Month: February 2023

Today’s quick review: Like the Clouds, Like the Wind. In 17th-century China, Ginga (Ryoko Sano), a cheerful country girl, travels to the capital to become the wife of the new Emperor (Emiya Ichikawa). There, her coarse manners and upbeat personality set her apart from the other candidates. But as the selection process comes to an end, the Emperor faces betrayal from within when his stepmother (Ikuko Tani) conspires to overthrow him.

Like the Clouds, Like the Wind is a Japanese animated historical drama. The movie depicts a fictionalized period of unrest in Chinese history, as seen through the eyes of a country girl who dreams of becoming the Empress. The core of the story is Ginga, whose kind heart and rough exterior are a breath of fresh air in the tense, formal world of court politics. Her unique perspective gives the movie both some comedy and some emotional heft.

Like the Clouds, Like the Wind strikes a fascinating balance with its tone. The story itself is a drama, with all of the war and intrigue of historical China. But the presentation skews closer to a comedy or adventure, with a cheerful main character, a charming art style, and sanitized violence. The result is a rarity: a story that has some gravity to it, but whose dramatic weight isn’t overwhelming.

Like the Clouds, Like the Wind is a worthwhile pick when you are in the mood for something bittersweet. The movie is not as shocking or action-packed as other stories set in historical China, but its likable main character and generally light tone make it a pleasant experience. Approach with caution if you are looking for either a pure comedy or an intricate drama.

For an action-oriented tale of war and political intrigue set in historical China, try Curse of the Golden Flower, Shadow, or Hero. For a beautiful animated fantasy adventure with a similarly nuanced heroine, try Spirited Away.

[6.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185429/). I give it a 7.0 for a balanced story built around a charming main character.

Today’s quick review: Project A-ko. A-ko (Stacey Gregg), a teenager with superpowers, and her friend C-ko (Julia Brahms) are new students at Graviton High. B-ko (Denica Fairman), a spoiled girl in their class, becomes jealous of their friendship and uses an array of machines to challenge A-ko, hoping to win away her best friend. But their fight gets interrupted when an alien spaceship attacks Earth looking for the girls.

Project A-ko is a Japanese animated sci-fi action comedy. At its core, Project A-ko is a slice-of-life high school comedy about two troublesome girls and their stuck-up rival. A-ko and C-ko are cheerful and oblivious, more worried about getting to school on time than B-ko’s machinations to win C-ko’s friendship. At the same time, A-ko’s superhuman strength and speed turn her into a destructive whirlwind, fueling the movie’s action and comedy alike.

Project A-ko’s best feature is the way it has fun with its premise. A-ko’s powers open up a wide range of cartoonish action, from her racing to school at super speed to her acrobatic duels with B-ko’s machines. Most of the humor comes from the gap between the characters’ priorities and what’s going on around them. A-ko and C-ko are focused firmly on the day-to-day details of their lives, and both B-ko’s attacks and the alien invasion are afterthoughts.

The qualities that make Project A-ko fun also make it an odd watch. The movie is casual about world-building, starting with a semi-futuristic setting and going from there. A-ko’s powers and B-ko’s mechanical expertise are never properly explained; they’re just treated as facts of the universe that the viewer is expected to simply accept. To the movie’s credit, its enthusiasm and sense of humor help it gloss over some of these issues.

Give Project A-ko a watch when you’re in the mood for a colorful, action-packed romp with a minimum of plot. Its freewheeling sci-fi story won’t appeal to everyone, and its comedy relies more on goofy situations than sharp writing. But for anyone willing to roll with the punches, Project A-ko’s light tone and lavish action sequences make it a fun pick.

For an action comedy that expresses ordinary interpersonal conflicts through larger-than-life battles, try Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. For a superhero comedy with a similar tone and a more grounded story, try Ant-Man or Shazam!.

[7.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091794/). I give it the same for unabashed fun.

