Score Sample: Scrooged (1988)

Time to listen to some more holiday movie music. But what to pick, what to pick? Could go with some classic stuff, or even with some John Williams. But I decided to go a little stranger. And even though I highlighted his work in October, I'm once again throwing Danny Elfman some love on this blog.

Elfman's film scoring career really took off in 1989 with Batman. But before that we got a bit of a warmup with his score to the Bill Murray Christmas comedy Scrooged. Elfman's distinctive style is present from the opening cue, and fans of his work from Edward Scissorhands will certainly recognize this era of Elfman's writing. Elfman has fun adapting some familiar Christmas carols to his unique orchestral voice, but it is the children chanting "la la la" in an eerie voice that just gives the score its darkly festive touch.

The fun start with the Main Titles/Terrorist Attack as Elfman gives us his main theme combining dark overtones and festive la las. Then it transitions to sparkling joy as we enter Santa's workshop. Things take a turn for the action packed as Elfman unleashes a strident propulsive action theme as terrorists attack Santa's workshop. The only man who can save them... Lee Majors. I'm not kidding.

So enjoy the opening track from Scrooged composed by Danny Elfman.

And Then This Happened... Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell

Sometimes you head to an old friends house to catch up with him. His girlfriend is over and you guys all reminisce about old times. But then he tries to cast a curse on you and it turns out his girlfriend has practiced the black arts too. Pretty soon you are trapped on the coffee table as they sneer and loom over your alarmingly.

What do you mean this isn't a shared experience?

Well this kind of thing happens to poor old Nicias. I guess when you're a wizard it is just the kind of peril you might run into. Of course would you actually trust a guy named Troxartas in the first place? Anyway, this little moment from Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell or Deathstalker III is one of my favorites, and I figured I'd share it with you for caption fun.

And then this happened...

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Introduction:

No one sets out to make an iconic character, or at least those that do usually don’t accomplish this. These characters are just connect with an audience and grow into a phenomenon. If you are an anime fan, you know who Totoro is, you can’t escape his fuzzy presence. If you don’t know who Totoro is, then go watch My Neighbor Totoro as soon as you can, because he is an iconic character, not just in Japan, but around the world.

Summary:

Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) and Mei (Chika Sakamoto) are moving to the country with their father (Shigesato Itoi). We soon discover that the girl’s mother (Sumi Shimamoto) is sick and hopefully the country air will help her get well. But mother has to stay in a local hospital until she is well enough to join the three at the new place. After they arrive the girls think mysterious Dust Bunnies may haunt the new home. Satsuiki and Mei explore the house and discover clues to supernatural inhabitants.

In the meantime the girls help their dad around the house and make new friends like Kanata (Toshiyuki Amagas) a young boy who thinks Satsuki is cute, but doesn’t know what to do about it. They also befriend kindly old Granny (Tanie Kitbayashi) who tells them about the forest spirits that live nearby. That is when Mei encounters the Totoro, a huge furry creature living in a huge camphor tree near the house. Totoro and his tiny friends befriend the girls and take them on all kinds of adventures including flying through the air, taking a ride on a Cat Bus and entering an enchanted tree. But when mother takes a turn for the worse is there anything Totoro can do to help the girls in there hour of need?

Good Points:

• Miyazaki creates a wonderful sense of place and wonder in the animation
• Totoro and all the supernatural creations are a joy to behold
• You grow to like all the characters in the film

Bad Points:

• There isn’t really an overall story, more like a series of vignettes
• Looking for an antagonist to boo? Not going to find one here.
• Some may find the movie too simple or too childish (I don’t agree, but I’ve heard that argument before)

Overall:

This is a wonderful example of family entertainment. Young children will connect with the protagonists and fall in love with Totoro and his pals. Adults will find a nostalgic quality to the film that is so appealing. The movie puts you into the world of a child and does it so effectively. All the pieces come together to make a film that is entertaining and soothing all at once. It isn’t hard to see why this became a big hit and remains a classic in Miyazaki’s filmography ever since.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 5

Sound: 4

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 5

Entertainment: 5

Total:  4

In Depth Review

The big Totoro lets out a giant Yawp!

I think that one of the toughest genres to create in movies is the family film. Most end up too dumbed down for adults to enjoy. Others end up a little too snarky and meta to be anything more than a mild amusement that is soon forgotten. It is rare that you actually see a family film that is whimsical, positive and entertaining all at once. My Neighbor Totoro should be required viewing for anyone attempting to create family entertainment and do it the right way.

I often hear Hayao Miyazaki called the Japanese Walt Disney, and I think his work on My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service is where that idea comes from. I appreciate the comparison, but it doesn’t quite fit. Both men are more then just comparison points to each other. As I mentioned above, you could compare Totoro to Mickey Mouse when it comes to a popular icon created from family entertainment. Totoro is inescapable in Japan. And if you have any stores near you that sell merchandise or pop culture from Japan (especially anime or manga) odd are you’ve seen Totoro there too.

Why the lasting appeal? Why the accolades? Why the huge amount of success that allowed Miyazaki to continue with his dream of making animated films into 2013? Let’s take a look at all the different elements and see how they work together.

The pastoral and old fashioned setting.

