the ticket alone, and two great hand-to-hand combat scenes. I will probably go to see it in the theaters, since I a)support anime and b)I want to see the great artwork up close and personal.
(currently watching Read Or Die- let's hear it for secret agent librarians, yeah!)
Please help metamoderate.
First off, I would like to disagree with submitter. I don't think the Cowboy Bebop movie is good enough for "non-anime" viewers since it's not even good enough for people not familiar with the series. The movie spends zero time introducing the four main characters. There is no way of knowing why there such a love-hate relationship between Faye and Spike/Jet. And why does Ein know the next move of Go? Or why does Spike have this whole devil-may-care attitude? Viewers of the series or readers of the manga could easily answer those questions. It's a good anime movie, but it is squarely aimed at the fans of the series.
I enjoyed the music from the movie more than the series. I guess it was more blues/rock-n-roll-like than jazz-like.
In addition, I was amazed with the script and the voice talent. This is coming from a Sub-over-dub guy. It appeared that lip syncing software was used, but this is the first time I thought the script did not suffer from it. I only cringed maybe 3 times at a weird sentence or an abnormal pause in the rhythm of speech. The translation was excellent.
I have watched the series as subs and only briefly checked out the dubs on the DVD's. Major kudos goes to Wendee Lee who actually out performs Megumi Hayashibara as Faye. Her performance really made Faye a multi-dimensional character. Also kudos to Melissa Charles for matching the perfection of Ed by Aoi Tada. "Faye-Faye, Stay Away-way." ^_^
I agree with another poster about Vincent and Elektra, very under developed. The series, in just 25-50 minutes, did a much better job of bringing depth to the "villians." Episodes like the 2-part "Jupiter Jazz" or "Pierrot Le Fou" really made you feel for the story's main character.
From what I've read, the time line for movie is between Session #22 and Session #23.
89 out of 100: For the amazing translation and acting performances of Wendee and Melissa. Points off for underdeveloped characters.
Anthony
Not so. Check out this review from filmthreat, who I generally happen to like.
Quote from the review: The reviewer seems to be a big fan of the series and can't stand the movie. So, it doesn't seem to be some sort of anti-anime bias to me.
I pulled a jack move to cop this sig
I saw this movie for the first time roughly two years ago when it was released as a digital divx fan sub though the wonders of P2P networks. Its amazing animation even in its lower quality format was amazing and beautiful. But seeing the movie now: after the events of 9-11, make it seem more reflective to the current events of the real world. With scenes of a mars after the destruction of earth and every major World monument from the Twin Towers to the Eiffel tower make the terra formed Martian city a place where every man could be.
The voice acting in the English dubbed movie is simply beautiful each character seams to match there Japanese actor counter part perfectly. The director Shinichiro Watanabe amazed me with his directing in the series but his directing of the movie blew me away. The choreography of the martial arts was amazing. Spike perfect use of Jet Kun Do, the style developed by Bruce lee, was beautiful and fluid. While the Special Forces style of martial arts Shotokan is shown for its hard stiff movements but amazing use of power with little effort. Wanatabe has this eye of such things to make you even sit back and thing you were watching two actual people fighting when he directs each scene out.
I am very much looking forward to his take on the new Animatrix film called "Kids story" due out in May for download.
The movie even though dealing with a biological threat makes you sit back and look at why the villain is doing what he is doing. Seeing even in his madness there is this perfect solid calm of reason. One point in the movie that made me laugh that I didn't think I read in the Japanese version was when Vincent "the villain" is in the car with his hacker associate Leo. Leo is talking while playing on an old game saying back in the old days all you needed as 5 buttons and a great game was how hacking back in the day was easy
Then making a reference to how captain crunch hacked the phone systems with a simple whistle at 2600 hertz. I laughed out so hard that half that didn't get the reference in the theater turned. Funning thing was that it was also the first Friday of the month and right after the movie I was going to a dc 2600 meeting.
Over the entire movie was beautiful but what make cowboy bebop what it is, is right in its title the bebop! The series and movie cowboy bebop with its amazing score and music done by the great Japanese "Female" (I not this because she has over 100 shows and movie under her belt and most people think she is a he) Composer Kanno, Yoko was simply spell binding with its 20's/30's big band jazzy fashion. But Miss Kanno took the movie a different direction pulling songs from newer movies such as the opening song from the cheesy 1989 movie "Earth Girls Are Easy" (Jim carry, Damon Waynes, and Jeff Goldblum). But as the action gears up giving a jazzier feel like we usually have from Cowboy Bebop and then adding a twist of an electronic hard house jazzy sound of the more modern variety but still keeping the typical trumpet/snare drum sounds you typically find in jazz.