Today’s quick review: Prime Rose. When the space fortress Death Mask breaks apart and falls from orbit, the impact sends two Earth cities—Dallas and Kujukuri—10,000 years into the future. Gai Tanbara of the Time Patrol travels forward in time to investigate the incident, accompanied by his younger brother Bunretsu. There they find Emiya, a young noblewoman, fighting to free her people from the conquering Groman Empire.

Prime Rose is a Japanese animated sci-fi fantasy adventure based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where war and slavery are the norm, the movie follows two brave heroes as they fight for peace and justice. Prime Rose features Tezuka’s signature blend of cartoonish art and relatively mature conflicts. However, the movie’s jumbled story and shaky production quality make it a mediocre pick.

Prime Rose is a fanciful movie filled with colorful characters, bizarre creatures, and a smorgasbord of science fiction ideas. The movie takes a loose approach towards world-building, taking what it likes from time travel stories, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and the trappings of Ancient Rome. The result is an imaginative setting but not a very cohesive one. The elements of its world are individually promising but don’t work very well together.

The same goes for its story. The movie is caught between its initial premise, a time travel adventure where a bold agent investigates an inexplicable occurrence, and the story proper, a battle for freedom in a desolate quasi-fantasy land. Along the way, Prime Rose indulges in lengthy tangents that take the story even farther afield. Technically, Prime Rose tells a complete story, but it does a poor job of focusing on what is important.

How much you get out of Prime Rose will depend on your taste in adventure. At its best, it is a charming romp with a creative vision and a story that picks from a wide range of ideas. Fans of Osamu Tezuka’s style may find that it’s worth a watch for that alone. But viewers looking for a tense sci-fi epic or a thrilling adventure yarn will find that the film’s storytelling isn’t up to the task.

For a more polished adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s work, check out Metropolis. For a similar flavor of fantasy adventure with more adult content, try Conan the Barbarian, John Carter, or the last segment of Heavy Metal.

[4.3 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2575990/). I give it a 5.5 for good creativity held back by a poorly structured story.

Today’s quick review: A Wind Named Amnesia. A global event wipes the memories of everyone on Earth, causing civilization to collapse and reducing the survivors to animalistic behavior. Wataru (Adam Henderson), a survivor who was able to re-learn some of what he forgot, sets out across America to pass along his knowledge to anyone who will listen. He’s accompanied on his journey by Sophia (Denica Fairman), an enigmatic woman with her own plans.

A Wind Named Amnesia is a Japanese animated sci-fi movie set in the aftermath of an inexplicable calamity. The movie follows Wataru and Sophia across what’s left of the United States as Wataru searches for survivors who are willing to learn. A Wind Named Amnesia aims to be a reflection on humanity, progress, and what would happen if the slate were wiped clean. However, its loose story and shallow commentary leave something to be desired.

A Wind Named Amnesia does little to capitalize on its promising setup. The story is a loose series of episodes where Wataru and Sophie encounter the scattered survivors of the calamity, most of them ignorant, feral, and unreceptive to Wataru’s teachings. Wataru is a weak protagonist, an idealist who puts almost no thought into how to rebuild civilization. As a result, his journey comes across as naive and hopeless rather than inspiring.

A Wind Named Amnesia also strikes out with its commentary. The ruined world Wataru sees is less a testament to the folly of mankind and more a result of wiping out all of human progress in a single day. As such, the points the movie tries to make feel arbitrary. Instead of saying something general about the human condition, they are limited to bizarre hypotheticals involving mass amnesia, psychics, and a single road trip across the United States.

Fans of philosophical science fiction many want to give A Wind Named Amnesia a try. Its premise makes for an interesting thought experiment, and it is handled competently enough to be worth a watch for an interested viewer. But in general, the movie misplays its hand, undermining its speculative value with contrived scenarios and its emotional impact with an aimless story. Casual viewers may want to steer clear.

For a more successful movie about restoring hope to a post-apocalyptic world, try The Book of Eli or Children of Men. For a bleaker story set in a similarly desolate world, try The Road.

[6.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108570/). I give it a 6.0 for an interesting setup whose execution misses the mark.

