Reviews (15)

Disappointing
Having fond memories of "Astro Boy" from my youth, one day I ventured into the bookstore and picked up "Black Jack" by Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga" and creator of my beloved Astro.

I was quite pleased. Tezuka's reputation is well-deserved. The collection of stories used a gifted surgeon on the outskirts of the law as a vehicle for some very interesting morality tales. My favorite story from this first volume has to be that of the young man who is about to kill himself at the beginning of the story, having failed his college entrance exams. But, partially thanks to Black Jack, he learns what a real life and death situation is, and ends up rededicating himself to become a doctor. Tezuka has a real knack for dramatic storytelling, and for cutting right to the heart (no pun intended) of the very unique issue he chooses.

I had all this in my mind when I bought the movie Black Jack, and I suppose I expected the same style of storytelling to be there. Unfortunately, and in hindsight not surprisingly, it wasn't. Black Jack the surgeon was, by all accounts, true to his character, but the story simply is NOT a Black Jack story. Gone are the vital issues of the life of an individual, into which a seemingly god-sent surgeon walks at just the right moment. Gone is the tale of moral absolutism, the evil men receiving their comeuppance and the good men learning from their mistakes. Instead, one is presented with a clumsy story treading the familiar -- and boring -- ground of "corporate greed" and "environmental responsibility."

Poor, poor Black Jack. Surgeon, heal thyself.

Don't Waste Your Time and Money on This
Where to begin! There's barely a hint of plot, absolutely no character development, no sense of danger or tension and the whole thing is based on a completely ridiculous premise. I guess you could say it's at least drawn well, but some of the stylistic choices are just stupid looking (a plethora of cheesy freeze frames and an overuse of an infrared effect to bash the viewer over the head with "hey look, this guy is a 'super mankind' person!") And, my gawd, it ends with a literal lecture that is screamed at the audience. After about 20 minutes of this tripe you'll be wishing you spent your money on a house call from Dr. Kevorkian.

Good Work Gone Awry
This full length medical thriller was created completed in 1996, base on a popular manga series created a decade before by Osamu Tezuka. It's plot, not particularly original then, and much hackneyed now, is the story of an experiment gone out of control. Brane Pharmaceutical has discovered a way to stimulate permanent secretion of endorphins. This has fueled the creation of a group of humans with superhuman abilities, who have just as suddenly begun to burn out and die.

The culprit it the same virus that stimulates the endorphins in the first place, and it has begun to affect others besides the original patients - an artificially created plague. When one of his own patients is affected, Black Jack, a wildcat surgeon, becomes involved. Jo Carol Brane arranged the kidnapping of his ward, Pinoko, to force his cooperation. Black Jack finds the cause, but this only unmasks the source of the danger. It will take a miracle to find the cure and preventative.

By rights, this should have been an exciting story. In the original Japanese, the script is terse and brutal, producing a stylized gothic effect that is enough to overcome a slow moving plot. Unfortunately, the dubbing took extreme liberties with the script and under-acted the parts. The result is a wordy and sometimes tedious performance. After all, the point of the story - the dangers of irresponsible medical research - is obvious enough so that there is no need to belabor it.

Even so it is an interesting film. The art and music are excellent, using a lot of tonality that is unusual in anime work. A little better editing and writing would have made this a memorable effort. Instead, it is only a near miss. A mistake that should never have happened.

why hasnt the translation of the manga out yet?
awful, I tell you. Other reviewers I'm sure have never read the manga version of Black Jack. Kuroo Hazama, AKA Black Jack (Translation of Kuroo = Black Jack)is an unlicensed surgeon who is full of humanity but is for reasons unknown (actually it's known) don't want to show it. Movie is bad, it's not even watchable. Probably because Mr. Tezuka was dead when this movie went into production. Write to Tezuka production, tell them they need to spread the legacy Osamu Tezuka who was doctor himself. In Japan, there are almost no doctors that haven't read Black Jack. It also inspired many young readers to become doctors in Japan. DO THEM JUSTICE. Inspire more young readers to become doctors not because of the money but for the reason Black Jack does. To save people.
"But, I will still treat people. Because that's who I am."
"I don't want your pitty. All I want is respect. Not to me but to the patient you killed that his parents sweat blood for me to save."
Great lines by Dr. Black Jack

very disappointing a true life waster
Well I had high expectations for this considering it's based on(Dr.) Tezuka Osamu's famous Black Jack. Unfortunately it's in name only. There is a story in there but it's rather silly and overly dramatic. Apart from the young girl none of the characters are interesting. They even managed to make black jack boring. And how long did they want to make this....ITS SOOOO LONG. I watched this with some Japanese friends and even they were bored witless. i can not recommend this dvd. choose something else. this is just too boring and silly. The only reason i finished watching this (unlike spriggan) is because I was watching it with people. I couldn't stop looking at the time counting by second by second.
sometimes it's good to watch bad movies so you can compare and build up a sense of judgment. but not in this case. this isn't bad, just really really boring. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Series
This Show is great lot's of sex and violence more of a comedy than a drama because its so over the top. Only i wish it would come out on dvd

Awesome anime!
A dark anime, focusing on the very real problems in America today. Loads of violence and sex, how can you go wrong? :)

Truly awful anime
There has never been a Manga (or Anime) series ever so ridiculous. It's a putrid mix of sex and voilence that not even the biggest anaimation buff would appreciate ... Read more

Reviews (6)

To Brian Ludwig
Dear Brian Ludwig,

Jesus Christ IS THE SON OF GOD. Over 33%(1.95 billion people) of the world's population are Christians, including me...... Way more than millions. Open the door of your heart to Jesus, it will be worth it.

