Mars 2071. A
mysterious black clad man detonates a tanker in a populated Mars city. Initially there are no casualties but moments
later several on lookers begin falling victim to mysterious symptoms. The government responds to the threat by
placing a 300 Million Woolong reward on the head of the one responsible. With no leads but extra incentive from the
biggest bounty ever, the crew of the Bebop beings its mission to capture the
culprit. Soon, Spike, Jet and Faye find
themselves caught up in their biggest and most dangerous adventure yet, facing
against a man who doesn’t fear death…and has a master plan they may not be able
to stop.
You know, there are times you never really know how much
you miss something until you see it again.
I felt that when Bobby hugged Storm in X-Men: Days of Future Past, how
much I missed the original X-Men cast and I feel it every time I hear the Game
of Thrones theme after a year of waiting for a new season. The same goes for the crew of the Bebop. I will always remember the good times I had
with them during the legendary TV series but it’s tear jerking to see them back
in a brand new adventure…that manages to do the impossible. It’s rare that a show as well done as Cowboy
Bebop manages to receive a just as strong follow up in the form of a
movie. But low and behold, Knockin on
Heaven’s Door is a worthy addition to the Bebop legacy, taking everything that
made Cowboy Bebop excellent and taking it to the next level.
In many ways, Knockin on Heaven’s Door feels like one big
class reunion. It is exciting to see
Spike, Jet, Faye and their friends once again and they all get ample time to
shine (fans of the lovable Ed and Ein duo will enjoy their mini mars adventure
to find a hacker). Spike still kicks
butt, Jet’s the sage and ample investigator, Faye’s the sexy hothead, these are
the characters we all remember and love and never get tired of watching
together on screen. The new characters
are complex, deep and very well rounded.
Vincent is the ultimate foe for Spike while Electra and Rashid add their
own fun mysteries to the mix. What’s
best of it all is that this isn’t like a random Shonen movie where the film
isn’t really cannon (Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha). The Bebop movie is actually set before the
last few episodes of the series, allowing Spike and his crew one final epic
romp before they have their final battle with Vicious at the end of the series.
The animation goes above the original as it should for a
big screen debut. Do I dare say that
everyone looks a little more “real” in this movie than in the series
itself? Yeah, the amount of detail going
into not just the characters but also their movements and the world around them
makes you feel like this is could be a huge live action film romp, for further
proof of this behold the amazing opening credits that paint a futuristic day in
the life of a city no different from one today set to the smooth tones of Yoko
Kanno’s music. The Moroccan Street
segment is a nice look at the little bit of different culture added into a modern
day city and it stands out from the skyscrapers and pretty buildings of the
main metropolis.
Speaking of the infamous composer, Yoko Kanno brings her
A game to the film. Once again, the
sounds of each track are diverse and rarely ever the same. But for those who still want to hear the epic
jazz sounds that made the TV Show a blast to watch, fear not they’re still here
and help highlight two of the films central action pieces. From non-stop action to chase sequences to
spine tingling thriller moments, Yoko Kanno knows what sounds work for all and
once again proves why she is one of the best musical composers not just of
Anime but of all time.
I do have to nitpick a little bit when it comes to one
notable aspect of the film…besides the fact that is has to end and thus ending
any new Bebop for the time being. The
side story with the ISSP detectives tasked with finding Vincent felt a bit
unnecessary. Any information they find,
or rather find too late, is told in a much better fashion to Spike and the
other characters at other points of the movie.
I’m not sure what scenes could have taken their place, they do blend
pretty well with the music and action.
The raid on the Water Treatment Plant is a well orchestrated scene with
an intense soundtrack and sense of scale that befitted adding the subtitle “The
Movie” to “Cowboy Bebop”. But really,
the detectives weren’t needed at the end of the day.
Cowboy Bebop The Movie-Knockin on Heaven’s Door is a
surprise in many ways for fans of a show that ended with a strong note of
finality. The film has stellar action,
the story is intense and captivating, the characters are all lovable, the
animation top notch, the music is legendary, you will be hard pressed to find a
flaw with this film and even I have to admit my nitpick feels a bit forced. Sure it never hurts to check out the TV
series before hand to get a better grasp of the universe. But if you haven’t heard of Cowboy Bebop
(which is an issue if you are an anime fan) or just looking for a fun action
anime romp…or forgot I reviewed the series about this time last year (wow), the
movie works as a strong intro for both categories.
At least you know once Spike utters his final words in
the Series Finale, you know there’s at least one more BANG coming your way in
this little gift…unless you watch it in it’s chronological point (between
Episodes 22 and 23) before you finish the series in which case…yeah BANG is
still BANG and the series is over.
Whatever, im rambling now. Cowboy
Bebop: Knockin on Heaven’s Door rocks pure and simple and is easily one of the
Top Ten Anime Films I have ever seen.
Now quit reading and go watch it.
9.5/10
Check back next week for a return to Eden with a look at
Macross Plus: The Movie, the way MP was originally meant to be seen.
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