I went to see Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door at the local theatre. The last time I'd seen the movie was when I got a pirated copy of it from Son May in the mail sometime in either 2001 or 2002. Sometimes the English subtitles for their releases were lacking, but that dvd release for it was adequate if overly literal and quite wordy. This time around I was paying to see a legitimate release of the film. I'm going to try to avoid spoilers if possible, though since the film came out 23 years ago (and the show 26 years ago!) I feel that the statute of limitations on spoilers has surely expired at this point. In my opinion the movie is more like an expanded episode of the show with a greatly inflated budget, but that works to the benefit of fans of the show who want a little bit more. The movie is kind of an interquel and that makes sense as the conclusion to the tv series makes any kind of continuation improbable if not impossible. While the movie's villain is a little flat, the film is a treat for the senses, with fluid animation and an excellent Kanno Yohko score. The well-weathered and secondhand future aesthetic is also appealing. Because it takes place before and on Halloween, it can be another movie to watch on October 31 along with Halloween III Season of the Witch. Final review: if you like Cowboy Bebop the show (not that netfl!x garbo), you'll dig this as well. This movie is definitely aimed at fans of the show, but inmo you could show it to someone who hadn't seen it with a bit of exposition (this is a movie about bounty hunters in outer space) and they'd have a fun time. This is a fine beer and popcorn film and a demonstration of how good and smooth cel animation can look.
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