Reviews (90)

A very cool universe...
I remember sneaking in to the movies to see this back in '81 - and it's remained a nostalgic favorite ever since. Heavy Metal is an ambitious series of six metaphorical vignettes loosely strung together by a Darth Vadar-ish emerald orb, Loc-Nar, the self-proclaimed "sum of all evils." Introduced by way of a space truckin' archeologist piloting a Corvette throughout the Heavens (a classic opening sequence), the glowing jewel is brought home and given to his daughter. The orb melts dad into slime and confronts the daughter who, by some cosmic dint, holds the key to the green ball's destruction. And this is just the first three minutes.

The film was created by an army of 1,000 artists, animation experts and technicians from seventeen countries. Given the current state of technology, the movie today would probably only take a half-dozen animators and a few lap-tops. Regardless of its dated stylishness and rough edges, Heavy Metal was a pioneering film in 1981 and remains an infuential body of art today. A visual mixed bag of matte, blue screen, live action, stop motion, and Star Wars-influenced drawing/animation styles, the dazzling sci-fi epic scored a bullseye with its comic hipness, imagination, and drug kaleidoscope presentation. The final installment, Tarna, is the most mind-bending in terms of fluid animation, spectacular color schemes, imagination, and graphics, which appears 3-D. The green ball crashes into a mountain and the lava it produces turns the civilization around it into a merciless warring faction. They prey upon neighboring villages who then summon The Defender, a naked chick with a giant bird. The sequence in which Tarna, The Defender, slowly and enticingly dons her bondage-like battle gear and hip boots remains one of the hottest scenes ever in a movie, animated or not. All clothes aside, this tale is the centerpiece of the movie's artistic accomplishments.

The best part of this Collector's Series disc is the plethora of extras included. The disc includes a voiceover by Carl Macek reading his book "Heavy Metal: The Movie". It also includes a documentary titled "Imagining Heavy Metal" which runs approximately 35 minutes. The disc also includes deleted scenes, including a rough cut of a entire additional segment which was cut form the movie titled Neverwhere Land, and an alternate framing sequence which can be heard with or without commentary by Carl Macek. There is a segment called "Artwork of Heavy Metal" which includes 26 pencil drawings, 59 conceptual art stills (2 of which are animated), 29 single cell stills, and 191 layered cell stills which expose some of the layering techniques used during the animation process. There are also 18 production photos of behind the scenes work which was done on the film and a segment which contains all the Heavy Metal Magazine covers from 1977 through 1999. But the best extra on this disc is the entire full-length rough cut of the pencil drawings used to get the look and feel of the production prior to the final production stage. This rough cut can also be viewed either with or without a full commentary by Carl Macek.

Classic animation, with a hard rockin soundtrack
I can't believe the number of negative reviews this movie has gotten! I bet these people don't like James Bond movies, either.

To fully appreciate Heavy Metal, one has to understand the era it came out in. At the time, most animation, at least what was seen in the US, was frequently of the "family entertainment" variety seen in Saturday morning cartoons and TV commercials. Apart from Ralph Bakshi, most animators were basically shackled by the need to present something that was "rated G". Heavy Metal took the exact opposite route. It was a liberating experience for the animators working on the film to be allowed to draw things they usually weren't allowed. And they got paid to do it, too!

After the opening Soft Landing sequence, we're introduced to the Loc-Nar, a glowing green orb responsible for all the evil that has plagued the universe (or at least, that which has plagued the human race). The various stories contained in the film are told by the Loc-Nar to a young girl, as examples of it's awesome power.

The stories include the film noir homage Harry Canyon, the male "wish fulfillment fantasy" of Den (which demonstrates the versatility of the late John Candy, who voices both Dan, the science nerd who gets transported into an alternate dimension by the Loc-Nar, as well as Den, the Conan/He-Man-esque beefcake that he is magically transformed into), the highly amusing Captain Sternn (trivia: the voice of the prosecutor is done by John Vernon, the actor who portrayed Dean Wormer in Animal House), the EC-esque B-17 (aka Gremlins, which went through so many script revisions, it's a miracle it got finished at all), the bizarrely hilarious So Beautiful And So Dangerous (ok, maybe there's some truth to the juvenilia charges during this segment, but only a corpse could keep from laughing at this piece), and revenge scenario of Taarna (imagine a tougher, sexier version of Xena, only about a decade and a half earlier).

While there IS some element of juvenilia here, it's no worse than any other movie that's been released by any major studio during the last 25 years. In fact, I bet it's a little more cerebral than most of those other movies. Harry Canyon is a rather crafted film noir homage, while some elements of Taarna are clearly patterned on Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. And while there are a couple sex scenes and a certain amount of excessive violince in Heavy Metal, again, it's nothing compared to some of the garbage that's shown on cable TV these days. I'd certainly rather watch this than Basic Instinct or No Way Out.

This movie is a classic piece of animation. Yeah, some of it's rough around the edges, but that has a lot to do with Columbia's decision to move up the deadline so they could have the original movie out in time for the summer 81 season. One has to consider the scope of the undertaking, and the relatively short time that was at hand to create it.

Look at the "travelling sequence" during Taarna, where she's shown riding her mount (a sort of large bird creature) over a rolling landscape, and consider that it was done WITHOUT the use of any kind of computer generated work. It's explained in the audio commentary on the rough cut of the film, as well as during the documentary how it was done, and why it didn't quite turn out as planned). No one had ever done anything like that, and it had to all be done by hand.

Really, you can't take this movie too seriously. It's a movie that exists soley to entertain. There's no big message or point to the movie. Just put the DVD in the player, turn out the lights, turn up the volume LOUD, and just enjoy the trip.

It should be noted, that this disc also contains some of the best bonus features I've seen on any DVD. Besides the regular movie, you get a full length "rough cut" of the film, consisting of storyboards, pencil tests, and some completed animation. The only audio for this rough cut (besides the optional audio commentary, by Carl Macek, who also does a completely different commentary for the finished movie) is the dialog. There's long stretches of silence, but it's worth watching, as there's lots of bits of dialog that were cut from the final movie (we learn, for instance, that Katharine, like Den, was also transformed when she was transported to this mysterious alternate universe). It's also interesting to note that the stories weren't always in the order that they were in the final movie.

There's also a half hour documentary with interviews from many of the filmmakers involved in making the film. We finally find out why we see a model of a house blowing up at the end (because they didn't have time to finish the animation for that one bit), and also why Cornelius Cole's Neverwhere Land was cut from the movie (either for reasons of length/continuity, or because Cole didn't finish it in time, depending on exactly which version of the story you wish to believe.

You also get a few minutes of deleted scenes, most notably the above mentioned Neverwhere Land, which was originally supposed to link Captain Sternn and B-17. There's also a few minutes that surround an early version of the framing story (in whence the Loc-Nar was actually the power source of a magical merry-go-round, and the various objects on the merry-go-round related in one way to the stories...ie, there's a taxicab, Taarna's mount, etc...each time the girl takes a ride in a different vehicle on the merry-go-round, she experiences a different story).

And finally, you get all Heavy Metal covers up through 1999, plus various bits of production drawings, cels, etc.

In short, this is a classic film that should be viewed by all fans of animation and/or heavy flicks. Prudes and conservatives who get cranky at the very thought of a movie being ruined by a little too much flesh or blood (and really, there isn't THAT much of either in this film) or a little warped humor (ok, there's PLENTY of that here) are advised to keep away. I just wish they had restored Neverwhere Land to it's original place between Captain Sternn and B-17.

Cult Classic HEAVY METAL Not a Clunker
Some critics and film historians have labeled 1981's HEAVY METAL as the last film to genuinely reflect the mishmash sensibilities of the post-hippy 1970s counter-culture, and stylistically and thematically this appears to be true. Based on the adult counter-culture cult comic of the same name, HEAVY METAL definitely is a sort of spacey concatenation of disparate visual aesthetics and heterogeneous science-fiction/fantasy narratives. But despite being a hodgepodge as a whole, the film still manages to offer a very entertaining way to kill 90 minutes.

As with the magazine, the film is basically aimed at horny male adolescents, offering plenty of nude, amply bosomed women running around in the midst of stylized violence and gore; lots of rock music (though these ditties from popular metal bands of the late '70s may not appeal to the current generation of horny male adolescents); and references to the drug-oriented sub-culture (definitely not a cartoon for the pre-teen crowd). Each individual segment of HEAVY METAL was scripted and directed independently of the others, which likely accounts for the varying aesthetic and narrative styles. But many of these contributors were (and are now) some of the most talented people in the film industry, including writers Dan O'Bannon, Len Blum, and Daniel Goldberg, and directors John Bruno, John Halas, and Jimmy T. Murikami. (Gerald Potterton, listed in the credits as the film's director, was in reality the overseer for the project as a whole.)

Because the film does not contain a single cohesive plotline, it is best to evaluate each animated segment in its own right. Some of those individual stories are quite thought-provoking or humorous--or both--and even some of the more mediocre segments still offer some fantastic visuals. One of the most intellectually interesting is a story called DEN, in which a young bespectacled geek is transported into a parallel universe and transformed into a handsome, muscled barbarian hero. After falling in love with a curvaceous maiden, he helps her save her people from their draconian Caligula-like dictator. B-17 is probably the most earnest segment, though there seems to be no intrinsic logic to the sparse narrative. In it, the dead crewmembers of a WWII bomber plane are inexplicably resurrected as flesh-eating zombies, subsequently seeking to make a meal of the plane's still-living pilot. Visually, however, this segment is quite stunning, evoking the deliciously gruesome artistic style of the old E.C. comics of the '50s and early '60s. And in the funniest segment--entitled SO BEAUTIFUL, SO DANGEROUS--a gorgeous Pentagon secretary is inadvertently sucked into an alien spaceship that resembles a huge smiley face. After confronting the spaced-out druggie crewmembers, she ultimately becomes the lover of the ship's robot and decides to remain aboard.