By far the best in the trilogy!
CEO of Dawson Enterprises Leonard Dawson, hires a legion of mercenaries, cut-throats, and military personnel to eradicate the hitman responsible for his son's assasination. The targeted hitman is none other than the legendary sharpshooter Golgo 13, who travels under the alias of Duke Togo and carries the reputation of the man who never misses. Although feared by some and despised by many, the women who are privilaged to know intimately of him, understand him to be quite a charmer and gentlemen (a useful characteristic to potentially extract any, if not all of the useful information they may infact possess.) The name Golgo 13 itself harbors a biblical connotation. Golgotha for instance, is the hill upon which the philosopher and carpenter Jesus Christ was crucified. The 13 on the other hand, despite it's popular myth of being a number symbolizing bad luck, is representated as the number of the man who was responsible, for having placed a crown of thorns upon the head of the individual whom millions perceive to have been the corporeal manifestation of God... ... ... But enough info relating to the plot of the film, or of it's starring character, instead let us move on to various reasons as to why I decided to give this film a rating of what It got. These various reasons include:

1.) Plot: The plot of the film in my opinion rivals almost any delivered in other prominent live-action movies. If for those of whom who have seen this film do not agree with me, I simply ask them to view the last ten minutes of it and tell me where else they have seen such splendid utilization of irony and in some elements, tragedy.

2.)Character Development: Aside from Golgo 13 and a few other of his aiding and abetting compatriots (i.e. Clockmaker) the other characters presented were quite intriguing and above-par of other supporting characters of other films. Charactes like Leonard Dawson, his Daughter-in-law, the various "bad guys" he dispatches to elimate Golgo 13 (i.e. Gold & Silver and Snake) were all very engrossing to watch. On the other hand, I was somewhat disappointed at the seeming lack of three dimensional development on Golgo 13's part in the film. Yes, I understand that he is supposed to be an amoral assasin who only works for the highest bidder, yes, I also seemed to have understood how Golgo 13's "amoralness" may have been used as a sort of literary device to "draw out" the various emotions and feelings expressed by Leonard Dawson and his daughter-in-law, and yes, I understand that Golgo 13 was originally intended to be a man with no convictions (or personality for that matter... that was a joke by the way, so you laugh at it if you want to, or just give it the finger for having meandered from the point of this critical analysis like everyone else has, but don't think that'll hurt my feelings any... Sniff) what so ever by it's original creator (Takao Saito) and the film's director and writer (Osamu Dezaki & Hideyoshi Nagasaka.) No, instead why I complain of Golgo 13's lack of character development is that it is my understanding that in the comic book series, (of which I know little about) pieces of Golgo 13's unknown past have and continues to be revealed to the legions of Male-Japanese readers after a published life span of over 25 years. However, these pieces of his past are in no way shape or form revealed to the movie viewer in any of his three films (the other two being Queen Bee and live-acted Assignment Kowloon.) Instead Golgo 13 continues to be a character with an unknown name, nationality, and past.

3.)Direction: Let me start off by saying that as far as a film's direction, cinematography, editing techniques, coloring, etc. are concerned, I am by no means an expert on these fields, given that I have a tendency to single-mindedly focus on a film,book, or song's content (i.e. underlying story, theme, or message) rather than the context in how it is presented. At any rate I'll give it a shot. I felt the the direction and animation was breathtaking for it's time, and in some extent still is. A particularly favorite scene of mine is when Golgo 13 fires a bullet from the window of a hotel, directed at the ex-S.S. war criminal turned business tycoon Don Hughes (formerly known as Albert Muehler during his S.S. days in Nazi Germany 'keep in mind this film was made in 1983' what is interesting about this scene, is that once Golgo 13 fires the bullet, we are treated to a first person bullet POV (Point Of View) shot as it propels itself from the barrel of Golgo 13's gun, shoots it's way (pardon the pun) through the air, penetrates itself through Don's condominium window, and slam dunks itself right between the Aryan bastard's eyes (Golgo 13's trademark killing by the way, a shot between the eyes.) Aside from that particular scene, the Computer Enhanced sequences are cool (if somewhat dated by today's standards,) as is the fact that the entire film is animated (I absolutely love it when animation is given the sophiscated treatment it so rightly deserves.)

Overall, if you by now haven't switched to something else and are still reading this review... awake, I would highly recommend this film to anyone who pursues any obscure title of any media, which has received little, if any spotlight recognition, or for anyone who generally likes for their films to mix action packed entertainment, with a thought provoking script (I also notice that Terminators 1 & 2 fall under that catagory, as well as Matrix, the ORIGINAL Star Wars Trilogy, and The Professional starring a very young Natalie Portman 'not to be confused with the film that I am reviewing which harbors the same name.')

Hyuckkk! Good bye now!

"Anime Classic"
The Professional: Golgo 13 takes the imagination on a ride ofintrigue, murder, passion, and most of all; suspense. This cartoonmovie blows most live action movies out of the water. A bonus plus, the fly-spy 70's music and the collectable still shot phottography of transition scenes makes this a classic to own.

Terrific, complex anime
This movie completely changed my way of thinking with regards to anime. The plot is more complex than most spy movies. It incorporates alot of very interesting camera angles, with lots of 70's nuances. Get this one if you can.

A lot of potential.
Golgo 13, produced in 1983, showed where the future of Japanese animation was headed towards. One of the earliest Anime films to incorporate computer animation within the film although the lack of attention to detail in the hand drawn animation took its toll on the overall quality of the film. However, the plot line of the story captivated an audience which made the film seem to be better than what it was. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not even close
This video/"movie" does this awesome character no justice. The story is all cramped up, and the dubbing (as is the case with most english language anime) is terrible.
It's a shame, since the TV series and manga are A+, but hey, even Cobra isn't perfect.
Buy this item only if you must...

