Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira

The film probably takes place between episodes 22-23 in the anime "if" he's Canon at all. Otherwise, you can watch it before the anime finale or after the anime, as it doesn't make any difference. The film does not contain any spoilers for the series. The first half of the film was definitely more compelling. The events and the structure around the mysterious characters made me curious. But what actually happened in the film in the end? The answer is simple - "Not a lot". The film hardly stands out from the known film average in any view. It's just the usual process. Some criminal shows up, causes chaos and the protagonists stop him. Yes, the opponent had a bit of depth of character and you also understood his motives a little. To be honest, I found it a lot more interesting than "Vicious" which was the main antagonist in the anime. The biggest problem with the film is that the actual story fell short, which meant that you had to make up for the length of the film. And that's no joke, you just let the characters walk around, sit around or have irrelevant conversations for around 30 minutes. Just before the finale, the fact that the parade was shown for around 3 minutes, even though the film only lasted 15 minutes. I felt a bit like I was doing an NPC companion quest. What I found positive about the film were the animations, the detail and the presentation. I liked the serious yet realistic atmosphere that the title had. To be honest, since the anime had enormous individuality in its implementation and setting, the film was enormously disappointing. I cannot find any excuse for this half-finished plot and this poor implementation of the story.

Plot: B *Note: it is described as being in between episodes 22 and 23 of the show, but I really don't think it matters when you watch it so long as you watch it prior to episode 24 spoiler: click to read. On Mars, a deadly virus has been unleashed on the people and the government has issued the largest bounty in history with a 300 million woolong reward for the capture of the mastermind behind it. Spike, Jet, Faye. Edward, and Ein much like in the TV series, form the unorthodox bounty hunter quintet that hopes to cash in on that bounty but ultimately finds out that this case has far more implications than they could have possibly expected. Basically, if you come into this expecting another episode of Cowboy Bebop, you might be a bit disappointed. But if you are content with seeing a spy-action/sci-fi blockbuster in anime form with the Bebop squad saving the day in their same goofy style, then you'll enjoy this like I did. Visuals: A: Improved from the show. The characters all look the same, but the main improvement is the lighting of the surroundings. And the film is all located on the planet Mars, so no cheesy hyperspace film stills nor wonky-looking satellites in this one. And the fight scenes are drawn really well. Voice Acting: A+: They keep the same voices from the show, but the new characters included all have very good voices especially the antagonist Vincent Volaju. Edward is really funny in this too! And her ear-piercing Mariah Carey-like shrieks are kept to a minimum. Also, Lee Sampson's voice reminded me so much of Taika Waititi playing Korg in Thor: Ragnarok and I found it unintentionally hilarious. Film Score/Soundtrack: B+ *Some great moments. It's more soundtrack heavy as opposed to score-heavy and there are ups and downs to that. The up is the fantastic opener, which I will highlight below. The lows are there a couple meh tracks that the movie gets montages too. ***Favorite Track: What Planet Is This?*** (I think I could listen to this on a repetitive loop for all time and never grow tired of it.) Characters: B+: Same characters from the show and considering that it is based somewhere between episodes 22 and 23, their characteristics aren't expected to be very different and the writers did a good job in ensuring that the characters felt like we could plug them into another episode of Cowboy Bebop before or after this film. However, I will say that Elektra is a pretty forgetable addition. She was basically added to add a potential love interest and she didn't really add much to the film. But the antagonist Vincent was a really cool prescence and his fight with Spike at the end was epic! Cringeworthy Anime Moments: There were a few but it was once again the action movie cliches that were more bothersome to me. Both facility escape scenes were probably the worst examples of that. Also, who plans an execution the same day as an anticipated massive terrorist attack? That's James Bond villain levels of stupid. Titles: Opening Titles: A+ *The song's called "Ask DNA" and it is awesome! Not as epic as Tank! of course, but it doesn't make the intro any less badass. The pre-credit scene and the way the characters walked during the opening was so Quentin Tarantino-like and I loved every moment of it. Closing A+ *"Gotta Knock a Little Higher" is just one of those songs that is the right level of catchiness while still doing it's main job of making you feel like you just watched a movie and giving you that satisfied sense of closure. Final Verdict: 8/10 *A great opening scene, better artwork than the show and an over-the-top but fun action film with some dorky and some cringey laughs. It doesn't get anywhere near as heavy as the show does, but since I'm a fan of James Bond, I am a-OK with the Cowboy Bebop movie essentially being a highly entertaining anime-Bond movie.a