Today’s quick review: Spriggan. As a Spriggan, Yu Ominae (Christopher Patton) protects ARCAM, an organization that hunts the secrets of a prehistoric civilization. After an attack on one of his friends, Yu travels to Turkey, the site of ARCAM’s latest excavation, in search of answers. There he fights Colonel MacDougall (Kevin Corn), a psychic boy working for the U.S. Machine Corps, for control of Noah’s Ark, an ancient device of unknown purpose.

Spriggan is a Japanese animated sci-fi action adventure. The film chronicles one incident in the ongoing war between two clandestine organizations that are fighting for control over ancient technology. The action pits Yu, a teenage soldier with enhanced strength and agility, against a team of cyborgs and soldiers led by MacDougall. Lofty speculation, grounded conflict, and kinetic action make Spriggan an entertaining piece of science fiction.

Spriggan strikes the right balance with its story. It has high stakes and a sense of mystery to hook the viewer, but the conflict grounds out in concrete fighting. The result is an action-packed adventure that reaches the same speculative heights as other science fiction, but without being as abstract or confusing. Spriggan also feels like a single story set in a larger world, although this leads to a steep learning curve for the viewer.

Give Spriggan a shot if you’re a fan of action-oriented science fiction. Its fights are violent and energetic, its characters are well-matched with each other, and the overarching plot manages to be speculative without being incomprehensible. Steer clear if you’re sensitive to violence or are looking for a more personal, philosophical sci-fi story.

For mature animated sci-fi with deeper philosophical underpinnings, try Ghost in the Shell. For an anime movie done in a similar style with more of a horror bent, try Akira. For a gentler, more beautiful story about a brush with ancient technology, try Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

[6.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164917/). I give it a 7.0 for solid action and an intriguing story.

Today’s quick review: Space Adventure Cobra. Jane Flower (Barbara Goodson), a bounty hunter searching for love, finally finds it when she meets Cobra (Dan Woren), a brash space pirate long thought dead. Jane enlists Cobra’s help to free her sister Catherine (Mari Devon) from the clutches of Crystal Bowie (Jeff Winkless), the head of the Mafia Guild. But the rescue mission hits a snag when Bowie lays a devastating trap for them.

Space Adventure Cobra is a Japanese animated sci-fi action adventure. Set in a galaxy where the Mafia Guild has almost total control, the movie follows two outlaws as they set out to foil the Guild’s latest plan. True to its name, Space Adventure Cobra is an adventure in the classic mold. The movie features a colorful setting and a freewheeling plot that serve as a backdrop for Cobra and Jane’s feats of heroism.

The catch is that Space Adventure Cobra plays things a little too loose. The setting is imaginative but not especially consistent, with plenty of ideas that are used once and then discarded. The plot hinges on a relationship between Cobra and Jane that isn’t given time to bloom, and the attempts to play it up are a little clumsy. Finally, while the story works well enough, it skews toward the fantasy side of the science fiction genre.

How much you get out of Space Adventure Cobra will come down to taste. Fans of classic anime and the loose, adventurous style of sci-fi will find it to be a charming, breezy watch. Fans who are looking for careful character work, detailed world-building, or an airtight plot may want to give it a pass.

For an updated take on a similar flavor of space adventure, try Harlock: Space Pirate. For an even weirder sci-fi adventure with a racing twist, try Redline. For a more down-to-earth adventure featuring a roguish hero, try Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.

[7.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163494/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an enjoyable adventure that’s missing some of the weight it could have had.

Today’s quick review: Space Detective. Shiro (Matt Sjafiroeddin), a private investigator with cybernetic eyes, returns to the bustling space station of Carina Dawn to take a job for his old flame Jinks Darkanian (Angela Rysk). Jinks wants Shiro to steal a datapad from her husband (Nemo Strang) that could give her the leverage she needs to finally leave him. But the information on the pad proves more dangerous than either Shiro or Jinks expected.

Space Detective is an animated sci-fi crime drama with noir influences. Set in a garish, crime-ridden future, Space Detective follows a hard-boiled Terran as he takes on his toughest case yet. The movie tries to carve out a niche for itself with an eclectic world and a distinctive art style. However, its efforts are hindered by a low budget, a mediocre script, and dubious taste, making Space Detective a fringe pick at best.

