009 4 Okay . . . if you are a Oshi fan , then you realize that his films are very much like that of Kubrick . They lack linear progression that we are used to in western style film making . That is to say that the ideas are presented and then we are shown why , unlike Hollywood that will spoon-feed you the story frame by frame until it is wrapped up in a nice little package that makes sense . Well life rarely cleans up well and the pace of life can at times be mundane and confusing . The Sky Crawlers is one such film . It's pace is slow and deliberate . The background of the protagonists and the world that they inhabit is vague and distant , but seemingly no less mundane and repetitive then that of our main characters . The war that they fight is without end for there can be no victors of loosers . . . just a balance of power that shifts as one side gains ground . The antagonist of the story is a myth and enigma . He is never seen in person and he is all powerful to those he encounters . The lives of the pilots who are forever adolesents or kildren as they are called is one that has no meaning outside of fighting this war the is between corporations , not nations . I felt in some ways that I was getting to see one of the soilders in the never ending war of 1984 .
The characters that exist as adults seem to perform their tasks like kildred's repetitive lives . We see the same old man sitting outside of the cafe , the people inside are always inside , always at the same table , the same workers are always serving the people whenever someone goes inside . The local whores , as one may assume they are , take care of the pilots that venture out for R & R . The technology in the film seem to never have advanced any further then it needed to in their world . Why would it when progress mean progressive thought , and that would be dangerous in a world the relied on a subduded populous the garnered entertainment on a war that made them as people appreciate their peace . A world that the battles fought are done so at the expense and harm of no private citizen . but rest assured that it's splendor and horror with be televised to the masses complete with numbers of casualties and losses .
This film was remarkable to me , and to anyone that enjoys a movie that days later will have you thinking about the complexities of it . Yet it appears so simplistic on it's surface . The animation is lovely , the technology is fascinating and if you are a WW2 plane buff you will have blast looking at the mismosh of classic planes all put into various new aircraft to come up with something really cool . Stay for the ending credits or fast forward to the end to see the final scene . It is very enlightening and helps to show why our main character has the feeling of deja vu throughout the movie . if you liked 12 monkeys , 1984 , Jin Roh , or alternate history stories and really well written sci-fi then this is for you . If you want shoot em ups and vanilla story telling then avoid this , you will be bored .
001 4 I went and saw The Sky Crawlers at Toronto's 08 Film Festival , and wasn't surprised when most of the audience seemed to walk away feeling a bit unaffected by the movie . The film's director Mamoru Oshii has a cinematic style that is nothing if not an acquired taste - - one that domestic theaters are reticent to acquire .
Any person who has addicted themselves to the traditional Aristotelian story structure will find themselves feeling lost and aimless by the middle of Act 2 in Sky Crawlers and most of Oshii's films . If there even is an Act 2 in the first place . The big bang opening action sequence between the fighter pilots in Sky Crawlers is about as formulaic as Oshii is willing to get with any of his movies . After that , he transitions from speed-of-light action to speed-of-life storytelling where his characters and their dialoug all have the same pacing and meandering of real life . That means , if you're used to Hollywood's colorful characters bloated with one-liners and a plot that runs straight for the end-zone , than you'll probably find Oshii's films to be slow . Maybe even boring .
It also means that you're probably not his audience .
Oshii's primary audience seems to be himself , as most of his characters seem to be alter-egos helping him resolve his own philosophical conflicts and questions about society . His secondary audience is anybody trying to do the same for themselves . I don't mind watching Oshii talk to himself in his movies since the dialog is so intelligent and unpretentious . For the most part the characters say what they mean , and mean what they say . They can't afford to do otherwise , because we are finding them at dark , introspective moments in their lives which is usually when a person is pruned of all pretense . This is precisely why I find Oshii's cinematic language so refreshing . Despite his graphically lush visuals , his movies manage to have a closer kinship to literature than cinema . Listening may be more important than looking in his films . For example , the characters in Sky Crawlers speak Japanese on the ground , but switch to English when at war . This effect seems to be commentary on how American occupation has shifted the habits of Japan's youth , which according to Oshii , has become more violent .