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door is fantastic, both as a film and an addition to the already impressive anime series. If you liked Cowboy Bebop, you'll like Knockin' on Heaven's Door, but if you didn't, there isn't much here that will change your mind. That said, most things that Cowboy Bebop did, the film does quite a bit better. The animation is particularly of note, being animated by the legendary Studio Bones instead of Sunrise, who were responsible for the TV show. Combine this with Shinichiro Watanabe's energetic direction and you have a film that keeps your eyes glued to the screen the entire time. The action scenes especially are on par with Bones' own Sword of the Stranger and if you've watched that you'll know that's some high praise. The writing is about on par with a Cowboy Bebop episode, although it is of course longer and a little meatier to compensate for the greater runtime. While I certainly wouldn't call it bad, the story is far from Knockin' on Heaven's Door's strongest point. There's a fair bit of meandering and ultimately the conclusion didn't leave me feeling particularly satisfied. The credits start to roll more or less immediately after the climax, which I found to be somewhat disappointing. A few extra minutes just to tie everything together would have been appreciated. The main cast from the show are all here and they're all just as charismatic and likeable as they usually are. The new characters aren't particularly as strong, but I feel like this is more because of the somewhat weak story they play a part in than the characters themselves. Those flaws aside, all of Cowboy Bebop's strengths from the show are present here. The soundtrack, composed once again by Yoko Kanno is just brilliant, and quite unlike what you'll hear in most other anime. The opening and ending tracks are certainly standouts, but the overall soundtrack is just as bombastic and catchy as you'd expect. To conclude, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a great film and is certainly worth your time if you were a fan of the TV show. While the story is about on par with what you'd get from an episode of the anime (with all the good and bad that entails), the production values have been ramped up and Studio Bones' outstanding work with the animation really can't be understated. Check it out, space cowboys.