After its initial release, HEAVY METAL attained a cult following of sorts and became a favorite of the midnight-movie crowd. Unfortunately, its release to the home-video market was delayed for years due to disputes over copyrights for some of the rock songs used in the soundtrack. Because of this, poorly produced bootlegged copies of the flick were illegally sold (usually at Sci-fi cons) and swapped among fans, and the inferior video quality contributed to the film's unfair reputation for being a mediocre film. But the music disputes were eventually resolved somehow, and the film became commercially available to the home market in the mid 1990s and regained its popularity as a cool cartoon. (Some statistics indicate that it is the most popular film in the Columbia/Tristar home-video catalog.)

Columbia/Tristar's Special-Edition DVD of HEAVY METAL offers a beautiful digital transfer of the film and soundtrack, along with some really cool bounus material. For animation fans, one of the best of the bonus features is a fascinating feature-length pencil-test version of the film (with optional commentary). Columbia/Tristar also offers a version of the HEAVY METAL in their SuperBit collection, but as with their other SuperBit films, the disc space required for the higher bit rate precludes the inclusion of any bonus material. Unless the buyer has a high-definition TV and can appreciate the increased picture quality of the SuperBit disc, the Special-Edition version is the way to go. Either way, HEAVY METAL offers enough entertainment value to make it a worthy addition to the DVD collection of any SF or animation fan.

Heavy Metal special edition
Heavy Metal is an excellent movie. And it's a great way to see the magazine come to life. It has great rock and Heavy Metal music along with it's motion picture score.
It's a cult classic for Friday night viewing. Not to be missed and represents the 1980's at it's best.

A science fiction/ fantasy animated sampler
If you aren't a science fiction fan, then you probably aren't going to get into this film. However, if you have at least a passing familiarity with the genre and it's evolution over the years then it will hold your interest.

First of all, the framework that holds all the various animated segments together (in an old, isolated, Victorian house) seems to be a tribute to Clifford Simak's work. The first segment (Harry Canyon) is a gritty cyberpunk story set in a decaying New York of the near future, ala PKD. The second piece (Den) is a parody of heroic fantasy fiction, ala Edgar Rice Burroughs. The third (Captain Sternn) is a parody of heroic, hard science fiction, ala Roddenberry and the early Heinlein. The fourth (B-17) is pure graphic horror ala William Gaines and the horror mags of the 50's. The fifth segment (So Beautiful, so Dangerous) reminds one of the underground comics of the 60's and 70's in its look and content (drug humor.) Lastly, segment six (Taarna) is an original piece of straight heroic fantasy reminiscent of perhaps Robert E. Howard.

The editors did a pretty good job of tying all of these diverse segments together with reference to the Lok-nar (a sentient, glowing, green orb from space that represents the origin of pure evil in cosmic and human history- perhaps this is a tribute to Lovecraft.)

Back when this film first came out there was an organised feminist campaign to destroy it. I used to wonder if those people ever actually watched the film- I can't imagine a more heroic feminine archetype than Taarna....

This digitally remastered edition is really worth having. I don't remember the images being this crisp and bright when I first saw this in the theaters in '81. As for the sound track (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Devo, Grand Funk Railroad, Journey, Nazareth, Stevie Nicks, etc.) I don't see how it could be much better.

Oh yes, as for the Stingray with the astronaut driving it dropping out of the orbiting shuttle- I don't have a clue as to what that was all about.... ... Read more

Description

From the directors of Disney's ALADDIN and THE LITTLE MERMAID comes a spectacular new motion picture for the entire family. Buckle up for thrills and excitement as a classic story of friendship, courage, and self-discovery gets an incredible futuristic twist for an all-new generation. It's "another jewel in the crown of Disney animated classics" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood). A secret map inspires a thrilling treasure hunt across the universe as young Jim Hawkins and a hilarious cosmic crew headed by the daring Captain Amelia set off in search of their destiny. Aboard a glittering space galleon, Jim meets the ship's cyborg cook, John Silver, who teaches him the value of friendship and the power of dreams. Jim soon teams up with his crazy new robot pal, B.E.N., and the shape-shifting Morph to discover a treasure greater than he ever imagined. Featuring an all-star voice cast including Emma Thompson, Martin Short, David Hyde Pierce, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, and Michael Wincott -- TREASURE PLANET is "a magical, inventive, and utterly delightful movie" (Paul Clinton, CNN). ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Treasure Planet is sure to be a hit!
Treasure Planet is the latest animated feature film from Walt Disney. It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island", but is set way on the future.

The story is about fifteen-year-old Jim Hawkins, who comes across a map to the greatest pirate trove in the universe. The tale follows Jim's fantastic journey across a parallel universe as a cabin boy aboard a glittering space galleon. Befriended by the ship's charismatic cyborg (part man, cook John Silver, Jim blossoms under his guidance, and shows the makings of a fine spacer as he and the alien crew battle supernovas, black holes and ferocious space storms. But even greater dangers lie ahead when Jim discovers that his trusted friend Sliver is actually a scheming pirate with mutiny in mind.

Although it does look a lot like "Atlantis - The Lost Empire", Treasure Planet is much different than it, because I feel that Atlantis was way too complicated for children to understand the concept and the storyline of the movie, whereas Treasure Planet is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, a famous classic with a simple storyline. With amazing special effects and cgi technology, this movie is sure to put the audience in awe. The voices provided for this movie are from some famous celebrities like Roscoe Lee Browne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Hyde Pierce which itself is worth watching for.

All in all, I think Treasure Planet will become a sure hit because of all the reasons above. A must watch!!

I've seen it 13 times!!!
Action, adveture, the perfect movie. Disney's Treasure Planet is a Wonderful film, one of my top ten, but maybe I'll tell you about that when I review Snow White, if at all. The movie is based on Robert Louis Stevenston's classic novel, I'm sure we've all read it, I have. Jim Hawkins live with his mother while running the Admiral Benbow Inn. Although his sort-of aligned on the wrong tracks, he know how to handle a solar-surfer. One day while coming back from surfing, a ship crash-lands on the dock near the Inn. An ugly turtle-like alien steps out, along with a chest. Being a kind hearted soul, Jim helps him into the Inn. They find out thai his name is Billy Bones, and is trying to hide from pirates. Knowing that he was dying, he gave Jim two things. A treasure map, and a warning to "beware the cyborg". Grabbing the map and his mother, they ran to the back door to escape, not a second too soon, because pirates then raided the Inn, looking for Bones' map. Jim and his mother escaped to they're good friend's house, named Dr. Doppler. (The friend, not the house). After Jim opened the map, they discovered that it led to treasure, the loot of 1,000 Worlds. Eager to see find it, Dr. Doppler & Jim hire a crew, and they set sail. Jim was to give the captain, Captain Amelia, the map for safe keeping. After that, Jim was named Cabin Boy, and was assigned to work with the ship's cook, John Silver. But Jim was terrified to see that he was a cyborg!! But after getting to know him, Jim decided that this couldn't possibly be the one he was told to look out for. They became fast friends, and became very attached to one another. But after accedentally stumbling onto his plot, Jim runs to the captain to warn her. But it was too late. The mutiny had begun. Trying desperately to get to a life boat, Jim loses the map, only to find that Morph, Silver's pet, had changed it's shape to look like it. But fortunately, none of the pirates knew. Knowing that that disaster had taken place, they were now on Treasure Planet, and Jim was to go and find shelter. On the way, they meet up with B.E.N. (Bio-Electronic Navigator) and he offers them his home. He was marooned by the same pirates, with the most famous, Captain Nathaniel Flint. In the middle of the night, Jim, B.E.N., & Morph set out to go back to the ship, dis-arm the laser-cannons, and get the map. Since all but one sly pirate, Scroop, had been left on the ship, they climbed the anchor's chain up to the top. B.E.N. was given the job of dis-connecting the laser-cannons, Morph to distract Scroop, & Jim would go and get the map. But eventually, Morph and Jim ran into each other, so now that Jim has the map, now he has to get rid of Scroop. Fortunately, B.E.N. while trying to find the right plug to puul, pulled the plug on the artificial gravity, so as jim just bearly grabbed the ship's flag as he was floating upward, Scroop passed him, flinging him into space forever. After B.E.N. finally put the gravity plug in, and the laser-cannon plug out, tthey headed back to camp, only to find that Silver had taken Dr. Doppler & Captain Amelia hostage. Forcing Jim to lead them to the treasure, they set off. They finally found it though, and Silver was filling a life boat of treasure. B.E.N. and Jim found something quite interesting, too. Jim found Captain Flint's skelliton, and B.E.N. found his missing memory chip, which Captain Flint had taken away from him, so long ago.When Jim inserted it, B.E.N. remembered about the booby trap, and the whole planet was going to blow!! ... But Jim will always remember his wonderful adventure on Treasure Planet. Well, that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this DVD. P.S. If you like the movie, buy the games.

In the top 2 of modern Disney films!
This is up with The Lion King in quality and is modern Disney animation at it's best, unlike the shockingly bad 'Brother Bear'.
Treasure Planet also has real touches from old Disney like Peter Pan, you could see the characters in a line-up with these classic icons.
I went with a group of adults and we ALL found it very funny and yes, I was on the edge of my seat at one point!
I don't understand any criticsm for this - and I' not one of those Disneyoids who likes any Disney film either.

A Movie That Makes You Dream
Even if it isn't exactly after the rules of the book, nor gravity, I greatly appreciated this animation movie. The characters were alive and the relationship between old pirate Long John Silver and young lad Jim Hawkins showed what true friendship looks like and that people can change for the better of ways. The soundtrack is also one of the best, the music and the lyrics make you fly off and enter the wonderful world that Disney created to let people dream.