There are times when I fount myself worried about the fate of this film . Oshii offered a very sincere message to the youth before the release of this film , indicating that he does want young people to appreciate the movie . And yet the sobering nature of the film may struggle in penetrating the narcissistic shell of the people he hoped to reach . Oshii's work is smart and the crowd that he hopes to touch is usually smart-a * * . Two different things .
If nothing else , this movie will find a home with an intelligent crowd that is already familiar with his approach to film . I'm glad that this movie was picked up for DVD release by Sony . Oshii's discipline and intelligence is a prize import for American film viewers .
005 4 Director Mamoru Oshii has pushed the envelope once again with his newest film , The Sky Crawlers .
This movie is a complex , but stunning film about teenagers trapped in a melancholy world of repetitive aerial combat .
The movie opens up at a snail's pace , with isolated , depressed male pilots known as Kildren , with no other amusement other than eating at the meat pie diner and having sex in the mansion with other women .
In their planes , they fight enemy planes from a country known only as the Loutan . However , most of their existence is a boring world , in which they never grow old . All they know is that they are children , who could never possibly gain access into the adult world . The only threat to their existence is the unknown airplane above the clouds , known only as The Teacher .
Perhaps it's a somewhat excessive visual representation of the Japanese life of otaku , young men who trap themselves in their home , fearful of the criticism from the adults in the faceless corporate world . The characters have the most depressing and nonchalant dialogue ever heard in an anime . However , director Mamoru Oshii makes it all work .
The film is a deadpan Catch - 22 - styled story , in which the main character , Yuichi , is trying to figure out exactly who he is . Although he has hardly any memory of his past , he offers his love interest , Suito Kusanagi , the hope for change in their depressing life as Kildren .
Admittedly , the aerial dogfight in the end of the film is an impossibly excessive and violent end . However , given that the concept of the film is out of this world in the first place , it all works beautifully . Although some anime fans might find the film boring at first , The Sky Crawlers has plenty of earth-shaking emotional sequences , in which Kusanagi desperately plays with a gun in her hand on a particularly depressing night out .
This is one of the best anime films I have ever seen , filled with some spectacular dogfights with surreal imagery . But although there is plenty of action , the dogfights pale in comparison to the heartbreaking emotional exchanges throughout the film . While American audiences may be easily turned off , this is a true masterpiece by Mamoru Oshii .
010 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
These days I have found that the harder an anime is to understand the worst it seems to do with the mainstream anime fans . This anime can be interpretted so many different ways . I personnally have found around 3 interpretations of this anime . This can very to a metaphor to life , or even to how the anime industry has turned to the same thing day in and day out . I ended up using on of the reviews for the basis behind when i watched the movie again . This is without a doubt one of my favorite movies for how deep it can be , how deep the message can be . As well as how this message can directly relate to life . There are some movies that people are just prone to not liking in the least just because they cant see the message or they cant see how it relates to them . I am this way with 5 Centimeters Per Second and Shigurui . I found 5CpS to be boring and way to sappy . I found Shigurui to be so slow it hurt ( 1 thing happens per episode . Thats it . ) The other reason I wanted to write this review is to put into the spotlight the best review of this movie that i have seen .
[ . . . ] .
The one thing that i beleive makes this movie worth renting or even buying is the fact that it is one of the most beautiful anime movies i have seen . The scenery seems to jump out . I will be buying this movie on Blu-Ray just to watch this movie in high definition and enjoy the visuals . If you dont like this movie for its story , the visuals make up for it , same with % CpS . Not Shigurui , unless you like looking at bugs and Resident Evil 5 screenshots . Ugh .