At this point, I am just a sucker for anything Cowboy Bebop. Honestly, I have always been skeptical of anime movies that come out of a ongoing series (eg. the likes of Naruto movies). My experience with them had been this: since the movies are not allowed to add anything to the storyline, they all have a similar plot structure, sequence, and a general lack of urgency. However, Cowboy Bebop doesn’t really have an ‘ongoing storyline’ (while there is an overarching plot to the show, the anime does not revolve around that storyline). That’s why - for the most part - each episode of CB retains its individuality. If I had to give an analogy, most anime series are like a knocking down a set of dominos: one leads to the other to create a linear storyline with a start and a finish. On the other hand, CB is like cooking a meal: there is generally an accepted way of preparing the meal, but you can add/subtract ingredients to enhance the dish and play around with the order. Ultimately, you’ll get the same dish with different depths of flavor. In that sense, the Cowboy Bebop movie is one such ingredient. It’s really captivating and artful. It does not necessarily add to the overarching story, but it definitely enhances it - just like any other episode. The plot is dynamic, the music is catalyzing, the art is vivid, and … well … the characters are as good as usual. I read in another review that the movie should be watched alongside the middle of the series. That person’s advice definitely isn’t wrong, but I wouldn’t say it’s not quite right either. Why? Once again, Cowboy Bebop has an affinity to it that isn’t linear. So, any real fan of the show can watch a movie like this whenever and really appreciate the beauty of it.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie/Cowboy bebop: Tengoku no Tobira is a film by Shinichirō Watanabe, and a great reference to highlight the faults of television film adaptations. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie falls into the common pitfall of feature film television adaptations. It essentially takes what could have been a 24 minute episode of the original show, and stretches it into a 2 hour film. This results in severe pacing issues and an excessive amount of narrative padding. This alone would be enough to severely weaken a film, but Cowboy Bebop: The Movie's problems stretch beyond that. Pretentious, pseudo-philosophical dialogue and a terribly weak supporting cast result in a film with a frankly crippled story that would've been better left untold. The plot itself is fairly solid on paper. It's fairly cohesive and easy to follow. The first act starts off well, with the main cast going through the motions and setting the tone of the film to mirror that of the TV show. However by the second act, it becomes very obvious that it wasn't written with 2 hours of storytelling in mind, and this is the fundamental reason why the film doesn't work. In order to fill the two hour run-time, the second act is padded with unnecessary scenes of exposition. Worse still is that much of the same information is reiterated over and over multiple times. When you aren't watching Jet get spoon-fed information, you're watching Spike get spoon-fed the same information instead. This results in a very dull 2nd act, which unfortunately has repercussions on the third act. The action ramps up suddenly and the tone has several odd shifts. You're juggling an intense dogfight between space ships and a comedic sequence involving old fashioned aircraft, followed by a sombre gun-fu fight to finish the film. All of which comes out of nowhere and, thanks to the poor pacing, fails to engage the discerning audience member. The art is, as you would expect from a high budget animated film, excellent. I read that the Director attempted to employ live-action Cinema camera techniques into the film, and you can tell. The shot composition is excellent, particularly in the fight sequences. It's almost like watching a Bruce Lee film at times. The art style of the show is perfectly replicated and the shift to the cinematic 1.85:1 aspect ratio instead of the series' 4:3 means there's a lot more picture for the audience to enjoy this time around. The celluloid shots ooze with detail not often seen in today's digital animation. Certainly a great improvement to the show's already excellent visuals. The sound design is decent although I noticed a slight drop in quality in the English dub of my Blu-Ray copy compared to the original TV series, particularly noticeable in Jet's (Beau Billingslea) lines. The music, produced by series composer Yoko Kanno, is of a high standard, although there's a notable lack of Big Band or Bebop tracks this time. The film's best track "What Planet is This?", being the sole exception. Performed by The Seatbelts, the same outrageously skilled band that recorded many of the show's best tracks, and it ranks among the best pieces of music the franchise has to offer. It's a real shame that this track is the only one that bears semblance to the classic Bebop sound that defined the show. The other tracks are relatively forgettable, and none of them wow me the way that the show's Tank, Rush, Space Lion, Road to the West and even Ave Maria did. The characters are unfortunately one of the show's weakest elements. As stated before, the film runs for 2 hours, and a lot of the responsibility for keeping things entertaining falls to the primary cast, who return from the TV series. Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed and Ein are present and are just as they were during the early third act of the show. Unfortunately, they lack some the charisma and energy they possessed in the show. I suppose it's to be expected. No cast, regardless of how strong, can hold a film up on its own. Things only get worse when you look at the film's original characters. Most of them are bland archetypes and not worth the time it would take to discuss them. Only one is important to the plot; Elektra. Elektra is a secondary protagonist, initially introduced as a obstacle in the way of our heroes. She ends up fighting alongside them by the end of the show and she plays an important part in deciphering the nature of the film's villain, a menacing terrorist known only as Vincent. Vincent is a complicated character to talk about, but certainly not for the reasons Watanabe likely intended. He's frankly a bit of a mess. His dialogue is baffling. He speaks in lofty pseudo-philosophical prose. This would be bad enough, but many of his lines are also written rather inelegantly. At one point he compares the notion of dying to "dreaming in silence". I can't help but wonder if it's the result of a bad translation from the original Japanese. It sticks out a lot, especially when compared to the TV show's excellently localized script. Another odd choice is his character design. He bears an extremely strong facial resemblance to protagonist Spike Spiegel. So much so that I initially assumed it would be a major plot point. Think about it. This is the Cowboy Bebop movie! Of course there was going to be a great villain! What better opponent could there be for Spike to face than a member of his own family? Or even a clone? The possibilities are endless! Overall, Vincent is a very underwhelming villain. He doesn't compare to the TV show's Vicious, who while also being rather 2 dimensional, had an elegant menace to him that made him a joy to watch. He was a perfect mirror to Spike's unkempt charm. Overall, the film is a passable watch the first time through, but it holds very little rewatch value and the enjoyment factor fades before the halfway mark on repeat viewings. As a fan, all the film really managed to do was make me sad and bitter that we hadn't gotten a better film. It's not bad enough that I actively dislike it, but it doesn't entertain me anywhere near as much as the show does. On it's own it's a decent enough film, but it pales so much in comparison to the show that I can't encourage any series veterans to seek it out. If you're looking for a good action flick, you'll do better looking elsewhere. If you're looking for a good Cowboy Bebop experience, you're better off rewatching the series, and saving yourself the disappointment of seeing how this franchise went out.