The Series is Great. The Movie is Not.
Space Adventure Cobra started as a great manga and then an excellent TV Anime. This movie, unfortunately, represents the only mis-step in Buichi Terasawas' distinguished works of Cobra. In the manga, the story takes several installments to unfold; in the TV series, it takes five espisodes (180mins); but that same plot is cramped and rushed in this Anime length movie. The dubbing is terrible and the movie (sighs) looks dated in this millennium.

I'm a Cobra fans for as long as I could remember but this movie is not its best moment. If you can get your hands on the manga or TV series, so do. Watch it only if you're a die-hard fan like I am, but be prepare for the disappointment.

Very best space opera
Cobra is just one of those legends that once in a while the comic industry manages to develop.

Cobra himself is a gentleman of the future, a true knight aiming to rescue ladies in danger and searching for justice in a galaxy under the Mafia's utter control; but he is also a gambler, a pirate, a clown. Under his carefree outlook and indiference, beats the heart of a very sophisticated soldier, always prepared to enter in action, always quick to resolve conflicts.

Buichi Terasawa wrote the manga series in 1978 portraying a space pirate whose major purpose in life was challenging the Galatic Guild, mastered by Crystal Man (his alter ego and most important enemy). Along the story line Cobra was involved in many adventures, recipients of influences such as occidental comics: Flash Gordon (by Alex Raymond) or Prince Valiant (by Harold Foster), and even movies such as James Bond's, along with the heritage of its alikes (Golgo 13, e.g), but never losing its own originality.

Cobra Space Adventure, the OAV, was produced in 1982 by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Great animation director Osamu Dezaki, and superb character designer Akio Sugino were the leading members of the staff. Both creators have been collaborating together in many projects, some of which can be considered real jewels of worldwide animation. Cobra Space Adventure is a direct heir of their know-how, of their special concept of animation and scripts. That is why this movie reflects not only the same humour and flooding action of the manga, but also deepens in the character's feelings and ulterior motives.

Cobra Space Adventure deals with one of the most important and renowned Cobra's Adventures: The Myra's Princesses. Three women, three sisters, seeking for the secret that lies within the tatoos they have marked in their backs. Jane, Catherine, Dominique. Will Cobra find real love this time? Will he be able to rescue them? Will Crystal Man achieve his long awaited dream: killing Cobra?

Misticism, romance, action, humour, science fiction are the basic ingredients of this film. If you like classic manga, if you appreciate well-done, wise and breathtaking anime adaptations, do not hesitate! This is your OAV.

Its an anime clasisc. No questions asked
If I had to pick an anime character who was in comparison to James Bond, it would be a tie between Lupin and Cobra. Cobra is a cool guy. How cool you ask? Well, in this film he has a cool gun for an arm, a Star Trek style ship of his own, smokes cigars and has a female robot who runs the ship. Best of all, this movie has a woman-in-distress plot, but not 1, not 2, but 3 women who are in distress! Still don't think its great? Well, the movie also boasts from full motion animation that looks very similar to Heavy Metal. Thats right. Before Akira, this title was the best at animation at its time. Theres also frequent location jumps to cool spots like a dessert, destroyed city, metropolis, winter scapes and even a nice techno dance club. To top it all off, it also has a classic James Bond style opening. The movie does contain nudity, but unlike other manly titles, its tasteful. Now about the film.

Cobra has kept himself hidden for 2 years and finally comes out with a bang. He falls for a young woman named Jane. It is revealed later that Jane wants to rescue her twin sister Chris. Chris, however, wants to stay with the evil Crystal Boy (and Im not kidding, thats his real name). Chris ends up killing Jane. To get more answers, Cobra goes to see her other twin sister, Dominic. Dominic reveals that herself, Jane and Chris are all a part of a planet and that they will become queen if one of them finds their true love. However, Crystal Boy is manipulating Chris into activating the planet and giving the planet to the Guild. After Crystal Boy finishes off Dominic, Cobra goes ahead onto the planet and finally gets Crystal Boy with his own weapon. Chris ends up realizing what she has done and does the only thing she can do. Self destruct the planet with her own body. I think the ending was done pretty well and I never got tired of the movie. Its great! And the dub is exellent. I have to admit that Cobra sounds pretty cool with a cigar in his mouth. If you haven't seen this yet, see it! I can't explain how cool this film is. You just have to see it.

Not worth it
I watched this film at an anime festival and was not impressed. I usually enjoy space adventures, but this was lame. I was really turned offed my the lead character who seemed like a such a male chauvanist and there were entirely too many bikini wearing alien women. The plot was slow and confusing at times. It reminded me too much of Heavy Metal (which was lame too). I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on it. I thought it was a waste of time at the festival. ... Read more

Description

Code name: Golgo 13 - Professional assassin.
Target: Queen Bee - leader of dissident South American liberation army.
Mission: Terminate the infamous Queen Bee before she kills a high profile presidential candidate.
Problem: Queen Bee is not your average guerrilla radical. As a child, she was ripped unmercifully from her home and left to fend for herself on the streets. As a woman, cunning and powerful, she lives only for passion and revenge; her brand of honey is deadly. Once Golgo 13 discovers Queen Bee's true identity, he decides that he must step aside as a very personal feud climaxes to a tragic end that will blow you away!