026 4 I can't believe all of the negative reviews on Amazon for The Sky Crawlers . It is an incredible movie and one of Oshii's best in my opinion . I'm not going to go into a lot of detail , but the other more extensive positive reviews on here say it all . It is a slowly paced movie but I didn't get bored at all or ever see any pacing problems . I guess some people just didn't expect what they got from it . I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys animation and Sci-Fi that makes you think and asks questions . * * * * *
037 4 The intro is the best part , unfortunately then the movies starts . Thus begins the boring sky crawl . If you watch the special features before the movie like I did , you will be amazed that the director , crew and artists flew to Poland and the U.S . to make sure they got all the little details right . The set of this world is quite amazingly drawn , you see where the research in Poland pays off . Sometimes you think it's real . The American sound artists at the Skywalker Ranch did top notch sound effects , however , the characters are drawn very poorly , like something you'd see in the 70 ' s Speed Racer cartoon . When everything else is drawn so incredibly realistic , you expect the characters to look as good as those in FINAL FANTASY : The Spirits Within . However , since the characters were so boring , improving their appearance probably wouldn't have helped . Part of the problem is understanding the backstory . I've never the read the book , or cartoon , or whatever this originated from . You really need some kind of scrolling history at the beginning , ala Star Wars , to know what's going on . Very little is explained . The unit's Commanding Officer ( which the movie calls the Command Officer ) doesn't look or act the part . When she goes bowling and takes off her jacket , she looks like a Japanese schoolgirl , with her little skirt and knee-high socks - - that's a CO ? Lots of disconnects : you have Japanese-looking characters , with Japanese names , flying WWII vintage Axis planes , in Europe , using modern cell phones , driving vintage vehicles , but having modern War-Rooms , speaking Japanese on the ground , but English while in the cockpit , but not even bothering to use correct aviation-lingo . Height instead of altitude for example . Signage on the city streets is in Polish . All these disconnects are one problem , but the main problem is the plodding pace . I fell asleep watching it the first time , forced myself to watch the rest of it the next day . Watching the special features , you notice how the director has his photographers take pix of everything , such as hinges on a hanger door , and stickers on fire extinguishers . If only he paid such attention to the screenplay . The dialogue was terrible at times . I want you to shoot me with this gun . First off , it's a pistol , as any military person would know . Secondly , that sounds so stilted . Again , someone should have proofed the screenplay - the dialogue was the weakest part of this movie , followed by the poor artistry in drawing the characters . I think Memphis Belle told the same story much better . SPOILER ALERT : people need something to work for , the end of war , or the chance to go home , or both . But if life continues endlessly like Murray's Groundhog Day , with no hope of release , you will go insane or want to shoot yourself . And then , after suffering thru this movie , you almost do want to shoot yourself . What a disappointing end .
020 4 First , let me say that this is not your usual , giant robot anime . There are no monsters . There are no powerful and magical battles being waged between tall haired tweens . While it does fall into the fantasy and science fiction genre , it approaches it with a real world flair and concentrates on people more than just amazing flying machines .
Enter the world of THE SKY CRAWLERS - an alternate timeline in another world . A battle is being fought between two factions and children-beings called Kildren fight within it . They may live forever - no one knows . They know that each day may be their last . And , they don't care . They fight when called on and spend the rest of their time waiting to fight again . Grim , indeed .
But , there's more .
If you are a fan of GHOST IN THE SHELL , PATLABOR or JIN ROH , you already know about Oshii and the deliberate pacing of his films . He takes time with them and lets the viewer take everything in . Sounds and interactions take on a quiet strength that makes you take stock in what's really going on . The characters wander through their world and take on a realistic and sometimes fatalistic quality that strikes a chord when watching .
But , it's not all character and plot development . It's dogfights and amazing design . The propeller driven fighters the Kildren fight in are based in a real world design and are very believable . This isn't X-Wings and things of fantasy . These machines look like they could be built and flown today . The vehicles are rendered in 3D while the characters are drawn ( a style I love ! ) and the blend works very well . This is something Oshii does in many of his films and it works really well . The dogfights are amazing and choreographed very well . They could hold their own in the world of cinematic air battles .
