Anime TV Online - Steamboy Review

^Steamboy is an anime movie created by Sunrise in 2004 and directed by the prestigious Katshuiro Otomo, creator of the epic Akira. Being one of the most expensive anime productions ever made, as you watch Steamboy you'll notice that it has, nevertheless, not that many things in common with that blockbuster apart from the same director and incredible chaotic sequences, that are the trademark of Otomo.

In fact I must say I wasn't overly impressed with this anime movie. Yes, it has an interesting setting - I am always fond of good Steampunk anime titles (check out my review of Last Exile). Yes, it has amazing action sequences, with lots of great details, as usual in this kind of anime. Yes, there is that final part of the movie (the climax) that really pulled the WoW right out of my mouth: it's incredible how Otomo can always extract the most possible chaos out of any given situation.

But no, this is not a great anime movie. Because the plot is rather weak. The characters are as cliche as you get - even the names of them are stupid and lack of imagination - I mean, come on, the Steam family? In a Steampunk anime??? Scarlet O'hara? As the young woman that's selfish, petulant and really gets on your nerves??? I had enough of Gone with the Wind, thank you...

And, of course, this is a teen's movie... Not that I have anything against it. There are great anime movies that are teen oriented. But for a director like Otomo it doesn't feel right. A chaotic mind like his shouldn't be restricted by the rules of teens oriented speech, teen driven plot line and teens strict no-deaths policy. Because it kinda sucks. All those cheesy lines... All those empty catch phrases that are meant to give you some kind of thrill but never hit the mark.

In fact, that's one of the main problems of Steamboy. It lacks emotion. Apart from some really spectacular scenes, this anime didn't make me connect with the characters or the strange situations that were occurring. There was several instances where the whole story didn't make sense to me... and that can be good if there was utter chaos involved (like in Akira ^_^).

But here, you can notice they are trying to give some direction to the plotline. They just aren't achieving no good results. That sucks...

Yes, I pounded a lot on this movie. But the answer to this question is YES!

It's not a great anime movie. But it isn't bad either. Average is the term here. Average with really nice graphics. Oh and the soundtrack is ok as well. If I was a kid I would call it great! But I have 27 years and now I kinda pay attention to the story too ^_^'

And, of course, is one of the rare examples of the Steampunk genre. So that is, of course, a bonus. If you love gadgets you'll love this movie, I guarantee that.

So, what's Steamboy about anyway?

Well, it's about a family of Inventors, the Steam Family. Grandfather and father Steam discover a really groundbreaking device that can be used to many things and attracts quite a few interests. James Ray Steam, the youngest of the Steam dynasty, gets involved in a web of intrigue and machinations and in a personal feud of the patriarchs concerning the uses that should be given to their invention.

There's an underlying message in Steamboy regarding science, the search for knowledge and power and the importance of it falling in the right hands.

And you'll see quite a bit of science. Cogs, wheels and steam will be all over the place in this anime and it's one of the highlights of it! Great attention is paid to details on all the gizmo's and the way they work (or cease to work ^_^) and that's another huge thing why I recommend you to watch Steamboy!

And, to end my review, let me add another big reason you should watch this movie. I'm actually hoping you love it and disagree with my opinion. And PLEASE DO post your thoughts on comments! ^_^'