What's up with Disney?
Once again Disney disappionts me by making yet another action film to target young boys. And in the proccess making a movie with no heart I could care less about the relationship between that 17 year old and Captian Long John Silver or whatever they called him. Why can't Disney come up with more orginal stuff like Lilo and Stich that movie was halrious! The future for tradional animation is looking darker and darker. Hopefully Home On The Range will brighten things up but not likely. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

It Was Ok But Not as Good as the Old Jetsons Cartoons!
I saw the Jetsons Movie in a movie theater and though it had it's moments and was kind of a cute animated movie it just isn't as good as the old Jetsons cartoons which is just more enjoyable. FYI: 80's teen pop singer Tiffany provided the voice for Judy Jetson and she was ok but not as good as the girl who did the original voice for Judy.

It was good but not great
The Jetsons movie had too much music from Tiffany (Judy Jetson) and is missing Coswell Cog's sprockets, Henry Orbit, Rudy the computer, and a lot of comedy. But other wise it was good.

Jetson The Movie
With everyone putting down The Jetsons and comparing them to the Flintstones with the recently release season box sets I wanted to say that it good to have some decent enjoyable animation out there compared to the garbage that get passed off for entertaiment today. This movie had such great songs I had to buy the soundtrack to go with it and the story line and new characters brought new life to an old series. Well worth addting to anyone home video collection.

Cool Synth music, CG animation and classic fun.
I havent seen this movie for a long time and it was just on the Movie Plex channel the other day. I have to say, with all the stupid garbage animated movies coming out lately or good movies that turn out to be scandals (cough cough thelionking), its nice to see an old school animated film. And what better way to enjoy a calssic animated film than with the Jetsons. I enjoyed the use of synth 90's music with orchestra for the music score. It helped bring out the futuristic atmosphere of the film. I also enjoyed the CG animation blend with 2D animation. I thought it made the film look very modern and still keep the classic look to it. My only beef was that at times it seemed like one musiscal sequence after another. Of course this was back when EVERY animated movie was a musical. Although the characters never just randomly broke out into song, there were still musical sequences. They were quite creative though. I especially liked the song when the Jetsons were on their way to their new home. I also noticed that the pop singer Tiffany took the role of Judy Jetson. I understand that she wasn't exactly going for an Oscar worthy performance, but she's a much better singer than an actress. I admit though, it's not perfect. The message the movie sends is a little too strong and the cuteness level is way too high. I still definatley recomend this to anyone looking for a good quality film to watch.

Jetsons Movie Rocks-- (four and a half stars)
This movie is rad, I love it! All the voices match up to the actual characters excluding Judy (played by Tiffany). It's kinda retarded that Tiffany plays Judy and did all the music for the movie, but it actually works. There's all kinds of innovative new characters in this movie that just bring it to life. The Jetson's is my favorite cartoon (beside's Dexter's Lab) and I really dig this movie, I watch it at least once a month (and I'm 22). So, if you have kids I recommend it. Fun, colorful movie. Maybe I'll watch it again tonight. :) ... Read more

Reviews (37)

An Interesting Movie to Watch
I rather liked this movie. Despite some animation/real life scenes where both sides mixed and just didn't fit, it is a good movie to watch. I think it is equal, if not better than Roger Rabbit. Cool World is a twisted, Toon Town where chaos happens all around and an eyelid is never battered. A good escape from reality.
The animation is fantastic, and Brad Pitt does very well considering he was acting on his own most of the time.
Kim Basinger spoils the climax with her poor acting as a human. She's better left as a cartoon.
The music is fantastic and suits the scenes well. Cool World is in a category of its own and a much different movie to watch then most would expect.

5 stars for the animation and sound track. Minus a star for allowing Kim Basinger a role in the movie.

Bakshi makes another liveactionanimation film, of vapidness
I've seen his live-action/animation film "Coonskin", and that was great. Now that I saw "Cool World", I'm dissapointed. This film is the worst 4/10 film I ever rated. I don't call it a Roger Rabbit rip-off (I'm wondering why people are, but it's not, just because it is also live-action and animated doesn't mean we call it a rip-off [did we call Roger Rabbit a rip-off of Coonskin or other live-action/animated films before RR...hmmm!!??]) The artwork is nice and bizzare, but that is one of the few merits this film has, but the animation bleeds together horribly with the live-action (for example, when Brad Pitt put his arm around Lonnete, he looked as though he put his arm around a living card-board cut-out.) The soundtrack has a 4/5 merit, but that's the only other merit. The plot is horrible, I dunno why certain people actually like this plot. This film deserved to flop in the Box-Office. The dialoge is fairly weak as well. If you are going to buy this film, DON'T. Don't even rent it! Just buy the soundtrack and you'll live happily ever after away from this film.

Bakshi's worst movie
The movie is poorly written not to mention the lame special effects. Its a completly souless film. If you liked Fritz the Cat,Wizards,American Pop, or other films by Ralph Bakshi, than stay away from this, because its embarassing.

ADULT ANIMATION, NOT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
The dvd has Great Quality Sound and Video with lots of vivid colors and many sexual inuendos. There is a Great story line as long as you can follow a plot that suggests that there is more to life than just living on "earth" such as going back and forth to alternate universes. If you have seen and liked "MEET THE FEEBLES" You'll like this one too - this one does not have any bloody scenes or explicit sexual scenes, much is left up to the imagination. I think that Many people need to Learn to use their imagination more and not be so closed-minded.

Holly Wood If She Could
Cool World is a more mainstream effort from Ralph Bakshi (Lord of the Rings, Wizards, American Pop) than some of his other works but it still shows his genius.

There exists a two-dimensional world called Cool World. Sometimes our worlds overlap. In Cool World, humans are Noids and cartoons are Doodles. Brad Pitt is a Noid who has been stuck there for years and has been acting as a detective.

The villain (if you want to call her that) is Holli Would, a sexy, talented and smart doodle who wants to get to the Noid world. She plans to do this by having sex with a cartoonist who thinks he created Cool World for a comic book.

Pitt works to prevent this from happening as the results could cause the destruction of both worlds. But Pitt has his hands full as Holli is no mere brainless bimbo.

The effects are wonderful as cartoon scenery goes from drawing to prop seamlessly. While Cool World looks a little like Toon Town (Roger Rabbit) with its faces on buildings and twisted landscape, but these are not cute toons (although the Tex Avery-style wolves do make an appearance).

A fun movie with adult themes and unique imagery. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

And then it appeared...
I didn't even realize we had this video until I actually started getting in to X-Men. It deals with an extremely interesting plot- the world is at a desructive point, all the X-Men (save Wolverine) are dead, and the Sentinels are threatening to wipe out all mutants everywhere. Unfortunetly, I don't have part two in the series, so I can't say if it gets better or worse, but definately buy this at the first chance, because it's one of the best moments in X-Men!

Great!
If you like wolverine buy this video.Otherwise youll be devistated on what happened to all the other x-men.Which is funny to me but oh well wolverines the best.

x-men at its hieght
if you dont know what this is, it is when apocolypse tries to kill All the mutants by using unbeatable tactics. he first scapegoats the mutants for caarying a certain plague that he created and spead to both humans and mutants. the x-men must travel to the future, meet up with bishop, who is a time traveler like cable (first seen in episode 6: slave island). Finding out how they died, the x-men must then go back in time and prevent apocalypse from taking over the earth! After seeing this, you will be begging for part 2 of this series. As an x-men fan, i love each of the videos and sub-series, and i reccomend them all to you, but this one and the Phoenix saga stick out in my brain as the best of the best. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Heavy Metal?
After falling in love with the original Heavy Metal for its decidance of sex, drugs and rock & roll, I was a bit surprised at the muted quality of this movie. Its not as though the magazine has toned down that much. I mean there was plenty of T&A but none of the questionable morals. HM2K does out shine its predecesor for having a more complete story, but it was not exactly what I was expecting (especially since it have several opportunities of the sex). For people who want adult oriented animation, look for Heavy Metal 2000 and the original, but if you have only money for one and do not have small children at home, buy the original first.

Saturday morning cartoon at best
Oh, boy, were we disappointed! We've waited for several years for this episode. And for our patience what is our reward? Junk. The story is childish. The art is boring after the first 10 minutes. The soundtrack detracts (if that's possible). I have been an enthusiastic and loyal fan/subscriber/collector of Heavy Metal magazine since 1977 and to be honest, I can't imagine this horrible movie coming from the same shop. T&A are the only redeeming bits that keep this space clunker from losing all it's stars. If you want to experience some of HM's finest work, rent the original HM movie on DVD.

Good job of craftsmanship- and totally forgettable
I'll give you a measure of how forgettable this film was- I bought the new release of the original Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000 at the same time. I found myself remembering almost every scene in the original movie, even though I hadn't seen it in over 20 years. Then I watched HM2000. About halfway through I vaguely recalled that I had seen it before, but there wasn't one single scene that I clearly remembered- and I probably only saw it about three years ago. It was that forgettable, that ordinary.

Don't get me wrong; this isn't necessarily a bad film. The animation is very well done, very slick and seamless. The writing and voice acting is competent and professional. The sound track is certainly better incorporated into the animation and story than it was in the original. Everything was competently done, it was just.... ordinary. Nothing jumped out at you. It was like a Saturday morning cartoon episode- just with a little more violence, and a lot more animated nudity (animated nudity- I mean what's the point?)

Personally, I'd save my money and buy the new release of the original Heavy Metal. Sure, the animation looks crude by today's standards- but it was done the old, time-consuming, expensive way of drawing one cell at a time. The original was also crammed full of a variety of different animation styles and story lines. Perhaps that was because it was the first big budget science fiction animated feature and the people involved had so much enthusiasm that they tried to do too much. In contrast, I don't think anyone got too enthusiastic about this film. Sure, they did a solid job of craftsmanship, but where is the originality, the fire, the spirit? Kind of reminds me of the original heavy Metal magazine, it started out fresh and new and just slowly petered out to nothing....

