Metropolis

I knew little about this film but when I saw that it was going to be on television I decided to watch it; there is so little non-Ghibli anime on TV one has to take what one can get. When it started I knew this was going to be different; most of the characters didn't look like anime characters, they looked more like characters from western cartoons of the 1930s. This fitted in with the feel of the whole film which was a 1920s/1930s view of the future reminiscent of Fritz Lang's film of the same name.

Set in the city state of Metropolis where the robot underclass must stay in their designated areas and a scientist is building a robot that looks like a girl but is destined to run a new skyscraper known as the Ziggurat. Into this city comes a Japanese private detective and his nephew Kenichi who are seeking to arrest the scientist for organ trafficking. The state's de facto leader Duke Red's adopted son Rock is determined to destroy the robot thinking his father is replacing him. Rock starts a fire in the lab. During this the robot is activated and escapes with Kenichi although neither know that she isn't human. Rock continues to hunt them as the flee through the various layers of the city to a climax in the mysterious Ziggurat.

I loved the retro feel to the animation along with a sound track that also felt like it was from that time. The use of the song "I Can't Stop Loving You" during the climactic scene was inspired. Even if you don't normally like animation this is worth watching as it is a good story which is well told.

These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

For crying out loud, it's stylized! That's why the soundtrack is jazz and blues and stuff. That's why the character animation is "crappy".

Look at a comic book from the twenties/thirties, namely Herge's Tintin books, or Tezuka's manga (fifties actually), which this is based off of, DANG IT! The characters are designed to look like comic book character's from that era. Shinsaku looks like one of the Thompsons. Kenechi looks like a cross between Tintin and Astro Boy.

It's meant to be like a Prohibition era Chicago or something.

This is another great masterpiece in anime. Also, it's very different from others, as reviewers have pointed out.

I never expected old-1930-ish-saxopohone jazz music to be playing in an anime movie. It's a great movie, and, like Akira, the Matrix, and Princess Mononoke (or, Mononoke Hime as I prefer), it gets better every time you see it.

and in the climax of the movie, you hear Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You". Puts in the same touch as how Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" was put in "A Clockwork Orange". It engraves the scene in your head, never to forget, and it does bring the scene back to your mind once you hear that song. It's happened to me lots of times after i saw Clockwork Orange.

Review: 5/5, Good Movie scale Ratings: US PG-13, UK PG, Canada PG

In my short life I've developed a taste for a film that challenges me as a viewer and is more than the sum of it's parts. Metropolis is one such movie. While most will only give it credit for being a visual masterpiece, Metropolis is a well - rounded work with strong characters, themes and music. Not only does the character design have a fresh and captivating style, each character has his or hers own unique features. The setting is so rich and vibrant at times and dark and mysterious at others, it could only have been created through animation. The use of old western jazz and borderline ragtime music gives the huge city an earthy feeling, which is reflected in the architecture of the lower levels of the city. The themes are classic science fiction themes. I shy away from calling them derivative or repetitive because they still remain some of the most relevant ideas portrayed in any genre. Katsuhiro Otomo's screenplay is understated, contrasting the near "in your face" visuals. He is one of the most highly regarded writers in the genre, and he shows why here. The chilling ending is a destructive one, but it isn't the apocalyptic disaster some people make it out to be. The use of "Can't stop loving you" by Ray Charles frames the scene so well, and I found it far more moving and touching than the ending of Dr. Strangelove, which it is rightfully compared to. So, to all movie lovers, not just anime lovers, I ask you to go see this work of art and let it absorb you and change you. You will be better for it.

I am a fan of anime, so after hearing all the great acclaim this movie got, I knew I had to see it.

Visually, the movie it top-notch. The blend of computer graphics and hand-drawn animation is seamless, with incredible detail given to each. Graphically, this movie is indeed a milestone in animation, one that will definitely be referred to over and over in the future. If you are a fan of animation (Japanese or otherwise), you MUST see this movie.

As for the story and character - they were somewhat underwhelming. Occasionally each got to the point where they intrigued you and made you want to learn more - but you got no more. You learn really nothing about the youthful male protagonist or the female humanoid who he saves and takes care of. They hardly even say a word to each other! There were also some big jumps in the storyline, feeling like a lot of important information was cut out.

The movie was based on a long manga, so it's obvious that A LOT of character and story development had to be cut out so that the movie would run at an acceptable running time. I honestly think this story would have worked - it certainly would have been somewhat better - had it been done as a miniseries. Maybe the visuals wouldn't have been so stunning, but a more compelling story and more memorable characters would have made up for it.