For the first time in a Miyazaki directed feature film we have a setting in Japan. Because we aren’t in the post apocalyptic world of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or the steam punk fantasy of Castle in the Sky, the design has a more down to earth feel. The film is a period piece, set in 1958. This gives the clothing, automobiles and town surrounding our protagonists an old fashioned but homey feel to it.

The country setting allows Miyazaki to show off nature in the form of the giant camphor tree, the rolling hills surrounding the village and waving open fields of grass. My Neighbor Totoro feels much more open and airy compared to Castle in the Sky. The setting adds to the nostalgic atmosphere that wraps the whole film in a comfy familiar blanket, even for non-Japanese audiences.

What mysteries await in the new house?

The character design follows Miyazaki’s normal style. They are variants on what we’ve seen in the past. The Totoros look related to the Panda family from Panda Go Panda and Satsuki could be Nausicaa’s little sister. Old Granny could be a stand in for Yubaba in Spirited Away. But this movie actually establishes more designs that Miyazaki will use in future films.

Like the previous films, some of the visual highlights include moments when characters take flight. Totoro uses a magic top to take to the air with Mei and Satsuki. Later in the movie, the flying Cat Bus hurtles across the countryside and leaps high into the air, providing a thrilling ride for those inside. It just wouldn’t be a Miyazaki film without those moments.

Who ya gonna call? Dust Bunny Busters!

But I also like some of the creepy scenes early in the film, when the girls explore their new house.  The home has plenty of darkened passages and closed doors that could open to anything: even a group of Dust Bunnies! Miyazaki does a good job creating an eerie atmosphere of mystery. It’s not too scary (like elements we’d see in Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke). But it creates a few moments of the uncanny as the two girls come in contact with the spirits that inhabit the house and surrounding forest.

Sound work follows suit for the film. Most of what we hear is typical sound effects for the pastoral setting and vintage cars. When some magic is needed for the Totoros and the Cat Bus then some interesting sound design is used. It is all creative and immersive.

Mei befriends the giant Totoro.

When it came to the music for My Neighbor Totoro Miyazaki once again turned to his composer of choice, Joe HIsaishi. Hisaishi creates three main melodies for the film, and they are all used to flesh out songs used in the film and on the soundtrack album. The opening title theme Hey Lets Go! gets things off to a cheery start. It is also used when the family goes to visit their sick mother in the local hospital. The end title track, is the theme for the Totoros, and actually features a chorus singing their name several times. It’s a jaunty tune and is used several times in the film. The other theme is one used when Mei gets lost. We only hear it a couple times at the end of the film, but Hisaishi uses the melody for a song called The Lost Child on the album. Hisashi creates a set of other memorable motifs for the Dust Bunnies, Cat Bus and the girl’s mother. The music is all light, melodic and fits the film so well. Much of the emotion and nostalgia comes from Hisaishi’s score. While it is primarily orchestral, there is some use of 80s synthesizers in nearly every track to supplement the music. It may be one of Hisaisihi’s most cheerful and uplifting scores for a Miyazaki film – and that is saying something.

Even the Cat Bus is pleased that Mei and Satsuki find
each other.

When it comes to the vocal cast, it is important that the two main girls are able to convey the mixture of innocence and wonder that makes the film work. In Japanese you have Noriko Hidaka as Satsuki and Chika Sakamoto as Mei. Both girls do a fine job. Sakamoto makes Mei just cute enough that you don’t want to strangle her when she gets bratty. Hidaka also does a great job combining the affection and annoyance of having a younger sibling to take care of. Their interaction with each other and the other characters goes a long way to making the whole thing work. There have been two English dubs for this film one done in 1993 for Fox and one in 2005 for Disney. Both English dubs work well, with Dakota and Elle Fanning appearing in the Disney version with Lea Salonga (of Aladdin fame) as their mother.  I usually like to watch this one in Japanese, because of the very Japanese setting, but both English dubs work just fine and allow English speaking viewers a chance to enjoy the animation.

Mei in hot pursuit of the white rabbit... I mean
little and medium Totoros!

If there is one criticism you can level at My Neighbor Totoro it is that the film doesn’t have a traditional narrative. The movie plays out more like a series of vignettes about the girls moving into the new home with their father and how they adapt to the changes and the fact that their mother is still very ill. There is a story arc of sorts, as both girls grow up a bit over the course of the movie. But there is no antagonist to challenge the girls, or grand goal or objective at the heart of the film, at least not one that is obvious. As a writer I really admire how Miyazaki and his crew are able to make this approach work. We connect immediately with the girls, most of us have moved to a new home and had to deal with all the strange things we encounter. I love how Satsuki and Mei have this mixture of excitement, fear and daring in the first portion of the film as they explore the “haunted house” and meet the dust bunnies. Even the scenes where the girls meet Totoro are an interesting mixture of suspense and wonder. All these moments keep us interested in the girls and what they are going to encounter next.

Satsuki is isolated in this frame, as she searches
for the lost Mei.

In many ways this film reminds me strongly of Alice in Wonderland as envisioned by Disney or the Jim Henson film Labyrinth. You get a series of encounters and adventures, but not a clear plot path. The story seems to meander at times as you take the journey with the characters. But by the time it is over, you realize that each moment played into the character’s growth in some way and by the end of the film they have learned something about themselves.