Fans of Oshii are also familiar with something else as well . The feeling that you missed something somewhere along the line . You follow MOST of the plot , then something that is introduced somehow misses the thought process and you find yourself thinking , I don't get it . And , a second later , you shrug and think , Yeah , but , I don't really care . This is really cool , and move along . If you've seen GHOST IN THE SHELL , think about long strings of dialogue about th Puppet Master and his plans and ghosts and the meaning of life . Yes , now you get it . It never reaches THOSE proportions , but prepare for that watching CRAWLERS - it'll happen , I'm sure , but you won't care because it's so much fun to watch .
Oddly , the folly work and sound design on this film struck me as well . I found myself wondering if Oshii had players acting out each scene so he could get the proper sound for the scenes . It was real and well done and really helped to lock me into a real world feeling even though the film was animated .
Half way through the film I muttered , That's it , I gotta buy this film , out loud . I think that sums it up rather well . If you're a fan of Oshii , real world anime , World War II dogfight films , or alternate time line fantasy , you'll love THE SKY CRAWLERS .
011 4 These days I have found that the harder an anime is to understand the worst it seems to do with the mainstream anime fans . This anime can be interpretted so many different ways . I personnally have found around 3 interpretations of this anime . This can very to a metaphor to life , or even to how the anime industry has turned to the same thing day in and day out . I ended up using on of the reviews for the basis behind when i watched the movie again . This is without a doubt one of my favorite movies for how deep it can be , how deep the message can be . As well as how this message can directly relate to life . There are some movies that people are just prone to not liking in the least just because they cant see the message or they cant see how it relates to them . I am this way with 5 Centimeters Per Second and Shigurui . I found 5CpS to be boring and way to sappy . I found Shigurui to be so slow it hurt ( 1 thing happens per episode . Thats it . ) The other reason I wanted to write this review is to put into the spotlight the best review of this movie that i have seen .
[ . . . ] .
The one thing that i beleive makes this movie worth renting or even buying is the fact that it is one of the most beautiful anime movies i have seen . The scenery seems to jump out . I will be buying this movie on Blu-Ray just to watch this movie in high definition and enjoy the visuals . If you dont like this movie for its story , the visuals make up for it , same with % CpS . Not Shigurui , unless you like looking at bugs and Resident Evil 5 screenshots . Ugh .
035 4 I watched this in a newly renovated HD theater room in my friend's Park Avenue luxury rental . Even in a perfect acoustic / screen setting , it still couldn't keep any of us interested . My friends and I are not / no-longer huge anime fans like when we where teenagers , but it takes quite a beating to actually bore one of us to sleep . Hay ! We were awake through the whole watchman movie ! Take about endurance in comparison if you need one to gauge !
The hand-drawn simple character face , complex background nostalgic style made world famous by Miyazaki was GREATLY appreciated , but the story of this firm cannot be more fragmented and thrown-together as can be ! It felt as if they took a 20 volume comic , truncated it to a feature length in DVD , AND took all the relevant / exciting part out of it .
Not to give the storyline away , what's the deal with introducing a race of pilots that doesn't age with a one-liner and not follow up with it ? Moreover , the last 30 minutes leading up to the main character in recon flying off of formation to have a vis-à-vis for a Darth Vader moment which was again , interjected by the main character's one-liner , and lasted an anticlimactic 30 seconds if even sans substance ? Ugh !
I loved the style and the depth of SOME characters they were able to introduced that made you care for more than the next guy that you know oh yeah , he's going to die next , but this is truly one of the most boring anime I have seen in quite some time !
If you can afford a calm night over a semi-fine bottle of wine over this on a rainy night , this might perhaps be your second choice if there's nothing else of interest to watch , and you are of mature audience that could appreciate a fine piece of work as far as rendition goes . Yet , I could not recommend this film to any ordinary fans , unless I know they have a penchant toward this sort of slow-as-slug films . To illiterate , this film moves so slowly that if the character said he's going to get out of his chair and kill me at the end of the table of where I sit , I could afford to leave , taxi home , walk my dog , call my wife and hear her complain about JFK's flight delay , have another snack , THEN taxi back to the bar , the guy will still be about 10 feet away trying to encircle the table to get to me .
