Robot Carnival

Like all anthology films, some of the segments are better than others, but there are enough good ones to make this film worthwhile for animation fans.

The framing sequence which opens and closes the film is nicely animated, certainly one of the most original ways I've seen for a film to present it's title. The great Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) contributed to this sequence, you can really see his touch. Two of the segments, "Starlight Angel" and "Deprive" are pretty typical sci-fi action anime, albeit nicely animated. A lot of anime fans complain about the "Cloud" segment, I find it kind of interesting, like a piece of animated art. My favorite segment in the film is probably a tie between "A Tale of Two Robots, Chapter 3: Foreign Invasion", which made me think a little of Wild Wild West (a lot better, of course), and "Nitemare".

I think having all but two of the film's 8 segments (I'm counting the opening and closing as one segment) dialog-free was an interesting choice, it allows the viewer to concentrate on the images, and precludes needless exposition. I really liked Aeon Flux a lot better before it became a regular series and added dialog. Of course, it also makes an English-dubbed version of the film more tolerable.

Some of the music for this film is by the great composer Joe Hisashi, the regular composer for both Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano. I think the opening and closing themes are by Hisashi, as well as the music for the "Presence" segment.

This is one of the first anime films I saw when I knew or cared it was anime, I think it's a really good introduction to the genre. Also a worthwhile film for anyone interested in animation in general.

A man from my old film days recommended this film to me. I took chance on it, and the recommendation delivered. What we have here is a poetic expression of tales woven together to form a tapestry about an extension of ourselves; the robot.

The robot is brought to us through a visual feast of respectable animation that shows us worlds and times beyond our imagination, and how those arenas and their players might play out.

Each one is touching in its own way, and delivers a nice message that can be appreciated by all. Whether you like action, some youthful romance, the tale of years, comedy, or just plain adventure, this film is for you.

Reminder, this is an anthology, so the pacing is going to be a little slow. But the showcase revealed to the curious minded audience that has a hankerin for good "Japanimation" will be very pleased.

Me, I happen upon the film a year or two after it was released. I then bought a VHS in the mid to late 90s, and happened upon a special edition DVD from Japan when the film was first reissued. The DVD gives a magnificent picture and overall rendering of this incredibly beautiful film.

I'm not certain I would call it family friendly, but kids over a certain age (pre-teens) and maybe just a little bit younger, might appreciate it. There is some mild violence and just some plain wacky and bizarre situations that might spook really young viewers, so guidance is suggested here. But, boys and girls and parents alike should find this an interesting watch.

Me, I like it on its own merits. I think it's an intimate look at how people might interface with technology in a variety of settings. This is anime before anime became an international sensation; i.e. during the time when the US, Canada and the UK were the primary export markets for Japanese films.

Please watch and enjoy this film. You won't regret it.

ROBOT CARNIVAL is a breath of fresh air from the bloated, overdone, exploitative sagas Anime is known for and presents us instead with a series of short films which have nothing to do with each other except that they all star robots. I especially like the intro with the mechanized carnival running over the village...heh heh heh. Very nice, well-animated and leaves a lasting impression on the veiwer. A must-have for anyone who likes Japanese animation or the very curious.

Originally saw this back in the early nineties as a part of Sci-Fi's Saturday Anime. To this day, through all of the anime films/series I've seen, this still reigns as the greatest. No anime fan will be disappointed with this film, even those who aren't fans of the genre should enjoy this flick. It is sad that this film didn't get very much exposure in the States, as it easily could have been subject to awards. A great example of a film students interperetive dream; Trying to develop a correlation between all of the shorts (outside of their all contain robots), pulling some greater meaning from the movie. Yea, it's one of those types of movie, that appears to be on a higher philosophical level than just your average entertainment.

eight stories from japanese anime directors. they all show off their talent through mini movies. when i first saw this, i thought it was something i would like to do when i get older. now, i'm 18, and creating my own anime comics and mini movies. my personal favorites are "Starlight Angel" "Deprive" "Presence" and "A Tale of Two Robots" see this if you want to get into anime directors heads