- Not all television shows jump to the big screen and even fewer do so successfully, but it must be admitted that Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a completely faithful adaption of the TV series. From ShinichirÅ Watanabe's kinetic direction to the film's creative art design and talented voice acting, all the same ingredients are there. In fact, the film is so good at recapturing the feel of the TV show that it also suffers from the same problem as many of its lesser episodes, namely a distracting focus on ponderous melodrama. Surely I wasn't the only person who watched the show for cowboy jokes and fun music, right?
- The film opens with one of its best scenes, as bounty hunters Spike (Steven Blum) and Jet (Beau Billingslea) topple a drug store robbery by applying the usual mix of fluid martial arts moves, pistol standoffs, and cool dialogue. In the meantime, tech wiz Edward (Melissa Fahn) assists the ever-resourceful Faye (Wendee Lee) in tracking a stolen semitrailer that explodes on the highway, exposing a number of Martian civilians to a mysterious contagion. The rest of the film basically consists of this motley collection of bounty hunters tracking down Vincent (Daran Norris), the truly dour terrorist behind the explosion, with occasional help from a medical security agent named Elektra (Jennifer Hale). Whereas Elektra is a truly welcome addition to the cast -- she's as tough as Spike and better at keeping clothed than Faye -- Vincent is your stereotypical depressive black-clad anime villain who doesn't earn any of the pity the audience is supposed to have for him.
- The best parts of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie are those that pair together at least two of the protagonists, typically bickering the entire time. Much of the original show's charm stemmed from the fact that its four eccentric loner anti-heroes (and their dog!) never realized they were perfect for each other, and the movie contains a scene or two that recaptures some of that spirit. The action sequences are also impressive, particularly an amusing broom fight between Spike and Elektra and an airborne pursuit that is better visual spectacle than plot device. I'll further admit that I laughed out loud a few times, notably when Faye delivered a sketch of Vincent and when Edward became distracted by candy. And of course a smile came to my face when my favorite rootin'-tootin' cowboy characters (Paul St. Peter and Lia Sargent) popped up on TV to tell us about this week's bounty. Much like the TV series, the movie is probably best enjoyed with your finger on the remote, ready to fast-forward through the dull drama to get to the next silly exchange, impressive background scene, or great song. In other words, shucks howdy!
- As is probably obvious, I watched the English dub.
