SF Shinseiki Lensman

A young man aims to do something more exciting than farming. His homeland is destroyed by an evil Galactic enemy and he is given super-human powers by which to save the galaxy. His comrades are a sarcastic, hairy alien and a beautiful female in white with a braided bun on the side of her head. Do you recognize any similarities here to an American pop culture icon?

This mid 80′s film has aged pretty well, excepting the CGI which was laughable (though not as laughable as Golgo 13.) I had fun just watching and picking up stolen Star Wars references with a Japanese twist (tentacles!) If ... you aren’t a Star Wars fan, enjoy a decent sci-fi story and the miners’ disco.

I found it gorgeous and was really wowed by the sound track. However, the overall package feels pretty flat. It comes very close to saying something a few times, but by the end our gallant hero just kinda...wins. It has the general shape of a heroes journey, but without any of the beats past his home being destroyed. We never get to see the titular lens do anything either, or the huge space battle that happens off-screen. I see why people compare it to Star Wars, because it has all of the interstitial moments, but none of the big 'WOW' factor.
But there is something in ... there to enjoy, and it might be worth watching for the discerning viewer.