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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie / カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉 (2001)
Directed By: Shinichirō Watanabe
Starring: Steve Blum, Daran Norris, Wendee Lee
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie doesn't rely on previous knowledge of the series in order to follow the plot or understand its characters. Having a passing familiarity with the show would certainly be a benefit, but it works well as a stand-alone story, and as an introduction to Bebop's universe for new viewers. The animation is incredibly beautiful and polished, and the film uses cinematic lighting and angles that at the time were typically only found in live action films, though fortunately they've since been adapted by many directors of animation as well.
The action scenes are incredibly well designed and look amazing, and while they are definitely fun to watch, they do sometimes feel a little long in the tooth. Since the film's antagonist was a bit bland and underwritten, if the creators had focused less on these set-pieces and spent more time developing their villain, the whole thing would've been far more satisfying. I did still enjoy the film quite a bit, and I actually liked it significantly more than I did the first time I saw it, but it could've been even better with a few changes.
The English dub was surprisingly well done, and casting talented voice actors like Blum and Hale instead of live-action film celebrities with little to no VA experience is always the right call to make. I even preferred some of the English voices to the original Japanese cast, but while Daran Norris is always great with comedic roles, I did find his performance as the brooding Vincent to be a little disappointing. Ed didn't irritate me as much this time around, so either I've grown more accepting of her mannerisms, or her English actress' voice doesn't grate my ears as much. I'm glad this was nominated, because I probably wouldn't have rewatched it on my own accord, and I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around.
The action scenes are incredibly well designed and look amazing, and while they are definitely fun to watch, they do sometimes feel a little long in the tooth. Since the film's antagonist was a bit bland and underwritten, if the creators had focused less on these set-pieces and spent more time developing their villain, the whole thing would've been far more satisfying. I did still enjoy the film quite a bit, and I actually liked it significantly more than I did the first time I saw it, but it could've been even better with a few changes.
The English dub was surprisingly well done, and casting talented voice actors like Blum and Hale instead of live-action film celebrities with little to no VA experience is always the right call to make. I even preferred some of the English voices to the original Japanese cast, but while Daran Norris is always great with comedic roles, I did find his performance as the brooding Vincent to be a little disappointing. Ed didn't irritate me as much this time around, so either I've grown more accepting of her mannerisms, or her English actress' voice doesn't grate my ears as much. I'm glad this was nominated, because I probably wouldn't have rewatched it on my own accord, and I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around.
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