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Movies / On DVD / Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2003)

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Reviews Counted:65

Fresh:45

Rotten:20

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: Should appeal to fans of the genre.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some violent images

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:Apr 4, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $910,607

Synopsis: Set on Mars in the year 2071, COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE is based on the much-loved animated television series by Japanese director Shinichiro Watanabe. (The show airs on the Cartoon Network in the... Set on Mars in the year 2071, COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE is based on the much-loved animated television series by Japanese director Shinichiro Watanabe. (The show airs on the Cartoon Network in the U.S.) As the film begins, Spike (Steven Jay Blum) and his gang of gypsy vigilantes are roaming the city, looking for trouble when Faye (Wendee Lee) witnesses a bioterrorist attack. Hovering above the city in her spaceship, she sees a man fleeing the scene. Over 500 people die in the attack, and the city offers a monetary reward for any information. The gang jumps at the opportunity. They decide to branch out, each using their own tactics to research the tragedy. Spike slinks through Chinatown, being led by shady underground characters. Faye traces the image of the man she saw back to military files. And the young Ed (Mellisa Fahn) and her dog Ein do some handy computer research. Meanwhile Jet (Beau Billinglsea), holds down the fort, worried about the gang. When the criminal Vincent (Daran Norris), is identified, with a connection to Spike's love interest Elektra (Jennifer Hale), the real action begins. COWBOY BEBOP is a visually dramatic film that combines several styles of illustration into one beautiful, cohesive animated environment. The Mars of this film is a combination of cities: New York, Hong Kong, London, Paris, and many more. Viewers are compelled to identify monuments and familiar structures, while the terrorist theme hits fearfully close to home. [More]

Starring: Steven Jay Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Mellissa Fahn

Starring: Steven Jay Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Mellissa Fahn, Daran Norris, Jennifer Hale

Director: Shinichiro Watanabe

Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
Screenwriter: Keiko Nobumoto, Marc Handler
Producer: Yutaka Maseba, Haruyo Kanesaku, Masuo Ueda, Minoru Takanashi, Mashiko Minami
Composer: Yoko Kanno
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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Release:

Feb 22, 2007

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

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Reviews for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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Chock full of stylized exploding chopsocky for the veterans, yet quirky enough for the cautious newbie.

Full Review Source: Portland Mercury | comment Comment
01/21/05
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
Portland Mercury

Director Shinichirô Watanabe drives us through a fantastic land, taking advantage of the anime medium with unearthly angles and delicate details in a postmodern, animated epic laced with film-noir savvy.

Full Review Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI) | comment Comment
04/02/03
Anita Schmaltz
Anita Schmaltz
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

A postmodern animated epic, laced with film-noir savvy.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
05/16/03
Anita Schmaltz
Anita Schmaltz
Orlando Weekly

With Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Japan once again proves that it’s light years ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to animation and it’s not just the technology that’s impressive, it’s the storytelling as well.

Full Review Source: KPBS.org | comment Comment
04/05/03
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org

The characters may not move with the fluidity of their American counterparts, but the story unfolds with a sinister grace that any live-action director might envy.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
04/03/03
Charles Solomon
Charles Solomon
Los Angeles Times

Lustrous

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
07/18/03
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

Rare among anime films, Cowboy Bebop pays more attention to story than architecture.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
04/04/03
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Combines thrilling animated action with genuine wit and character development.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
04/03/03
Dan Fazio
Dan Fazio
Citysearch

The sound effects and musical choices will underwhelm some, but those previously tuned in with the TV series will be happy to see the team of bounty hunters back in action.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
04/03/03
David Hunter
David Hunter
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The atmospherics are wonderfully dark and film-noirish, if overly violent.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
04/04/03
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

We come down to the simple fact that this is Cowboy Bebop, and in the end, the journey taken is more important than whether or not it makes any sense.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
01/15/03
Edward Havens
Edward Havens
FilmJerk.com

As a feature-length translation of a television show, Cowboy Bebop is pretty good.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
04/01/03
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

The big-screen treatment allows the creators' vision to bloom in a way it could never quite do on the tube, but in essence the movie is an expanded episode of the show.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
04/03/03
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
09/11/03
Geoff Carter
Geoff Carter
Las Vegas Weekly

Bebop does deliver quite a bit of lively animated action.

Full Review Source: Sun Newspapers of Cleveland | comment Comment
05/02/03
Gerry Shamray
Gerry Shamray
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/20/03
Greg Muskewitz
Greg Muskewitz
eFilmCritic.com

Cowboy Bebop fans will be slightly disappointed and newbies will be nonplussed as to the show’s cult following.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
06/25/03
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

A brilliant feature-length anime that's good enough to deserve mention in the same breath as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Spirited Away.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
06/24/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

Aims to transcend its own genre by emulating all genres, and it falls short only in the melodrama.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
04/01/03
Janet Kim
Janet Kim
Village Voice

The visuals are well done and the whole is fun to watch.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
04/05/03
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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Latest News for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

September 24, 2009: Keanu Reeves Waiting for Cowboy Bebop Rewrite Opens in new window
According to Keanu Reeves, his live-action adaptation of "Cowboy Bebop" is still on track -- it just needs a script the studio can produce for less than $500 million. More...

December 18, 2008: Keanu Plans a Cowboy Bebop Opens in new window
Now that he's done with the "Day the Earth Stood Still" remake, Keanu Reeves is moving on to new projects -- including a live-action "Cowboy Bebop," which he recently discussed... More...

July 31, 2008: Keanu Reeves Starring in Cowboy Bebop? Opens in new window
Sources say Fox is fast-tracking a live-action adaptation of the Cowboy Bebop anime series -- and that Keanu Reeves is attached to star. More...

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