Writer:
Katsuhiro Otomo
Based
On The Comic By: Osamu Tezuka
Director:
Rintaro
Feature
length: 109 minutes
Extras:
Animax Special: The Making Of Osamu
Tezuka’s Metropolis, Exclusive Filmmaker Interviews, Multi-Angle Animation
Comparisons, History Of Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis, Biographical Notes on Osamu
Tezuka and Rintaro, Conceptual Art Gallery, Theatrical Trailers
Languages:
Japanese DTS 5.1 Digital Theatrical Surround Sound, Japanese and English Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions and English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese,
Korean, and Thai Subtitles
Packaging:
Gatefold
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
DTS 5.1 Digital Theatrical Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and Stereo
Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2001/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Destination Films
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Sometime
in the near future, humans and robots coexist in a turbulent futuristic city.
Robots are an important part of the economy, but they are deeply resented by
working class humans who have become so disenfranchised that they live three to
four families in a room in the lower underground sectors. There a revolution is
brewing as anti-machine resentment is being directed toward the upper classes
that live high above in the opulent splendor of Metropolis. The problem is even
more complicated however. With the
exception of robotic investigators, who must be accompanied by a licensed
detective when passing through the various zones of Metropolis, any robot found
out of its designated zone is subject to immediate liquidation. One of the
biggest problems in Metropolis are that robots have been increasingly finding
their way out of their designated zones and some defiant ones have caused great
havoc.
The
city of Metropolis is celebrating the creation of the Ziggurat, a government
controlled device the people see as the ultimate expression of humanity’s
genius, but it is really a terrible doomsday device. When a detective from Japan
with diplomatic immunity arrives with his young nephew to Metropolis, they are
assigned a robot investigator and given the run around to cover-up the secret
plots of the politicians above. The president is secretly plotting with Duke
Red, a powerbroker and underground kingpin, to expose and destroy the movement
against the wealthy by allowing the creation of Tima, the first synthetic
humanoid to be created knowing that they would see a robot girl as a threat
against what little humanity they have left. Then through the increased robot
acts of terror, he can have an excuse to squash the revolution and make the
robot problems appear as though it was all the result of sabotage on behalf of
the revolutionaries and brand them as terrorists. Then he can control Metropolis
unopposed. However the machines are evolving their own intelligence and Tima is
just another step in their journey toward sentience.
When
Tima disappears, the president decides to use the Japanese detective to find her
and he even tries to put a spin on the missing robot’s whereabouts to further
agitate the revolutionary forces on the lower levels. Duke Red plots to takeover
Metropolis for himself, but he needs Tima to fortify his power, but his son is
on her trail with the intentions of retiring her permanently. Tima has a
sinister purpose only Duke Red is aware of. Fortunately Tima has found a friend
in the Japanese detective’s nephew, but their innocence and safety is fleeting
as events in Metropolis hurl the entire population and their wonder city to the
brink of an apocalypse.
Adapted
from the manga by Osamu Tezuka, which was published as in serial form in Japan
from 1947 through 1949, “Osamu
Tezuka’s Metropolis” is the culmination is the immense talents and efforts
by Director Rintaro with a screenplay by the acclaimed author of “Akira”
Katsuhiro Otomo to blend traditional two-dimensional anime with
three-dimensional CGI flawlessly and still stay true to Osamu Tezuka’s vision.
The results are stunning. “Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis” is mesmerizing to
behold with the multiple layers and retro-futuristic look that calls to mind the
seminal film of the same name by Fritz Lang, which intentionally or not appears
to be an influence on both the allegorical storyline and amazing production
design in the film.
This
DVD release of “Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis” is the first to be released
under the newest Columbia TriStar label, Destination Films and it is also the
venerable studio’s first to feature a “pocket” DVD full of extra feature
materials. Disc one presents “Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis” is a beautiful
anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio with a choice of Japanese DTS 5.1
Digital Theatrical Surround Sound or Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.
An English Dolby Digital 5.1 Dubbed Surround Soundtrack is also provided for
those who are not fond of reading Subtitles. English, French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai Language Subtitles are encoded on to the
dual layered DVD along with English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as
options. There is also a French Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack included too.
The
Japanese DTS Soundtrack has a more aggressive mix and a higher fidelity than the
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks. The image quality shows no defects or
anomalies whatsoever. An English Stereo (1.85:1) theatrical trailer for “Osamu
Tezuka’s Metropolis” is included on this DVD along with a Dolby Digital
(1.85:1) trailer for “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within,” a (1.85:1)
Japanese Pro-Logic Trailer for “Cowboy Bebop,” and a (1.33:1) home video
trailer for Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s
“Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles” series of DVD-Videos and
VHS tapes that mentions the two upcoming installments coming to DVD and VHS this
May.
The
menus are beautifully animated with three-dimensional animated transitions and
are easy to navigate. The “pocket” DVD includes the rest of the extras. This
is the first time I ever used a DVD like this so I was particularly curious
about how this was going to workout. Well it worked without a hitch and the size
of the disc did not matter in terms of content and performance. The “pocket”
DVD is dual layered with a Japanese Surround Soundtrack and optional English
Subtitles. The menus are also animated with three-dimensional animated
transitions to the subsequent menus.
Among
the extra features is the promotional “Making-Of” documentary “Animax: The
Making Of Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis,” which features interviews with the
talent behind the making of the film. The documentary runs for approximately
33-minutes. There is also a videotaped interview with Director Rintaro and
Writer Katsuhiro Otomo. In addition there are two multi-angle comparisons that
allow the viewer to compare the various stages and layers of animation
individually by either picking a particular level from the menu or switching
between as many as 9 different angle layers by pressing the angle button on
their remote control and comparing it to the completed scenes. There are three
short galleries of production art and biographical notes on Osamu Tezuka and
Rintaro as well as notes on the history of “Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis”
that can be read on screen and wrap up the extra features included on the dual
layered “Pocket” sized DVD.
Both
discs are packaged in a gatefold with artwork from the film. “Osamu Tezuka’s
Metropolis” will debut on DVD-Video from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 and is a must see, must have DVD for collectors of
anime.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.