Side note , I have been off anime since coming out of school for quite some time , but what happened to the anime world ? When I was but a child the size of a peanut living in Asia in the late 80s ' . . . city hunter , saint seiya , fist of the north star , touch , orange road , crap , EVEN the endless tirade of gundams . I could say with ease the last quality anime I watched was Evangelion , and that was more than 10 years ago ! I was barely out of high school !
PS : For the ones whom liked this film , I understood , and I am not stepping on your taste . This film is like a fine bottle of white whiskey from Romania ( which taste like rice wine ) , if you like it , you like it .
Back to work after a short break , on sunday of 2 : 30am . . .
032 4 There is really not much to say except that this a drawn out cartoon with extremely lackluster animation . The look , story , and pacing are slow and sloppy . There is 5 to 8 minutes of passable entertainment while the rest is sadly filler . This is time I cannot get back in my life . There is a huge emphasis on smoking cigarettes which comes off as Why ? Why is that all of the technical features such as aircraft , vehicles , and military installations all look sophisticated and top notch and then all of the characters look really crappy ? It looks like lazy drawing . I think it is safe to say that these anime films are for populations that are starved for any type of entertainment .
006 4 The other people's review pretty much said about everything of this film .
The only thing that i feel upset is the theme song by Ayaka is cut out of the US version . . . : (
FYI :
The theme song title is Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete , and it was meant to be at the end credits , but was replaced by other soundtrack . The song is great and I think the music is part of the movie , so it is a big deal for me : )
016 4 I though it was a great anime movie . Confusing at times but over all very entertaining . I give it a rating of four stars .
047 4 I was so dissapointed in this dull , veeeeery slow moving movie . It really did not make any sense . I wanted to return it . Now that I think about it ; it does not deserve One Star .
033 4 First thing I should mention is that in any of my reviews , as indicated by the title , I always put spoilers in them , so read at your own risk .
Anyway , the positives . The plane combat , while limited , is pretty cool while it lasts , though I wished they showed more of the 2nd to the last battle when a massive air strike was called . And the animation is pretty good . Not your typical everyday anime animation . And above all else , you actually care about some of the characters , and you hope for them , waiting to see if everything will turn out all right . For example , Suito tends to be likeable at times , yet suicidal , and you get to sympathize with her considering what she's been through . She always seems to want to either shoot the heroin 。 。 ichi , or herself , yet 。 。 ichi can't help but seem to fall for her . At times their relationship got a bit disturbing . But because of that , you hope that somehow she will overcome it , or he will help her overcome her problem , or at the very least be curious to see how it turns out .
One last positive . There's a point in the movie where you think Oh no , it's now going to end here leaving me hanging is it ? Thankfully it doesn't , resolving some questions ( sort of ) while keeping others up to the audience .
Now the negatives . The movie is slow paced , so watch it with that in mind . Like one other reviewer said , there isn't really any story development on why they fight the war ; the movie basically says it doesn't matter why they're fighting due to a philisophical discussion and undertone 。 。 ichi and Suito have one dinner , but you can't help but think afterwards that it's just a copout . But taking into consideration that very discussion , plus the similar philisophical discussion on ' The Teacher ' , you could predict that the movie is not going to have an uplifting ending , which it doesn't . The face-off between 。 。 ichi and ' The Teacher ' still kept the face of The Teacher in the dark , so the only identification you get of him is his jaguar airplane , plus the history Suito had with him .
Anyway , if you can handle the ending of Jin Roh and the Wolf Brigade , you can handle this . If you like slow paced anime with philisophical undertones ( although , like in most anime , the philosophy and themes are made obvious ) , with the occasional battle here and there , plus good animation drawing styles , and could care less if the ending is happy or sad , then feel free to give this a shot . You'll probably only watch it once .
Me , personally , I prefer animes with a more uplifting ending , though I thoroughly enjoyed Samurai X , and American Beauty ( not anime , but still ) . I wouldn't watch this one again . But just for the animation and the air battles alone , and since the story wasn't all that dull , I'll give it a 3 out of 5 , which might be 1 / 2 a point generous for me .
