Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
R | 11 August 2002 (USA)
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The year is 2071. Following a terrorist bombing, a deadly virus is released on the populace of Mars and the government has issued the largest bounty in history, for the capture of whoever is behind it. The bounty hunter crew of the spaceship Bebop; Spike, Faye, Jet and Ed, take the case with hopes of cashing in the bounty. However, the mystery surrounding the man responsible, Vincent, goes deeper than they ever imagined, and they aren't the only ones hunting him.

Reviews
Cubussoli

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

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Mjeteconer

Just perfect...

Teringer

An Exercise In Nonsense

Nayan Gough

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

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Better_TV

This 2001 feature based on the anime series of the same name flirts with being the perfect introduction to anime for viewers unfamiliar with the genre, but be warned that some of its cliches might still put off non-converts. Highlights include:-A mostly great English dub, right down to the ancillary characters. Steve Blum will be associated with the wiry, perpetually unperturbed spacefaring bounty hunter Spike Spiegel till the end of his days, and here he imbues the character with an infectious joie de vivre and a flirtatious attitude to go along with new one-time love interest Elektra Ovilo. I also loved Nicholas Guest as the mysterious Rashid, as well as Michael Gregory as the soft-spoken (though stereotypical) Native American chief Laughing Bull.-Impeccable music. Yoko Kanno's versatile and jazzy tunes are layered over explosive dogfights and tranquil strolls in equal measure. Her music remains one of the most vital reasons to watch the original television series, and it is a major draw for this film. Most of the tunes are joyful and exuberantly funky, as if they were lost Motown classics. But there are quieter, contemplative pieces too, especially towards the end of the film.-Jaw-dropping action scenes. The fight choreography here has to be seen to be believed. Scenes from this film have indisputably gone down in animated film history: the hand-to-hand fight between Spike and Vincent on the speeding frail line, the wild aerial battle featuring vintage WWII biplanes and futuristic fighter aircraft; the improvisational fight between Spike and Electra where the former's weapon of choice is a broom handle; the final, vicious confrontation between Spike and Vincent during a rainstorm. These will suck in just about any viewer, and they almost all top even the better fights from the TV series.An interesting plot. There's a bit of a mystery here, so viewers can get their procedural fix too. Interviewing leads and pursuing suspects involves some actual detective work that leads to a sinister bio-tech company with a front as a generic pharmaceutical entity. As in the show, the main characters (Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, Ein) all go off on their own in pursuit of the truth, rather than sticking together as a group; they're all loners at heart, which especially became apparent in the final episodes of the TV series.-Moroccan Street. The director wanted to explore a different cultural setting than he had in the TV series, and the scenes that take place on "Moroccan Street" provide a unique Middle Eastern aesthetic that feels both respectful and celebratory. The art department was clearly fascinated by Middle Eastern culture, and it shows. Don't know of any other anime that pays this much reverence to the style of the Mid East. What is unfortunately generic is the villain, Vincent. Clad in a billowing cape and with a hilariously dead stare, plus an unintentionally ridiculous voice by Daran Norris, he's about as stereotypical as a self-involved suicidal terrorist mastermind can be. His vampiric appearance is occasionally effective when he sets off bombs or kills one of his lackeys, but his backstory couldn't be any hokier. He creepily romances Faye and Electra; it all comes across as comically emo.Other odd anime-isms that might threaten this film's consumption by a non-anime watching audience include the character of Ed, who is just as loopy as she was in the TV series. She'll be endearing to anime fans and off-putting to everyone else, though Melissa Fahn's performance is great. There's also some slapstick jokes that might feel out of place to neophytes, as well as some cartoony characters like the old coots who help out in the dogfight scene. And the runtime is a bit long at two hours.Still, this is one my favorite anime movies. It's slick, sexy and cool, with a familiar Westernized flair that distinguishes it from other kookier shows and movies in this Japanese medium. I recommend it.

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Eric Stevenson

It's hard for me to address "Cowboy Bebop" seeing as how it's the highest ranked anime of all time here. Well, actually "One Punch Man" has since gotten a higher rating, but you get the idea. I just love being introduced to all these beloved characters. I've seen about one or two episodes of the actual show and what I saw was definitely good. Possibly the most enjoyable character is the lead Spike. I especially love this guy's voice. Even though he's gone through so much crap, he still remains calm and laid back through all of his struggles and is a damn good fighter too.Ed is nothing but fun to watch. I love her strange mannerisms, her voice, her talents and everything else. Faye is one of the most beautiful characters ever depicted in pop culture. And yeah, her personality's great too. It's of course great to look at the gorgeous animation, which is just as good as the actual show. I just love the atmosphere of the film and how it manages to have a distinct story separate from the actual series. I will admit some of the new side characters here could be better, but it's still a great movie. I simply can't say no to seeing all these classic characters shine. ***1/2