With its intricate plot and pulse-pounding action, Golgo 13: Queen Bee stays true to the thrilling scenarios that have made the "Golgo 13" character such a success spanning a theatrical movie, comic books, and video games! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Beautifully done anime.
Sometimes an anime comes along that is executed so smoothly and stylish, everything just pieces together. Yes, that is Golgo 13: Queen Bee. With a great theme song, intricate and deep plot, and one of the coolest main characters to appear in anime, Golgo 13: Queen Bee deserves far more praise. The artwork is incredible. Animation is good, but even better is the sheer amount of detail in this anime. It is poetry in motion, and almost Ghost in tthe Shell caliber. Hang around during the credits, because that's when the best scene of the movie is shown.

The story itself is done in such a way that it is simple if you want it to be, and complex if you feel like thinking about it. It is all executed so well. The transition effects between scenes may take some time to get used to, but aren't too distracting at all. The only complaint I have is the amount of, uh, activity in this film. Seeing the same woman go at it with five different guys, all at the wrong times in the movie, is not my cup of tea. That's the only real flaw in this masterpiece. The Golgo 13 stories always show the corruption of man, and leave you to decide who is the good guy (usually nobody). Buy this if you like smart, thrilling anime. Enough said.

Weak and disappointing.
If you saw "Golgo 13: The Professional," er even if you played the watered down NES games, and you're hoping for more of the same, look elsewhere. This movie lacks the storyline, style, and appeal of the original, instad going for an anime-sex overload, with a few exploding heads for flavor.

"Professional" this is not
"The Professional: Golgo 13" is one of my favorite animated films, and I had seen it before this sequal. So, out of curiousity, even though I had heard bad things about it, I rented the movie to check it out.

I could not believe what I saw unfold before me on the television screen. This movie dwarfs in comparison to "The Professional." Even though Osamu Dezaki is back to direct, he doesn't achieve the same artistic creativity that I saw in his first Golgo 13 film. The scene involving the pool and the crazed military commander's face becoming a skull were all well and good, but the other artsy scenes just came out flat. The storyline also is horrible, and even though the video box claims it has "an ending you won't see coming" I saw it within the first ten minutes in. And one other thing I couldn't help notice was Golgo 13 wasn't really that involved in the storyline - it's more like "Queen Bee - with a special guest appearance by Golgo 13."

The other problem with this movie is simply this: sex, sex, and lots mo' sex. Yes, I know, "The Professional" had a good helping of sex too, but it also remembered to have a storyline. "Queen Bee" is really just a string of sex scenes. We're introduced to Queen Bee while she's having sex. Then the Vice President candidate hires Golgo 13 after having sex. Golgo 13 and Queen Bee meet and they have sex. Queen Bee has a flashback of being raped while she's having sex.......do you see the pattern here?

There are some other minor squabbles with the film - for example, the opening scene involves the Democrats worrying about getting the black vote. Huh?! The American general with a 19th century beard was extremely laughable. Finally, I think we could have all done with out the blaxpoitation theme song. I loved the jazz soundtrack to "The Professional," and boy did I miss it in this film!

In conclusion: unless you are in the mood for lots of nudity and useless violence, avoid this movie. Even if you just like Duke Torgo, it's not worth seeing.

Okay, really though, bring out "The Professional" on DVD...
For anyone interested in Duke Togo, this is a fine enough DVD (and mounds better than the Sonny Chiba live-action ...job)...

Over the top action that should have been delivered better
Don't get me wrong, I love anime films like the ridiculously over the top Wicked City, the original Vampire Hunter D and the classic Akira, and the first Golgo 13 anime, titled The Professional, was a favorite of mine as well, which is the main reason I decided to buy this long awaited sequel that continues the exploits of stone cold assassin Duke Togo. The animation is very neat and looks great, but the cliched over the top ridiculous storyline and borderline terrible voice acting just about kills anything enjoyable with Golgo 13: Queen Bee. The Queen Bee, a female guerilla renegade who seems to have sex with just about anything that moves, is really the main character here and Duke is in more of a supporting role. The over the top bloody action, pointless sex, and wooden characters that the viewer ends up not caring about at all make Golgo 13: Queen Bee a very disappointing anime all together. Do yourself a favor, stick with The Professional for a great anime experience. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"What a revoltin' development THIS is..."
In the mood to relive my days of veggin' out in front of the tube during those magical Saturday mornings, I rented a run of Mighty Orbots eppies from the local independent video store. Needless to say, my childhood memories of the shows did a bit too much justice to this mercifully short-lived series that could be best described as "Voltron for the younger set". As you might expect, each show was jam-packed with all the colorful and nigh-mindless cartoony goodness you'd expect from such 80s-era animated-space-adventure fare: lotsa silly situations, bad puns, corny one-liners, and space battles that were a bit too fast-paced. Ya didn't think they'd waste an entire half-hour of broadcast time tryin' to actually tell a decent story, do ya?

Anyway, on with the show. Out of the handful of Orbots eppies I viewed, this one is definitely the worst of the bunch. The foreshadowing of the lameness to come is reflected in the opening scene, as narrator Garry "Laugh-In" Owens introduces the viewer to the planet... Idylla. As one might expect, the planet does indeed appear quite... idyllic. But it gets worse: the dominant species living on this world are subsequently introduced; they are called... the Dremloks. Their general physical appearance is an astoundingly bald-faced rip-off of the Ewoks from "Return of the Jedi", with a little Monchichi thrown in for added sickly-sweet cuteness. And while we're at it, howzabout havin' 'em live in Smurf-style huts? Yeah, THERE'S originality in action for ya...

