The animation is spellbinding, the characters are ultra-cool and the action is nonstop.
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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Reviews for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
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.
Combines thrilling animated action with genuine wit and character development.
There are so many good ideas at the visual level that you can't help wishing the narrative elements had been more cleverly worked out.
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.
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.
As a feature-length translation of a television show, Cowboy Bebop is pretty good.
Aims to transcend its own genre by emulating all genres, and it falls short only in the melodrama.
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.
Not only does this movie lack the addictive charm of the series, but it also stands as one of the most boring anime films I've ever had to endure.
The bigscreen version does not disappoint, though the non-anointed may find both the genre and this particular storyline a bit more dense than the usual American studio animation.
Latest News for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
September 24, 2009:
Keanu Reeves Waiting for Cowboy Bebop Rewrite ![]()
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 ![]()
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? ![]()
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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