Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira

They thought they could just buy the rights to clone characters and we'll swallow the media like animals who neither care nor know what they are eating. Anyone who watched the series for its storytelling could tell this is the extracted commercial version of the series sold out to Mr.risk-free-corporate so a marketing team armed with all the audience reports money can buy could pimp it out to a mass of horny "fans" who couldn't give a buck what sucked them off behind the dumpster as long as it ended in "bebop".

[Quotes from the meetings with producers & teams]

"...you think? in case you don't know ... the kind of money they put into this thing, they want real music, the good stuff; none of that confusing jazz shit... oh, about that; Yoko Kanno's just a credit, we had her supervise and let our own guys put something together, crowd's gonna love it"

"...I think I can speak for everyone when I say I was lost from the start, how's the audience supposed to follow any of this if we can't?!... no I don't need to be a writer to know wh... look, people think like kids, It's the same in sales, if you don't tell them what to look for, they don't know what they're looking at, follow?"

"...that weird boy who sounds like a girl, yeah, make him say even more weird stuff!... Hey, HEY! No he's not gonna become a main character...I don't care if it's a ladyboy or whatever, the kids like him, put it in!... no I hear you; and I'm saying only kids watch cartoons"

"...of course I watched the show, even I liked the parts where bebop flew his plane super fast and dodged the shots from the bounty hunters, put one of those in, make a long one... I don't understand?...not really what I wanted to hear, you're the director; just make it fit"

"...this isn't a show you know, where making; a movie "based" on the show...no you're not seeing it, it's "Cowboy-Bebop-the-movie"... I keep repeating myself because you keep complaining...the show had a completely different episode every time, this is just another completely different episode...it doesn't have to match or anything, everyone will like it, we promise"

"...loved the butterflies I think that'll sit well with our female audience...now where should we put the boob for our male audience... of course it needs a boob...yeah yeah go back to your den, you know what sells more than anything else? the movie's getting a boob no matter what, you know the rules"

An awful storyboard and even worse dialogue make for an amazingly predictable and godawful 2hrs. Boy, I sure hope they never think to do anything like this again in 2021.

Commonly recognized as one of the great early-2000s anime movies, but less so as an unlikely candidate for best non-horror yearly Halloween rewatch. Spike's illusive, at times mystical lost chapter in his journey for closure is a worthy send off for fans of the original series, thanks in no small part to its grounded presentation and industry-standard technical quality. The spiritual themes and nuanced symbolism that mark some of the iconic moments of the series make themselves at home here, in turn giving some of the most intense sequences a genuine deep dive quality throughout some of the darkest waters of Spike's characterization. It's a ... solid action thriller under the Bebop brand, with beautifully animated fistfights, shootouts and chase sequences, featuring some of the best tunes written for the saga, a high-stakes plot and plenty of fine-tuned lightheartedness. Still, its intriguing ambiguity and mature introspection may well be its most impressive achievements. The subtext of man-versus-self is interesting enough to carry a good few more analytical rewatches throughout the years, but it's no doubt the lush animation, smooth pace and rich interactions among the Bebop gang that'll make you keep coming.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie follows the Bebop universe and presents a new story of biological terrorism and bounty hunting. Spike, Jet, Faye, Edward, and Ein work together to catch a terrorist with a huge bounty on his head before he unleashes a deadly virus on Mars.

The Bebop movie is superb. If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed, but you won't miss a beat if you decide to watch it without ever having seen the series either. Like the series, the movie features fantastic animation and a phenomenal soundtrack.

If you haven't seen the series, enough cannot be said here about ... the quality of animation and audio, and you should take a look at the review of the series itself. But what sets the movie apart (and above) is its story: while the plot isn't terribly intricate or even among the most interesting, it's still a plot. Viewers of the Bebop series will probably agree that for all of its pros, the show suffered at times from an incoherent plot and hit-or-miss episodes. Think of the Bebop movie as one long hit episode. The characters remain as lively and unique as they were in the anime, but here there is an enemy, a plan to capture him, teamwork, and a feeling of urgency and excitement. All of this culminates in a beautifully done final fight scene.

Apart from being slow at times, the Bebop movie has no negative aspects. It is a joy to see the landmark characters of the series in a full-length film. It is even greater to see a developed plot accompanying such fine music and animation. Fans and non-fans alike should give the Bebop movie a view.

Overall Score: A

Find snapshots and a high quality download at my blog http://animefiend.blogspot.com

What happened?