Anyway, our hapless group of fuzzy munchkins are captured and brainwashed by jellyfish-like drones sent by the Shadow organization (Mighty Orbots' prime nemesis). As expected, the Orbots are assigned to rescue the hapless Ewok wannabes, and head on over to Idylla to free them from Shadow's clutches. Unfortunately, most of the team falls victim to the same mind-control thingies that their would-be rescuees have been hit with, and are made to mine some sorta power crystals. Can the remaining members of the group get their compatriots to snap out of the mind-lock before it's too late? Well, with the help of a special device that the non-mind-eff'd stalwarts have on their persons, and the most fast-paced & implausible "beat-the-clock-in-a-countdown-to-doom" climax ever devised (probably due to the network wanting more space to shoehorn in an extra minute's worth of Hasbro toy commercials when this eppie was originally broadcast), I'd say odds are even...

Needless to say, if you're aimin' to reminisce over your 80s Saturday morning kidvid glory days, I suggest you skip this particular offering and give the other Mighty Orbots videos a view. As silly as the rest of the series is, none of the other eppies can hold a candle to "The Dremloks" as a benchmark of 80s Saturday-morning insipidity...

'Late

1/Best of the action cartoons
This is truly one of the better action cartoons. My first time watching was when I was a wee little lad around the age of 12-13. I am now 30 and can still sing the opening song. Loved the way they morphed to become the giant robot. Great visual effects and awesome characters. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Series
This Show is great lot's of sex and violence more of a comedy than a drama because its so over the top. Only i wish it would come out on dvd

Awesome anime!
A dark anime, focusing on the very real problems in America today. Loads of violence and sex, how can you go wrong? :)

Truly awful anime
There has never been a Manga (or Anime) series ever so ridiculous. It's a putrid mix of sex and voilence that not even the biggest anaimation buff would appreciate ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not even close
This video/"movie" does this awesome character no justice. The story is all cramped up, and the dubbing (as is the case with most english language anime) is terrible.
It's a shame, since the TV series and manga are A+, but hey, even Cobra isn't perfect.
Buy this item only if you must...

The Series is Great. The Movie is Not.
Space Adventure Cobra started as a great manga and then an excellent TV Anime. This movie, unfortunately, represents the only mis-step in Buichi Terasawas' distinguished works of Cobra. In the manga, the story takes several installments to unfold; in the TV series, it takes five espisodes (180mins); but that same plot is cramped and rushed in this Anime length movie. The dubbing is terrible and the movie (sighs) looks dated in this millennium.

I'm a Cobra fans for as long as I could remember but this movie is not its best moment. If you can get your hands on the manga or TV series, so do. Watch it only if you're a die-hard fan like I am, but be prepare for the disappointment.

Very best space opera
Cobra is just one of those legends that once in a while the comic industry manages to develop.

Cobra himself is a gentleman of the future, a true knight aiming to rescue ladies in danger and searching for justice in a galaxy under the Mafia's utter control; but he is also a gambler, a pirate, a clown. Under his carefree outlook and indiference, beats the heart of a very sophisticated soldier, always prepared to enter in action, always quick to resolve conflicts.

Buichi Terasawa wrote the manga series in 1978 portraying a space pirate whose major purpose in life was challenging the Galatic Guild, mastered by Crystal Man (his alter ego and most important enemy). Along the story line Cobra was involved in many adventures, recipients of influences such as occidental comics: Flash Gordon (by Alex Raymond) or Prince Valiant (by Harold Foster), and even movies such as James Bond's, along with the heritage of its alikes (Golgo 13, e.g), but never losing its own originality.

Cobra Space Adventure, the OAV, was produced in 1982 by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Great animation director Osamu Dezaki, and superb character designer Akio Sugino were the leading members of the staff. Both creators have been collaborating together in many projects, some of which can be considered real jewels of worldwide animation. Cobra Space Adventure is a direct heir of their know-how, of their special concept of animation and scripts. That is why this movie reflects not only the same humour and flooding action of the manga, but also deepens in the character's feelings and ulterior motives.

Cobra Space Adventure deals with one of the most important and renowned Cobra's Adventures: The Myra's Princesses. Three women, three sisters, seeking for the secret that lies within the tatoos they have marked in their backs. Jane, Catherine, Dominique. Will Cobra find real love this time? Will he be able to rescue them? Will Crystal Man achieve his long awaited dream: killing Cobra?

Misticism, romance, action, humour, science fiction are the basic ingredients of this film. If you like classic manga, if you appreciate well-done, wise and breathtaking anime adaptations, do not hesitate! This is your OAV.

Its an anime clasisc. No questions asked
If I had to pick an anime character who was in comparison to James Bond, it would be a tie between Lupin and Cobra. Cobra is a cool guy. How cool you ask? Well, in this film he has a cool gun for an arm, a Star Trek style ship of his own, smokes cigars and has a female robot who runs the ship. Best of all, this movie has a woman-in-distress plot, but not 1, not 2, but 3 women who are in distress! Still don't think its great? Well, the movie also boasts from full motion animation that looks very similar to Heavy Metal. Thats right. Before Akira, this title was the best at animation at its time. Theres also frequent location jumps to cool spots like a dessert, destroyed city, metropolis, winter scapes and even a nice techno dance club. To top it all off, it also has a classic James Bond style opening. The movie does contain nudity, but unlike other manly titles, its tasteful. Now about the film.

Cobra has kept himself hidden for 2 years and finally comes out with a bang. He falls for a young woman named Jane. It is revealed later that Jane wants to rescue her twin sister Chris. Chris, however, wants to stay with the evil Crystal Boy (and Im not kidding, thats his real name). Chris ends up killing Jane. To get more answers, Cobra goes to see her other twin sister, Dominic. Dominic reveals that herself, Jane and Chris are all a part of a planet and that they will become queen if one of them finds their true love. However, Crystal Boy is manipulating Chris into activating the planet and giving the planet to the Guild. After Crystal Boy finishes off Dominic, Cobra goes ahead onto the planet and finally gets Crystal Boy with his own weapon. Chris ends up realizing what she has done and does the only thing she can do. Self destruct the planet with her own body. I think the ending was done pretty well and I never got tired of the movie. Its great! And the dub is exellent. I have to admit that Cobra sounds pretty cool with a cigar in his mouth. If you haven't seen this yet, see it! I can't explain how cool this film is. You just have to see it.