Poor sequal
The main problem with this film, at least in my opinion, is that it isn't a conglomeration of stories like the original was. Its all one story, one set of characters, one group of animators...and it therefore doesn't have the "epic" appeal the original did. It would have been nice, knowing so many American animators out there who wouldn't mind having such an innocent start in their career, to have had different stories done by different people. Why can't we have an American version of "Robot Carnival" or perhaps more recently "The Animatrix"?

That being said, lets talk about this movie. A miner working on a meteor discovers an evil glowing rock that turns him evil and makes him do evil things. He promptly dubs himself the evil "Lord Tyler" and takes over the ship making the crew do evil things.

OK, listen, who the hell decided to name him Lord Tyler? That is the dumbest, most unthreatening name in film history. It sounds like a 98 pound dweeb who's been going at Dungeons and Dragons too much.

"Gna! I am Lord Tyler! Fear me! Gnaaaaaa!"

Any way, Lord Tyler takes his evil crew and quickly attacks a peaceful, defenseless planet because he can. Sadly, he fails to kill Julie and her sister, the latter which he kidnaps obviously so he can do evil things to her. Julie picks up an annoying sidekick because every needs one, and together they go to a space station.

What follows is one of the worst animated action scenes in history. Julie stands and shoots her gun, the villains stand and shoot their gun...and every dies except either of them. Clearly the bullets are hurt that these two groups of people would want to kill each other, and must kill others to show them that violence is stupid. Or maybe the director just stinks at making action scenes.

Lord Tyler gets away casting "magic missile" and lands on a planet inhabited by lizard beings and six-eyed weenies. The six-eyed weenies hold the water of eternal life, but Lord Tyler is scared by six-eyed people so he just goes with the lizard people instead, hoping to let them do the fighting for him. Julie tries to seduce and slaughter him, but some how the rock care bear in the story runs in, pulls her out, and the movie continues another thirty minutes.

Then there's the climactic battle between the lizards and weenies. Julie and archnemesis Lord Tyler duke it out in a poorly choreographed fight before he's finally killed (actually, his mom tells him to stop playing "Everquest" and asks him to come up for dinner). The movie could end, but then one of the good guys turns out to be a CG monster and the movie continues another five minutes. Then it ends. Finally.

So what is this storyline? Well, like reviewers before me have said, its basically the last story in the original film but stretched out for another hour and a half. It could have been cool but...no it wasn't.

A vain attempt.
Like my title suggests this movie is a vain attempt to take credit from the first movie to sell sub-par music to a new generation of viewers. The first Heavy Metal obviously had some thought put into the scenes and the pace of the story line. The artistry was phenomanal in the first movie, much better than the mish mosh of computer graphics and hand drawn animation in Heavy Metal 2000. The first movie made sure the music reinforced and enhanced whatever scene was being played, the second, well the music really did not add much if anything at all the movie. To sum up...boring plot, no imagination, and a sound track to not die for. My advice? Use the DVD as a coaster and read a good Frank Herbert novel instead. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Simply a great cartoon series. Period!
Let me say first that the X-Men are the best cartoon series to ever have been made. I've read the comics and have loved doing so since I first heard of the X-Men. There have been several incarnations of the comics on cartoon shows and the 1992-1996 version is my favorite of them. This episode of that incarnation of the timeless X-Men franchise called "Captive Hearts" finds the X-Men going head to head with an underground subway mutant society called The Morlocks. It all starts Wolverine recuperating after receiving a nasty slash wound from Sabertooth who failed to inflict more damage because of being blasted back by Jubilee's powers and driven away. The main event begins with a mutant kid stealing grapefruits and Jean Grey and Cyclops are eventually taken by the young mutant's colleagues. The X-Men enter an abandoned subway to find and rescue them and Storm eventually takes up the role as the leader during their melee with the Morlocks and faces off against their leader. What I find interesting about this episode in my opinion is that there aren't like total villains like Nimrod, Mr. Sinister, or Mystique although some Morlocks do wind up seeing a star or two floating above their heads but overall, there is no real 'total warfare' like if it were against Mr. Sinister or Apocalypse, and ultimate the two parties eventually make peace with each other. However, while this episode main event would be over, the precursor to the following episode "Cold Vengeance" would be shown with Jean Grey finding Wolverine gone. A great episode to enjoy for all X-Men-heads like myself. :-) ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A rare gem of an anime.
available.

Anyone who has read the manga will immediately notice a few things. First of all, there are several different titles. The Japanese manga is titled Gunnm, while the American version is called Battle Angel Alita. This anime is simply entitled Battle Angel. This two-part series is based on the first two volumes of the manga, however there are several changes. In the manga, the main character is called Alita, but she has been renamed "Gally" in the anime. Also, the mysterious floating city has changed from Tiphares to Zalem. Outside of this, it follows the stories from the manga, but has been altered to fit into two half-hour episodes.

At its core, Battle Angel is a story of love, hope, and heartbreak. The story blends lightning-paced action, emotional drama, and compelling mystery. What struck me was that it pulls it off so seamlessly. The flow is nearly perfect, and not once did my suspension of disbelief wane in the slightest.

The character are simply excellent. No one seems "fake", for they all have realistic traits and flaws. This heightens their believability and makes it easier to become attached to them. One thing I noted is that Gally is not your typical anime android. While from the neck up she looks human, the rest of her body is very mechanical. This is a welcome break from the traditional prosthetic ani-babes which plague many other titles.

The art is very good, capturing the grittiness of the scrap yard perfectly. The animation is also pretty decent, especially during the action sequences.

If there is anything to complain about it's that this series is far too short. The manga version is very extensive, and this series could easily have been a couple dozen episodes in length. The short length also leaves little room for all the answers to the questions posed. Fans will have to turn to the manga for a complete revelation of all the secrets behind Gally.

Overall, this is a rare gem of an anime. A dark, depressing sci-fi world with superb characters and an excellent storyline. I recommend this to any fan of science fiction

Battle Angel rocks my socks!
Battle Angel is my all-time favorite anime. It is the story of a beautiful young cyborg girl. A cybernetics doctor named Ido rescued her from a scrap heap and rebuilt her with an amazingly powerful berzerker body. She has no memory, except for her panzer kunst fighting technique, which is the most powerful cyborg martial art ever known.

The movie is a combination of the first two graphic novels in the Gunnm or Battle Angel Alita series by Yukito Kishiro. It is set in the scrapyard, which is a city built in and from the garbage tossed down to earth from a floating city called zalem, or tiphares in the novels. In the story, Galley finds out that her savior, Ido, is a bounty hunting Hunter-Warrior and she miraculously rescues him from a bounty that almost kills him. The thrill of the fight and of the kill appeals to her so much that she becomes a hunter-warrior herself, against Ido's wishes. She ends up having to fight a huge and nasty brain eating junkie named Grewicica who was made by Chiren, Ido's ex-partner from when they lived up in zalem. Chiren didn't exist in the novels, but she was necessary for a more interesting movie. Galley also falls in love with a boy named Yugo, who is so maniacally obsessed with his dream of getting to zalem that he goes into the business of spine theft to pay for a nonexistent pass to get there. It is all a scam created by the factory's owner (he's the main authority figure), Mr. Vector.

This is an amazing story of love, life, and loss. The art and character design are incredible. Galley's cybernetic body is obviously mechanical, but very beautiful nonetheless. The animation is amazing, and the fight sequences are unforgettable. Once you see the movie, you can't help but get into the nine-part graphic novel series, which is incredible. Honestly, as amazing as the movie is, the graphic novels make it look pathetic. Take my advice and get into it! Yukito Kishiro is a genius!

The universe manifests
Unique, beautiful, and well story-lined.
This is number one in my anime collection. Just about every bad review gotten for this movie was because of people who read the manga and therefor had major bias since a movie will just about never be the way you pictured it would be from reading it.

Joy, love and peace.

Its only 2 episodes long?
this anime was good from begining to end , sad at times but action packed at parts also tender scenes but none the less this DVD is worth adding to your collection

Dark future
Battle Angel is one of my favorite animes. It's unfortunate that this is all there is, because there is so much more that happens afterwards, like the motorball days or the tuned experience.

Adv does a great job is voice actor choices, all except for gally. When she yells, it is so annoying. Thank heaven there is the japanese version on the DVD.

Good stuff, but I wish the series would have been longer. ... Read more

Reviews (83)

Overall: Great
I have seen many anime's (and own a lot as well) and I must say that this one definately suprised me. I thought it had great animation (definately theater quality) As for the dubbing, you got some big names doing the voices. I feel that kiefer sutherland did great at doing his part. As for elizabeth berkley, it took me a while to get use to it, but while the story unfold's, you realize how great her voice fits the role as well. Not to mention, this movie has great re-viewing properties, I was more than happy to watch this movie twice in a row (which I did!) Not to mention, it can get a little confusing, but the plot by the end is easy to understand, and the movie stays in your mind. It's hard to compare, but it's easy to prove that's it's good. You should for sure buy this if you are a anime fan. If your trying out the genre, this is a great start to your collection along with akira and ghost in the shell. Also, there definately is violence, but when the rating says "brief nudity" they mean it, there really wasn't much nudity at all, maybe 1 or 2 scenes that I can remember, which lasted for a few seconds. Not to many extra feature's, but the menu screen is put together very well. This movie is all around good, I don't know if the best, but definately on the top row of my collection!

Sophisticated Bladerunner type movie
I recently saw the uncut Bladerunner after 10+ years. It triggered a desire in me to rewatch Armitage III after a couple of years. A3 was one of my first anime, when I caught it on television. I thought it was good then, but didn't watch more anime because of it's lack of availability and my lack of further exposure.