This is the question I had asked myself after watching the superb Cowboy Bebop television series. It ended on a high, with a shootout that puts Spaghetti Westerns to shame and rode to one of my all time favourite anime with one of the most original premise in years.

So why did this movie not succeed my expectations? The new setting was brilliant, unforced and wonderfully animated. The soundtrack as always is the wet dream of precocious and pretentious teenagers alike.

Yet the story and characters were just flawed. I could forgive the somewhat muted interactions in the TV series because most of it ... would come together at some point but nothing happened! Nothing pivotal and/or significant bar introducing a new villain who suffered from an inferiority complex compared to the more calm, collected and menacing, Vicious.

Spike literally adhered to everything we expect from a heavily noir-inspired protagonist and the rest of characters did not get enough screen time to develop profoundly in any shape. There was no new character arcs that I could connect with and nothing here for the audience to generally get pumped/or invested in.

Which is a shame, because outside of the predictable story and characters, the rest could have been condensed into another classic cowboy bebop episode. And that is what seems to have happened here, a setting was blown up with filler content, meretricious drama and more clocking for time as it finally decided Spike should have his confrontation with the villain.

The mild disappointment is the disappointment that stings the most. A shame because I regard the TV shows to be a triumphant success in dragging people unaccustomed to the eccentricities of anime to fully appreciate the quirks in them. Better luck next time.

[contains spoilers]

"I love the kind of woman that can kick my ass"
So many countless good quotes...

This movie can be watched without watching the series but better if watched some episodes.

Not surprised that a movie was created for Cowboy Bebop: a masterpiece series with unique and amazing atmosphere and soundtrack.

The bulk of the story is about a terrorist that has the potential to kill a crowd of people with a weapon and has a huge bounty. It's up to Spike and his crew to get information and chase after the terrorist despite the enormous risk. Of course, other characters are also after the terrorist. ... The plot sounds kind of mediocre doesn't it? Probably the weakest aspect of this movie. The Cowboy Bebop series have average plots but are at least episodic. A movie with an average plot would bound to fail but this isn't the case. Despite popular opinion, I enjoyed this movie more than the series.

The art and animation were astonishing considering it was made in the 90s. Fluid animation and good lighting. The fighting scenes were quite memorable. The sound is amazing with jazz masterpieces like the series. You can see the impression of the 90s recession in Japan, despite set in a futuristic setting. This is why this movie and the series will always be a timeless classic. It's quite historic.

What's memorable is that Jet, a crew member mentions to Spike that the crew does not have to go after the terrorist. It's not their problem. However, Spike wants the bounty but more importantly to save the world. They are heroes by choice. But what's more interesting is that after everything is over. No one recognizes and cares who stopped the terrorist. No one views them as heroes. They're just another bounty hunter as Spike likes to say. This adds to the amazing cowboy and loneliness atmosphere.

The reason why I like the movie more than the series is because it feels like the characters are all working together despite saying they are not. In the series, you might see a few glimpses of some characters in each episode but not here. Also, there's improvement in the art. The best thing about this movie is how the characters interact with each other. Lot of the interactions are quite witty, sly and most of all cowboy like. The characters sound so cool. It really makes up for the mediocre plot.

When Spike flew his jet into the sunset with a lot of tall buildings. I almost cried. It reminded me of the nostalgic times in the 90s. The 90s atmosphere is really strong in this one. What other anime or other shows makes you feel this way? Almost none. Even the sad animes and movies/shows outside anime didn't make me close to crying (other than Clannad).

Definitely worth watching. A timeless classic similar to the series :)

One of the most gorgeously animated films of all time, remarkable pacing, and never a dull moment. The perfect way to expand on the beloved masterpiece of a series. This movie is action packed, and filled to the brim with both exciting and beautifully choreographed fight sequences, it will amaze, surprise, and amuse it's audience, with it's compelling plot and wildly entertaining characters. While the story isn’t perfect and kind of ends abruptly, it is well worth your time and energy. Its soundtrack is astounding as you would expect if you watched the series. I'm so glad I got the chance to see it in ... theaters.

𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙠𝙩𝙧𝙖 - "𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢."
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙠𝙚 - "𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩?"

Adaptations are hard. It would have been a tremendous risk to follow up the series. But the movie did a splendid job. Well-composed space-noir music by Yoko Kanno and a perfect pace makes the movie stand with the show, neither does it outshine nor does it remain in the shadows. Watch it between episodes 22 and 23, definitely not after the ending.