Not worth it
I watched this film at an anime festival and was not impressed. I usually enjoy space adventures, but this was lame. I was really turned offed my the lead character who seemed like a such a male chauvanist and there were entirely too many bikini wearing alien women. The plot was slow and confusing at times. It reminded me too much of Heavy Metal (which was lame too). I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on it. I thought it was a waste of time at the festival. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Disappointing
Having fond memories of "Astro Boy" from my youth, one day I ventured into the bookstore and picked up "Black Jack" by Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga" and creator of my beloved Astro.

I was quite pleased. Tezuka's reputation is well-deserved. The collection of stories used a gifted surgeon on the outskirts of the law as a vehicle for some very interesting morality tales. My favorite story from this first volume has to be that of the young man who is about to kill himself at the beginning of the story, having failed his college entrance exams. But, partially thanks to Black Jack, he learns what a real life and death situation is, and ends up rededicating himself to become a doctor. Tezuka has a real knack for dramatic storytelling, and for cutting right to the heart (no pun intended) of the very unique issue he chooses.

I had all this in my mind when I bought the movie Black Jack, and I suppose I expected the same style of storytelling to be there. Unfortunately, and in hindsight not surprisingly, it wasn't. Black Jack the surgeon was, by all accounts, true to his character, but the story simply is NOT a Black Jack story. Gone are the vital issues of the life of an individual, into which a seemingly god-sent surgeon walks at just the right moment. Gone is the tale of moral absolutism, the evil men receiving their comeuppance and the good men learning from their mistakes. Instead, one is presented with a clumsy story treading the familiar -- and boring -- ground of "corporate greed" and "environmental responsibility."

Poor, poor Black Jack. Surgeon, heal thyself.

Don't Waste Your Time and Money on This
Where to begin! There's barely a hint of plot, absolutely no character development, no sense of danger or tension and the whole thing is based on a completely ridiculous premise. I guess you could say it's at least drawn well, but some of the stylistic choices are just stupid looking (a plethora of cheesy freeze frames and an overuse of an infrared effect to bash the viewer over the head with "hey look, this guy is a 'super mankind' person!") And, my gawd, it ends with a literal lecture that is screamed at the audience. After about 20 minutes of this tripe you'll be wishing you spent your money on a house call from Dr. Kevorkian.

Good Work Gone Awry
This full length medical thriller was created completed in 1996, base on a popular manga series created a decade before by Osamu Tezuka. It's plot, not particularly original then, and much hackneyed now, is the story of an experiment gone out of control. Brane Pharmaceutical has discovered a way to stimulate permanent secretion of endorphins. This has fueled the creation of a group of humans with superhuman abilities, who have just as suddenly begun to burn out and die.

The culprit it the same virus that stimulates the endorphins in the first place, and it has begun to affect others besides the original patients - an artificially created plague. When one of his own patients is affected, Black Jack, a wildcat surgeon, becomes involved. Jo Carol Brane arranged the kidnapping of his ward, Pinoko, to force his cooperation. Black Jack finds the cause, but this only unmasks the source of the danger. It will take a miracle to find the cure and preventative.

By rights, this should have been an exciting story. In the original Japanese, the script is terse and brutal, producing a stylized gothic effect that is enough to overcome a slow moving plot. Unfortunately, the dubbing took extreme liberties with the script and under-acted the parts. The result is a wordy and sometimes tedious performance. After all, the point of the story - the dangers of irresponsible medical research - is obvious enough so that there is no need to belabor it.

Even so it is an interesting film. The art and music are excellent, using a lot of tonality that is unusual in anime work. A little better editing and writing would have made this a memorable effort. Instead, it is only a near miss. A mistake that should never have happened.

why hasnt the translation of the manga out yet?
awful, I tell you. Other reviewers I'm sure have never read the manga version of Black Jack. Kuroo Hazama, AKA Black Jack (Translation of Kuroo = Black Jack)is an unlicensed surgeon who is full of humanity but is for reasons unknown (actually it's known) don't want to show it. Movie is bad, it's not even watchable. Probably because Mr. Tezuka was dead when this movie went into production. Write to Tezuka production, tell them they need to spread the legacy Osamu Tezuka who was doctor himself. In Japan, there are almost no doctors that haven't read Black Jack. It also inspired many young readers to become doctors in Japan. DO THEM JUSTICE. Inspire more young readers to become doctors not because of the money but for the reason Black Jack does. To save people.
"But, I will still treat people. Because that's who I am."
"I don't want your pitty. All I want is respect. Not to me but to the patient you killed that his parents sweat blood for me to save."
Great lines by Dr. Black Jack

