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Steamboy (UMD Mini For PSP) Actors: Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart, Alfred Molina Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo Number of Items: 1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Columbia Tri-Star Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-07-26 Buy from Amazon |
 "Lots of Pretty Pictures but no Story to speak of..."First, let me say that this movie has some of the most beautiful art and animation I have ever witnessed in a motion picture. The creativity and skill required to create such a visual masterpiece is beyond my imagining. And the idea to place the story in a slightly fantastic version of Victorian England was sheer genius. In visual terms, this movie is a Masterpiece with some of the most fantastic and beautiful imagery I've seen in a movie in a long, long time. On the other hand the needlessly confusing, nearly non-existant plot cripples this movies' appeal from the very beginning. I could've dreamed up a better plot in five minutes, as could nearly anyone who watches this empty promise of a film. Many Anime films suffer from weak or overly convoluted plots, yet still manage to be entertaining thanks to a cast of interesting characters. But the characters in "Steamboy" seem almost like afterthoughts. The main protagonist (Ray) spends the entire picture rushing about filled with exasperation and worry. His father has no personality to speak of, and his grandfather, much like Ray, is a character without depth, his only job in the film being to sabotage the work of his son. A philosophical conflict between the grandfather and the father is highlighted throughout the movie, but never goes anywhere. In fact, among all the characters in "Steamboy" only "Miss Scarlett" has any potential, but her character is too contrived and implausible to be believable. Besides, her only job in the film is to hang around Ray, deliver the occasional cute line, and get in trouble. One keeps waiting for a single moment of character development to occur between her and Ray (Steamboy), especially since she starts inexplicably following him around from the moment they meet, but nothing ever develops. For that matter, the only character development of any sort that happens at any time during the film is a last-minute reconciliation between the father and grandfather that occurs for no discernable reason. As a huge Anime fan I can't say enough how disappointed I was in "Steamboy", especially since the incredible visuals and fascinating setting gave it such incredible potential. Rent it if you must, but whatever you do don't buy this DVD without seeing it first!  "An impressive sophomore effort..."Overlong and uneven but with production this staggering it's useless to carp. Imaginative, insightful story-line is given emotional depth thanks to film's charming protagonist (well voiced by Anna Paquin) and Steve Jabonsky's rousing score. A must for animation enthusiasts and a welcome return from veteran anime/manga artist Otomo who is at the peak of his powers. This special Director's Cut edition is 14 minutes shorter than its original theatrical release. "For those who speak spanish: ¡Sorberbia!"Veredicto: ¡Soberbia! Así es amigos, es una de las mejores películas animadas que he visto en mucho tiempo. Las razones: Steamboy, es una historia película llena de acción y aventura; con una presentacion (diseño de personajes y ambientes) que supera las expectativas del más exigente; además, nos regala un sonido impecable, desde sus efectos hasta la banda sonora. Lo bueno: En Steamboy, uno puede poner pausa y sentir que en cada cuadro se contiene una obra de arte, despierta en nosotros una gran admiración por el minuciosos y apasionado trabajo del equipo de producción, quienes se comprometieron mas allá de la norma y llenaron esta cinta de una vida y magia pocas veces alcanzaa en una cinta animada. Lo malo: Si bien la historía es buena y tiene una buena carga de emociones acción y suspenso, me paece que la premisa fundamental que está en disputa y que motiva el actuar de los personajes (sobre el ideal del uso de la tecnología)es poco profunda y carece de fuerza. Esto para mí es la única queja, es el punto que le resta esa estrella de la perfección. Lo nuevo: Una historia original y personajes realistas que son más creibles que la mayoría de los protagonistas de películas animadas debido a que no ecajan en los paradigmas típicos del "Malo y el Bueno", sino que se perciben como seres humanos con distintas motivaciones, conflictos y deseos. Cómprala si: Quieres agregar un nuevo clásico a tu colección y quieres ver los que es llevar a la animación a los umbrales del arte. No la compres sí: Si estas buscando una película para regalar a alguien menor a 10 u 11 años. En Resumen: Steamboy nos presenta un concepto redondo y original que quita el aliento a cualquiera, no sólo de quienes gustan del anime. Un clásico instantaneo para adolescentes y adultos que no debe de faltar en la colección de ningún amante de la animación.  "It was great."Some of the negative reviews below are off the mark. Story was engaging and characters were interesting. Stunning animation. The best. "How can an animation fan NOT like this film?"One reason for hating this movie would be the dub. It's one of the worst I've heard in a long time. DO NOT WATCH THE DUB! Especially for your first viewing. Roger Ebert gave this a negative review (after watching the dub) for having a nonsensical storyline. Well, the subbed version I saw in the theatre (Im lucky enough to live in a city where it played), made lots of sense and was actually quite simple. It's a story about science, more specifically energy, and how to use it. Different ideologies are represented by different characters. Eventually these opinions manifest into physical action, in a battle, and the film ends with what I can only describe as the opposite of a big explosion! Cool! Original! Having said that, this film (like Akira) is not really about story and characters. This film is a singular, visual statement. Like Michelangelo's David. It amazes me how many people don't get this! Akira is a statement about the "End of the World" mentality many post WW2 young japanese men felt (and still do), as a result of the bomb, rapidly advancing technology and a long history of violent earthquakes. It's about the rebuilding of Tokyo. Steamboy is the same way. The story and the characters are just tools for Otomo to express his statement. And finally the animation. I can say without a doubt that this is THE BEST ANIMATION I have ever seen! It is so clean, so technically perfect, so intricate, and so consistant I can't believe human hands achieved it. I think it is so flawless people accept it and begin to underappreciate it. If claim to have respect for 2D animation there is simply no way to not like this film. |
