Review: "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" (2001)

Based on the popular animated TV series, “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” is a stylish and fast-paced crime thriller filled with adventure, intriguing characters and fabulous music.

Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe in gritty, film-noir style, “Cowboy Bebop” follows the adventures of Spike Spiegel, a lackadaisical Bruce Lee type bounty hunter living on a futuristic and multi-ethnic Mars, and his band of bounty hunting comrades as they pursue a terrorist intent on unleashing a deadly virus that would destroy the planet. Living on the spaceship Bebop, Spike’s crew is an interesting cast of characters: renaissance-man Jet Black is a hardworking and gruff ex-cop; headstrong and sexy Faye Valentine is addicted to gambling and a fighter pilot extraordinaire; free-spirited and eccentric Edward (a girl) is a genius computer hacker with boundless energy; and “data dog” Ein, an exceptionally intelligent Welsh Corgi adept at playing chess amongst other super-dog talents.

“Cowboy Bebop” is a fun ride and the best parts are the amazing fight sequences, on par with any good live-action film. From the opening fight in a grocery store to the showdown on the bridge with the villain, the pacing is suspenseful and the choreography is creative. The scene where Spike, disguised as an office cleaning man, first confronts Electra, a special detective also on the trail of the terrorist, using buckets, mops and brooms is especially impressive.

The production design is also noteworthy as it beautifully captures the look and feel of a multicultural world. The design of the Arab sector is particularly intriguing. Finally, kudos must go to the eclectic music, created by Yoko Kanno, which blends a variety of jazz, classical, blues and rock tunes that underscore the multicultural setting.

Review: "Tekkon Kinkreet" (2006)

Tekkon Kinkreet” is a fast-paced and poignant animated film that features stunning visuals, interesting characters and an emotionally resonant story of brotherly love.

Loosely translated as “concrete jungle”, “Tekkon Kinkreet” opens with the image of a black crow soaring out of the clouds and swooping down over Treasure Town, a decaying and crime-ridden underbelly of a major Japanese metropolis. The symbolism of the black crow as an augury of death and destruction is appropriate given that “Tekkon Kinkreet” is essentially a tale of transformation – of a city and its people.

Part fantasy, part action-adventure, “Tekkon Kinkreet” centers on the story of Black and White, two orphaned boys with unusual superpowers, who live on the streets of Treasure Town and band together to battle various mobster factions that threaten their beloved home by razing the city center to build a modern amusement park. Black is a tough, pessimistic, anger-filled teenager whose first instinct is to fight. By contrast, White is an innocent child with a sunny disposition who’s always dreaming of a better world filled with blue skies, sandy beaches and dives in the ocean with dolphins. Like yin and yang, together they balance each other; apart, they each fall prey to the extremes of their light and dark natures. Despite names that imply a one-note characterization, both Black and White are interesting characters that draw us in with their vulnerability and so we grow to care about what happens to them.

In addition to the narrative of the young boys, director Michael Arias also skillfully weaves an interesting secondary story about the rivalry between old-school, change-resisting yakuza who value comraderie and their traditional code of honor versus the cynical, modern bad guys who care only about power and money.

Although the film would have benefited from tighter editing - some of the action sequences are repetitive – “Tekkon Kinkreet” is a visually fantastic and thought-provoking anime for adults that explores themes of brotherhood and the impact of urban modernization.

Review: "Ponyo" (2008)

From the breathtaking opening images of a fantastical ocean world of undulating jellyfish, sea anemones and candy-colored sea creatures, “Ponyo” transports us into a realm of hypnotic beauty and magic where anything is possible. Inspired loosely by “The Little Mermaid”, the story is about the friendship between a young boy (Sosuke) and a goldfish princess (Ponyo) who longs to be human. As with his earlier work “My Neighbor Totoro”, director Hayao Miyazaki brings a warm and whimsical feeling to a “goldfish out of water” tale, capturing perfectly the behavior and mannerisms of exuberant young children growing up and learning to take responsibility in an adult world.

While the narrative of “Ponyo” is more meandering and less defined than in previous Miyazaki films, the main highlights are the charming characters and stunning visuals. Ponyo, like Mei in “My Neighbor Totoro”, is an adventurous and stubborn girl who revels in all the delights of the human world while Sosuke exudes a wiseness beyond his years and a quiet, grounding calmness of spirit. Even the adult characters are well-realized: I especially liked Sosuke’s mother Lisa - a spunky gal with a bit of an impulsive streak as evidenced by her Speed Racer driving style, and Ponyo’s father Fujimoto - a curmudgeonly wizard who wants only to protect her from the evil humans who have damaged the ocean with their wasteful ways.

The ocean itself is a character in the story and Miyazaki’s imagination and animation skills bring to life a magical world of enchantment and mystery that is unlike any other. From a visual standpoint, the sheer creativity and attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Each of the sea creatures is unique and artfully detailed. The colors are gorgeous and complement the environments – bright and vivid for the ocean, soft and warm in the land of humans.

Overall, “Ponyo” is a lovely and touching film and its themes of friendship, female empowerment and respect for the natural world will resonate with both children and adults.

Review: "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988)

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a warm-hearted and enchanting animated family film that explores the blissful wonder of being a child. It focuses on the journey of two girls, Satsuki and her kid sister Mei, who move with their father to the Japanese countryside and discover a new world filled with fascinating and fantastical creatures. As they explore their new surroundings the girls encounter Totoro, a large, fuzzy, silent raccoon-type of creature living in a huge camphor tree and known as the “king of the forest”, and embark on a series of magical adventures.