The movie, “Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira” is designed to fit between episodes 23 and 24 of the television series - and it fits there well. It’s good to see an episode allowed to fill a movie length time slot instead of the 24 minute slots designed for commercial broadcast. The characters are more fleshed out with more and longer action sequences. Edward gets to show off her hacker chops and the recurring three old men even get a significant moment in the spotlight. The animation is pretty much the same as the series but the script has more depth with a better story that has time to develop. If you’re expecting “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” to be something other than a movie length episode from the series, then you might be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a slice of the series that you can sink your teeth into with more complexity, action, mystery and a chance for the cast to show their stuff, then you’re gonna like this film.

A great sense of flow and great music. The voice actors are breath taking in both Japanese and English. It does run a bit long, but its still entertaining.

It had everything I love about the series - good music, wonderful characterizations and dialogue, beautiful art. More impressively, the fight scenes were fantastic, the tension beautiful and the plot nicely spaced and plotted. Cool new characters too. Excellent.

This is a cult movie of the great series cowboy bepop the story has a lack of action but all the other elements make the movie a real outstanding film that its a must if you like the series I highly recomend you watch the series first but if you watch the movie first it will be alright because it is not connected with the trama in the series. the music its an amazing composition of yoko that makes your ears fly to the blue sky, see you cowboys.

Oh how I love the world of Bebop. I honestly have no idea why I waited so long to watch this. Who doesn't love a good space opera? One thing is for certain, this is better than good. The animation is chef's kiss good and for 2001 it's excellent. It has the elegance of the 90s with the fluidity and smoothness of the modern era. Its pretty much the pinnacle of 90s animation. As always the characters designs are great and out main antagonist is absolutely spot on. There really is something special about our protagonists; Spike, Jet, Faye and Edward. Just seeing them again, for one last time, hits you with a kick of nostalgia you didn't know you needed. There is a special place is a lot of people's heart for Bebop and for those who are yet to watch this film, and are a Bebop fan, you'll likely feel the same nostalgia as I did. The animated hand to hand combat in this is excellent, with the final fight sequence being a highlight. The train sequence is probably my highlight to be honest. It has everything an action sequence needs and was animated flawlessly. 10/10 As far as music is concerned, it's Bebop, is it going to be anything else other than brilliant? We are back with live musicians creating the music. It just oozes cool. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't hit the heights of the show, but then again, nothing much comes close to this. Nevertheless, it elevates perfectly the moments when it choses to grace us. No other place is the more perfect than the train scene. The performers and composer knew exactly what was required to elevate this sequence which for me, is the best moment of the film as the story finds it center here which is displayed through excellent animation and music. 9/10 Story wise, it's in a similar vein to the sound. Its not the best Bebop has, but is still excellent. Though it is unfair to compare the story of this to the show, but if anything could be compared, this is it. As I said above, the moment the story sets itself is the train scene. The antagonists portrays his real danger and the Spike understands the risks of this protagonist, sadly, a little too well. This then gives us an exhilerating later half that would be a 10/10 any day. The first half is where it doesn't shine so bright. Again, it's still very good but is a little slow compared to the latter half. The writing is still great throughout, the characters have zero development but we don't need that from Bebop, got that with the series. For me the story is 9/10. In summary, obviously I'm going to recommend this. Though it is better enjoyed having watched the show first. Its a great film and deserves a strong 9/10.