The show didn't had a main storyline, but a collection of 26 small movies. Thus this one is just a longer episode but with everything even better. Vincent's character was one of ... the strongest I had seen in any anime.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 9/10
𝗔𝗿𝘁: 10/10
Better screen ratio, quality, and high frame rates made the movements look literally like water. The landscapes and the character designs were even more crispier.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:10/10
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: 10/10
𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 9/10
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹: 10/10

I was surprised by how good this movie was despite it being like an episode of Sherlock if Spike Spiegel replaced Benedict Cumberbatch and if an autistic detective could 1v1 a trained assassin using only a broomstick. If you think about it, Spike possesses a “lone wolf” philosophy and a cocky attitude that almost gets him killed, both of which are reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. I can’t help wondering if the writers of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door somehow got a manuscript of the screenplay for BBC’s Sherlock nine years before it even existed. This film has the same length and the same “diabolical mystery” plotline ... as most typical Sherlock episodes, which indicates that the two pieces of media follow the same pattern. Everything seems to add up and fall into place once you see the connections. Vincent is basically just Moriarty with lady hair and an obsession with toxic Orbeez. Faye is just John Watson with flying skills and a more impressive rack. Jet is just Mrs. Hudson except... actually, he pretty much is just Mrs. Hudson. As you can see, BBC’s Sherlock and Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door are almost identical in story and character lineup. I don’t know why Watanabe took such direct inspiration from a seemingly unrelated British crime drama, but it pays off well. The formula fits perfectly with the Cowboy Bebop cast and Bones really brought the crossover to life with their incredible animation. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

I rate this movie 7/10 for playing it safe with the conventional story, but overall 9/10 for the orgasmic action scenes. Really great addition to the iconic space western series.

Gorgeous but artificial, Knockin' on Heaven's Door resembles a summer blockbuster that is occasionally creative but largely standard fare. The stakes are massive, but not interesting - episodes like Brain Scratch played with genre expectations and defied easy answers, but the film is a straight shot from start to finish. The antagonist is something out of an airport novel, spouting famous quotes and waltzing in a trench coat whilst spouting his half-baked ideology to anyone who passes by. Plot aside, the film is able to maintain interest with high level animation and thrilling action. Seeing the Swordfish II in combat during the last stretch was ... impressive, a sentiment that can be extended to much of the set pieces within the film. The film's soundtrack is excellent as well, with Seatbelts delivering many solid tunes to heighten scenes of action and investigation alike, with Diggin' being a great track for the latter.

Thematically, the original series was something of a loving elegy for analog technologies, though chiding of unhealthy nostalgia was intertwined with the message. Knockin' on Heaven's Door carries much of the same love and warnings in its quieter moments, something that I appreciated to a good degree. The cast of Bebop are great devices for this message, especially Jet, who is tastefully used. In fact, I can compliment the Bebop crew's depiction in the film on all counts: everyone gets at least one or two good scenes on their own, and it's cool watching them act in isolation. On the other hand, the film's original messages on the manipulation of soldiers and warfare are as boilerplate as they come, and are told quite clumsily. Again, it belongs in an airport novel. Just weak storytelling all around.

The best parts of Knockin' on Heaven's Door are where the plot takes a backseat to characters: Spike walking the streets for info, Faye squabbling over petty problems, Edward hacking and warbling, etc. Seeing these moments in tandem with the fresh high budget action and animation make the film worth it in the end, and should be a good watch if you can ignore the abysmal story.

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door does exactly what you would from a Cowboy Bebop movie. It’s got great music, interesting characters, well-choreographed action, great animation quality, and a whole lot of style. The Cowboy Bebop movie isn’t a sequel story, but rather a side story that is best treated as another episodic adventure of the Bebop crew. Note that this movie can be watched anywhere after watching Episode 9 of Cowboy Bebop and is best to watch it somewhere before you finish the series.

