Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see feature-film in the Cowboy Bebop anime universe

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (also known as Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heavens Door) is a must-see theatrical production which expand upon the original anime series with a standalone story set within the universe. Based on the characters created from original manga author Hajime Yatate, the feature-film explores one of the toughest missions the crew ever faced. Taking place shortly before the series finale, the film is wedged between the last few episodes of the show and gives fans one last mission of epic proportions. Don't miss a beat.

Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV (Ed for short!), and Ein are back in business (and ready for action). The gang's all here. The bounty hunters are after their biggest reward ever: a massive 300 million woolong reward for bringing to justice the diabolical man responsible for spreading a deadly virus across the entire galaxy. Along the way, a new friend (or foe) named Electra (Ai Kobayashi) enters the space-adventure equation. With both the Bebop crew and Electra hot on his tail, can the diabolic Vincent (Tsutomu Isobe) be stopped?

The animation in the theatrical feature-film is remarkably ambitious. This production is an amazing achievement given that the original anime is the best anime series of all time. While the original series was animated in 1.33:1 full frame the feature-film expands the scope ratio to 1.85:1 widescreen. The extra landscape gives the animators ample opportunity to make this a must-see event film. It is clear that the animators pushed themselves to up-the-ante and make the environment even more detailed. Under the animation direction of Toshihiro Kawamoto (Wolf's Rain, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08^th MS Team), the animators effort paid off (big time). This is a visually outstanding production that no fan of the series will want to miss.

Sold Separately. (Better together.)

The most-valuable-player of the feature-film might be composer Yoko Kanno (Wolf's Rain, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Returning as composer for the Cowboy Bebop feature-film, Kanno further builds on the epic soundtrack composed for the Cowboy Bebop series by delivering a seemingly endless array of essential tracks. There are few films (or series) with a better soundtrack. From the opening scene to the closing credits, Kanno takes audiences on a musical odyssey.

The screenplay by Keiko Nobumoto (Wolf's Rain, Tokyo Godfathers) wisely acts as a standalone story set within the universe. Newcomers will want to finish the series before watching the film (though it plays well chronologically if one is already familiar with the entire story). There are some amazing moments for each of the central characters. And, of course, Spike is as badass as always. The new villain, Vincent, is menacing and effective. An exceptional screenplay.

Shinichiro Watanabe (Kids on the Slope, Samurai Champloo) returns as director (and fans wouldn't want it any other way). The hyper-stylized universe of Cowboy Bebop is one of the series biggest selling points. Cowboy Bebop is amazingly cool and the feature-film is every-bit-as-awesome: it explodes with creativity. As the film is set against a Halloween backdrop, Watanabe found some interesting moments to explore the darker-side of Bebop while giving fans exactly what they want: more of the badass action the original series provided (with our beloved characters). Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a great jam. 3, 2, 1...

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is a definite upgrade over the previous Image Entertainment release. There is no question that this is the better of the two editions available. The framing of the black bars is less obtrusive and more accurate on the Funimation edition. The scan is a improvement and the new encode adds to the immersion level. While the source is clearly the same master used for the Image Blu-ray edition, the Funimation release is a definite upgrade: even the bit-rate is improved (jumping up from a somewhat disappointing 22.94 mbps to 29.95 mbps. Colors appear accurate and true to the source. There is some grain on the image (which is desirable given that the production was completed on film). Though there are occasional moments where the animation showcases some age (due to the quality of the print), the majority of the film is crisp and vivid. The film has never looked better in North America than it does here.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Funimation Entertainment Blu-ray release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie has received a massive audio upgrade over the previous Image Entertainment release. The audio is no longer refined to mere 2.0 stereo track. The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound track has much greater life and vitality (which adds to the impressiveness of the viewing experience). The music springs to life and soars with energy from the surrounds. The upgrade is appreciable during the entire experience. The climatic end scenes are much more powerful to watch with the surround sound mix and the film plays all the better as a result. The original Japanese language version is also presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 with English subtitles. Either option is a clear upgrade over the Image edition. Fans will be quite thrilled.

Please Note: The Funimation release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie also includes a French 2.0 audio mix. Subtitles are in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes packaged in a super-cool collectible steelbook package. A must-own for collectors.

Unlike the barebones release from Image Entertainment, Funimation have included a nice selection of bonus features for the feature-film on Blu- ray (most of which are ported-over legacy extras from the original Sony DVD edition). The release includes the following supplemental features:

English Voice Cast Reunion (HD, 15:06) reunites the voice-actors behind the beloved characters for a chat about the legacy of Cowboy Bebop.

Featurettes:

From the Small Screen to the Big Screen (SD, 5:43)

International Appeal – What's Not to Like? (SD, 7:02) features director Shinchiro Watanabe discussing the appeal of Cowboy Bebop to international audiences.

Spike: A Complex Soul (SD, 7:20)

Faye: Intellectual Vixen (SD, 6:37)

Ed: Resident Eccentric (SD, 6:48)

Jet: No Ordinary Dad (SD, 5:03)

Storyboard Comparisons:

Scene 3 – The Virus (SD, 2:34)

Scene 6 – The Moroccan Bazaar (SD, 4:21)

Scene 15 – Ed Finds Lee (SD, 2:29)

Scene 17 – Spike Confronts Vincent (SD, 5:49)

Music Videos:

Ask DNA (SD, 1:45)

Gotta Knock a Little Harder (SD, 3: 53)

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie U.S. Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:11)

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The greatest anime series of all time is Cowboy Bebop. The film is a must-see expansion on the series that gives fans an opportunity to revisit these beloved characters. The animation is top-notch in every respect. The music by Yoko Kanno is dynamite. The direction by Shinichiro Watanabe is cool beyond measure.

Funimation has done an excellent job with the re-release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie . While the Image Entertainment Blu-ray was OK given the lack of alternatives at the time of release, the new Funimation edition ups the ante. Both the video and audio presentations have been upgraded. The surround sound tracks are a must for anyone equipped to hear them. The supplemental package is better. The packaging is badass (steelbook fans, rejoice). A must-own for fans of Cowboy Bebop.