Space Detective’s distinguishing feature is its art style. The characters are black-and-white animation over a live-action base, combining the smooth motions of live-action with the greater flexibility of character design that animation provides. The backgrounds are a combination of simple animation, CGI, and photos of space, all drenched in kaleidoscopic color. In principle, this lets the movie make efficient use of its animation budget.

Unfortunately, the art style falls short in practice. The visual effects are rough, the costumes are clumsy, and the backgrounds are cobbled together. Even ignoring the visuals, the world is hard to get into: a grimy pastiche of modern culture filtered through the lens of sci-fi conventions. To the movie’s credit, it never takes itself too seriously, but its pop culture references and crass jokes are anything but artful.

As for its story, Space Detective is a bare-bones noir with a weak premise and lackluster acting. The story serves its basic purpose, showing off the world of the film and serving up some modest action, but none of the twists are especially surprising. The movie also sets a few hooks for a potential sequel, time that would have been better spent beefing up the main plot.

Ultimately, Space Detective will not have broad appeal. Its quirky flavor of sci-fi will only appeal to a subset of fans, its garish visuals are creative but not especially pleasing, and its story and acting don’t have the depth needed to pick up the slack. The end result is a movie that gambles big and fails. Viewers with a taste for unconventional budget movies may still want to give it a shot, but most viewers should steer clear.

For a more lavish portrait of an alien city, try Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. For a more adventurous crime drama set in space, try Solo: A Star Wars Story. For a more methodical black-and-white sci-fi movie that uses animation based on live-action, try Renaissance. For a much richer, character-driven animated sci-fi adventure, try Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.

[7.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5853664/). I give it a 5.0 for creative art with poor execution.

Today’s quick review: Technotise: Edit & I. Edit Stefanovic (Sanda Knezevic), a psychology student living in Belgrade in the year 2074, gets more than she bargained for when she implants herself with a memory-enhancing chip to cheat on an exam. Exposure to a mathematical formula causes the chip to grow inside her, altering her body and her mind. Now Edit must rely on the help of a stranger (Nebojsa Glogovac) to figure out what’s happening to her.

Technotise: Edit & I is a Serbian animated sci-fi movie based on the graphic novel by Aleksa Gajic. The movie follows a young woman who gets caught up in a scientific advancement beyond her understanding. Technotise is set in a quirky future where technology has advanced but human nature is still the same. Distinctive art, interesting speculation, and a character-driven story make Technotise a hidden gem for the right viewer.

The glue that holds Technotise together is its characters. Edit and her friends are young, reckless underachievers who spend most of their time just hanging out. Their casual banter and modest ambitions are a perfect counterbalance to the far-flung setting and the uncertain trajectory of the plot. Instead of just being a film about Edit’s technological transformation, Technotise is a film about ordinary people reacting to the unknown.

Technotise also features a distinctive art style that blends a variety of styles and techniques into one coherent world. The animation shows some clear limitations in terms of the way people and objects can move, but the film does a skillful job of working within these limitations. The animation can be incredibly fluid when it needs to be, and the art and world feel like a fully realized vision.

The only real drawbacks to Technotise are choices it makes deliberately. The story is an abstract mystery about the changes Edit is undergoing. It has enough explanation to feel worthwhile, but its meandering structure and dreamlike imagery won’t suit everyone. The characters and setting have a rough quality to them that takes some getting used to. Finally, the tone strikes an odd balance between mystery, wonder, and comedy.

Technotise: Edit & I is a fresh, creative film that blends classic cyberpunk ideas with a unique and colorful world. Not every gamble it takes pays off, but enough of them do to make it a fascinating pick for anyone interested. Fans of abstract sci-fi, unconventional animation, and stories with an emphasis on character should give it a shot. Steer clear if you’re sensitive to mature content or prefer tighter, plot-driven stories.