very disappointing a true life waster
Well I had high expectations for this considering it's based on(Dr.) Tezuka Osamu's famous Black Jack. Unfortunately it's in name only. There is a story in there but it's rather silly and overly dramatic. Apart from the young girl none of the characters are interesting. They even managed to make black jack boring. And how long did they want to make this....ITS SOOOO LONG. I watched this with some Japanese friends and even they were bored witless. i can not recommend this dvd. choose something else. this is just too boring and silly. The only reason i finished watching this (unlike spriggan) is because I was watching it with people. I couldn't stop looking at the time counting by second by second.
sometimes it's good to watch bad movies so you can compare and build up a sense of judgment. but not in this case. this isn't bad, just really really boring. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mighty Orbots: Trapped on the Prehistoric Planet
In the mood to see how my fave Saturday-morning kidvid shows stacked up to my fond childhood memories of 'em, I hit the kiddie section of the local indie video rental joint in search of a few personal faves on tape. In one dark and seldom-perused corner of the back shelf, I caught a glimpse of one of those great shows I loved veggin' out to between the Smurfs and Super Friends: the Mighty Orbots! Havin' been a regular watcher of Voltron, GoBots, and the Transformers at the time-- well, I'm assuming they all ran concurrently at the time, anyway-- it was a given that I would latch onto this "heroic-robots-fighting-the-baddies-in-outer-space" show as well. Anyhoo, I rented all the Orbots tapes the place had, got home, popped one into the player, whipped out my spiral-bound binder and pen (sheesh, I'm so pathetic with this Amazon customer reviewin' thing that I'M ACTUALLY TAKING NOTES for every item I review now!), and pressed Play...

As I pretty much expected, the years and the increased levels of maturity I've developed in the interim (Maturity? Yeah, RIGHT...) ain't been all that kind to the show. None of the eppies I watched came close to doing justice to what I remembered about 'em. Of course, I was expecting this to happen anyway (InHumanoids, anyone?), but even so I was kinda hopin' it had more than the usual Saturday-morn cartoon silliness that dominated the networks back in the day...

All right, I'm pretty much through boring you to death with the backstory; let's get on with it. Near as I can gather, "Mighty Orbots" is a show meant for young'uns who were a bit too young-- or lacked the attention span-- for Voltron or the Transformers. And, as expected, each eppie's chock-full of the sorta cornball quips, one-liners, and witticisms one has come to expect from the Saturday-morning 'toonage of the time. Throw in the usual establishing shots and a minimum of two robot-team-merging-into-Mighty-Orbots sequences to help save the writers from having to script an extra couple minutes worth of dialogue, and you've got a colorful and rather dumb show that breezes by so quickly, each half-hour segment feels like it runs for just five minutes.

Like a few of its contemporaries, Mighty Orbots features a "cute sidekick"-- a toddler-sized female 'bot who likes to boss the team around. She utters, "Oh, no!"-- her big catch-phrase, as well as her name-- whenever she's surprised, indignant, or momentarily fear-stricken. She's kinduva cross-breed of Snarf from 'ThunderCats' and Angelica from 'Rugrats', with a touch of sickly-sweet Hello Kitty-esque cuteness mixed in, poured into a metal shell, and left to set. And where would the show be without the narration of "beautiful downtown Burbank's" very own Garry Owens to help keep you caught up on the action, and move ya from setting to setting with the quasi-urgent uttering of "meanwhile..."?

Oops, almost forgot to mention another recurring gimmick: the inventor and leader of this team has this whole Clark Kent/Superman-style dual identity thing goin' on. As soon as the main man changes from his uniform to a lab coat, and he throws on the specs, he becomes a brilliant but geeky research scientist who no one would even remotely suspect of being a dashing heroic type, despite his almost uncanny resemblance to Orbots Leader! Which is kinduva bummer when, in just about every eppie, he (as the geeky scientist) makes many a fruitless effort to get a relationship going with the daughter of the United Planets' leader, who only has eyes for his alter-ego. Needless to say, it looks like our beloved sci-guy's not the ONLY one who needs glasses...

And now, my thoughts on this particular eppie: I knew I was in for a pretty silly time when the show's main locale was a planet called Evilon, AKA "The Prehistoric Planet". Now it might be due to the fact that my intelligence level is above that of the average 80s adventure cartoon character, but whenever I hear about a planet called 'Evilon', that's pretty much my cue to steer clear! But, being the heroic sorts they are, the Orbots just HAVE to go and rescue some asteroid deflector shield thingy that the heavy of the week (some shrimpy green-skinned alien dude with a Galactus-like mental telepathy helmet named (surprise) Mentalis) stole in order to spring a trap for our heroes to get out of, and then save the day in the nick of time. Which is what they manage to do of course. I'd go into further detail, but I feel you should discover the finer points of this particular episode for yourself. That, and I'm gettin' a bit bored with it all, and I don't really feel much like writing any further. So, if you are interested in checking this one out-- well, all I can say is, good luck finding a rental place that has this in stock...

'Late ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A lot of solid plot material wasted.
Dark. Sombre. Maybe even film noir in its execution, Black Jack: The Movie carries forward the art-house style of direction that we've seen in the OAV series. Cut scenes utilizing a freeze-to-manga style which can be very effective in ending or transitioning, except here, it's so often that it loses its effect, and even becomes annoying. Director Dezaki Osamu also has a penchant for using thermo-graphs to show what's happening to the victims as they succumb to the disease, but again, it would be much more effective if it wasn't used so often. After a while, your mind gets numbed to the whole experience. One thing that did work very well -- a lot of background material is cut in and out with a series of expositionary scenes; these help progress the story without really interfering with the flow.

Many of the minor character roles harken back to the older days of Japanese-style entertainment. Over-the-top, exaggerated dramatics and vocalisations are the norm here, to the point where it can almost be laughable. This is a production that's just crying to be rewritten and re-released as an English dub. The basic material's there; the execution is questionable at best.

And the story? Well, I'm not a doctor, so I can't say that I'm an expert on the realism of the show, but I can say this much: unbelievable. A viral infection that presents itself as a tight, compact growth which can be removed via scalpel? Last time I checked, virus are not much more than bodies of protien, which have to take over host cells to live and divide. Even more oddities appear -- the armed version of Doctors Without Borders, the "MSJ" -- Medical Surgeons of Justice -- who apparently have no qualms about violating the Hippocratic Oath by arming themselves with automatic assault weapons. Go figure.

