Title: Space Battleship Yamato
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Original Release: 2010
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5
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Such was the privilege for Mock and me when we got to watch Space Battleship Yamato with Drama Guy (DG). We didn't have to go very far for this pilgrimage, just to DG's house. DG grew up watching the Japanese anime series Star Blazers upon which the film is based. When we asked him to choose our movie for the month, he jumped at the opportunity to share his first viewing of the live action movie with the two of us. Our evening kicked off with the old cartoon, very helpful for a quick orientation to the story.
Earth is on the brink of environmental ruin. A message arrives from the planet Iskandar with schematics for a warp drive and Iskandar's coordinates. The crew of the Yamato sets course for this distant world in hopes of saving their own. The movie has suffered some criticism from Westerners for parallels with Battlestar Galactica but it's worth noting this story predates BG. The original Japanese TV show started in 1974 whereas the original BG didn't launch until 1978.
The visuals for the movie are wonderful. The Yamato is a beautiful replication of a WWII vessel of the same name, sunk by the allied forces in 1945. The ships of the enemy Gamilas are also impressive. A battle scene on Iskandar is a bit video gamey but generally speaking, the action sequences have a satisfying pace, allowing the eye time to appreciate the spectacle - quite a welcome change from the hyper-kinetic energy of a comparable American science fiction movie.
The 2010 film was a smash hit in Japan, thanks in no small part to the star power of its leading man, Takuya Kimura. Kimura first rose to fame in the boy band SMAP and has since become the king of Japanese television dramas. Co-star Meisa Kuroki also came up through the J-pop ranks. Both are, quite frankly, very attractive. Neither is likely to win an Oscar anytime soon but they performed capably, as did the rest of the cast.
Space Battleship Yamato is a fun movie and it definitely piqued my interest in the TV series. There was briefly a manga in the mid-'70s. I might keep an eye open for that, too.
We hope that you, too, will watch Space Battleship Yamato and join in our discussion. I'll post December's sign-up list tomorrow. Our feature on Friday, December 12th shall be... Pulp Fiction.
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Well, darn, I didn't get a chance to go back and watch it again so the extent of my discussion is that I liked it. There were a few things I didn't like but, overall, they held the spirit of the anime.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we watched a bit of the old show first - helped to get into the spirit of the world.
DeleteNice succinct review Andrew Leon....about sums it up for me!
DeleteI think we should get some of those jackets, though, Mock! I never can remember which direction the zipper goes...
DeleteWhat a great review.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Plus you were able to watch it with a friend.
Good times !
I have never review a movie on my blog so this was my first attempt.
cheers, parsnip
I enjoyed your review, including the dogs' contributions.
DeleteI really did enjoy this movie ! But I really enjoy syfy.
DeleteWhat was so interesting about this movie, was the way they spoke. No constant screaming, swearing or foaming at the mouth, they got on with their jobs. And no Megen Fox running around oiled up and almost naked. (Which can be a plus to many )
Many comments I saw like the film and didn't want Hollywood to get their hands on it and Micheal Bay it !
We need to remember that this is from 1970 series. And even the first Start Wars is so different from the last ones. Hey, they had the young Darth Vader and JarJar Banks !
Like you, I enjoyed the movie's slower, quieter presentation.
DeleteI've heard of this but never seen it. Great stuff
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it or at least, as I noted on your blog, you might appreciate some of the design work on the ships.
DeleteI'm glad you liked the film and wish I had the same sentiment. Your whole experience sounds better than mine. You knew the back story and had seen the anime, you watched it in one setting, and you had friends with you. I bet all that makes a difference in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that visually the movie soarded, but I also notice that you aren't expecting any Ocar legend arwards for these arctors down the road. ;)
Thanks for the recommend. I will finish it one day and see if I feel the same.
The company definitely helped for me. Frankly, I might never have sought out this movie if not for DG's interest.
DeleteThis movie addressed one very particular need for me: a quest for action/sci-fi movies that are slower and quieter than the usual Hollywood fare. All of the current epics are so big and noisy that it can be difficult for me to get past the spectacle to the substance. I'll admit that the substance here is thin but I appreciate the presentation.