Vivid animation. Great action. Strong emotions. Famous, good voice actors (may be easier convince non-anime friends to watch). [Side note, I really liked Keifer Sutetherland in "Dark City"]

After seeing it again, I must say there are strong resembelences to Bladerunner's vision of the future. Human-like, thinking and feeling androids are being systemically persecuted and assasinated. A human cop who's partner had been killed by an android is assigned to investigate, with his new partner, Armitage. She is very strong willed and emotional, but is also revealed to be an android. I really felt for Armitage, who is a good person, when she suffers an emotional breakdown because she thinks she is a worthless because she is an artifical life.

The story moves at a much faster pace than Bladerunner. I enjoyed it the second time as much as the first, since you then understand the fairly complex story from the beginning.

If you like Bladerunner, you'll love A3.

Armitage III IS THE BEST ONE OUT THERE!
I've been hooked on Naomi Armitage ever since I saw Poly-Matrix on Sci-Fi a few years ago. I quickly went out and bought the movie. The story is excellent, including the best anime soundtrack ever created. It is very easy to become attached to Armitage as you watch the movie, and you begin to feel for her. Kudos to Hyroyuki Ochi on this film. If you like anime, or even if you don't know much about it, see this movie, I guarantee you will love it! With the realease of the sequel, Armitage: Dual Matrix, I went nuts. Of course I didn't buy the double set, but I grabbed the Lunchbox set instead, since I have the original version of the McFarlane figure. Let me not that Poly-Matrix started as a 4-part series, and was broken down to make the movie. I recommend buying the 4 part series as well, that way you'll get the hour missing from Poly-Matrix. I fell in love with Armitage III, and you will too!

Skip This -- Get The OAV
There are tons of great reviews for this movie. That's understandable if none of them have seen the original OAV series this came from. See, back in 1994-1995, a 4-part OAV series called "Armitage III" came out in Japan. "Poly-Matrix" takes that 140-minute series and hacks it down to ~90-minutes. Thus this 1997 dub-title is born. So a lot of the story gets cut and things aren't nearly as good as the original. If you've seen the original, you'll be annoyed at all of the cuts and poor edit choices.

As to the dub cast (there is no Japanese cast on a dub-title as they simply re-edit an original Japanese product for American consumption), having big stars lend their voices makes it a better dub than a lot of anime titles/series. But it doesn't make up for the complete and utter hack job the series was given to form this movie.

Bottom line: If you thought this was good, the OAV is tons better. If you haven't seen this, get the OAV instead.

Thought provoking
Armitage III - Poly Matrix is in a class all its own. Almost as if it were an anime version of Bladerunner, Ross and Armitage hunt down and destroy thirds. Similar in theme to Metropolis (2001), the characters are fixers in a world of technology gone awry. It is gritty, sassy and a bit graphic and is not for the weak of heart. Much has been said about the graphics but little is mentioned about the implications of the story of a sentient robot out to destroy her own. Unlike Ghost in the Shell, which focuses on the issue of cyborgs -- this one is steeped with robot lore. As part of the big four (Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Princess Mononoke, and the Armitage series) is a necessary element to appreciating this ever changing and very dynamic genre. Hyroyuki Ochi, although creating something short of a classic, has created a thought provoking saga.

Miguel Llora ... Read more

Amazon.com

This feature-length tape began as a three-episode story line on the animated TV series, a superhero crossover where Bruce Wayne visits Metropolis and the Dark Knight meets the Man of Steel for the first time. The two heroes mix like oil and water, the law-and-order Superman suspicious of Batman's rather ruthless methods; but they form an uneasy partnership when Lex Luthor and the Joker team up to take on the duo. To add a personal dimension to the already edgy rivalry, Wayne romances Lois Lane under Clark Kent's very nose. The stylized animation and sharp design of the TV series give the limited animation a sleek, smooth quality and an energetic sense of movement. Timothy Daly supplies the voices for Clark Kent and (in a deeper register) Superman, with Kevin Conroy performing the same vocal trick for Bruce Wayne/Batman; but Dana Delany only has to worry about one persona as Lois Lane. The once-and-future Luke Skywalker, cult film star turned voice actor Mark Hamill, provides the Joker's cackling banter. --Sean Axmaker. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A Loving Homage to Comic Books of My Youth
One of life's questions yet to be answered is "Who is better, Batman or Superman?" Well, the response sought for is not revealed in this well-made and tremendously entertaining film.

The story involves the uneasy first meeting between the two superheroes and a shared interest in one Lois Lane. Thus, the pair forms a strained alliance when forced to combat the team composed of their respective nemeses Lex Luthor and The Joker. Such a real-life quality adds realism to the highly fictional world of comic book endeavors.

Hey, superheroes have problems, too!

As far as the actors providing the exemplary voice work, each is superb in their roles. Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy give just the right balance for their animated counterparts' dual personalities. Clancy Brown's deep resonance has an aristocratic and arrogant air about it that makes him the perfect Lex Luthor. Dana Delaney as the very independent Lois Lane is quite good. Arleen Sorkin shines in her role as Harley Quinn, Joker's sidekick who is as "far off the deep end" as is The Clown Prince of Crime.

But it is Mark Hamill who really rises to the occasion in a truly over-the-top performance as the Joker. Forget Nicholson or even TV's Caesar Romero! Hamill is the Joker. His utterances and nuances in every line delivered are brilliant.

I can remember Tim Curry winning an Emmy several years ago for his work on the animated Peter Pan series.

Hamill has done no less. His mantle deserves some tangible reward.

Maybe, it will be our appreciation for his masterful performance in this film that will be recognition enough.

No Love Lost at First Meeting
Worthwhile use of the "World's Finest" title for this first animated meeting between the Bat and the Big Blue Cheese. (For many years, the comic titled "World's Finest"'s lead story every month was a Batman/Superman team-up, in an era when hero's team-ups were not common)

Batman and Superman's first meeting, herein portrayed, is rather nice, especially because they really just don't like each other a heck of a lot. Especially because Lois Lane falls hard for Bruce Wayne.

Their mutual discovery of secret identities plays nicely on the two characters' strong points, with Superman using his superpowers and Batman demonstrating why he's the world's greatest detective.

Harley Quinn's running feud with Luthor's female bodyguard/chauffeur, Mercy, is one of the high points.

The Joker's "Dance of Death" over the fallen Superman, adding shocks from his super-charged handbuzzer to Big Blue's suffering in his kryptonite death trap is rather chilling; in this and a few elements of violence this production (originally aired in prime-time, and then as three episodes of the television series) goes a bit beyond what the afternoon TV series can usually portray, and the Mark Hamill-voiced Joker is truly scary. The Joker's raving laughter as he (apparently) goes to his death as a result of one of his own traps gone wrong is both chilling and in character. (Harley Quinn, on the other hand, is just a *bit* too broadly portrayed.)

(There is, by the way a comicbook/"graphic novel" adaptation of this material -- now sadly out of print. While it doesn't bring much new, it's a good counterpoint to this film, as it gives alternate, slightly more "adult" views on some things -- if you have one, you really need the other.)

One question -- does Lois Lane have a trust fund or something? Otherwise, how does she afford that Simply Incredible apartment on a mere reporter's salary?

Also -- a couple of scenes, notably the lab where the robots are kept and where Superman fights them, and Superman straining to (just barely) prevent a huge aircraft from crashing into buildings strongly suggest deliberate homages to the old Fleischer Bros "Superman" cartoons, specifically to "Metal Monsters" and "Japoteurs".

Superman is the better hero....
I think over the years, Superman has become the better hero. he's the one who has a life outside of the cape. He's a good man with a big heart and you know you can trust him when he appears on the scene. I can not say that about the current take on Batman, after the over-rated Frank Miller got his hands on him. The one who appears in this movie, is basically a lunatic running around in a Bat costume, has nothing to do with the Bob Caine Batman that was created in 1939. Not at all. They have done tons of Batman live action/animation movies, and only one was ever any good. He is now the most over-rated comic book hero.

Nick's Review
I have been a huge Batman animated adventure fan for as long as I can remember. When the Superman series came out, it was just as fantastic. When you put the two greatest heros together, you get perfect. The greatest hero this universe has ever known, teamed up with the worlds greatest detective, you know its gonna be an awesome adventure. It is. Nick.

Bats And Blue...
The Joker has gotten a hold of 20 lbs. of kryptonite! He abducts Lex Luthor in Metropolis and offers to kill Superman for one billion dollars. Bruce Wayne is also in Metropolis for a business meeting with Luthor. Luthor has secretly made a deal with the Pentagon to use planetary exploration robots for military purposes. This ticks Bruce off, who nixes the whole thing. Meanwhile, Joker kidnaps Lois Lane, using her as bait for Big Blue, who flies to her rescue in an anti-kryptonite suit (Batman warned him of the Joker's scheme). Joker weakens Supes with the kryptonite, after destroying his protective suit with hydrochloric acid. Enter a gaggle of Luthor's giant killer robots sent to terminate both Bats and Blue! Can the Caped Crusader and the Man Of Steel overcome this metallic army of doom? Can they defeat the combined forces of The Joker, Harley Quinn, Lex Luthor and Mercy? Can they put aside their own personal differences as well as their rivalry over Lois Lane? I'm not tellin'! Tons of action! Great wisecracks! Romance! My son and I loved every second! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Its better then Odin... but...
Well ok..

I am sure the book was fascinating.
I was not entertained by this movie at all.
But it could have been alot worse.

For the late 1980s the animation is bad.

I'll be honest. What this movie needs is a remake.
With up to date animation like Titan AE or somthing.

That is all it really needs.
The animation is quite boring,and well all around its boring.