Commonly recognized as one of the great early-2000s anime movies, but less so as an unlikely candidate for best non-horror yearly Halloween rewatch. Spike's illusive, at times mystical lost chapter in his journey for closure is a worthy send off for fans of the original series, thanks in no small part to its grounded presentation and industry-standard technical quality. The spiritual themes and nuanced symbolism that mark some of the iconic moments of the series make themselves at home here, in turn giving some of the most intense sequences a genuine deep dive quality throughout some of the darkest waters of Spike's characterization. It's a solid action thriller under the Bebop brand, with beautifully animated fistfights, shootouts and chase sequences, featuring some of the best tunes written for the saga, a high-stakes plot and plenty of fine-tuned lightheartedness. Still, its intriguing ambiguity and mature introspection may well be its most impressive achievements. The subtext of man-versus-self is interesting enough to carry a good few more analytical rewatches throughout the years, but it's no doubt the lush animation, smooth pace and rich interactions among the Bebop gang that'll make you keep coming.

I made it pretty obvious in my review of the Cowboy Bebop series that I am not a big fan of it, it's not a bad show but it felt way too jumbled and disjointed to be consistently enjoyable for me. This is going to be a much shorter review but to put it simpily, I really enjoyed this movie. It's the only anime movie based on a series that I consider to be better than the source material. Knockin on Heaven's Door basically took everything good about the series like the amazing animation, well produced action, good music, and incredible art and cranks it up to 11. This time however, the plot is actually much more consistent due it being a movie and not an episodic anime that sort of has a serial narrative. The movie's commitement to the whole urban city asthestic I do think is rather commendable considering it adds to the whole grounded action thriller story that the movie goes for. It does make me question if Bebop was even better off for being a sci fi series but that is an issue that can apply to the series and I went to at length in my review. The villain here is much better. Where Vicious hardly had any of his motives explained and isn't very proactive in the story at all. Vincent's motivations are explained to varying degrees and there even is a scene that explains what makes him tick which Vicious never really had. The guy is basically an "Evil Spike" but I find that more compelling than what Vicious was. I did find his whole delimma of what is a dream and what is real to be compelling enough. He's what if he was Spike but completely unhinged which is what the antagonists of the series needed. And it made me wish I knew more about the war on Titan but that is an issue that can apply to the series too. I also liked how there was even a scene where Jet and Spike had ideological differences in how they handle situations due to the former being a former cop and the other being a former gangster, which the show didn't have much of. Alright, might as well describe my issues, first the character of Electra, she's decent but she feels too much like one of those female characters in the Lupin the 3rd movies where while decent do tend to make you wonder why on earth does Spike and Lupin not hang out with them and continue to go after women who don't really provide much of anything for them Julia and Fujiko respectively. That and I do wonder why the series never acknowledges her again nor Spike never tries to get together with her after showing so much attachment, I am not saying this as a "shipping" guy, I am saying, what was the point showing Spike cared if the ending wasn't going to address that whole sub plot? It felt weird to me, the ending kind of felt rushed in general. The Bebop crew saved Mars from a bio outbreak and then it just...ends. That and the ending also makes the series' ending look stranger in retrospect, I mean the Bebop crew went through absolute hell and back in this movie yet I am really supposed to believe that Jet and Faye would let Spike go on his own in the the final battle against Vicious or how Ed would just ditch Spike and Jet after everything but that is just prequels being prequels. Also, with Vincent and Vicious both being on the war on Titan really did make me wish that the Bebop series actually gave more details on it. The whole thing feels like a huge event that I barely know anything about but that is another issue that can be found with the series. Overall, if you were one of the few people that were lukewarm on the Cowboy Bebop series and are hesistant of giving the movie a shot, I say watch it, the movie isn't that long and if you liked the art, music, animation, and action of the series, Knockin on Heaven's Door is basically more of that but with a bigger budget.