~{Story}~
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’s plot centers on a terrorist, who has a bounty of 300 million Woolongs, whose goal is ... to exterminate everyone on Mars using a mysterious chemical disease. It’s up to the Bebop crew to save the planet (for a price!). From then on, the Bebop crew try to find clues that can lead them up to the terrorist. You’ve seen this premise many times; terrorism threatens the world, the good guys to the rescue. But because of Bebop’s stylish presentation, it feels fresh and fun. Though the story isn’t flawed (it’s actually quite well written) there’s just something about the story that just feels forgettable. Also the movie made me feel wanting more. We’re given background stories for some new character. Though they are interesting, it would have been better in they expanded on it even more. But in the end, the Cowboy Bebop movie has a fun and enjoyable storyline that is a welcome addition to the Bebop’s list of adventures.
Story: 7/10

~{Presentation}~
This is where the movie shines, because it is heavily like its original series. Cowboy Bebop is one of the most stylish anime out there, if not the most stylish, and the movie’s no differ. The movie balances many different genres, whether it be action, or sci-fi, or thriller. The jazz and pop music adds to the style of the show. Also the pacing of the movie is well done; it starts slow and by every second, the pacing is faster until the ending becomes a blast. The movie’s opening scene (the convenience store scene) doesn’t add much to the story, but the addition of it shows Bebop fans what they love about Bebop, and newcomers what Bebop is all about. The stylish presentation of the scene itself can make Tarantino blush!
Presentation: 8/10

~{Character}~
It’s fun to see the characters you love make a return in this movie. You have Spike, your unenthusiastic yet energetic protagonist back in the movie. Out of the four main characters him and Faye are the ones that get the most screen time, while Jet and Ed are kind of put in the back seat of the film (though Ed’s always in the back seat… or trunk). Two new characters are present in this movie. The one who plays the good girl is Electra, who manages to be badass enough to be likeable. Then we have the antagonist of the movie, Vincent, who manages to be a more developed character than the antagonist of the original series, Vicious. Vincent’s given a backstory and well enough reasons to justify his actions against society. However it would have been nice if we were given more of a deeper backstory on the two new characters. Nevertheless, the cast in the film shine heavily.
Character: 7.5/10

~{Art}~
The art in the Cowboy Bebop movie is top notch too. The movie depicts a future that’s not easy on the eyes, just like the anime series. Cowboy bebop did a great job depicting a futuristic environment that is more flawed than good, and the movie does no less. The detailed art can make anime today feel ashamed. The top-notch production value is what happens when you make Sunrise and Bones work together. However, I did notice that the use of colour in the movie seemed better than the anime series. As a matter of a fact is that the art is an improvement over the already excellent looking anime series.
Art: 9.5/10

~{Animation}~
The animations of this movie kept on making me check whether or not this was made in 2001. Just like the original series, most of the animation was hand-drawn, but it always felt too fluid to be hand-drawn. Scenes such as the Spike and Electra hand-to-hand combat scene or the end dogfight sequence, it makes you wonder how they accomplished that in 2001. The animation is a big reason why many prefer watching the movie after the series, since the animation difference is enormous. The cinematography is also a big improvement from the series. Since the movie uses a 16:9 ratio rather than the series’ 4:3 ratio, the cinematography feels more cinematic, such as the opening scene, where the combination of top view and wide shots make the movie feel more live-action than not.
Animation: 10/10

~{Voice Acting}~
The same cast for both Japanese and English is back, so you can expect top notch voice acting. Just like Cowboy Bebop, the Japanese voice acting is great, but the English voice acting is outstanding. Steven Blum still manages to add the coolness (and sexiness) in Spike. For the two new main characters in the movie, both Japanese and English voice actors do a great job. However it is to not that the English voice actor for Electra is Jennifer Hale (who won more accolades than you can imagine for Female Commander Sheppard in Mass Effect). Watch in in Japanese of English, you’re not missing out on a single thing.
Voice Acting: 8.5/10

~{Music}~
Though the same Cowboy Bebop soundtrack isn’t carried over to the movie, the new soundtracks end up being almost just as good. The opening song, “Ask DNA”, though isn’t a “Tank!”, it still manages to be catchy and it delivers a lot in style. The ending song “Gotta Knock a Little Harder” is excellent as it matches the mood of the ending of the movie. The movie has countless of soundtracks to remember, such as “Cosmic Date”, “Time to Know-Be Waltz”, “Clutch”, “Powder”, “What Planet is This?!”. “Clutch” and “What Planet is This?!” are some of the best tracks I’ve hears in any anime!
Music: 9/10

~{Enjoyment}~
It was more Bebop, how could I not enjoy it! The returning of the cast, the music, and the stylish execution was great. It could have been shorter; maybe some of those melodramatic scenes were there to bring up the runtime. But the movie’s still great fun as it manages to deliver what we want from a Bebop movie. With a blend of genres available, it never feels boring. The movie gives Bebop fans what they wanted, and newcomers an entrance to the main series. Although it doesn’t have as much replay value as the original series, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is a welcome addition.
Enjoyment: 8/10

In the end, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door ends up being a great movie that captures the spirit of the original series. The structure of the movie makes the movie feel like it was made for both fans and newcomers. Combines with improved animations and a soundtrack that represents Bebop's spirit and you've got yourself one hell of a ride!