It takes a deft touch to make something like My Neighbor Totoro work. For me this is the first film where everything comes together just about perfectly for Miyazaki. His abilty to capture that childlike wonder, that thrill of discovery, the fear of the unknown and the dispair of losing someone so important to you – all these elements come into play in this simple story. But it is that simplicity that makes the film so endearing, entertaining and have that staying power. Pretty much anyone who sees My Neighbor Totoro will not forget it. Children connect with the girls and the cute and helpful Totoro. Adults will pick up on the nostalgia for a simpler time and the delightful visuals that capture the imagination. Miyazaki even manages to include a little ecological message about the Totoros being spirits of the forest and being attracted growing plants.

The leaf hat just isn't cutting it.

Of course some folks find the whole thing just too cute, or too slight. While I can understand that to a point, I think they don’t understand the core of the film. My Neighbor Totoro Isn’t going for the narrative scope of something like Princess Mononoke or even Castle of Cagliostro. It is about a family dealing with some serious issues, a sick mother, a big move to a very different place and meeting new neighbors. But it does it from the point of view of children, who see some of these things as games, fantasy or sometimes as confusing and scary events. That is the magic of the film. Miyazaki reaches younger viewers who feel like the film is speaking to them. It reaches older viewers because it reminds us of our childhood and some of the great and amazing things we experienced. My Neighbor Totoro is a must see for anyone who enjoys good entertainment. I can understand why it is many people’s favorite Miyazaki film, and while I rate a few other films a bit higher, it is the start of his winning streak.

The girls rush to find adventure in the "haunted house".

Time for a snack after the move.

The girls visit their sick mother.

She seeks him here, she seeks him there. She seeks
that rascal everywhere.

And then this happened... a cat bus appeared.

"Are you seeing this $%@&?" "Yeah, I totally see
a Cat Bus."

The girls and the Totoro's combine forces to make the
little acorns grow.

Mei is a child of the corn.

Hey Link, I think the Totoro has the Ocarina of Time.

This has to be one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

Patlabor - OAV (1988)

Introduction:

After the wild success of the comedy sci-fi romps of Urusei Yatsura director Mamoru Oshii tackled an OAV projected called Angel’s Egg. Viewers found it too esoteric and odd. The series was considered a failure. It took a few years, but Oshii was eventually brought on to helm another science fiction series with a healthy dose of comedy. But in this case it was set in the near future and involved giant robots. Would a director known for his wacky comedies be able to handle something that had serious and satirical edge?

Summary:

In the near future giant robotic suits are used for construction and dangerous situations where mechanical muscle is needed. These suits are called Labors. Of course some enterprising folks figure out how to used Labors for criminal activities. This leads to the creation of a special unit of the police force: the Patrol Labors or Patlabors.

Our story begins as we meet the new second unit Patlabor unit in Tokyo. There is the huge Labor fan Noa (Miina Tominaga) who names her Patlabor Alphonse, because that is just what you do in situations like this. Her driver is Asuma (Yoshiko Sakakibara) a young man who was forced into joining by his rich father. Piloting the other unit is the gun crazy Ohta (Michihiro Ikemizu), and his driver Shinshi (Issei Futamata) who is constantly calling his wife. On back up is the huge and hulking Hiromi (Daisuke Gouri) who is really as gentle as they come. Leading the team is the sardonic Goto (Ryunosuke Ohbayashi) who’s laid back manner hides his strategic skills. The team will face rampaging Labors, giant sea monsters, ghosts and terrorist plots. Will they be up for the challenge, or will this Patlabor squad end up laid off because of the bad economy.

Good Points:

• Impressive mecha and futuristic design
• Some amusing satirical moments around cumbersome rules and annoying bureaucracy
• Has a sense of fun that keeps things from getting too dark

Bad Points:

• Focuses more on parody and satire than mecha action
• Animation looks a little rough in places
• All the characters tend to be pretty stereotypical

Overall:

An interesting intersection of Oshii comedic projects with the science fiction path he would chart going forward. The first four episodes focus on humor and tackling various anime and film tropes. But the final three episodes tone down the humor and go for some solid detective work and thrills. It is a mixed bag in the end. Some of the humor doesn’t quite hit and some of the thrills feel a little tame. An entertaining series, but it needed a bit more consistency.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total:  3

In Depth Review

Putting the "patrol" back in Patlabor!

Oshii’s work on the Patlabor series falls between his two best-known hits Urusei Yatsura and Ghost in the Shell. In many ways this mecha series serves as the perfect bridge. It contains quite a bit of humor and satire of life in Japan, but it also has some interesting sci-fi action.  Episodes five and six cover a terrorist plot that a specialized team must handle – just like Ghost in the Shell. As interesting as it is to see how this series fits in the scheme of Oshii’s work, lets see how it works on it’s own.

From a visual perspective the series looks pretty good for a late 80s OAV series. There’s some great detail in the mecha and futuristic design of the vehicles. But most of the outfits and settings tend to look pretty contemporary. This isn’t a big surprise since it is supposed to be in the near future. Character design is simple, but pleasing. It isn’t the AIC look, but it doesn’t have some of the flair we’d see from Kenichi Sonoda who worked on Bubblegum Crisis around the same time.

Noa at the controls of Alphonse.

