Kurasshâ Jô

Crusher Joe, though loved by many, is sadly overlooked as one of the premier animated movies out of Japan. Takachiho Haruka created Crusher Joe after Star Wars became such a huge hit around the world. Going back to old stories he had written in high school, he was able to pull together what would eventually become this movie. Combining action, suspense, sci-fi, and a bit of romance, Crusher Joe pleases on many different levels.

Some call these kinds of movies `Space Operas' and I suppose the title fits well. Many ideas and techniques created in this anime, would be later used in more well known releases. The story centers on a group of `Crushers' a group of space mercenaries, who make up one of four major groups. You have the Crushers, who charge very high amounts of money to do odd jobs that require their near illegal, and often wild techniques. You have Pirates who are out to take what they want at any cost. The third group is the military known as the `United Space Force' which policies the galaxy of all wrong doing, especially Pirate activities. The fourth group comprises varies governments and organizations necessary in any civilized world, or universe.

The main character, a Crusher by the name of Joe, leads a team of 4 and one robot, who seems to be only present to remind people of the droids from Star Wars, into a situation that results in them loosing their Crusher's license. In an attempt to redeem themselves, they must infiltrate Pirate activity, and in the process uncover conspiracies that could eventual lead to the destruction of all life, everywhere.

Crusher Joe is extremely well animated for a movie from 1983. Much of the quick chase and actions scenes have fluid and well done motion. Violence falls in the PG category only because it is animated, and would be closer to PG-13 if live action. Hardly a moment goes by when some gun is not being fired, or a fight/chase explodes on screen. Still, even with so much action the movie manages to win you over with the well developed and very intrusting story, and strong voice work by the actors. While none of the characters are fleshed out to a great extent, there are many moments when you can see something much deeper then you would find in even the best live action movies.

I highly recommend Crusher Joe. If you can find it to buy, jump on it quickly. If you have any interest in anime, or sci-fi action movies, this will please you on many levels.

Man, I could've been the first to have commented on this very energized and epic piece of animated sci-fi space opera.

I can't add too much to the previous review. It's a huge scale feature film with lots of action. For the time it was ground breaking. Riding the coat tails of Star Wars, the director, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, states on the original VHS liner notes that he had to prove that Space Opera could be done. It was an untested genre for Japan's thriving anime market, and Yasuhiko showed the major anime studios in Japan that sci-fi was a marketable commodity waiting to be exploited.

Of course this did not go unnoticed, and suddenly there's a huge influx of not just regular traditional sci fi of regular Japanese characters doing extraordinary things, but real heady stuff. Remember Macross and the feature film spun off from the TV series? Thank Crusher Joe. Oh sure, there was Space Battleship Yamato, but strictly speaking Yamato played to a nationalistic pride enshrouded in a sci-fi veil. With Crusher Joe we truly get pure adventure with no jingoistic overtones. We have pure space opera adventure from start to finish.

The characters are from central casting, but they're fun and, although stock in nature, are three-dimensional all at once. The plot and story they must navigate is truly something to behold. You'd think a sci-fi animated film would have a basic plot line, but none such the case here. To find out you have to watch the film to see for yourself.

If I had one real critique it's that the film is just a bit too long. It's almost like a baseball game in the sense that you can start to watch it, take a nap, and wake up towards the later half of act two and still get the whole film and its finale. And what a finale it is. Yet even here it's a bit long, but appropriate.

This is truly one of my favorite anime epics from many years ago. I used to watch it with friends while playing cards. It helped kill time and keep us entertained all at the same time (although admittedly we watched a bootleg copy smuggled out of Japan that was only a year old from the release of the film). Fortunately today the film is readily available on DVD along with its two one hour spinoffs that are likewise packed with sci-fi adventure goodness.

Joe, Princess Alfin, Ricky the preteen with raging hormones, Talos the middle aged muscle man and Dongo, the horny robot, fight to save a little slice of law and order. From the road-rage opening sequence to the incredible visuals at the end, it's a nonstop story from point A to Z and all letters in-between.

A great film if you're into Anime.

Give it a whirl and enjoy!