Sitting during this movie two times now at the Washington DC premiere at Dupont circle was a joy, nay a privilege. As I sat with fellow anime fans it was amazing to see the non anime fans get the jokes they had in the movie just the same as the full blown "otaku" anime fans. The movie at times seems to go on and on but in a way that even if your ass hurts in the seat the movie makes you want to keep watching and not fall asleep because its stylistic art it's simply beautiful in all ways fluid form. Most of my friends who have seen it simply say it's a 2 hour long episode. But that can be is so far from the truth I realize they have no clue what they are saying. This movie was a salute to an amazing anime series and gives its last Farwell leaving us happy to know that seeing it made us smile and look at things with different perspectives.
"to be like god we make our own dolls to play with, but what does that make us, but dolls for god to play with?" Ikari,
"Bebop" is also the name of their ship so it does fit pretty well.
The name seemed strange to me at first too, but many animes seem to have odd, disjointed English titles (like "Tiny snow fairy sugar", "GetBackers", "KiddyGrade", "UFO Princess Walküre", and so on). While not really "wrong", they do just scan strangely.
Old Japanese video games were even more prone to this: take "Donkey Kong" for instance. When it first came out, I remember thinking how oddly Japanese it sounded, but now it's so familiar it seems perfectly normal.
"Cowboy Bebop," the recent anime film release with a substantial following in the United States is poorly executed, lacked a sound premise, and demonstrated a poorly written plot. These problems had nothing to do with it being a cartoon however; the filmmakers should tend to some plot development and creativity before attempting a major release in the United States again.
The fidelity of the animation, special effects, and sound were good, but not great. On the big screen the colors pallete the artists used seemed ordinary, but there was a commendable amount of movement and smoothness considering this is anime. The positive aspects of this anime end here however, as there were serious issues with the thematic elements of the film.
The premise, and the lack of suspended disbelief thereof, were absurd. They are in Mars in about 2070, yet there are slums. A good friend of mine assures me that "If you watched the first 10 episodes, it would make sense" but I don't remember major film releases requiring those kind of clauses to view them, so I can't give this one a pass. For example, I saw, and enjoyed "X-men" even though I never read the comics, among other cartoon or comic film interpretations that were executed well and didn't require a huge investment of time on the part of the viewer.
The plot of this particular "episode" was ludicrous and could barely raise anyones heartbeat considering the craziness going on in the world today. The dialog was hackneyed and the characters went from the under-developed (Vincent) to the utterly annoying (Edward).
The execution of this film, considering it was anime, left much to be desired. It could have ended sooner, with an additional half hour for another boring fight scene not worth the price of admission. The flight scenes were direct ripoffs of Star Wars and Macross, and showed a lack of creativity. The creators also failed to exploit the female characters to their potentional, either as serious roles or as sex objects.
In all, "Cowboy Bebop" is one of those anime films that has a cult following because it has a cult following. While initially excited to watch this movie, I left disappointed and wondered if I'd be willing to make future investments in anime genres that attempt to crossover contemporary and sci-fi themes.
Two thumbs down.
GetTheJob.com : Nothing but Real Jobs.
I think that the poster was being a mite unfair to the reviewers. Its true that there are some out there who would deride this as "only a cartoon," but those guys didn't seem to be at the Rotton Tomatos website, which I think did a very good job of showing what was good and what was bad about the movie.
There is a lot of bad anime, and its comonly recognized that "90% of anything is crap" be it SciFi, code, movies, books, or anime. The Cowboy Bebop series is emphaticly *not* in the 90%, but the movie does slip a little.
When I first saw a fansub of the movie at the MIT anime club at the Halloween 2001 showing, I liked it, but I didn't love it the way I did some of the episodes in the TV series. Of course, comparing anything to say-Ballad of Fallen Angels is completly unfair, but it isn't unreasonable for critics to complain that the movie falls from the heights that are Cowboy Bebop.
The movie had great animation and a solid plot, but it lacked some of the series' style and was a little slow (and not the good slow that GitS represents). If you liked the series, I'd recomend it, but it isn't in the same leauge as Spirited Away.
This sig wasn't worth reading, was it.
The reviewer writes:
which I find quite amusing since Ghibli films (of which Chihiro is the latest released outside of Japan) are well renowned for their exquisitely hand-drawn backgrounds.
A poster claims that the action in the movie is even better than in the series, and since I haven't seen the movie yet, I wonder, how can it possibly be better than in the Pierrot le Fou episode? By the way, Pierrot le Fou is the title of a classic French film (1965) by Jean-Luc Godard with Jean-Pierre Belmondo and Anna Karina.
Another poster notes that an advantage of animated cinema is that in fantasy settings, anything can be drawn without additionnal cost. Another advantage is that everything blends: reality and fantasy share the same status, whereas in photographic cinema fantasy is rendered by special effects which can often be distinguished from a normal picture. The movie Perfect Blue shows this effect quite well, I think. This distinction is nevertheless quickly fading, with the advent of always better computer generated special effects, and the abuse of CG in animation. Another feature of animated cinema is that everything that is seen on screen had to be decided upon, so that it can be claimed that every element of a picture carries a meaning, at least much more so than in traditionnal movies.
Xavier
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