One last thing . There is an anime series I strongly recommend over watching this movie . Last Exile . Different world , different feel , more traditional present day animation , but has a good story with cool air battles and races .
030 4 This is no Miyazaki , this is not nausicaa , this is not even close to a D rated movie . The animation is good , but the story is , well , just not there . The story is not well developed and it drags and drags and drags to complete boredom . By the time the movie ends all you'll want is a refund of your time . Not worth watching , much less buying .
Innocence , Angel's Egg , Urusei Yatsura : Beautiful Dreamer , Jin-Roh and many more well known titles ) and features music from well known composer Kenji Kawai and of course , the acclaimed animation studio Production I.G .
Instead of going with popular and experienced anime voice talent for the main character roles , Oshii went with Japanese top acting talents in film such as Academy Award nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi ( Babel , Naisu no Mori : The First Contact ) , Ryo Kase ( Hachimitsu to Clover , Naisu no Mori : The First Contact , Tokyo ! , etc . ) and Chiaki Kuriyama ( Kill Bill Vol . 1 , Azumi 2 : Death or Love , Battle Royale , etc . ) .
VIDEO AND AUDIO :
THE SKY CRAWLERS is one of the most impressive looking anime that I have seen to come from Japan in terms of bringing realism and animation together . The opening sequence is just enough to surprise anyone of how beautiful director Mamoru Oshii strives in outdoing the look and feel of his last film .
GHOST IN THE SHELL : INNOCENCE looked gorgeous but THE SKY CRAWLERS which is featured in 1080p High Definition ( aspect ratio 1 : 78 : 1 ) features awesome cloud effects , water effects , sunlight , shading and just everything you can think of Production I.G . can do to make it feel like you are watching real footage . In one scene where the planes fly high overhead , you can see water crashing into the rocky cliffs and it looks so breathtakingly real , I was very impressed of how 3D was utilized in the film .
I also found the background art and overall artistic look of the locations , an office or bedroom looked in the film . From the posters on the wall , details on the wood of table , details of the many trees . It's one thing to have vibrancy in colors which THE SKY CRAWLERS definitely has but to have this level of incredible detail was amazing .
If there was one thing that did surprise me is with the gorgeous 3D and the magnificent backgrounds , the character designs looked simple and clean but without the massive shading or detail that the film showcases in the background and for some , that simpleness may not be accepted when everything else looks beautiful .
I would imagine that the direction for the character design was to put emphasis on the pilot's surroundings and the various location shots but nevertheless , aside from the character designs , everything else looks incredible .
The picture quality of the film is nice and colorful and I don't recall seeing any compression artifacts , nor did I see any dust or scratches . If anything , the picture quality was very well done .
But what I found incredible on this Blu-ray is the audio quality . THE SKY CRAWLERS is featured in Japanese , English and Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 ( also , in Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 ) . For the making of this film , director Mamoru Oshii and Production I.G . worked with the folks at Skywalker Sound acclaimed for their expertise in audio . So , aside from the audio directionals on different channels which you would expect from the air battles and aircraft zipping around the air , audio is not limited to action scenes . In fact , you will be immersed in sound as you can hear the wind , crickets , birds and various sounds from the distance come alive all around you .
The audio is quite immersive and I don't think I have heard an anime film ( aside from the recent Akira Blu-ray release ) that would utilize audio so effectively . The lossless track for THE SKY CRAWLERS is well done !
Picture and audio quality definitely earn high marks for this Blu-ray release . As for subtitles , THE SKY CRAWLERS is featured in English , English SDH , French , Portuguese and Spanish .