When it comes to the action scenes they tend to be short, but realistic and solidly animated. These are not extended slug-fests that you see in a lot of other anime series. Instead Patlabor shows that weapons that big usually only need one or two hits to get its point across. It also shows some of the issues a giant robot suit may have when dealing with urban environments. For example, in the second episode Noa finds she can’t get her Patlabor under an overpass and she can’t climb over it either. She’s literally stopped in her tracks, and has to come up with a clever solution involving a blimp to get around the obstacle.

Sound effects are pretty standard stuff for anime of this era. Most of it is typical sound effect work for a city: traffic, background chatter, sirens, etc. The mecha and weapons have some specialized sound effects, but nothing as unique as the work used in Neon Genesis Evangelion or Gundam Wing.  When it comes to music, Oshii began his fruitful relationship with composer Kenji Kawai on Patlabor. This is a collaboration that would continue for decades, with Kawai working on nearly every one of Oshii’s projects (live action and animated) from this point on. Kawaii had worked on the martial arts comedy series Ranma ½ and so was well versed on comedic score writing. His music for Patlabor has a bit of that style, but also uses his more action oriented style. It’s a bit frantic and intense, something very different from what we end up hearing in Ghost in the Shell and Avalon. It’s neat to hear this initial collaboration and how different both men approached projects this early in their careers.

Goto doesn't know what to make of his new team.

Now I watched this seven episode series in Japanese with English subtitles, so my judgment of the acting is going to include my usual caveat. It is harder for me to judge Japanese voice acting, but for the most part it really fit the show. Because of the way Patalabor shifts from humorous to serious, it requires a cast that can make those switches at the drop of a hat. And they do a very good job. I especially liked Ohbayashi as Goto. He injected a real blasé attitude to his voice that really fit the animated version of his character.

As for the scripts themselves, well that is where it gets a bit tougher to judge. Patlabor doesn’t really take itself seriously, but then it does. The show is at once a parody, then a satire, then a thriller and then a buddy cop series. Now this isn’t anything new to anime, and in fact it is something that makes anime fun to watch. But sometimes this wild and wacky nature can create an odd sense of pacing. So while I had some fun with the first four episodes, I also found that they were a bit on the slow side.

Mad bombers don't phase Clancy in the slightest.

The first episode gets the crew together and deals with them attempting to stop a rampaging Labor with very little training. This episode plays out like a rookie cop movie, and shares a lot in common with the first episode of You’re Under Arrest in the way the story plays out. The second episode also follows typical police drama tropes, where a VIP comes to Tokyo and terrorists target him for assassination. The Patlabor unit attempts to thwart the plot and we meet their newest member Kanuka Clancy (You Inoue). She ends up being cool, calm member of the team. This demeanor turns deadly when she’s provoked (as we find out in later episodes). This episode also plays with the mad bomber episodes popular in most cop shows and movies.

Episodes three and four of Patlabor turn out to be the most silly of the series. The first deals with a gigantic creature living in Tokyo Bay and creating all kinds of havoc. There are several nods to the kaiju classic Godzilla, as well as other giant monster films and anime. The ending is basically a ridiculous joke, one that wouldn’t be out of place in Urusei Yatsura. I thought it was funny that the narrator even says that it is a disappointing ending. The next episode plays with the haunted hot springs tropes that occur in lots of anime series (TenchiMuyo had an episode just like this, but with a less satirical ending). Essentially the characters are sent to a training camp, but discover a girl and a Labor haunt it. Yeah, you read that right: a haunted suit of robo-armor. The episode turns into a detective show as the characters try to piece together why the ghosts are haunting the camp. This whole episode plays so light and silly that you begin to wonder if the series is really just going to go completely wacky going forward.

Hijinks ensue when the team gets some time off.

Episodes five and six get really serious, with a terrorist attempting to take control of Tokyo. Goto pits his strategic brain against the terrorist who had military training. As the story progresses, we learn that Goto may have a past with this man. Does this mean Goto is in league with the terrorist? The first episode consists of both men getting their pieces in motion on the chess board, and the second episode they each make their final moves for a checkmate. This is the first episode that doesn’t play like a parody of an anime or television trope.  The humor here comes with an edge, commenting on how bureaucracies can actually end up helping the villains that know how to exploit them. The pacing in these episodes is the best of the series. Every element works to turn these episodes into a fine thriller and delivering a solid ending. To be honest, when I first heard about Patlabor, I thought this was going to be what the whole OAV series was going to be like.

Oshii did not direct the final episode, and it feels a bit different from the others. Like the previous two episodes, it is more of a thriller than a parody. But the final episode does inject a bit more humor into the script. In this story a stolen truck is hijacked. The poor dope who stole the stolen truck doesn’t realize it has a military grade patlabor on it, and a terrorist at the controls. What follows is a chase into northern Japan, and ends with Patlabors engaging in the best mecha combat in the OAV series (even if it does include some wrestling moves for laughs).

Budget cuts cause cramped situations.

