Steamboy
Steamboy
Directed by:
Katsuhiro ŌtomoComposer:
Steve JablonskyCast:
Anne Suzuki, Manami Konishi, Kiyoshi Kodama, Ikki Sawamura, Susumu Terajima, Katsuo Nakamura, 津嘉山正種, Yumiko Kobayashi, Takaya Kuroda, Keiko Aizawa (more)VOD (2)
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From the leader in anime Katsuhiro Otomo, comes his first feature- length directorial project since his breakthrough film (Akira). Ten years in the making, with a total budget of $22 million, Steamboy is the most expensive Japanese anime production ever. A retro science-fiction epic set in Victorian England, Steamboy features an inventor prodigy named Ray Steam, who receives a mysterious metal ball containing a new form of energy capable of powering an entire nation, the Steam Ball. Young Ray Steam must use the Steam Ball to fight evil, redeem his family, and save London from destruction. With more than 180,000 drawings and 400 CG cuts, Steamboy is one of the most elaborate animated features ever created. (Manga Home Entertainment)
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A lavishly filmed animated feature film that can be considered a perfect example of the steampunk genre. The director goes to its roots and there are all sorts of steam clouds, gear mechanisms, crankshafts, and complex mechanisms. Visually, it is stunning, and Steamboy would definitely look much better on the big screen than on a TV. In my eyes, Steamboy is slightly undermined by the simple story, excessive pathos, noble phrases, and overly straightforward depiction of the conflict between greed and militarism on one side and humanistic ideals on the other, and I would have appreciated more shades of gray in the characters and their conflicts. Overall impression: 75%.
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I don't like anime, but I kind of expected Steamboy to be an exception thanks to steampunk, Victorian England, an interesting story and Jablonsky's good soundtrack... Unfortunately, it was not. The animation didn't charm me at all, and because of the ugly awkwardness of the characters and the constant awkward expressions on their faces, I couldn't even concentrate on the story. And when I started to perceive it, I found it bland, long-winded and uninteresting. I praise especially the soundtrack (probably the best Jablonsky ever) and the idea. If Steamboy were live-action or (classically non-Japanese) animated, I would probably rate it better.
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