Metropolis (2001)

I knew little about this film but when I saw that it was going to be on television I decided to watch it; there is so little non-Ghibli anime on TV one has to take what one can get. When it started I knew this was going to be different; most of the characters didn't look like anime characters, they looked more like characters from western cartoons of the 1930s. This fitted in with the feel of the whole film which was a 1920s/1930s view of the future reminiscent of Fritz Lang's film of the same name.

Set in the city state of Metropolis where the robot underclass must stay in their designated areas and a scientist is building a robot that looks like a girl but is destined to run a new skyscraper known as the Ziggurat. Into this city comes a Japanese private detective and his nephew Kenichi who are seeking to arrest the scientist for organ trafficking. The state's de facto leader Duke Red's adopted son Rock is determined to destroy the robot thinking his father is replacing him. Rock starts a fire in the lab. During this the robot is activated and escapes with Kenichi although neither know that she isn't human. Rock continues to hunt them as the flee through the various layers of the city to a climax in the mysterious Ziggurat.

I loved the retro feel to the animation along with a sound track that also felt like it was from that time. The use of the song "I Can't Stop Loving You" during the climactic scene was inspired. Even if you don't normally like animation this is worth watching as it is a good story which is well told.

These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

Fmovies: For crying out loud, it's stylized! That's why the soundtrack is jazz and blues and stuff. That's why the character animation is "crappy".

Look at a comic book from the twenties/thirties, namely Herge's Tintin books, or Tezuka's manga (fifties actually), which this is based off of, DANG IT! The characters are designed to look like comic book character's from that era. Shinsaku looks like one of the Thompsons. Kenechi looks like a cross between Tintin and Astro Boy.

It's meant to be like a Prohibition era Chicago or something.

This is not just one of the greatest anime movies ever made but one of the greatest animated movies of all time. This film is an amazing achievement in every aspect and really pushes the may animated movies are directed and presented.The film takes place in the a future reminiscent of art deco. It will be almost impossible to fully explain the story of metropolis in a comment alone for there are many important characters with there own back story but in brief i can tell you it is about a young boy and his detective uncle as they discover a humanoid robot with striking similarities to a human being. Wat immediately catches your attention of metropolis is the way it is presented, blending CGI with highly fluid hand drawn animation in a noir style this makes the film very memorable Wat's more striking is the character development with highly memorable characters with a great English and Japanese voice cast. You have a great deal of sympathy even for the antagonists e.g.You have the main antagonist shattered by the loss of his daughter and his right hand man born without parents adopted Duke Red (main antagonist) as a father but is often neglected and shunned by him.This is an excellent achievement for an animation and should not be missed this is a film that joins other anime greats like Akira and Princess Mononoke a must see film.

Metropolis fmovies. Metropolis isn't an action, adventure, or a drama...It's an experience. It's a roller-coaster ride of a movie that takes the audience through an experience into the future with a sense of the past and present. I'll explain. First off, the animation in itself is what makes the film so unique. It's a sort of Tin tin animation mixed in with anime. The background of the city is amazing, a must see. The music is what does it though! The music is very classy. The type of music used in the old black and white classics. The whole movie experience is a sort of oxymoron, it contradicts itself. The futuristic background with the classic-styled people and music. A very unique animation indeed and one not to be missed if you're a fan of animation.

This is another great masterpiece in anime. Also, it's very different from others, as reviewers have pointed out.

I never expected old-1930-ish-saxopohone jazz music to be playing in an anime movie. It's a great movie, and, like Akira, the Matrix, and Princess Mononoke (or, Mononoke Hime as I prefer), it gets better every time you see it.

and in the climax of the movie, you hear Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You". Puts in the same touch as how Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" was put in "A Clockwork Orange". It engraves the scene in your head, never to forget, and it does bring the scene back to your mind once you hear that song. It's happened to me lots of times after i saw Clockwork Orange.

Review: 5/5, Good Movie scale Ratings: US PG-13, UK PG, Canada PG

When I first saw this I was totally blown away by its beautiful animation and groundbreaking use of music! It really made me lyrical in a way few anime does - Rintaro and Otomo really has what it takes to make a masterpiece. The blend of charming old-fashioned technology and allusions to modern phenomenons makes it the perfect anime for the beginning of 21st century!

Metropolis is based on Tesuka Osamus first manga and later gave inspiration to his more famous "Astro Boy". Some story elements and characters from Tesukas later works are clearly inserted in Metropolis to make it work as a movie, which in this case is good... The choice of music is, in my opinion, daring and rather funny; jazzy tunes spiced with hits from the 60s (Ray Charles) sets the tone of the "optimistic atomic age". All in all, well made nostalgia...

I could go on forever with this rant, so I spare you that if you see this little animated gem! Rent it, buy it, steal it (if necessary ;) , you won't regret it!