Unlike some of Miyazaki’s previous feature films like “Castle in the Sky” and “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” which emphasize dramatic conflict and thrilling battles, “My Neighbor Totoro” is more concerned with observing a slice of life of two very real, likeable and spirited young girls as they use their resources of imagination to fuel adventure and overcome obstacles. What’s truly amazing is how Miyazaki evokes the magic and wonder of childhood, capturing in realistic detail the emotions and activities of ordinary children as they explore and settle into their new surroundings.

The visuals, as in all Miyazaki films, are stunning – the recreation of a rural Japanese landscape is detailed and realistic while the magical creatures are enchanting and one of kind. Yet it is Satsuki and Mei that resonate the most. We come to care about them and are concerned for them when things go wrong.

Review: "Castle in the Sky" (1986)

“Castle in the Sky” is a fast-paced, Indiana Jones-style animated adventure that will appeal to children and adults alike. As with most Hayao Miyazaki films, an engaging and thrilling adventure story is delivered with a subtle message of respect for the environment.

The film kicks off as a young boy, Pazu, encounters Sheeta, a girl floating down from the sky. We discover that Sheeta, who possesses a crystal necklace that’s believed to lead the way to the mythical floating island of Laputa, has been kidnapped by government agents eager to acquire the pendant and harness the island’s mysterious power. As Pazu and Sheeta try to dodge the secret agents and embark on their own quest for Laputa, a number of high-flying and thrilling adventures ensue involving trains, planes, pirates and robots.

As in all his films, Miyazaki creates an imaginary world full of color and life, inhabited by complex yet interesting characters. “Castle in the Sky” is filled with epic-style battle scenes and it’s refreshing to see both female and male protagonists on equal footing as heroes.

Revew: "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004)

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is an enchanting animated family film that transports you to a magical fantasy world and tells a moving story about the transformative power of love and kindness.

Adapted from a children’s book written by Diana Wynne Jones, “Howl’s Moving Castle” focuses on the story of Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), a shy, plain-looking and serious teenager who works in a hat shop, and Howl (voiced by Christian Bale), a handsome but vain wizard whom she meets by chance when he literally sweeps her off her feet to protect her from some malicious soldiers. Enraged by jealousy, the Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by Lauren Bacall) promptly curses Sophie, turning her into a 90-year old woman. In an effort to break her curse, Sophie embarks on a journey that brings her to Howl’s mysterious moving castle where she befriends the wizard’s young apprentice and a tough little fire demon. As she experiences life through an older woman’s eyes, she not only matures and learns something about herself but helps transform all the castle’s inhabitants, who are “cursed” by their own personal demons.

As imagined by director Hayao Miyazaki, the fantasy worlds of “Howl’s Moving Castle” are visually stunning and not like anything seen before. Miyazaki creates gorgeous and richly detailed images of bustling towns, vast mountains and flowery fields, reminiscent of early 20th century Europe. But the piece-de-resistance is Howl’s castle – a smoke belching contraption that looks as if its components were foraged from a junkyard and which moves about on chicken feet. It’s just awe-inspiring.

The narrative is complex and frequently goes off on tangents, into and out of various worlds and across time and space. Yet the journey is always interesting as the characters are multi-layered and we come to care about them. The English voice cast is excellent all-around, particularly Christian Bale who imbues Howl with a sexy bad-boy vibe.

Miyazaki weaves together a number of messages which should resonate with children and adults alike. One is that old age can be liberating. We see this quite vividly as Sophie develops from a shy, mousy girl into a confident and loving woman. Another is that embracing others with compassion and kindness can help them to tackle personal demons, resulting in positive change.

Review: "Paprika" (2006)

The Japanese anime, “Paprika” is an exciting sci-fi action thriller with stunning imagery, a mind-twisting plot and some thought-provoking social commentary.

The story centers around a new psychotherapy device called the DC Mini, invented by a group of scientists at a psychiatric research institute, which enables them to enter people’s dreams, explore their sub-conscious thoughts and help them work out their psychological issues. Just as the DC Mini is about to be approved by the government, several prototypes go missing, along with one of the scientists. Soon the perfect dream machine is being used as a terrorist weapon to freak people out by traumatizing them with nightmarish visions implanted into their minds. Called upon to uncover the evil mastermind is Dr. Atsuko Chiba, the head of the DC Mini development team and a somewhat stern psychotherapist, who can dive into this dangerous dream world using her alter-ego “Paprika”: a feisty, kick-ass warrior-detective who gives new meaning to the term “dream girl”. She is supported by some intriguing sidekicks: chunky colleague Dr. Tokita, the genius inventor of the DC Mini; Dr. Shima, a spunky little fellow known as The Chief; and Detective Konakawa, a hardened cop trapped in his own film-noir dream. As the various characters weave between their own dreams and the dreams of others in search of the terrorist, they also discover new insights about themselves.

As imagined by director Satoshi Kon, the dream world of “Paprika” is a scary and chaotic realm reminiscent of a Freudian sub-conscious run amok: a parade of dancing kitchen appliances, drumming frogs, laughing dolls, a Statue of Liberty, a rocking Torii gate along with other detritus marches along to a point of no return, sweeping up all the humans in its path; a giant geisha doll pierces glass with her high-pitched screaming and crashes through the Tokyo streets like Godzilla and a marauding robot with an insatiable appetite gobbles up whomever it wants.

Just like a dream, the narrative has many layers and isn’t always coherent. Not a big deal. The eye-popping, fantastical visual delights are enthralling in and of themselves. On another level, the film probes deeper psychological questions about the boundary between dreams and reality, how that which we repress or try to control inevitably escapes into dreams and how the Internet and dreams are similar. Ultimately, the dark world of “Paprika” underscores a cautionary message about the de-humanizing impact of technology and the danger lurking in our escapist fantasies that threatens to pull us further away from the real world and from each other.