|
The Sky Crawlers is an Anime film directed by Mamoru
Oshii (Ghost in the Shell.) It is based on the novel series
by Hiroshi Mori. ***
Let me start this review by saying that this is a VERY
difficult movie to summarize without incorporating spoilers
into the review. I have written the most detailed spoiler-free
summary I am capable of. ***
The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternate universe, in
approximately the World War II era. A new, young fighter
pilot named Kannami shows up to the battlefield to engage
in a war that has been going on for so long, no one knows
the details of why it started or why it continues raging.
The pilots never age, and as pilots die, new ones, identical
to their deceased counterparts, continue showing up. And
to top things off, things are even more complicated than
previous anticipated – Kannami can’t remember his earlier
flight missions. ***
Before I get down into the details of this review,
I need to make one thing clear, and if you’ve read any other
review for The Sky Crawlers, this will look familiar – THIS
IS NOT AN ACTION MOVIE. ***
If you come into The Sky Crawlers expecting full-blown
World War II-style aerial combat with action around every
corner, you’re not going to enjoy this film. Period. With
its intriguing, often intentionally-vague storytelling,
the movie has more in common with a Stanley Kubrick film
than your standard aerial war Anime movie. If you’re patient,
and have a thing for thought-provoking titles that don’t
contain explosions around every corner, though, there is
no doubt that you will appreciate the film. ***
The Sky Crawlers contains scenes of action, but it
is by no means an action film. If you come into it with
an open mind, though, you shouldn’t be disappointed. This
is a gripping, interesting storyline, and the film is directed
by one of Anime’s leading men. ---
Image and Sound:
Wow. As far as animation goes, this is simply as good
as it gets on Blu-Ray. There isn’t a single thing wrong
with this 1080p transfer. The animation is stunning, and
if I had to choose one of the animated titles I had seen
on the format thus far as reference quality, this would
easily be that title. Words don’t do it justice; it must
be seen to be appreciated. ***
Both Japanese and English audio tracks are included,
both of which are lossless. Which one you choose to watch
is entirely up to you – the dub here is surprisingly good,
and I don’t find myself saying that for Anime dubs very
often. All things considered, this is a Blu-Ray animated
title that looks and sounds amazing.
|
