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.