It's very common for movies based on TV shows to end up feeling like an extra long episode and this is certainly not an exception. However, this movie mostly succeeds because the solo-episode format of the series allows for this to tell its own quality story without feeling too out of place. With that being said, I do think that this story, despite its quality, could have been told in 2 or maybe 3 episodes of the show rather than a full two-hour long movie, and it doesn't have quite the same seamless pacing the show does. Still waiting on an Ein solo movie though.

Out of 100 Nobles watching… 100 were impressed! I have the original series sitting at a perfect score, Cowboy Bebop is a masterpiece and the Cowboy Bebop film is really just a 2-hour long episode of the show with some even beefier visuals than the already stunning animation from the show. Studio Bones has an absolutely absurd portfolio and this film is no exception. The movie strongly places itself somewhere in the latter half of the series unless you perform some crazzzzyyyy plot gymnastics to leap over a few holes that would stop it from being post anime. I could poke some holes in the movie talking about the slower pace or maybe the antagonist being a little thin and the film just kind of ending, but I mean, like, what is there REALLY to complain about?

ENGLISH REVIEW The film focuses on a group of protagonists hunting for a sought after valuable reward, which ends up unfolding in a chase spectacle. The plot is very well constructed, the characters remain charismatic and the antagonist manages to keep the anticipation high. There are breathtaking moments in animation, as well as scenes of ideological reflection that open up a discussion about current affairs. His animation is well done, the movement of the characters is very natural, the action scenes are also pleasing with the special effects. Without a doubt it is a top 10 film, both for the quality of the animation and for the story. Even the soundtrack that is a feature of the 26-episode series remains fantastic in the long. REVIEW EM PORTUGUÊS O filme aborda uma caça do grupo de protagonistas por um procurado de recompensa valiosa, que acaba se desdobrando em um espetáculo de perseguição. O enredo é muito bem construído, os personagens permanecem carismáticos e o antagonista consegue manter a expectativa elevada. Existem momentos de tirar o fôlego na animação, e também cenas de reflexão ideológica que abrem uma discussão sobre assuntos atuais. A animação dele é bem feita, o movimento dos personagens é muito natural, as cenas de ação também agradam com os efeitos especiais. Sem dúvidas é um filme nota 10, tanto pela qualidade da animação quanto pela história. Até mesmo a trilha sonora que é um diferencial da série de 26 episódios permanece fantástica no longa.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a great addition to the series, with an enjoyable, self contained plot, that allows this film to be watched entirely separately from the original anime. I personally saw this film after finishing the anime, which some do not recommend but I found that it didn't impact my enjoyment of the film at all. Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed are all as great here as they always have been, with their VAs doing an excellent job in both the Japanese original and English dub. Several new characters also make an appearance in this film, and while I won't talk about specific characters as to not spoil anything, I will say that they all fit well within the story and had interesting motivations, particularly the main villain. What really made this film stand out for me was the stunningly beautiful animation. Each scene was highly detailed and unique, making this film have some of the best animation in the whole series. The OST for this film was also good, with a new opening theme and a lot of other tracks that were not present in the original series, but some previously heard tracks did also make a return which was good to see. Overall, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a great film for fans of the series, but also a good movie in its own right that puts it among some of the best anime films from the time it was released.

