Space Battleship Yamato |
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 • Japan • 2010 • 138m •    • Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki. • Starring: Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Toshirô Yanagiba, Naoto Ogata, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Maiko, Reiko Takashima, Toshiyuki Nishida, Toshihiro Yashiba, Kazuki Namioka, Takumi Saitoh, Takahiro Miura. • Music by: Naoki Satô.      In 2199, five years after the start of the Gamilas attack on Earth, the planet has been ravaged by the aliens' radiation bombs and the remnants of humanity have fled underground. One day, former pilot Susumu Kodai discovers a capsule sent from the planet Iskandar that tells of a device that can remove the radiation from the Earth's surface. The United Nations of Space Administration rebuilds the battleship Yamato, with a new type of propulsion system - the wave motion engine. This enables it to make the long trip to Iskandar and back in hopes of saving the Earth. Within 73 days the radiation will drive the rest of humanity to extinction.
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Review:
Screenwriter Sato Shimako (most familiar to viewers as the creative force behind the "Unfair" JDorama TV series) does an admirable job trying to condense and streamline Nishizaki Yoshinobu and Matsumoto Leiji's epic 26-episode TV series and highlight as much of the notable events that occurred in the series as possible but this seemed at the expense of any real character development. Characters are paraded through the movie at such a breakneck pace that it doesn't leave much time to "get to know" all the characters outside of a few notables.
Kimura Takuya (Hero; Pride; Long Vacation) is perfectly cast as iconic hero Kodai Susumu and successfully captures the character's rebel attitude. Kimura's boyish charms and star charisma only help to make Susumu more likable and identifiable. Okinawan J-Pop idol and beauty Kuroki Meisa also successfully realizes the character of love interest Mori Yuki, but rather than play her as an ethereal and delicate beauty, as in the anime series she is portrayed as a brash hotshot, "Cosmo Tiger" pilot which is one of the more clever changes made at updating the character. Their romantic scenes are good but do not really capture the same tender and playful romance of the original. Ikeuchi Hiroyuki (the brutal Miura in Wilson Yip's "Ip Man") is a standout with his gruff portrayal of "Space Marine", Saito Hajime (who was actually a prominent character in the "Yamato 2" series). His passionate and raw portrayal of Saito was very memorable. Yanagiba Toshiro (Bayside Shakedown) was also well cast as Science Officer Sanada Shiro. There are also a number of familiar veteran stars rounding out the cast including Yamazaki Tsutomu (Departures) who plays Captain Okita, Nishida Toshiyuki (Tsuribaka Nisshi series) who plays Chief Engineer Tokugawa, Takashima Reiko (Railways) who portrays Dr. Sado and Hashizume Isao (A Taxing Woman; Nada Sou Sou) who portrays Earth Defense Commander Todou. They are all very good but their screen times are so far and few in-between. They might as well have been cameos.
As with his previous films such as "Returner", "Juvenile" and "Always San Chou Me No Yuhi" Yamazaki's visual flair and style worked well with the material. Yamazaki and his SFX team do an absolutely outstanding and brilliant job of realizing Matsumoto Leiji's Yamato star cruiser design. The same can't be said of the GamilusGamilon Aliens who seem to be cut of the same cloth as the aliens from so many other alien invasion films of Hollywood. Those expecting to see the regal head of villainous DesslerDessloc may be disappointed at seeing his movie counterpart who is uninteresting to say the least.
Fans may also be somewhat confused and ambivalent about the major storyline changes that were done. While it did seem a very radical and interesting take I can't say that it was a right choice for the story.
All in all fans will certainly enjoy this big budgeted, SFX heavy, popcorn movie but those expecting to be emotional moved by the story will be somewhat disappointed.
Review by jmaruyama from the Internet Movie Database.
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