Its excitement failed to grab me.

Its Wonderful a Treat for the Mind
The movie had great animation,wonderful creatures ,And great hope for the future of Its planet.

Great story. Too bad for the 80s "ultra-bad" art.
Don't take that as a slap in the face to the movie. I thought the film was great, and the story was really, well, for lack of a better term, 'awesome'. The entire paradox issue, and the fantastic storytelling (come on, it's Asimov for gods sake) can make one completely overlook the bad 80's American animation. Can someone find the artist for "Heavy Metal" and arrest them? thanks.

Anyway, one of the reviewers mentioned "If you can stand this crappy animation for more than 5 minutes...". Someone is obviously only interested in flashy graphics. It's about the story there, shecky.. the STORY. While I agree that the art is not exactly Akira, or Ghost in the Shell, it really beats the snot out of stuff like the old Lord of the Rings movies... (that Balrog... THE HORROR!!).

If you like movies that require you to think about the story to understand it, then this is the movie for you, if you like movies that are only eye candy, this is NOT the movie for you. This movie makes me think of Donnie Darko. I'm gonna go watch it now.

Air Heads
Where to begin...

First off i'd like to say that this movie sucks.
If you can stand watching its mindblowing crappy animation for more then five minutes, then you are awarded with even worse animation.

The plot is so uninteresting you start to wish the movie will end so you can go do somthing worth your time.

And despite it is another book to movie conversion which helps explain its crappiness.

Not only was it made in a country such as 'France' but it was also made in 1988.

A year after the god awesome Akira which STILL surpasses all animation.
Whats their excuse? No duh , it was made in france so go figure.

This movie sucks.

Not your usual 'animation'
Light Years (I never understood the US title), or 'Gandahr' as it's called out of the US is not your usual run-of-the-mill animation. The animation is good for it's time and has a unique style that is dissimilar from the usual animation types of the time (Disney, Rankin & Bass, and Anime).

Gandahr is more of a 'thinking' animation. I'll admit I didn't understand a lot of what went on in the movie until I watched it again as an adult. There are action scenes, but they are toned down by the fact the enemies are robots. If you're looking for beat-em-up knock-em-down action, this isn't the film for you. If you want something that makes you think, this is right up your alley.

I would note, for parents' sake, this movie does contain mild nudity, although it is tastefully done and does not detract from the film itself. There are some creepy sequences, but it's not your usual bloody-gorey animation you see these days.

Overall, I still really like this film. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Both Sub and Dub Are Awesome: a Must for Tenchi Lovers
I saw both the subtitled and dubbed version of this movie, and they were both VERY good. The story is about a girl, Mayuka, who comes from the future claiming to be Tenchi's daughter. Of course the whole household is upset by this, Ryoko especially. The main villian was Yuzuha, a demon from Grandfather's past on Jurrai. If you enjoy Tenchi, you have to get this. The animation is top quality. The dubbing is good, although a few voices were recast. And the subtitled version gives you the original feeling of the movie, with easy reading. (And only one mistake through the whole hour!) This was a truly great movie, and a must for anime lovers! Also, if you've seen the movie and enjoyed it, you might be interested in getting the soundtrack for it, which is also available and is very good too.

Tenchi Muyo the movie 2: Daughter of Darkness
This tenchi movie is probably as good as the first movie. There is a lot of comic relief in the beginning and more serious issues toward the end. The music and effects are very good, though i think that the first movie had more fighting and action than this does.The movie takes place at Tenchi's house and it is beautiful summer day. As tenchi and the rest of the gang rest peacefully in the sun, a mysterious person (you really couldn't consider her a person) watches over them. This woman of darkness creates a girl a little younger than tenchi by a strand of her hair and a strand of tenchi's hair. As tenchi is talking a walk, she appears before his eyes. Washew is very suspicious the way she appeared and royko is VERY suspicious of her. For some odd reason, she calls tenchi daddy which makes everyone sort of crazy. If your a royoko fan, you'll like this movie. In many parts, many of the issues deal with royoko both in good ways and bad ways. Anyway this movie is excellent and I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars maybe because of personal interest of more battling between vilians and good guys and the length. It should have been longer like the first movie, this was too short for me especially at the very ending Other than that, it is a great movie

A girl walks out of the forest...
and claims to be Tenchi's daughter. Mayuka not only looks kind of like him, but she can even call up Jurai power in the form of a Light Hawk Wing, just like Tenchi! As Ryoko and Ayeka become jealous and see the young girl as a new rival, will Washu and the others find out what's going on?
In the end it turns out of be a grudge over 700 years old! And it happens to be against Yosho!
How will Tenchi save his friends against the Demon of Darkness and will he also feel the need to save Mayuka, daughter or not?
Talking toys, adult scenes and a mature plot makes this movie something the kids might NOT wish to watch.

A cool movie.
It was true to the original TV series, Tenchi universe, and was fun to watch.

Yay!
This movie is amazing! I love the animation. The storyline does move a little fast, but thats ok! I really love it and would watch it anytime. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Once again, another great episode!
After the battle at the abandoned underground station in the episode "Captive Hearts", Wolvering left after the whole ordeal after being freed by Jean from an enemy mutant who hypnotized him and felt extremely exhausted and headed wwaaaaay up north to the Arctic to find a little peace and quiet and meets an Inuit people who have built a village but Wolverine goes from the frying pan of the Morlocks showdown to the fire of Sabretooth who blows up the village and has it's inhabitants held captive and Wolverine has to battle Sabertooth and save the villagers in time before it's too late. At the same time in a much warmer place, Storm, Gambit, and Jubilee decide to go on a vacation at a beach resort but the house they've been given to stay at isn't what it seems so basically, this episode is almost like cold water on one side and burning hot charcoal on the other as two major disasters await the X-Men. Another classic episode from the best animated cartoon series off all time. :D ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A rare gem of an anime.
available.

Anyone who has read the manga will immediately notice a few things. First of all, there are several different titles. The Japanese manga is titled Gunnm, while the American version is called Battle Angel Alita. This anime is simply entitled Battle Angel. This two-part series is based on the first two volumes of the manga, however there are several changes. In the manga, the main character is called Alita, but she has been renamed "Gally" in the anime. Also, the mysterious floating city has changed from Tiphares to Zalem. Outside of this, it follows the stories from the manga, but has been altered to fit into two half-hour episodes.

At its core, Battle Angel is a story of love, hope, and heartbreak. The story blends lightning-paced action, emotional drama, and compelling mystery. What struck me was that it pulls it off so seamlessly. The flow is nearly perfect, and not once did my suspension of disbelief wane in the slightest.

The character are simply excellent. No one seems "fake", for they all have realistic traits and flaws. This heightens their believability and makes it easier to become attached to them. One thing I noted is that Gally is not your typical anime android. While from the neck up she looks human, the rest of her body is very mechanical. This is a welcome break from the traditional prosthetic ani-babes which plague many other titles.

The art is very good, capturing the grittiness of the scrap yard perfectly. The animation is also pretty decent, especially during the action sequences.

If there is anything to complain about it's that this series is far too short. The manga version is very extensive, and this series could easily have been a couple dozen episodes in length. The short length also leaves little room for all the answers to the questions posed. Fans will have to turn to the manga for a complete revelation of all the secrets behind Gally.

Overall, this is a rare gem of an anime. A dark, depressing sci-fi world with superb characters and an excellent storyline. I recommend this to any fan of science fiction

Battle Angel rocks my socks!
Battle Angel is my all-time favorite anime. It is the story of a beautiful young cyborg girl. A cybernetics doctor named Ido rescued her from a scrap heap and rebuilt her with an amazingly powerful berzerker body. She has no memory, except for her panzer kunst fighting technique, which is the most powerful cyborg martial art ever known.

The movie is a combination of the first two graphic novels in the Gunnm or Battle Angel Alita series by Yukito Kishiro. It is set in the scrapyard, which is a city built in and from the garbage tossed down to earth from a floating city called zalem, or tiphares in the novels. In the story, Galley finds out that her savior, Ido, is a bounty hunting Hunter-Warrior and she miraculously rescues him from a bounty that almost kills him. The thrill of the fight and of the kill appeals to her so much that she becomes a hunter-warrior herself, against Ido's wishes. She ends up having to fight a huge and nasty brain eating junkie named Grewicica who was made by Chiren, Ido's ex-partner from when they lived up in zalem. Chiren didn't exist in the novels, but she was necessary for a more interesting movie. Galley also falls in love with a boy named Yugo, who is so maniacally obsessed with his dream of getting to zalem that he goes into the business of spine theft to pay for a nonexistent pass to get there. It is all a scam created by the factory's owner (he's the main authority figure), Mr. Vector.

This is an amazing story of love, life, and loss. The art and character design are incredible. Galley's cybernetic body is obviously mechanical, but very beautiful nonetheless. The animation is amazing, and the fight sequences are unforgettable. Once you see the movie, you can't help but get into the nine-part graphic novel series, which is incredible. Honestly, as amazing as the movie is, the graphic novels make it look pathetic. Take my advice and get into it! Yukito Kishiro is a genius!

The universe manifests
Unique, beautiful, and well story-lined.
This is number one in my anime collection. Just about every bad review gotten for this movie was because of people who read the manga and therefor had major bias since a movie will just about never be the way you pictured it would be from reading it.

Joy, love and peace.

Its only 2 episodes long?
this anime was good from begining to end , sad at times but action packed at parts also tender scenes but none the less this DVD is worth adding to your collection

Dark future
Battle Angel is one of my favorite animes. It's unfortunate that this is all there is, because there is so much more that happens afterwards, like the motorball days or the tuned experience.

Adv does a great job is voice actor choices, all except for gally. When she yells, it is so annoying. Thank heaven there is the japanese version on the DVD.