This first OAV series for Patlabor was a mixed bag for me. I readily admit it was probably because of my expectations. I’ve seen clips from the series and the movies, so I think I was expecting something a bit more action oriented and serious. The fact that things went into a parody mode at times really threw me, but I still had fun with it. I can see how Oshii’s Urusei Yatsura experience added to the development of the series. This mix may not have clicked completely for me, but it was popular enough to spawn a television series, a second OAV series, two movies and a manga retelling. Patlabor was a very popular franchise and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of it. I think this is one of those shows that I will revisit later and see how it plays with adjusted expections.

Akira (1988)

Introduction:

The first time I heard about Akira it was in a hushed tone. I was talking to a fellow employee at the video store. I told him how I’d seen some pretty edgy animation, like Bakshi’s Wizards and the infamous Heavy Metal. He smiled and said I hadn’t seen anything yet. He told me of a movie that had amazing detail in the animation, and contained scenes of people exploding and motorcycle chases in a futuristic city. If Heavy Metal was the edge, then Akira drove right over it. It took a few years, and I finally found Akira. And he was right.

Summary:

World War III left Tokyo decimated, but humans have rebuilt a Neo-Tokyo, and now in the year 2019 things are reaching a boiling point. Students are demonstrating against a corrupt government, the military is performing experiments dealing with psychic powers and biker gangs roam the streets. The city is rotting from within and all that is needed is a gentle push to bring about another Armageddon.

With a set up like that, you know we are in for some kind of apocalypse. A biker gang lead by Kaneda (Johnny Yong Bosch) is mixing it up in the streets like normal. The runt of the gang, Tetsuo (Joshua Seth) is severely hurt in a bizarre crash. Before his friends can rescue him, Tetsuo is spirited away by black military helicopters and sent to a secret lab to become the latest guinea pig for the psychic experiments. Meanwhile Kaneda meets the spirited Kei (Wendee Lee) a member of the resistance movement in Neo-Tokyo The two find themselves pulled into a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the nation’s government. And when Kaneda finds Tetsuo again, the young man is not who he was before. He now wields tremendous psychic powers and is very, very angry. Behind it all is the mysterious Akira and his link to a mass of destruction. Will he bring about the end of everything or a new beginning?

Good Points:

• The animation is simply astounding in scale and scope
• A visceral film that bombards its viewers
• Influenced many anime and films that came after it

Bad Points:

• Contains seriously disturbing scenes of graphic violence and body mutation
• The ending can be confusing
• The older dub makes things even more confusing

Overall:

Simply put Akira is a landmark of animation. The detail, scope and scale of the visuals are something to behold, and have rarely been met or bested during the years of hand drawn animation. The movie is about anger and change: both are violent. This violence and aggressiveness will drive some viewers away. But a new dub script has improved the overall film, and makes it well worth seeking out to experience at least once.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 5

Sound: 5

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 5

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

In Depth Review

Tetsuo has had enough of Kaneda's interference.

Any anime fan worth his or her salt has seen Akira. You’ll even find plenty of non-fans who have at least heard of the film. Imagery and references pop up in geek culture all the time. And for many fans of animation it is a reference quality work that demands respect, even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

That is the common complaint I see leveled at the film. Most of this comes from an inferior dub that was made in 1990. For many folks, this was the first introduction to the film (and to anime in general). The result was a lot of confusion and the idea that all anime was ultra-violent sci-fi that made no sense at all. I’ll admit, that early dub did require a few viewings before everything clicked into place, but the films core message was still there.

A new dub in 2001 pretty much changed the whole thing, turning a confusing mess into a story with an interesting mix of horror, humor, paranoia and seething anger. The cleaned up image on the DVD from Pioneer was also a revelation, showing a color palate that was much more vivid and showing the amazing detail of the backgrounds in this film.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. What is Akira about? It tells the story of a catastrophic change for two individuals: Neo-Tokyo and Tetsuo. Throughout the film, the city and the teenager appear to be self-destructing. Many times Tetsuo is actively destroying the city, at the same time the military, government and society around Tetsuo is actively trying to control or destroy him. By the end of the film the city and the boy have been ravaged by the battle. The only clear way to escape the torment is to cease to exist in this world.

Kaneda takes aim at his one time friend.

That is where the film ends up losing viewers. Akira makes his appearance, but it is a part that is so small and ethereal that you wonder why the film was even named after him. But in many different ways, Akira is a catalyst. His name alone is enough to inspire dread and worship. His role is explained, but only in a round about way. It ends up taking a couple viewings to really understand who Akira is, and why his action (and inaction) is important to Neo Tokyo and Tetsuo. And as you know, I love a film that makes you think a little after it ends.

The film is based on a graphic novel series by Katsuhiro Otomo. He started the series in 1982 and ended it in 1990. He also directed this film adaptation. So what you see in the film is a distilled modified version of his concepts from the manga. This does account for some of the elements that seem a bit rushed. But, like Ghost in the Shell, the adaptation manages to capture all the key plot and theme points in an abbreviated form.

Akira is really a visual masterpiece of the animated medium. There are sequences where so much is going on that it is hard to take it all in. While the detailed backgrounds aren’t quite as realistic as the ones for Ghost in the Shell, they fit the world created for Neo-Tokyo. The city itself feels enormous, overwhelming and rotting. Everything seems to be in some state of decay or upheaval. Garish neon lights and loud colors clash with the dank sewers and crumbling architecture. In many ways it fits the 1980s view of the post apocalyptic world.

Science marvels at it's advances as the military looks on.