For a darker animated sci-fi movie about an extraordinary transformation, try Akira. For a more paranoid story in a similar vein, try A Scanner Darkly. For an even more fanciful animated sci-fi movie with gorgeous visuals and an abstract story, try Paprika. For a live-action sci-fi movie about a woman undergoing an even more extreme transformation, try Lucy. For noir-influenced animated sci-fi with some of the same feel, try Renaissance.

7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for creative ideas that will click with the right viewer.

Today’s quick review: Appleseed. In the aftermath of World War III, the utopian city of Olympus is one of the last bastions of human civilization. Deunan Knute (Larissa Murray) and her cyborg partner Briareos (William Roberts) are members of an elite SWAT team tasked with protecting Olympus. When a notorious terrorist (Vincent Marzello) escapes their custory, Deunan and Briareos’ investigation leads them to Charon (Alan Marriott), a crooked cop.

Appleseed is a Japanese animated sci-fi action movie based on the manga by Shirow Masamune. Appleseed is set in a world that’s divided between war-torn wastelands and a gleaming city managed by an advanced AI. The story explores the fringes of this society as Deunan and Briareos square off against a terrorist tring to burn Olympus to the ground. Appleseed features a rich setting and plenty of action, even if its execution has a few quirks.

Among Appleseed’s strengths are its gun-toting action, its distinctive main characters, and its musings about the relationship between society and human nature. Its most obvious appeal comes from its action scenes, where cops and criminals square off in powerful exosuits known as Landmates. The setting is a case study on the tradeoff between freedom and security, although this conflict takes a back seat to the main action of the story.

However, Appleseed has a few flaws that hold it back. The art style is nicely detailed, but the animation shows its age, which in turn puts a damper on some of the action scenes. The plot doesn’t move very smoothly, and the investigation doesn’t get the time it needs to breathe. Finally, Charon’s plan does not have the impact it should have, relying on a contrived weakness in Olympus’ security system and leading to a merely adequate finale.

Appleseed is an interesting find for fans of anime and classic sci-fi. Flaws in its execution keep it from leaving as much of an impression as either its action-packed successors or lavish, atmospheric anime like Ghost in the Shell. But even with its limitations, Appleseed’s detailed world and solid action make it a fine pick for the right viewer.

For a modern take on the same source material, try the CGI remake of Appleseed and its sequel, Appleseed Ex Machina. For another adaptation of Shirow Masamune’s work, try Ghost in the Shell. For a darker animated thriller about an elite SWAT team, try Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. For a more cartoonish, stylized saga set in a false utopia, check out Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a modest story and serviceable actuib set in a rich world.

Today’s quick review: Lily C.A.T. The crew of an interplanetary scouting mission wake up after 20 years of deep sleep to find that their ship has been infested with a type of alien bacteria. As crew members begin to die, Captain Mike Hamilton (Mike Reynolds) organizes the survivors to secure the ship and salvage the mission. But the situation is complicated by a cryptic message indicating two of the people onboard are impostors.

Lily C.A.T. is a Japanese animated sci-fi horror movie. The movie is a variant on a classic premise of the genre: a group of survivors trapped with an entity that is killing them one by one. Lily C.A.T. puts its own twist on the formula with corporate space exploration, a versatile creature, and a hunt for the impostors. But in spite of some interesting ideas, the film’s execution falls short of the mark.

Lily C.A.T. has issues with its storytelling. Chief among these is that the film moves too fast for the kind of story it is trying to tell. Characters die abruptly and without fanfare, and the film doesn’t take the time to build up a sense of dread. The way it presents information is also confusing, making it hard to get a bead on what kind of threat the survivors are facing. Finally, the story has three threads that all compete with one another.

Lily C.A.T. has the makings of a compelling story, but it fails at the details of bringing it to life. Fans of science fiction and classic anime will find that it’s still a fine pick, in spite of its flaws, but it is outclassed by other movies with clearer writing and better tension.

For a more thrilling story about a killer alien, try Alien or The Thing. For a flawed sci-fi horror movie with a similar premise, try Virus. For a more meticulous story about an alien infection, try The Andromeda Strain.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for interesting ideas with flawed presentation.