Character designs aren't all in the comic style as done in the original manga, but are generally much more dramatic, angular and stark. Pinoko, and a pair of Laurel & Hardy comic relief type art collectors are the exception, but the style is much more palatable for the anime audience.

The end result, however, is disappointing at best. The story's unbelievable, and the direction is uneven at best. There's a lot of material here; it's too bad that it's been wasted.

An Excellent Japanese Animated Film!
This film is about a medical scientist who tries to cure a very deadly disease in olympic athletes through brain sergury. It has a great complex story and brilliant animation. I wouldn't recomend it to children, because it contains some violence, but I'd recomend it to adult animation buffs! ... Read more

Description

Code name: Golgo 13 - Professional assassin.
Target: Queen Bee - leader of dissident South American liberation army.
Mission: Terminate the infamous Queen Bee before she kills a high profile presidential candidate.
Problem: Queen Bee is not your average guerrilla radical. As a child, she was ripped unmercifully from her home and left to fend for herself on the streets. As a woman, cunning and powerful, she lives only for passion and revenge; her brand of honey is deadly. Once Golgo 13 discovers Queen Bee's true identity, he decides that he must step aside as a very personal feud climaxes to a tragic end that will blow you away!

With its intricate plot and pulse-pounding action, Golgo 13: Queen Bee stays true to the thrilling scenarios that have made the "Golgo 13" character such a success spanning a theatrical movie, comic books, and video games! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Beautifully done anime.
Sometimes an anime comes along that is executed so smoothly and stylish, everything just pieces together. Yes, that is Golgo 13: Queen Bee. With a great theme song, intricate and deep plot, and one of the coolest main characters to appear in anime, Golgo 13: Queen Bee deserves far more praise. The artwork is incredible. Animation is good, but even better is the sheer amount of detail in this anime. It is poetry in motion, and almost Ghost in tthe Shell caliber. Hang around during the credits, because that's when the best scene of the movie is shown.

The story itself is done in such a way that it is simple if you want it to be, and complex if you feel like thinking about it. It is all executed so well. The transition effects between scenes may take some time to get used to, but aren't too distracting at all. The only complaint I have is the amount of, uh, activity in this film. Seeing the same woman go at it with five different guys, all at the wrong times in the movie, is not my cup of tea. That's the only real flaw in this masterpiece. The Golgo 13 stories always show the corruption of man, and leave you to decide who is the good guy (usually nobody). Buy this if you like smart, thrilling anime. Enough said.

Weak and disappointing.
If you saw "Golgo 13: The Professional," er even if you played the watered down NES games, and you're hoping for more of the same, look elsewhere. This movie lacks the storyline, style, and appeal of the original, instad going for an anime-sex overload, with a few exploding heads for flavor.

"Professional" this is not
"The Professional: Golgo 13" is one of my favorite animated films, and I had seen it before this sequal. So, out of curiousity, even though I had heard bad things about it, I rented the movie to check it out.

I could not believe what I saw unfold before me on the television screen. This movie dwarfs in comparison to "The Professional." Even though Osamu Dezaki is back to direct, he doesn't achieve the same artistic creativity that I saw in his first Golgo 13 film. The scene involving the pool and the crazed military commander's face becoming a skull were all well and good, but the other artsy scenes just came out flat. The storyline also is horrible, and even though the video box claims it has "an ending you won't see coming" I saw it within the first ten minutes in. And one other thing I couldn't help notice was Golgo 13 wasn't really that involved in the storyline - it's more like "Queen Bee - with a special guest appearance by Golgo 13."

The other problem with this movie is simply this: sex, sex, and lots mo' sex. Yes, I know, "The Professional" had a good helping of sex too, but it also remembered to have a storyline. "Queen Bee" is really just a string of sex scenes. We're introduced to Queen Bee while she's having sex. Then the Vice President candidate hires Golgo 13 after having sex. Golgo 13 and Queen Bee meet and they have sex. Queen Bee has a flashback of being raped while she's having sex.......do you see the pattern here?

There are some other minor squabbles with the film - for example, the opening scene involves the Democrats worrying about getting the black vote. Huh?! The American general with a 19th century beard was extremely laughable. Finally, I think we could have all done with out the blaxpoitation theme song. I loved the jazz soundtrack to "The Professional," and boy did I miss it in this film!

In conclusion: unless you are in the mood for lots of nudity and useless violence, avoid this movie. Even if you just like Duke Torgo, it's not worth seeing.

Okay, really though, bring out "The Professional" on DVD...
For anyone interested in Duke Togo, this is a fine enough DVD (and mounds better than the Sonny Chiba live-action ...job)...

Over the top action that should have been delivered better
Don't get me wrong, I love anime films like the ridiculously over the top Wicked City, the original Vampire Hunter D and the classic Akira, and the first Golgo 13 anime, titled The Professional, was a favorite of mine as well, which is the main reason I decided to buy this long awaited sequel that continues the exploits of stone cold assassin Duke Togo. The animation is very neat and looks great, but the cliched over the top ridiculous storyline and borderline terrible voice acting just about kills anything enjoyable with Golgo 13: Queen Bee. The Queen Bee, a female guerilla renegade who seems to have sex with just about anything that moves, is really the main character here and Duke is in more of a supporting role. The over the top bloody action, pointless sex, and wooden characters that the viewer ends up not caring about at all make Golgo 13: Queen Bee a very disappointing anime all together. Do yourself a favor, stick with The Professional for a great anime experience. ... Read more