+ Stylish blend of genres
+ Animation quality that tops the main series
+ Some great action scenes
+ Top-notch soundtrack
+ Vincent is a better antagonist than the main series’ antagonist.
- Makes you want more in-depth backstories for the new characters

Overall: 8.4/10

This is a very good movie. If you have seen the Cowboy Bebop anime, you will probably especially like this movie, but I think it can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone movie.

I would say that this movie is a smidge darker than the anime.

The story is really very good, and the main antagonist is very well done. Though he is villainous, I can't help but feel anything but sympathy for him. It's that sort of touch that I really like, because I really think it adds another layer to the story if you can relate to the "villain" as well and the "hero".

The music, ... I think, is a tad less serious than the music in the anime, but it's just as well made.

Overall, great movie.

A worthy addition to the unique setting of Cowboy Bebop -- Spike Spiegel with his Bruce Lee-like martial arts, a superb jazz soundtrack, stellar directing and writing, a Western feel that contrasts with so many other anime out there. If you've seen Cowboy Bebop, then I recommend viewing this before things get climactic towards the end and after the Bebop crew reaches five (including the dog).

Cowboy Bebop has this slow, almost melancholy pacing and a way of measuring out its photography that makes it feel like a live-action noir. There's no exaggeration here or overt dramatization of effects. It's as real as if it were ... an actual snapshot of events in a futuristic universe. This is one of those rare gems in the library of anime that takes it seriously, that doesn't just pander to certain niche audiences. (I know that's also due to budget constraints, but still.) You don't have to even think about it -- watching Cowboy Bebop, you just know it's good. It's mature and thoughtful and reflects on the more grave facets of life.

Most anime movies fall into 2 categories. Some act like big series finales that are essential to the story of their respective anime. Others, act more like bigger, funnier, or more action filled adventures that are not needed to complete the story.

This movie is more like the second type. While not necessary viewing for fans of the series, I could not recommend it any higher. Despite being more than fifteen years old, the animation is a marvel to behold. Just like the series, all the animation is done by studio BONES and thus has some of the best choreography and best looking action around. If ... you enjoyed the series, you will love this. If you haven't seen the series and want to, this would actually be a good place to start. The film captures all of the fun, action, emotion, great writing, and amazing soundtrack that people love about the series.

Side note, much like the series the Dub is an absolute must. Even the origianl Japanese cast and the creator of the show and film admit that the English cast is better.

This is one of the great anime films. The only thing holding it back from "masterpiece" status is that the movie--which follows a pretty standard three-act structure--suffers from an over-reliance on (bad) tropes in the "setback/crisis" stage. Without getting overly specific, some (but not all) of these tropes include "Untouchable Until Tagged"/"One-Hit Kill" and "Abduction Is Love"/"Damsel in Distress".

The sad reality is that the rest of this movie is so freaking good that, rather than making those flaws excusable, it actually makes them even more noticeable; the tropes are even more grating than they would have been in a lesser film.

The animation and ... especially the sound direction are flawless, though. In the end, this is one absolutely worth watching.

The movie is a more like an extended episode, but whatever. The plot is kind of generic, bad guy threatens the world, but it's done fairly well. The main villain, Vincent, does a decent job of coming across as bad guy. He's more the quietly insane kind of guy. There's little to none character development, but that's not so bad with the main cast. Unfortunately, we don't learn that much about Vincent or Electra, an agent of a pharmaceutical company, who has some connection with Vincent. There were clearly some lost opportunities to develop their characters more; we don't care so much about them ... since there's not much to care about. It's a shame, because she and Vincent had quite the past to expound on. There are some cool fight scenes, the best of which is the one between Spike and Electra, the animation is pretty fluid, and they did a great job of showing that while Spike is still boss, Electra is still awesome in a fight :). There's a dogfight scene which has really fluid animation, a really great job.

There were some plot holes though that niggled at me, but nothing particularly bad. This movie takes place during the series, so watch it then. It's pretty good, so don't turn it down!

With a show like "Cowboy Bebop" and it's episodic format (meaning status quo is returned to at the end of most episodes) it's only natural that a movie would come out of that franchise. I expected at least 2 or 3, but only got 1. But boy did they ever make it count! "Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is everything a fan of the show would want and/or expect from a feature length film. Perhaps even a bit more.

