REVIEW OF COWBOY BEBOP: KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR

by Butterflies

It's 2071, and Halloween. The people of Aruba City, Mars are ready to party. Unfortunately, a bio-terrorist is planning his own bash, and it involves infecting the planet with a weapon that he's immune to. The crew of the Bebop, bounty hunters Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed (with help from the dog Ein) are on the trail of this terrorist for a 300,000,000 woolong prize.

I enjoyed watching the series Cowboy Bebop because it had a jazzy, unstoppable style to it. Not the pinnacle of art, but very vivid and transistant (at least for the majority of the time). That has not changed in "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (simply "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" in the states). From the minute I saw the opening scene (and happy fool open credits ^^) I was sure I'd enjoy every minute of it. I was right in this assumption. The wonderful art, the suitable music, the edge-of-your-seat action, the comedic elements, the dramatic twists, the graceful and appropriate transition, the characters I had grown attached to in the series.

When Faye Valentine is hunting down Lee Samson, a small-fry bounty, a truck explodes and a bio-weapon is spread before her eyes. Walking out from the explosion is Vincent, a man who was said to be killed in the Titan Wars (if you saw the CB episodes "Jupiter Jazz" parts 1 and 2 you know about the war already). When it becomes clear Faye's drawing abilities won't lead them to the criminal, Spike goes looking for a lead on Moroccan Street. That's when the man named Rasheed gives him a pot that "best suits" him; a key to unlocking the mystery surrounding Vincent. Also tailing Vincent, an security agent for a chemical company named Electra has a run-in with Spike, who discovers that she is well-trained in martial arts. The plot thickens when Lee is tracked down, and Faye is held prisoner in Vincent's apartment.

I heard that the movie (which takes place between episodes 22 and 23 in the series) would be like one long episode. I'm thankful that it is like that... with an extra special feel to it. Heh heh, maybe it's just the butterflies ^^. The Seatbelts perform songs that are quite catchy after a while (or annoying, depending on your taste). I personally bought the movie's soundtrack a day after seeing the premeire in New York City.

I saw the premiere of the English version at the Big Apple Anime Fest. The dubbed version is very good. Same dub cast, with some additons for movie characters. Jennifer Hale is Electra, Daran Norris is Vincent, Nicholas Guest is Rasheed, Dave Wittenberg is Lee Sampson. Everything seemed kind of strange at first, because I wasn't used to Bebop on the big screen, and the voices seemed a little different, but I got used to it and loved it all.

Why is Vincent alive if he's supposed to be dead? What is Electra's connection with him? Can Spike and the others stop him before its too late? Sorry, can't answer that now. I have to go play a game. What's so important about a game, you say? Well... 500 more points and I get to meet Spooky Donkey!

Story: 9
Action: 10
Animation: 9
Music and Sound: 10
Overall: 9.5

Extra comments: Revenge of Spooky Donkey is great.