Good stuff, but I wish the series would have been longer. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Strange but Good
Fantastic Planet is a movie that anyone can love and enjoy. The movie is a true spectacle of filmmking.

Of course, it has its share of problems (ending is extremely rushed, characters lack personality, dubbing is so bad, its not even funny) but if you just sit back and look at this movie/DVD as a whole, you get something very good. Its so good, it merits itself to be a mandatory part of any eccentric person's DVD collection. (It was actually the 1st DVD I'd ever owned.)

The plot follows the story of one "om" (human) who is kept as a little palm-sized pet for the gigantic, blue skinned traags. He escapes with a traag learning device and uses it along with other wild oms to rebel against the traags.

An interesting aspect of the movie, is that it does almost nothing to make you know the main character. He is an incredibly ambiguous being devoid of any real personality, and if memory serves, he doesn't even have a name.

The animation looks like they made thin outlines and filled them with color-pencils. This creates an effect that totally mistifies the viewer. The beautiful and vid landscapes come alive along side imaginatively drawn characters and various monsters.

Ultimately the movie is great, and any problems in the movies are made up for by the fact that there ARE other short films on the DVD.

Finally, the subtitles are much better than the dub; use them.

EDIT: Now that I've finally gotten to watch the magnificent short films included on the DVD, I can say, they're the most freakish, disturbed, and wonderful pieces of short animation ever.

The best one features a sad farmer whose crops don't grow. So he cries on them and they become huge. So snails eat them and then they become huge, adn start terrorizing the city. The farmer is sad again and this time, he grows gargantuan carrots and the short closes with a hilarious shot of some rabbits eyeing the food expectantly.

Don't get the version by United American
Fantastic Planet is by far one of the more unusual animated I have ever seen. Truly unusual and surrealistic scenes, and that funky Pink Floyd meets "Shaft"-style soundtrack by Alain Goraguer gives the movie that truly '70s look and feel. But I warn you to stay away from the earlier VHS edition from United American Video Corps. While the newer dubbed-in-English VHS from Anchor Bay has the problem of forgetting to remove the subtitles, the United American Video Corps. version suffers from poor picture quality, and several missing scenes, not to mention a lot of the animation seems rather choppy. Anchor Bay fixed that problem with better picture quality, and all the scenes intact, and without that choppy animation in certain places. The only advantage United American version has is no subtitles, but since it's not widescreen, you won't be able to see everything. Despite the drawback of subtitles on the Anchor Bay version, if you want the dubbed-in-English version of this European sci-fi masterpiece, go for the Anchor Bay version and avoid the earlier United American edition.

Mind Blowing
I didn't expect much from the story. I bought it because I love this style of animation. Some of the scenes were very psychedelic, almost like an acid trip. It turns out that the story was actually the most entertaining part of the movie for me. It definitely gives you a different perspective of human life.

The DVD included four interesting shorts put out by the creator. Most of them included live action as well as animation. The only reason I can't give a full 5 stars is because the subtitles are HORRIBLE. Among the worst i've ever seen. There's little contrast between the background and the text, so about 75% of the words are legible. I really don't understand why the publishers thought this would be acceptable. I took French for several years, but I can imagine how frustrating it would be for someone trying to read that text.

More Whining About Subtitles!
YOU CAN'T TURN THEM OFF, PEOPLE!!! AND they run right over the picture, not even in the black letterboxed space beneath! AND (and even if you could forgive not being able to turn them off, this next one is really too, too much to take) MORE THAN HALF THE TIME THEY DON'T MATCH THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION!!!! This last bit takes it from annoying to insufferable. I love Fantastic Planet, and I hate, hate, hate this DVD.

Please read MY review FIRST...
I've noticed that TOO MANY people have ruined many products on Amazon before they're even sold with their uptight fierce complaints disguised as 'reviews'!
That unfortunately has happened also with THIS DVD! All I can say is BUY IT! IT'S GREAT! No complaints!....
Now, the reason I am so "FOR" this release is I've had a VHS copy of this film for years [on the 'Embassy Home Video' label] and it was fine. It had the english dubbed-in voices & NO 'subtitles'. I got THAT copy after FIRST seeing it on the SCI-FI channel in 1995, [although I've heard of this movie ever since I can remember!] and later bought a "Video YesterYear" release that had faded colour & a whole scene cut out! Like most of us movie & TV on home video fans, I've been looking for a 'DVD' release....and THIS is IT!!
Sure everyone whines about the infamous 'subtitles', but criminey! HOW many other 'foreign' [YES! 'FOREIGN'] films out there have them?? The soundtrack of this DVD version has the beautiful original French dialogue & music - OR -the option of the English dubbed version, which sounds like it's coming over the telephone for some strange reason[?] So, I recommend watching it with the original 'French' and THEN the non-removable subtitles work PERFECTLY! You'll be GLAD they ARE there!
The BEST part of this DVD version is the inclusion of the earlier 3 Rene Laloux films 'Monkeys Teeth' 'Dead Times' & 'The Snails'! That's the MAIN reason I BOUGHT this! Then again, I'm into obscure foreign animation from the past and don't go berserk if there are 'subtitles'... Yes, they COULD have issued the DVD with 'Closed Captioning', THEN you could remove the subtitles if you want, but they didn't, so there.
Anyone out there seen the "Masters of Russian Animation" series on DVD? Well, THEY have non-removable subtitles too, but if you like the animation for it's own sake, you'll enjoy the films but if you're bothered by mere 'subtitles', then you're MISSING alot of great examples of animation.
Also, anyone who likes the Alain Gorageur soundtrack for FANTASTIC PLANET will ALSO like the 1960s/70s music of composer/arranger "David Axelrod". Very similiar.
What I'm doing here is 'RECOMMENDING' items friends, [like the folks at Amazon suggest], NOT 'tearing things down'. If I believed ALL the negative reviews people have put on this site, I'd NEVER buy ANYTHING! Glad I trust my own instincts & hope you do too. If you can't say something nice don't say anything, I always thought.... OK, I'll shut-up now [:-)] ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Both Sub and Dub Are Awesome: a Must for Tenchi Lovers
I saw both the subtitled and dubbed version of this movie, and they were both VERY good. The story is about a girl, Mayuka, who comes from the future claiming to be Tenchi's daughter. Of course the whole household is upset by this, Ryoko especially. The main villian was Yuzuha, a demon from Grandfather's past on Jurrai. If you enjoy Tenchi, you have to get this. The animation is top quality. The dubbing is good, although a few voices were recast. And the subtitled version gives you the original feeling of the movie, with easy reading. (And only one mistake through the whole hour!) This was a truly great movie, and a must for anime lovers! Also, if you've seen the movie and enjoyed it, you might be interested in getting the soundtrack for it, which is also available and is very good too.

Tenchi Muyo the movie 2: Daughter of Darkness
This tenchi movie is probably as good as the first movie. There is a lot of comic relief in the beginning and more serious issues toward the end. The music and effects are very good, though i think that the first movie had more fighting and action than this does.The movie takes place at Tenchi's house and it is beautiful summer day. As tenchi and the rest of the gang rest peacefully in the sun, a mysterious person (you really couldn't consider her a person) watches over them. This woman of darkness creates a girl a little younger than tenchi by a strand of her hair and a strand of tenchi's hair. As tenchi is talking a walk, she appears before his eyes. Washew is very suspicious the way she appeared and royko is VERY suspicious of her. For some odd reason, she calls tenchi daddy which makes everyone sort of crazy. If your a royoko fan, you'll like this movie. In many parts, many of the issues deal with royoko both in good ways and bad ways. Anyway this movie is excellent and I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars maybe because of personal interest of more battling between vilians and good guys and the length. It should have been longer like the first movie, this was too short for me especially at the very ending Other than that, it is a great movie

A girl walks out of the forest...
and claims to be Tenchi's daughter. Mayuka not only looks kind of like him, but she can even call up Jurai power in the form of a Light Hawk Wing, just like Tenchi! As Ryoko and Ayeka become jealous and see the young girl as a new rival, will Washu and the others find out what's going on?
In the end it turns out of be a grudge over 700 years old! And it happens to be against Yosho!
How will Tenchi save his friends against the Demon of Darkness and will he also feel the need to save Mayuka, daughter or not?
Talking toys, adult scenes and a mature plot makes this movie something the kids might NOT wish to watch.

A cool movie.
It was true to the original TV series, Tenchi universe, and was fun to watch.

Yay!
This movie is amazing! I love the animation. The storyline does move a little fast, but thats ok! I really love it and would watch it anytime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Far from the masterful treatment that groundbreaking animator RalphBakshi gave the similarly themed The Lord of the Rings just a year later, Wizards feels amateurish. A simplistic distillation of fantasy tropes, the scenario is millions of years after nuclear war wipes out civilization. Middle Earth fairies, elves, and magic emerge from the "good lands," while dimwitted mutants with poor comic timing emerge from the nuclear wastes. In the ultimate confrontation between good and evil, a hippie-ish wizard named Avatar defends his utopia against the technological and neo-Nazi revival of his bad-seed twin, Blackwolf. With volleys of jokes that couldn't hit a barn door, elves with Brooklyn accents, and the dubious climax that sees the kindly old wizard using one of the hated machines of war to triumph over evil, Wizards is one of fantasy animation's least successful examples. --Alan E. Rapp ... Read more

Reviews (105)

Ralph Bakshi's Wizards
While it is certainly not for young children, older teens and adults will get a real kick out of "Wizards". Set in a post-apocalyptic world wrought by radiation due to a nuclear holocaust, most humans have died, and the population consists mainly of elves, fairies, dwarves, and then the mutants. The world is in danger from the threat of technology, brought upon by the evil wizard, Blackwolf. It is up to his brother, the comical, yet good hearted wizard, Avatar, to stop him. Joining Avatar in his quest are Weehawk, chief of a tribe of warrior elves, Elenor, fairy princess of the land of Montagar, and Peace, a former assassin of Blackwolf's (formerly known as Necron 99) who changes his ways and fights against the threat of technology. The WWII references abound, and there are many more adult-oriented references throughout. It dares to go where cartoons usually do not, making allusions to sex, prostitution, religion, and there's even a rather racist Vietnam reference if you can catch it. However, I still highly recommend "Wizards", because in all it's brashness, it deserves to be seen. What the animation lacks in quality, it more than makes up for in imagination. It's quite funny, and it also delivers some unexpected twists. I personally really like the way it was done. The music really seems to fit the overall style of it, and the wonderful character designs and voice acting really pulls it all together. I definetely recommend it to anyone searching for something creative and different, and I'm sure any fan of cult classics will definetely want to check it out. However, I stress the importance of having an open mind. I think those who are more open to controversial subject matter will be able to better enjoy it, with all it's dark humor and it's alternative-type feel. I think it is something that everyone should see at least once. It deserves more credit than it has been given, and I think that it will really make people stop and think about our world, and about themselves.