Our story pits the crew of the Bebop against arguably their greatest foe: a terrorist with a weapon that could wipe out billions. The man in ... question is a new character, Vincent Volaju, who has the way, the will, and a good axe to grind in his motives for committing genocide. He is menacing, intimidating, interesting, and even sympathetic at times. Also in the pursuit of Vincent is another new character, Elektra Ovirowa, who adds another element of competent, bad-ass sex appeal to this cast which is typically a one woman show. I honestly wish this character was a semi-regular on the show. She has a lot of potential, like so many one and done characters in this series.

The art is of equal and better quality than the regular series. With some really great fight scenes, beautiful settings and backgrounds, and with all the stuff going on you need to hit the pause button to take it all in. The soundtrack is that rapid-jazz that keeps up with action like on the regular show, with some more dramatic pieces for the villain, and is as toe-tapping as anything else on the main show. The Sub vs. Dub battle is still in favor of the English dub, with the same cast as the series returning and playing their parts to perfection.

The way I know this is a great movie is that I can show it to someone who is not a fan of the show or even a fan of Anime and they will probably enjoy it. It's very kind to the uninitiated, and for those of us who are initiated it's everything we love about this franchise and more. It's a great time and a real blast. 8/10. Check it out. Cheers!

Cowboy Bebop, the Movie - ''Knockin' at Heaven's Door'' (2001)

Review:

