Cowboy Bebop - The Movie DVD: Review By stevegibbs

Bounty hunters Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine and Jet Black have been surviving on instant noodles far too long. When the Mars government offers a massive reward for the capture of a mysterious bio-terrorist, our uneasy allies can hardly resist. With a lot of legwork, a little luck, and some help from their resident wacko hacker - Ed - they manage to pick up his trail.

As they get closer to the elusive 'Vincent', a terrifying conspiracy begins to emerge. Soon our roguish heroes are faced with the possibility that life on the planet could be extinguished by an infection of deadly nano-mchines. That is, unless they can do something about it.

While Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a good stand-alone story, fans of the TV show will benefit more than those unfamiliar with Bebop's world. Many familiar characters and elements are back: the cool Bebop spaceships; the main characters are still bickering; and the new score is just as impressive as the series music. But this time director Shinichi Watanabe has the luxury of time and budget to indulge in some longer, more complex action scenes. And without having to please the censors, he pushes the violence quotient a little more than TV allows; hence the R rating.

The widescreen format gives Watanabe and his artists a bigger canvas to play with, and they definitely come up with the goods! The Bebop world is infused with both a grand scale and a level of detail we haven't seen in the series: some incredible rotoscope-looking street scenes, full of life and energy are blended with breathtaking cityscapes and Martian landscapes.

Like the TV show, Cowboy Bebop isn't aimed at the kiddies. In many respects, it is an animated homage to Blade Runner. It has that same gritty feel, and a similar, cynical sense of humor.

Theatrical Trailers

Not only do you get the Bebop trailer, but a host of other offerings including Bad Boys 2; I Spy and XXX. Sorry, but Bebop is still the coolest by far!

The Making of Cowboy Bebop: 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes

These really aren't 'behind the scenes' featurettes so much as mini interviews with the director, character designer and both the Japanese and English voice actors for the major characters. While the actors' revelations weren't all that deep, the director and character designer do offer some insight into the development of the characters, the TV show and the movie. I must confess, I love the design of the interviews - which use a 'comic panel' style and speech bubbles for the Japanese/English translations - neatly integrating them into the whole manga concept.

Music videos for "Ask DNA" and "Gotta Knock a Little Harder"

A big bonus, since the hip soundtrack is such a large component of the Bebop world. The two main music tracks are set to a montage of clips from the movie.

Conceptual art galleries

Fairly extensive galleries detailing the design evolution of the characters, vehicles, spaceships and gadgets.

Storyboard comparisons

In-depth character profiles

Presented in 1.85:1 Widescreen. Bebop is a rich, colorful and lively film, despite its very serious premise. The opening city street montage is some of the most impressive animation I've seen in a long time. Visually, this is the cream of the anime crop, right up there with Akira and Metropolis.

English/Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1. The filmmakers pulled out all the stops on the soundtrack, making good use of the surround capabilities. More noticeable than in the series DVDs, the explosions, spaceships and music are all excellently blended into a mix that sucks you into the heart of the action.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a wonderful cap to a great series. I just hope it won't be the last we see of Spike, Faye and the gang. The only thing I missed was a little bit more action in space, perhaps involving the hyper space gate. Maybe next time. There is so much to digest and enjoy in the movie that you'll want to get your own copy to experience again and again. The Final Word: Bebop IS cool.