A well made movie for a well made series. An ok story with some annoying flaws and issues with a long pacing to it but it was easy to ignore for the most part. The visuals have definitely gotten better. The animation feels much more smooth and fluid and the art has improved also. Especially the fight scenes which were hype. The music is still probably the best thing outta the movie other than the visuals. I shouldn't even be needing to explain. Country, rock, jazz all mashed into a single movie. The characters were the same as before and the new characters in the movie were alright for the most part . Overall an enjoyable movie for the most part with the same vibes as the original series with hype action scenes, slice of life discussions, and people smoking.

Such a fun movie. It's not perfect, but it gets really close to being that. I love how this movie, (and by extension the show) can balance a very laid back atmosphere which feeds off the main characters while also including an overarching sense of tension. It's great to watch the characters interact in an extended format in contrast to the show. The antagonist isn't completely amazing though, but on a surface level he works. The movie doesn't really expand upon any of the pre-established characters, rather using what we already know of them to focus on the plot. And the main emotional crux of the film is based off two of the new characters, the only problem being that it's not developed very well. Because of that, there wasn't much of an emotional payoff in the end. The ending to the plot is satisfying, but there isn't much character payoff. I do really love how this movie is paced though. It strikes the perfect balance between action scenes and quieter moments, giving the actions scenes more emphasis and the quieter moments greater weight. Even though the movie didn't do a particularly good job in making the two newer characters' relationship feel important or entirely believable, the scenes where the film reveals those elements to the audience were well done. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the scenes didn't achieve the overall purpose they were meant for, but in it of itself, they were good scenes. And my goodness, the animation. I love watching movies that are spinoffs of a show because most times the higher budget in a more focused runtime really shows. The character animation especially is super engaging. Although I view Ed as a glorified plot device in most of the show and this movie, I absolutely love how the directors and animators bring that character to life. The rubbery look and feel of the character adds a really fun aspect to her. All the other characters have their own quirks and little details that bring them to life and set them out. The actions scenes are something else as well. Somehow they are able to maintain a feel of snappiness and fluidity to them elevates every fight scene in this movie. The choreography is amazing as well, always introducing interesting aspects to keep it from being a run of the mill fist fight. The scene where Spike fight the three fighter jets is also an amazing scene. Overall, I really enjoyed this even though there were some problems with it. Honestly wouldn't mind watching this again at some point. I really love the soundtrack as well.

It starts out strong, the first half is excellent and you can tell how masterfully crafted the framework is. I don't think you would have a hard time understanding it if you never saw the series, all long as you know these are the characters. It subtly hints at who these characters are if you pay attention, but it's not at all trying to recap or pander for the new audiences. If you are a fan then you'll just appreciate it even more. It's very much what you'd want or expect from a Cowboy Bebop movie, same vein as the series even if the story is mostly contained. It kind of ties in with corona so this was a good time to watch it but notice I said "first half", I'm not saying the second half is bad, far from it, it just didn't impress me as much as the start, there was always something new to keep your attention and look at and appreciate and give you reasons to care about these characters and situation so the delivery is nice but the whole virus plot fitting in with the villain just wasn't my favorite, it was a matter of taste, you may be into that. We even have MGS Meryl Silverburgh. I'm giving this a 3.5 based on how well made it is, loyal to the series it is, and commitment it has to giving you some good scenes even in the slower parts because a lot of the questions I had while watching this were straight up answered by the characters, the creators were very much aware. Also, the female characters were cool but could use a little work.

My biggest problem with this movie is that, because I've seen the show, I know that nothing that happens in this has any real consequence. it being placed between episodes of the show before the finale removes a lot of the tension this would have had had it been released while the show was airing and not after it had already finished. It's essentially a long filler episode. However, it's still Cowboy Bebop, and most if not all of the show's strenghts are still present in this movie. It has great animation, action, soundtrack and of course, the same great characters we all love. Really worth watching.