What is even more impressive about this movie is the animated action and motion. Otomo keeps everything dynamic and explosive. He uses plenty of camera motion combined with action scenes that never skimp on capturing anything. The first rumble between Kaneda’s gang and their rivals the Clowns is impressive. The motorcycles move realistically, and when the brutality kicks in the blows to the head with pipes and the bodies hitting the pavement feel real.

The impact of the animation only escalates as the scope of the destruction grows. From simple violence between rival gangs it climaxes in the destruction of an entire city full of people. Very little is left untouched. There are psychokinetic battles that rip flesh apart, there’s heavy artillery used against a single fleeing man, there’s even an space based energy weapon that fires upon one of our protagonists with disturbing results. Akira is about violence and it never shies from this. It is one of the reasons the film is infamous and appreciated at the same time.

Tetsuo takes charge of his exploding city.

Another visual element that really comes through, especially on the remastered version of the film is the use of the color red. The cleaned up print reveals how vivid the colors are in the film. The reds now take on an almost electric quality. The obvious connection here is to violence and blood. The film has many scenes with blood, and the gore in the film is one of the things that made it popular with anime fans in the late 80s and early 90s. But red can also be linked to anger and aggression. Kaneda dresses in a red leather jacket and drives a brilliant red motorcycle. He’s aggressive, hot headed and rash. Tetsuo is seen in pale blues and greens in the early parts of the film. But once he goes on his rampage, he rips a red curtain down and fashions it into a cape. He is angry and more than willing to express that anger. Finally the reds, oranges and yellows in the film can be seen as links to fire and eruptions. The city itself seems to be awash in blood or fire on several occasions. The combination of yellow buildings, orange lighting and characters dressed in red continues to reinforce this image. It’s as if Neo-Tokyo is already burning and we are just watching it. In fact one of the taglines used for the film was “Neo-Tokyo is about to explode”.

Kaneda and Rei or is that Rei and Kaneda?

With all the technical animated brilliance on display there is one drawback to Akira. Otomo has a very distinct, simplistic character design. He keeps things very abbreviated when it comes to facial features. He also keeps the hair in the film to realistic tones for Japanese characters. The end result is that you have quite a few characters that end up looking the same. The supporting cast can get especially confusing. Two remembers of the resistance look like twins, except one wears a hat. For the longest time, I thought they were the same guy. There are even moments where Kei is wearing a jacket and hat, and ends up looking a lot like Kaneda. You end up waiting to hear people speak to figure out who is who in some scenes. This visual issue combined with the poor 1990 dub may have been responsible for a lot of the confusion the movie inspires.

The sound is also pretty impressive. The film provides plenty of instances of unique sound effects, crowd noise and massive destruction. Luckily the balance is handled well and never overwhelms the dialogue or the music.

Kaneda witnesses the ravages of Neo Tokyo.

I blogged a bit about the musical score by Geinoh Yamashirogumi. It is truly a unique mix that fits the film and actually gives Akira it’s own identity. The score’s most impressive moments are during the opening and end credits, where you only have images and music creating a mood. The extensive use of various percussion, from huge drums to tiny chimes, creates a rhythm to the film. It is constantly moving forward toward a climax. Add to this the use of a choir chanting with or counter to the rhythm and it adds a while new layer. Truly nothing else quite sounds like this score, and when you hear a track from the score you are immediately reminded of the film. There are cases where the score distracts a little from the film due to its unique nature.

I’ve mentioned a couple times that that 1990 dub is pretty inferior. For some anime fans, the multiple mispronunciations of the Japanese names will be enough to detour you. Most of the time the emphasis is put on the wrong syllable, and was obviously directed by someone who hadn’t listened to the Japanese pronunciation. Beyond that, the character of Kaneda is off, coming across very heroic in the 1990 dub. The dialogue at the end of the film is an example of a dub script at it’s most muddled. The visuals become abstract, and the dialogue philosophical. The 1990 dub just doesn’t know what to make of it all, and as the movie ends you’re left wondering what the hell just happened.

Three experiments who wear the pain on their faces.

2001 gave Akira a much better dub. The voice actors had all worked on anime before and were well versed in Japanese pronunciations. The character of Kaneda is much less heroic and more like the juvenile delinquent with the heart of gold. He’s also not the sharpest tool in the shed, more street-smart than anything else. This comes through a lot clearer in the new dub. Finally the dialogue in the ending (while still philosophical and obtuse) makes more sense and links closer with the imagery on the screen. While part of me nostalgically enjoys the older dub, Pioneer’s new dub is easily the superior version.

Much like Ghost in the Shell the basic story of Akira is fairly straightforward. It’s got a lot of the tensions of 1980s cold war angst in it. It’s often considered an example of cyberpunk. It slams the power hungry political elite, represented by a group of bitter old men. It warns of scientific exploration without a thought for consequences. And while the character of the Colonel seems to be an antagonist, in many ways he’s the only realist in the film. He takes responsibility for his actions and tries his best to save the city, even if it flies in the face of science and social authority.