Bakshi's masterpiece finally on DVD!!!!
This 1977 Ralph Bakshi made animated sci-fi fantasy is set in the post-apocalyptic future where mutants, monsters, fairies, elves, dwarves, and magical creatures roam. An evil wizard named "Blackwolf" plans on taking over the world with his mutant army using old Nazi propaganda films while a kind and powerful wizard named "Avatar" with a hot fairy chick named " Ellinor" and a brave elf named "Weehawk" including a robot named "Peace" join forces together to go to a place called "Scorch" then stop Blackwolf, the war and prevent the end of the world.

A unique, kadeldoscopic and entertaining animated fantasy from the director of "Fritz The Cat", " Animated Lord of the Rings" and "American Pop". The animation is quite good, it does have Mark Hamil's voice debut before he was in "Star Wars" of the same year this movie was released, a superhot fairy chick guaranteed to make guys smile and it's a good fun flick for the whole family even though it's rated PG due to some graphic animated violence, battle scenes, some language and some mild nudity.

The DVD is excellent, the extras include TV Spot, Trailers, a documentary on how Ralph Bakshi created this movie, still gallery and a audio commentary by Ralph Bakshi. So if you love fun fantasy, sci-fi and animated flicks then pick this up for your animation DVD collection.

Also recommended: " Terminator 2: Judgment Day", " Fist of the North Star" ( Anime version), " Braveheart", " Gladiator", " Mad Max", " The Last Unicorn", " The Secret of NIMH", " Rock & Rule", " The Dark Crystal", " The Princess Bride", " Star Wars", " Gettysburg", " Starship Troopers", " Total Recall", " Heavy Metal", " The Fifth Element", " Mulan", "Antz".

classic you will either hate or love
This is one of those rare movies that doesn't try to hide its flaws, and actually benefits from them giving the entire movie a campy feel to it. The accents are mixed up, the animation crude and often using recycled sequences, the movement is jerky, scenes are often using war footage that was animated over, and the jokes are often crude and dark natured. But the film in a whole works.

Though it is a bit preachy in its ways, this movie makes you interested in the characters. It also brings up some intersting and satirical ideas.

the world was destroyed in war, humans are few and most have mutated and live in badlands. Elves, faeries and dwarves, have returned and taken over the good lands, but nothing seems different. The factions are divided and uncooperative with each other. When the badlands mutants gets a powerful leader, they ignore it until it is too late. When the push is made for the mutants to take over the goodlands the enemy seemingly has too much up his sleeve.

The cartoon has a definite seventies feel to it. The humor is dark, twisted, and often times has a distinct feel of juxtoposition. It is a fantasy futuristic world that has the attitude and feeling of New York. There are fairy hookers, dirty streets with bums lying around, and bitter old men with brooklyn accents. The evil army has a strong Nazi theme to it, as well as their secret weapons.

It is also very violent, showing elves and fairies being killed by the hundreds, pow's being executed, and prisoners being forced to entertain soldiers any way they want.

This is a very warped movie that shouldn't work, but does. A classic from the 70's that had enough of a cult following to bring it to dvd today. watch it for the spectacle and you will either love it or hate it.

A Lost Masterpiece!
I remember seeing this film as young kid though I really wasn't supposed too. I saw it with the film LIGHT YEARS another film that I hope will come to dvd in the very near future. This film is basically about a centuries old battle between two brothers. One on the side of magic, the other on the side of Technology. It's basic good versus evil with a bit of social commentary in between. The animation may not be what people are used to now, but it serves it's purpose. I personally like the rendition of the elves. They look more like elves from say ELF QUEST and not the overly tall elves of D&D fame. Pretty good film. Check it out for nostalgia if anything else.

Finally a beautiful Bakshi release on DVD
Ralph Bakshi has his admirers and his detractors, as any good filmmaker should. Wizards is an important film for many reasons, but mostly, in my opinion, because it really began the experimentation of melding of rotoscope, traditional animation and live action. Bakshi masterfully mixes the three techniques in ways never before done, and seldom since. His powerful use of Nazi propaganda films melds perfectly with high contrast rotoscoping of Eisenstein's Alexander Nevski to give birth to a new and disturbing world. His use of traditional animation techniques then colors the fairy lands in another light and we see the contrast between these two worlds brought together in a terrifying realization. The melding of various methods of filmmaking might be too much for some who have become accustomed to Disney animation, Saturday morning cartoons and anime, but it gives us a rare glimpse into what might have been in an artform which never fully developed into its own right.

Finally, we have DVD which treats master filmmaker, Ralph Bakshi, with the respect he deserves. After the atrociously inadequate release of Bakshi's Lord of the Rings Part One a few years ago, with it's incredible lack of special features and horrific overdub in the middle of the closing score (though thankfully finally released in widescreen format), I couldn't be happier with the treatment Fox has given to this film. The transfer is gorgeous and the colors are far more vivid than I have ever seen before - an element that is critical to the film.

The real treat, however, is the feature length commentary by Mr. Bakshi as well as the "documentary" on him and his work. I would have liked to have him chat a bit more about Lord of the Rings since we were robbed of a commentary in that DVD release, but he does give a bit of insight into the film, which was welcome.

All in all, a fantastic DVD release of a groundbreaking film. Bravo Fox and Mr. Bakshi! I hope Fire and Ice, Hey Good Lookin', Coonskin and someday a re-release of Lord of the Rings, will receive a similar treatment.

David ... Read more

Amazon.com

Her extensive list of skills includes assassination, seduction, domination, and modeling. She is a leather-clad mercenary and a deadly double agent, known for her erratic behavior patterns and ability to dispatch villains with a kick of her shapely leg. She's Aeon Flux, the dazzling dominatrix from the popular animated series on MTV, a colorful hybrid of Japanese animation and Heavy Metal graphics. This digital video disc combines several complete episodes with selected shorts as they originally appeared on the popular music video channel. Aeon Flux is teasing treat for libidinous teens and grown-up guys with teenage tastes. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very cool stuff.
Higher on the strange factor than The Maxx, as well as being less profound about it's humanity, Aeon Flux is nonetheless fascinating, highly original, and down right kick ass. Any fan of adult animation would find this very stylized, sometimes unsettling vison of sex and violence in whatever bizarre, alternate reality it exists in, very cool, indeed.

Great Animation and Very Interesting Storylines
As a science fiction book this would make it, as a movie this would make it, maybe even as some sort of CD, but the perfect format for these interesting storylines is none of those but rather the animated TV series format that it finds itself in. Its the perfect format to accentuate the hard edged never quite all there feeling that this storyline brings about. Reminiscent to me of so many of the storyline/mythos type TV shows that are out there where they never quite tell you what is going on, Aeon Flux is still better than many of those in that it always gives you just enough to make you think you have some idea of what's going on while never giving you too much. This first tape contains some of my absolute favorite episodes. I plan to buy the rest as well, but this definitely is the best of them. This is truly the closest America has ever come to the same type of anime produced abroad and in some ways I prefer it since the storylines definitely all have an American edge to them. Overall an excellent video with a very postmodern feel to it.

Serious and Sophisticated
"That which does not kill us, makes us stranger" - Dr. Trevor Goodchild, Aeon Flux

My wife was using the computer to talk to her mother in England, and my 3 month old son was crying. I turned on some classical music... didn't help. Turned on the TV to MTV and put him in front of it. La Ley came on... first time I've ever seen the Chilean band, though they were managed by wife's cousins' husband. Cool, I thought. My son stopped crying.

Next thing I know, Aeon Flux was on. My son started crying again, so I took him to his mother and watched what I thought was a crazy-future-spider-woman-cartoon (my father in-law's real name is Peter Parker). Anyway...

As an AI guy working on artificial consciousness, I found myself fascinated. I became fully involved in the show. I think this is the first time that has ever happened without altering my brain chemistry.

Is this what kids are growing up on now? My God, I can forgive Pokemon and Dragon Ball now.

I obviously need to change my audience. Young people today deal with technological issues that many researchers just refuse to consider seriously.

I digress... Suffice it to say, I'm buying every episode. This is the first cartoon that ever caused me to take notes since the very first episode of Ren & Stimpy I saw that caused me to have a heavy flashback.

The Aeon Flux tape worth buying!
This first of the three Aeon Flux tape contains the best episodes of this very unusual animated MTV series. The storylines are the most engaging, the animation is top-notch... all in all, those who enjoy animation and/or the cyberpunk genre should DEFINATELY add this to their collection.

Leather, Blood, and Gun Powder
Aeon Flux is simply the best thing to come out of MTV. This sexy killer plows her way though countless soldiers of her neighboring country. cirtenly a bloodbath for all ages. ... Read more