Review of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Introduction

I`m often surprised at just how much it costs to make a film these days. There was a time not too long ago, that a budget over $100 million would have been unthinkable. Then Titanic, and Waterworld came, and blew conventional thinking away. A lot of it has to do with the A-list actors` escalating salaries, a lot with the studio wisdom that to make money you need to spend money, but much of it has to do with bringing a vision to the screen. Nowadays a lot of money is spent on creating fantasy worlds, or bringing to life ancient history. A combination of sets and CGI is used to make the audiences` experience as authentic as possible, but this all comes at a price, and not just in terms of budgets heading inexorably towards ten figures. Hollywood studios will be more likely to invest in `the sure thing`, and each year the number of such films made will decline. Yet there is always animation. With animation the only constraint on what can be put on film is the limit of one`s imagination. Characters can explore the strangest worlds, take part in the most outlandish of adventures, and perform death defying, hair-raising stunts, and the budget will be the same as if the story was a more sedate romance. Yet in the US film industry, the culture is such that animation is still considered a juvenile medium. It isn`t for serious subject matter, but merely shiny happy characters that will keep children out of mischief for ninety minutes or so (Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow may change things though). Thankfully, the Japanese film industry is there to create animations that are more serious in tone, and handle adult subject matter with intelligence, wit and above all, imagination.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a prime example of anime. Based on the television series of the same name, this is my first exposure to the world of Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed and having heard good things about the film I was expecting something special. This film exceeded those expectations. Mere days before Halloween 2071, a tanker explodes on a Martian highway, spraying onlookers with a deadly virus. The authorities fear another more horrific attack, and post a bounty for the terrorists behind the tanker explosion. This is good news for the crew of the Bebop, whose funds are so low that they have been reduced to eating Pot Noodles. This time however, they may be in over their heads, as clues lead to a military conspiracy, illegal research and an adversary that apparently died years ago, and is reluctant to do so again.

Video

Cowboy Bebop is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic ratio and the transfer is excellent. The image is clear throughout with strong vivid colours. There may have been the occasional speck of dirt on the print, but I may have been imagining it.

The animation is superb. The characters move with such fluidity and grace that there were moments that seemed rotoscoped. The actions sequences are stunning with the hand-to-hand combat the best I have seen in animation. Unsurprising really as Spike Spiegel a student of Jeet Kun Do, and you can see Bruce Lee channelled in the way he is animated. The character designs are excellent by and large, although ancillary characters occasionally seem lacking in definition. Where Cowboy Bebop excels is in the world design. This is a world of the future that is utterly believable. It`s as if every aspect has been thought out to the tiniest detail. The colony on Mars has an astounding cityscape, and the transition between the alien landscape of Mars and the walled in Earth-like colony is worth seeing twice. The cars, the planes, the buildings, the people are all distinct and detailed. You very quickly forget that you are watching an anime and find yourself immersed in this wonderful world.

Audio

Cowboy Bebop comes with three soundtracks. I listened to the DD 5.1 English track long enough to realise that it is not the way to watch the film, the lip sync is accurate but the dialogue is awkward. I listened to the DD 5.1 Russian track just long enough so that I can report that it isn`t a dub, merely the Russian dialogue spoken over the English track. The DD 5.1 Japanese track is the way to go though, with the original dialogue most suited to the characters. The surrounds are put to good use conveying the action of the film, and there is plenty of action to keep your speakers satisfied. But the strength of Cowboy Bebop has to be the music. The score is excellent and the selection of tunes really gives the anime a singular style that is most effective with the light-hearted action and unique characters. It`s definitely a soundtrack CD to look out for. The English subtitles are fortunately of the translated kind, rather than reflecting the dub.

Features

The extras on this disc are a little piecemeal, but they do amount to quite a substantial helping. The menu screen is a nicely animated tour of the Martian cityscape, with a nice bit of music to accompany it.

There are six featurettes on this disc. From The Small Screen To The Big Screen lasts 5½ minutes, and relates the differences between the series and the movie, there`s input from the creators, as well as the American and Japanese vocal talents.

International Appeal: What`s Not To Like? lasts 7 minutes and looks at what it is about Cowboy Bebop that transcends borders.

Then there are 4 character featurettes, Spike: A Complex Soul (7½ min), Faye: Intellectual Vixen (6½ min), Ed: Resident Eccentric (7 min) and Jet: No Ordinary Dad (5 min). These look at the central characters, their genesis at the hands of the artists and the actors who supply their voices, both Japanese and American.

All these featurettes are presented in an anamorphic format and with DD 2.0 sound and English subtitles. The image is usually a combination of animation, artwork, talking heads and captions for Japanese speakers. It could so easily have been cluttered but the information is easy to take in.

There are Storyboard Comparisons, four in all, and they are just as you would expect. The total running time for the four scenes is around 15 minutes.

There are text character biographies for all five of the Bebop crew (including Ein, the Corgi). It`s all invaluable stuff if like me you haven`t yet seen the series.

There are Conceptual Art galleries for the characters, machines and accessories in the Bebop universe. There are 112 line drawings in total spread around five categories. Like most of these features, not the entire screen is used to display them, which is a small shame.

There are two music videos, or to be more precise, you can watch the opening and end credit sequences without any text or captions to get in the way of the visuals. These two pieces run a total of 6 minutes and are presented anamorphically and with DD 5.1 sound.

Finally there are trailers for Cowboy Bebop and Metropolis presented in letterbox format.

Conclusion

Cowboy Bebop is a must see anime, it`s among the best feature animations that I have seen. It excels in nearly every aspect. It must be said that the story is unexceptional; it`s a classic cyberpunk thriller with just enough sci-fi to keep it futuristic. A city is held to ransom, by a mysterious figure with access to a horrific virus. This could be the stuff of many a spy thriller were it not for the Martian setting and the nature of the threat. What makes this story shine is the way that it is presented. There is a certain ambiguity about the villain that makes him slightly more ominous, and we aren`t given too many clues about his motivations. While the story is familiar and simple, it`s complexity lies in the way we learn what is going on.

I`ve said this already, but the animation is superb. The characters flow with a smoothness and grace that looks astounding, and there is individuality in their movements too, that reflects their characters. Ed particularly has a spaced out feel to her movements that adds charm to her character. I`ve also already mentioned the fight sequences, but it bears repeating, they are that good. There is also a great amount of care and attention paid to the world design. I have rarely seen such a rounded world presented in an animation. I got the feeling that every aspect of the world had been thought about, and if I could peek around a corner, or pick up a newspaper in that world, it would be there, fully realised, even though it isn`t on screen.

The music is also a cut above what I have come to expect from anime. A combination of Blues Funk that reflects the Bebop of the title, Yôko Kanno`s music is an integral part of the world of Cowboy Bebop and is as much a character as anyone else. The tunes are toe-tappingly good, and enhance the action.

Speaking of characters, the characters are designed well, but written even better. There is a depth to Spike, Ed, Jet and Faye that goes beyond the story. I suppose that is a reflection of the television series, but the interactions between them is a joy to watch. The same care has been applied to the other characters as well, and it all boils down to a film that just oozes cool.

This DVD release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is delightful. The movie is funny, witty, exciting and entertaining. The transfer is excellent, and there is a nice selection of extras. You won`t regret watching this film.