~{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
