Mars Express

For many sci-fi animated movies, audience captivation is driven purely by world building. Neon scenes and expansive horizons are often used to draw attention from a weak story. Not so in this beautifully animated sci-fi detective drama. The story finds the perfect balance between much loved detective clichés and unexpected turns in a story line, that has no need for smoothing by over hyped futurism. Despite this, the imaginative graphics cleanly place the viewer into the future, pushing us just far enough into the 'what could be' to retain a believability that compliments the story. This should be on your list of sci-fi movies to see before you die.

While this might not be a genre bending film there is much to like about it. Starting with the beautiful animation style that is very fluid, colorful and detailed at every turn. The 2D art style meshes well with the story and its futuristic vibe. The music and sounds also compliment the overall feel of the film. The English dubbed version is well done with each voice suiting the characters perfectly. The dialogue is always purposeful providing context or aiding in the characters development. The characters however are not strong enough to be memorable. Even the villain is very stereotypical.

There are some funny moments but just enough to keep things light hearted. The pacing and structure allow for an easy viewing experience. There are some action and chase sequences which break up the exposition but nothing too over the top. The film was fine when it was a mystery thriller but when it changes course to try and be something with a deeper meaning it takes a plunge. Ultimately the ending was a letdown leading to a lower rating. This is still a good film but the ending was underwhelming.

Good animation, excellent worldbuilding, interesting characters, exciting action sequences and an intriguing plot. What else could we hope for? A good ending, instead of this rushed convoluted mess, that makes the entirety of the characters actions in the movie completely inconsequential. I'm not kidding. Everything our protagonists do, every mystery they uncover, is ultimately pointless. I understand what the filmmakers where going for and perhaps it could've worked in a longer format, but less than 90 minutes wasn't enough time to properly stick the landing. I don't regret watching Mars Express, because 90% of it was awesome. But that ending is such a letdown I'll never watch it again and I can't recommend it to others.

This was a surprisingly good thriller for adults; I wasn't expecting such attention to detail and story.

The animations and backgrounds are well-made. Although they may not stand out by modern art standards, they are enhanced by carefully designed details and innovative ideas. The characters are very well written and designed - I really liked Carlos. The way the futuristic world functions is also thoughtfully constructed; there are many small details that make the movie feel very realistic.

On the other hand, everything moves quite fast, and some important characters or events are only briefly shown. 'Mars Express' needed a bit more screen time to better develop these elements.

Overall, it is a solid sci-fi film.

The world building really elevated this movie. It felt like there was a tv season's worth of material compressed into a 1.5 hour movie, but it worked, and it worked wonderfully. The world world was well thought-out, everything fit together well.

It's about a private investigator and her robot partner investigating the disappearance of a college student. As we learn more about the case, we also learn about the world this story is set in. This movie is like a perfect showcase for "show, don't tell". There's very little exposition, if any.

It's one of the best sci-fi movies I've watched recently, animated or otherwise. Highly recommended.