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trunkslamchest

I created this account to write this review.I have been a big fan of Cowboy Bebop since I first watched it back in 2006. I am not a fan of anime, but Cowboy Bebop is the only anime that breaks that boundary for me with it's fantastic retro-futurism, dark undertones and deep character development. My first attempt at watching the Cowboy Bebop Movie came about 4 years ago. I got roughly 30 minutes into it and turned it off because of how unnatural it all felt. The music felt wrong, characters felt wooden...It reminded me of the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 movie...they did it because they had to/knew they would make a lot of money off it. It left a very sour taste in my mouth, although it did not affect my pure love and passion for the TV Series. The TV Series is a SOLID 9/10, and could only be improved upon if they had extended the series a few more episodes. The TV Series is as close to perfect as you can get.Flash forward to this morning. I decided to continue my ritual of watching Cowboy Bebop once a month and decided, "Lets give the movie another shot." So as a fan who is still loves the TV series, my opinions will be based upon the movie's comparison to the TV Series rather than how a casual fan or how the average movie go-er might review the film. PROS: 1. The scenery and cinematography is amazing, as it is with the TV series. Backdrops are breathtaking, animation is top notch, action scenes are fluid and phenomenally choreographed. 2. More Cowboy Bebop.CONS: 1. Copy & Pasted Plot: The movie's story line and plot devices are basically cut and pasted from different episodes of the TV series. More specifically: Session 4 (plot to save a planet from biological terrorism), Session 6 (unkillable villain finally dies and has revelations about his assumed immortality), Session 19 (use of old air/spacecraft to save the day), Session 20 (fight scenes on a train), and Session 23 (the real villain uses a decoy to mask his identity...actually there are a handful of sessions that do this). There are a lot more examples but these are just a few off the top of my head. Vicious is basically Vincent, and Electra is basically Julia. Spike & Friends go from low life bounty hunters to unsung heroes of the solar system with the flip of a switch because "its the right thing to do." a major theme of the TV series is hopelessness. there is no hopelessness in the movie.2. Spike's love interest in Electra: No. Just...No. Spike Loves Julia. Spike has always loved Julia. I love Julia. Spike only lets Julia go after Session 26, because she dead. The movie takes place between session 22 & 23. Julia is not dead yet. Spike is still searching for Julia. WHAT THE ****?3. Poorly Executed Ending: I said to myself "this is a 7/10" all the way up to the last 20 minutes. Pisswater Ex-Machina. Faye magically breaks into a massive weather control station with an Uzi and just demands they make it rain. Jet magically summons a fleet of biplanes in like an hour, even though the crew of the bebop is constantly poor and would have no way to pay for the rental costs since they can barely pay for fuel and food. Vincent dies, reveals he and Electra used to bang, butterflies circle in (Butterflies are this movies John Woo white doves), Jet and Faye have an awkward conversation...and roll credits. It was like a train-wreck, except the train kinda just went off the tracks a little and slid into an open field, rather than slamming into an oncoming train.5. Unnatural Personalities: Edward and Ein were the only two main characters that felt authentic. Faye acted like a high school girl with a gun, not a strong woman who trusts no one and has had to look over her shoulder her entire life. Jet acts like a dad, instead of a hardened ex-cop who doesn't want to admit his feelings for his crew members, but passive aggressively does through his actions. Spike lacks the apathetic wit and clever edginess that makes him so lovable in the TV Series. In the movie, he kind of just comes off as a d-bag.6. Singular Setting: The entire movie takes place on Mars. There is no space. There are no other planets or space stations. The TV Series built an entire solar system of locations filled with lore and mystery that could surely have been expanded upon in the movie. Why the does the entire cowboy bebop movie take place on 1 planet? not just 1 planet, but 1 city on 1 planet. there are multiple cities on Mars, yet no mention of them in the movie. They act like Alba City is the only settlement on Mars. WHAT THE ****?I can keep going and going and going but....1000 word maximum.Am I saying the cowboy bebop movie is bad? no. Am I saying you shouldn't watch it? No. Maybe my disappointment comes from the movie's clear disconnection from the TV series, but as a long time fan of the TV Series, I simply had to vent my utter disappointment with the movie....somewhere.

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Irishchatter

I thought this film was alright, the English voice actors were really good like they showed how much they had put into their roles and not muck up. Although I have to say, the action is this should've been more active like it seems to be the characters don't know very much on how to kick real bad guy ass. Now when they were on the space crafts, it felt so real that I was either in Thunderbirds, Star Trek or Star Wars. One or the other, they were some good scene's. I didn't think the ending was the best because I would've thought Spike would kill Vincent and of course, win over Electras heart but unfortunately it was not the case!

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