The anime feature film was sponsored by the well-known, world famous ‘Tristar’ entertainment in association with the ‘Sunrise’ pictures. This animated anime feature film is or was a production of the famous ‘Bones’ studio, the one and only studio to be responsible for the one and only “Wolf’s Rain”; and was aired in the year 2001. The executive producer of this particular movie is Takayuki Yoshii (from the Sunrise pictures) with Ryohei Tsunoda (from the Bandai visuals: responsible for Jin Roh~The Wolf Brigade, 1999)
Mechanical design: Kimitoshi Yamane
Set design: Shihi Takeuchi
On IMDB, the movie holds a rating ... of 7.9/10 with 4 stars out of 5. The BBC too, awarded it 4/5 stars, calling it ‘an example of anime at its very best’ and ‘good enough to deserve mention in the same breath as Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Spirited Away.’ It was also nominated for the Online Film Critics Society Awards in the best animated feature category (2004)
- Taken from both Wikipedia and My Personal Analysis as Well
Plot: 7/10 (for being too ordinary, it should be rated 6/10, but the suspense that revolves around Vincent and his link to a few particular characters, it get not more than 7/10 at least from my side.)
The plot rests on the bounty hunter named Spike Spiegel and his crewmates aboard the vessel named Bebop in their efforts to find a criminal who is planning to release an unknown pathogen on Mars. The title of the movie is taken from Bob Dylan’s song, which goes by the identical name. The main antagonist, i.e., the character Vincent is based on the musician (such an awesome creative mind, gotta say.)
The movie includes the characters who belong to the anime series of the name ‘Cowboy Bebop’, as the name suggests, but out of the entire batch of the anime team, only a few prominent members are portrayed here in the movie with the bounty hunter named Spike Speigel, being the main protagonist (as always); supported by Faye Valentine, Jet, Edward and their pet dog Ein.
The events or the plot rest in an era in the year 2071, a few days just before October 31st, i.e., the Halloween. An unknown pathogen is being released in the capital city of Mars, and the government has issued a bounty of around 300 million woolong (wish I could enjoy that provision xD)
Spike and his crew take upon the case with the hopes of earning a heavenly kind of bounty like that. But the mystery surrounding the antagonist, responsible for the breakout of the pathogen lies hidden until Spike meets a beautiful (and a seductive) maiden named Elektra, who is an agent serving for the very organization which was responsible for the creation of the virus pathogen. She was sent by her organization to hunt down Vincent Volaju, who was made a target of the Bebop crew a long time back, in order to earn the heavy bounty hanging over his head.
As the hunt for this man called Volaju, with no past and no possible future escalates, the fate of the entire human race rests in the hands of the Bebop crew, who themselves aren’t sure of their capability to handle and perform their responsibilities efficiently.
- Taken from both Wikipedia and My Personal Analysis as Well
Music: Yoko Kanno - 8/10 (no comments)
The original soundtrack was written and performed by the Seatbelts who released an album and a mini album of the film’s music entitled Future Blues and Ask DNA respectively.
- My Personal Analysis
Character design and animation director: Toshihiro Kawamoto- 9.5/10
As we all know the characters of this anime and their respective characteristics, abilities and attitudes, I don’t think I should mention anything else about them anymore. But as far as the additional characters are concerned, they deserve a bit of highlight. Rashid, an Arabian is portrayed in the movie as Spike’s nemesis, with a ridiculously funny yet mysterious personality. He seems to know everything about Spike’s intentions and objectives to hunt Vincent down. He appears out of nowhere, with an identity of an informant and guides Spike till the root of the matter, where even the government organization couldn’t make its approach. Then there is this antagonist: Vincent Volaju. I have no comments regarding this mysterious guy because there are no words to describe his personality and attitude. I can just give an idea regarding that, using the term ‘Perfect Anti-Heroic Character’ besides some other well-known characters within your knowledge. Elektra, yeah, she’s kind of a beautiful young lady, who has a direct link with Vincent, as they were once the partners in the same task-force, rather lovers. You’ll know when you watch the movie. So do it, at once.
- My Personal Analysis
Opening: 10/10
The stunts and the badassness along with the comedy deserve it. Before that, there was a short glimpse of Vincent, playing with the glass marble containing the virus, with the narrating these lines:
“He was always alone, always by himself. Never anyone to share the game. He lived in another world. He was that kind of guy.”
So, these lines are perfect assets, to describe the personality of Vincent I guess.
- My Personal Analysis
Ending: 10/10
The entry of various pilots in the perfect time, in order to spray the antidote to nullify the effect of the pathogen, just when the Halloween began. It was just awesome. Apart from this, the fight scene between Spike and Vincent deserves hats off. Plus, the emotion filled climax, when Elektra shoots down Vincent, in order to save Vincent’s life. Ah! No more comments. The ending lines were:
“Shall we go together?” (Elektra and Vincent, both pointing their pistols at each other) *bang*
Elektra opens her eyes in astonishment, as she herself couldn’t believe what happened back then. Vincent was found lying almost dead, just before Spike, with his chest pierced apart from the bullet which ran through Elektra’ pistol. Spike said, struggling, “Vincent! Why didn’t you shoot?”
“I remembered… she was the one I loved. I wanted to escape from here. I searched for the door out of this world. But now I understand. There is no door.”
“You should’ve known! You were frightened to open your eyes and see.” says Elektra.
“Elektra… the time I spent together with you… was my only reality. I’m so glad we could meet again at the end.” Saying these lines, Vincent closes his eyes… forever…
This particular scene from the movie is really emotional…
- My Personal Analysis
Overall Rating: 8.62/10
If the plot would be a bit more extra-ordinary or uncanny, like that of Wolf’s Rain; Trinity Blood; Berserk; Hellsing, etc. I would gladly give it a rating of 15/10 from my side. It’s just the script, stunts, artwork, animation, prologue and the epilogue, which made me, give it 8.62/10; or else I would drag it down to 2/10.
I haven’t included an additional paragraph for ‘Script’ as I mentioned enough in the last two sections of ‘Opening’ and ’Ending’. I guess it’ll be okay.
Watch it fellas, enjoy the review… :)
*my apologies, my reviews are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy… wayyyyyyyyyyyy… way lengthy than those posted by Kits a.k.a. Kartikeya or anyone of you*
Some additional Statutory Warning(s):
As we all know Faye Valentine to be one of the most attractive and seductive characters from the anime series, I want to warn the n=minors towards a few scenes related to her. Her clothing and appearances, being number one, and the particular scene when she was about to become a victim of a rape case after being abducted by Vincent, who forcefully kissed her and unbuttoned her jacket, with his knife. Unfortunately she was spared by him, as he was more inclined to the spreading the pathogen than raping a helpless maiden xD. But still, only due to that particular scene, it requires a rating of U/A and PG. That’s all for today… Enjoy your day everybody…

Honestly this isn't that great a movie.
Unless your already a Cowbop Bebop fan I don't expect you will enjoy it.

The old school animation is probably the best part, Bebop has a very unique aesthetic and world with amazing animation that lends itself to some phenomena scenes that are absolutely top notch.

The soundtrack is definitely unique. I'm not really a fan of whatever genre it is. But it sets a tone and defines a lot of the scenes quite well, I couldn't see myself seeking out any of the songs to listen to on their own but that doesn't make it bad not at all. Just ... not my thing.