Finally the film touches on human potential to change. Some of this seems to be benevolent, like the three children who appear wizened and yet live in a playroom. Other times this change is violent and angry, exemplified by Tetsuo and his rages. But as angry and dangerous as Tetsuo becomes, he is not painted as the villain. He shares the role of protagonist with Kaneda (and you can even look at Kaneda as an antagonist if you want). Tetsuo has his powers thrust upon him. Yes he abuses them. But he pays for it, physically, mentally and socially. He is literally presented with little choice but to remove himself from existence in our world. It is never phrased as death, and the images recall the star gate sequence form 2001: A Space Odyssey. The final transformation of Tetsuo remains a mystery that no one can grasp (literally and figuratively).

Tetsuo loses control of his powers and of his own flesh.

All of this is rolled into one two-hour movie and in all honestly is handed very well. Otomo keeps things moving forward, uses the plot and images to bombard the viewer. In many ways Akira is not a pleasant movie to watch. It’s aggressive, violent and in your face. It’s one of the reasons I don’t find myself reaching for it too often. It is the opposite of Ghost in the Shell and it’s cool aesthetic. While the two films have a lot of common ground, they are very different viewing experiences.

It’s that aggressive nature of the film that keeps me from putting it in the top tier of my favorite Japanese animation. I appreciate it. Each time I watch it, I get a little more out of it. But each viewing is like being hit in the face with angry ball of punk anger. I prefer to have my angst a little more tempered. Still, I can’t deny that Akira packs a punch. Nearly anyone who’s seen it will not forget it or some of the imagery in the film. It has earned its place as a classic example of animated story telling.

Space Mutiny (1988) – MST3K Review

Summary:

Hurtling through the cosmos is the spaceship, the Southern Sun. Captained by the bearded and wise Alex Jansen (Cameron Mitchell) the ship is looking for a habitable planet to colonize. But not everyone aboard the Southern Sun is willing to wait to find the perfect planet. They want off this tin can and they want it now! Lead by the scowling Commander Kalgan (John Phillip Law) they stage a mutiny and capture Jansen’s daughter Lea (Cisse Cameron).

But help is on the way in the form of big beefy Dave Ryder (Reb Brown). This fearless pilot to takes a shine to Lea and wants to help the Southern Sun in any way he can. This translates into punching people, shooting laser guns, driving a armored golf cart and screaming in a high pitched voice. Added to the mix are the half naked writhing Bellerians, who may help or hinder our hero in his quest to quell the Space Mutiny.

Movie Review:

Holy guacamole is this a huge slab of hilarious low budget 80s sci-fi cheese. If you love bad 80s movies, then you really need to see Space Mutiny. It is an amazing mish mash of corny dialogue, poor acting, ridiculous plot and borrowed footage from the 70s version of Battlestar Galactica the result is a movie that is pure comic gold.

Lets start with the visuals. The special effects for nearly all the space scenes including the battle sequences comes directly from Battlestar Galactica. These effects were done by several of the folks who worked on the original Star Wars and didn’t join Industrial Light and Magic. As a result, this stuff looks pretty good, maybe a little out of date when Space Mutiny appeared in 1988 (by this time Star Trek: The Next Generation was already using computer graphics for the visual effects). But the detailed models used in those scenes clashes horribly with the low budget costumes, props, and sets used for all the interior shots of the film.

The bulk of the action scenes look like they were filmed in an industrial building somewhere, with all the railings, metal stairways and heavy machinery around. Oddly this same approach was used with greater realism in the update of Star Trek in 2009. But here, they just aren’t able to make the transition convincing. These folks are obviously running around a boiler room, not the high tech innards of a space ship. The scenes that don’t take place in the industrial settings look like typical spaceship interiors, not bad for the budget actually.

But the costumes, especially for the ladies are pretty horrible. Most of these aren’t flattering in the least, and have such garish colors (but so very 80s) that your eyes might burn out their sockets. Lea is the worst offender, but nearly everyone in the disco scene will is dressed, well, I’m at a loss for words. These are up there with the outfits used in Warrior of the Lost World. I also loved Ryder’s flight helmet, which I swear was something a neighbor of mine bought at Toys R Us, with its blinking LEDs and faceplate. You’ve also got some serious hair in this film. From Mohawks to mullets, nothing is left without hairspray.

Perhaps the silliest element of the interior scenes are the Enforcers, little golf carts covered with some kind of metal to make them look armored. The villains drive around in these and they look so comical that they lose all credibility. But the real cherry on the sundae occurs during the chase scenes with these little guys. It has to be seen to be believed.

You know on the face of it, the plot to Space Mutiny isn’t half bad. The struggles of the faithful crew against the mutineers could provide some tense moments, plenty of action and danger in the right hands. But we got two directors here, and rumor has it that neither of them liked the final result (and tried to get Alan Smithee credit). While action ends up being the main focus of the film in the second half, the poor dialogue ends up scuttling most of the tension (the acting choices don’t help either). Then you’ve got the Bellarians, half naked women writhing around who supposedly have some kind of supernatural power that comes into play at the end. But really it’s just an excuse to have half naked women writhing around. Sadly all their scenes are pointless and destroy the pacing by removing any tension present in the story.

But the real joy here is the acting. You’ve got some folks going all out, and others who are there for the paycheck. In the later is Cameron Mitchell as Commander Jansen. Saddled with a ridiculous looking beard and a silly looking robe, you get the feeling that Mitchell was counting the days till the shoot was over. He’s not wooden, but he doesn’t seem to put in much effort, or really grasp what his role in the story is.

On the other end is John Phillip Law, a veteran of these types of movies (he’s a darn good Sinbad in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad). He plays the evil Kalgan as a completely arrogant, megalomaniacal madman. This comes complete with an evil laugh, deranged eye popping and straining with so much fury that you’re afraid his neck cords are going to pop right out. It’s wonderfully over the top and more than a match for the protagonists.

Yes Reb Brown has also done his share of cheesy action films, and Space Mutiny is no exception. As Dave Ryder he pretty much has to look buff, throw people around and shout a lot. He does all of these with gusto, Whenever Brown is moving around kicking ass, he looks at home. But in the dialogue scenes we start to see some limitations. He flubs lines, gets a bit incoherent and shows little chemistry with Cisse Cameron (who he ended up marrying after the film).

Cisse Cameron as Lea seems to be having a blast. She gets into the role, from playing the outraged daughter to blasting away at mutineers with abandon. Her unfortunate wardrobe and dialogue doesn’t stop her either. You can tell she decided to just go for it, no matter how stupid the whole thing was. Go Cisse.

The whole movie is a mess, a big wonderful mess. Even without Mike and bots around to riff it, Space Mutiny would be a bad movie lover’s heaven. But the bad movie gods decreed that MST3K would tackle the film, and it was good.

Episode Review:  

Season eight of Mystery Science Theater 3000 ended with the three best episodes of the season. This is possibly one of the best episodes of the entire series run. I know, that’s saying a lot, but Mike and bots really make this already hilarious movie a whole lot funnier.

As the opening titles for Space Mutiny blaze across the screen looking like rejects from an old Atari game Tempest, the guys know they are in for a good one. They get on a roll with some of the names in the credits and the pace never slacks from there. The movie keeps gift-wrapping ludicrous moment upon ludicrous moment for them.

Perhaps the most memorable set of riffs comes when Dave Ryder first appears on screen. Mike and bots start coming up all kinds of outrageous names for the character including (but not exclusive to): Blast Hardcheese, Stump Chunkman, Slab Squatthrust and Big McLargehuge. Not only are the names creative but the timing of the delivery just makes each one funnier than the last. When the finale hits with Dave running around blasting away at villains and tossing them over railings, the nicknames come fast and furious.

Kalgan’s ranting and raving followed by his evil laugh cause the boys to snicker enough. But they really go to town on his lackeys, one who is dressed in red armor and they dub lobster boy. When Kalgan tries to lead his army of badly coifed evil doers in a final battle, the laughs really kick in. Kalgan screams, and strains and laughs so much that Mike and bots are pretty sure that the actor has flipped his lid.

Lea is pretty much a walking punch line. Her hideous wardrobe, which makes her look more like a space-whore instead of the daughter of the noble commander is the first big problem. Tom dubs her a “sexy senior citizen” because she looks quite a bit older than our protagonist (unfortunate make up and hair don’t help). Her first scenes have her coming across as shrill and annoying, but once she falls for our big rubbery hero, she starts vamping it up. The amazingly garish disco scene has her dancing provocatively or as Crow points out “presenting like a baboon”.

It would be impossible to really cover all the great riffing going on in Space Mutiny. The overwhelming 80s atmosphere to the whole film causing all kinds of jokes related to the Regan years. A continuity issue featuring a character killed appearing in the background of later scene causes quite a bit of confusion for Mike and the bots. There’s even a running gag with one of the bridge bunnies wandering around “collecting signatures for Sherry’s birthday card”, that delivers a pretty hilarious payoff. Then there’s all the jokes provided by the Bellarians and their writhing. When you boil it down, Space Mutiny is one of the best-riffed flicks the boys did.

The host segments are part of the Roman Empire world storyline. But things kick off with the bots complaining about Mike's archaic encyclopedias, which contain factoids like “Someday man may walk on the moon” and “In the future we may learn to harness fire, instead of hide in our caves from it”. On the planet Pearl, Observer and Professor Bobo are imprisoned by the angry empress Flavia. Pearl hatches a plan to have Mike distract Flavia (played by Mike’s wife Bridget). During the first break Mike attempts to enjoy some quiet time when the bots have a full blown space battle – with the only remaining escape pods! At the next break Crow is convinced he is a Bellarian. Turns out he’s just a freak. At the next break, Tom is inspired by all the railing kills to put up a bunch of railings around the ship. My favorite is the whisper quiet spinning spiked railing. When the movie ends, Pearl has Mike attempt to distract Flavia with a fake seduction. Mike fails utterly, but it’s enough for Pearl, Observer and Bobo to make their escape – but not before Bobo starts the famous fire of Rome.

Space Mutiny kicks off the triple threat. Followed by Time Chasers and the hilariously riffed Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, you have three of the best episodes of the series back to back. It is easily one of my favorites. And one of my favorite Internet reviewers, Alison Pregler (Obscurus Lupa) declares it her favorite episode of the series. So take it from folks who know cheesy good fun, Space Mutiny is one to watch.

I give it 5 Blast Hardcheeses out of five.

Here’s a treat,:  the final chase scene un-riffed. It gives you a taste of the wonders in store.

This episode is available on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Volume 4.