Character wise every member of the Bebop crew gets some time to shine which is nice, there is something for every one to do and they all contribute.
Though it does start to feel rather Spike-centered at the end.
Why couldn't Jet help with the final plan? Or Edward?
At least Faye got an active roll in the climax.
Too bad she's my least favourite.


Honestly, as you probably guessed from the above. The writing isn't very strong here. The plot is generic, something about a nonsensical sci-fi bio-weapon and the people who produced it. It's nothing special, but it serves its roll in chaining events together well enough.

As for the new characters. Well, they suck.
Eletrica has a tiny amount of screen time and even less development. She's your stock big booba fight girl for the protagonist to simp over.

Vincent the villain is even worse. He's just your standard overly edgy villain with a Vietnam complex. Worst of all the movie tries to make me feel sad for his death.
Why!? He tried to genocide the entire human race!
That is so far beyond redemption its not even funny, but they still give him a sad speech. As if that alone could make his motivations seem somehow reasonable, instead of just coming off as insane and cliche.

Overall I want to like this movie, I want to like Bebop but it has some serious issues that I personally just don't like and it forces me to dock some major points for them. While the movie's issues are VERY VERY different from the anime, they still exist and they still bring it down.

I can't really recommend this, unless your already a Bebop fan.
In which case why are you even reading reviews?

I've seen cowboy bebop the movie twice now, the first of which I watched straight after watching the series and found myself confused as to why certain things had not changed due to events later in the series, until I discovered the film is most likely set between episode 22 and 23 of the series, and during my current rewatch of the series I decided to watch the movie where it's set chronologically, but even after watching it here I still find myself struggling to get the same entertainment value as I do from the masterful TV series.

The story takes a turn from Cowboy Bebop's ... sci-fi roots, telling a story more fitting for an anime like Ghost in the Shell, the film has barely any sci-fi elements compared to the series and goes for a more noir crime esc style of story, the film is also much more dialogue heavy than the series, the pacing of the shows episodical structure works much better than that of a feature length film, I feel like this story would of been better if it was told through a multi-part series of episodes, as the action Cowboy Bebop is known for is side lined for a more dialogue heavy story which feels duller in a feature length style.

Although the film is weaker on the story side compared to the series that doesn't mean it's bad at all, it's still a boat load of fun as it's refined and sleek animation looks stunning all the way through especially when the action takes place. I'd also say that everyone but the classic cast of characters are extremely weak, Vincent is your typical mumble growling philosophy obsessed villain we've seen many times before, and honestly feels like a lazy cut and paste of the show's much better villain 'Vicious', what made Vicious such a good villain was his emotional connection to the characters and the amount of time we had to understand his character and ideology, while Vincent's character arc is crammed into a 2 hour runtime (which is extremely short compared to how long we got with Vicious and his story in the series). Electra is also your typical anime badass we've seen hundreds of times before. Regardless, the classic band of bounty hunters have never been better, Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed and Ein are always a joy to watch and this film is no exception.

The colours in the film are much warmer than the series, while the series opted for colder blue and grey colours, the film goes for a brighter look with orange, brown, bright blue and blinding whites and silvers, I find it rather unique and for that I commemorate it.

And how could I talk about Cowboy Bebop without discussing it's music, the franchise and it's soundtrack is regarded as one of if not the best in anime history, and the movie features some of my favourite tracks from Yoko Ono and seatbelts, one of which has become one of my favourite all round songs of all time.

Overall, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is still the same explosive entertainment the franchise is celebrated for, it's a good watch and I like the film but I feel like better filmmaking and writing choices could of been made in order to make the film more refined, as in the state it's in it simply doesn't match the glory of the original 1998 series.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a great addition to the series, with an enjoyable, self contained plot, that allows this film to be watched entirely separately from the original anime. I personally saw this film after finishing the anime, which some do not recommend but I found that it didn't impact my enjoyment of the film at all.

Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed are all as great here as they always have been, with their VAs doing an excellent job in both the Japanese original and English dub. Several new characters also make an appearance in this film, and while I won't talk about specific ... characters as to not spoil anything, I will say that they all fit well within the story and had interesting motivations, particularly the main villain.

What really made this film stand out for me was the stunningly beautiful animation. Each scene was highly detailed and unique, making this film have some of the best animation in the whole series.

The OST for this film was also good, with a new opening theme and a lot of other tracks that were not present in the original series, but some previously heard tracks did also make a return which was good to see.

Overall, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a great film for fans of the series, but also a good movie in its own right that puts it among some of the best anime films from the time it was released.