SPECIAL FEATURES :
THE SKY CRAWLERS has a total of three informative special features which are all featured in High Definition with subtitles in English , Spanish and Portuguese . The special features included are :
* Animation Research for The Sky Crawlers Featurette - ( 30 : 52 ) A very informative special feature showcasing Mamoru Oshii and the Production I.G . staff in the Czech Republic . Director Mamoru Oshii explains why he does a lot of research when it comes to looking for locations on which to utilize in THE SKY CRAWLERS . Oshii is quite thorough as he looks at various aircraft , inspecting them , looking at things in the walls , various pipes , crates , switch panels and anything he can utilize in the film in a similar condition and making sure his photographers are there to take a picture of those objects . Also , featuring Oshii looking at soldier uniforms , buildings , school rooms and having his staff experience bowling . Also , shopping in a mall area and purchasing dozens of fashion books . A very interesting behind-the-scenes look at how meticulous Oshii is about getting certain details of machinery to clothing styles and incorporating it into THE SKY CRAWLERS .
* The Sound Design and Animation of the Sky Crawlers Featurette - ( 32 : 16 ) Director Mamoru Oshii and the Production I.G . staff fly to California to visit Skywalker Ranch . It is the first time that Oshii utilizes the acclaimed studio for audio but a very good behind-the-scenes look at how Oshii directs the crew of how he wants audio utilized and being impressed with what Skywalker Ranch has been able to give him . This is very interesting to watch because in past interviews with Oshii , he has a very pro Japanese stance in the way films should be made , so for him to mention how Skywalker Ranch works on a lot of Hollywood films and then he , himself utilizing the popular sound studio was interesting . Also , interesting is how he interacts with his staff and the voice talent and the amount of work his whole staff went through in the process of making the film . Very informative and enjoyable to watch !
* Sky's the Limit : An Interview with Director Mamoru Oshii - ( 15 : 18 ) Director Mamoru Oshii talks about the characters and working on this film . Although the duration is around 15 minutes long , the interview portions are featured sporadically with anime cuts from the film in between each interview portion . Nevertheless , any featurette that helps the viewer learn the mindset of Oshii is a major plus .
JUDGMENT CALL :
THE SKY CRAWLERS is indeed a beautiful film that showcases top notch anime visuals utilizing 3D CG and beautiful background artwork . The film features an incredible lossless audio track that is definitely going to impress audiophiles who have desired more quality anime releases with top notch Japanese / English audio quality .
With that being said , I have to say that THE SKY CRAWLERS is another masterpiece from the critically acclaimed anime director and the film is nothing short of stunning and fantastic . With that being said , Oishii films are appreciated by fans who are willing to be open to cerebral storylines or storylines with a philosophical meaning behind it .
Like many of his film's , I have to watch it several times to appreciate the film in various levels . Ghost In the Shell 2 : Innocence was visually captivating but the amount of detail that went into the creation of THE SKY CRAWLERS is amazing . The amount of detail incorporated to the audio is just amazing . You hear the basset hound barking in certain parts of the film that made me pause and wonder if the dog barking was coming from a neighbor , even the crickets .
Obviously , Oishii working with Skywalker Sound was definitely a magnificent partnership because the audio truly made this film come alive . It matched the quality set by Production I.G . in the beautiful 3D and artistic backgrounds and you really feel immersed in the detail and the storyline .
Also , it was a very bold move to go with Japanese film actors instead of experience anime voice talent . Even with the interviews on the special features , actress Rinko Kikuchi and actor Ryo Kase were unsure how they did in the film but were assured by the staff that they would take care of the rest . The talent felt they could have done more , so that uneasy feeling that they had , I think that Director Oshii wanted that . To make the film sound real , unclear emotions to be real and not to be well-acted . Definitely interesting choices made in the creation of this film .
With everything that I said being so positive about the film's video and audio quality , I do have to say that THE SKY CRAWLERS is a film that moves slowly . This is not a film to watch late at night if you are tired , this is a film that you may need to watch twice to understand certain scenes that you may have missed earlier in the film . Oishii chooses not to reveal much about the Kildren , he chooses to focus on the main characters .
This leaves us with many questions of Why are they like this ? , Why were they created ? . . . A lot of questions asking why ? and unfortunately , the film doesn't go into detail about the why's , it explorers these people who were created this way and live this way and now question that way of life and not having really any control of their destiny or do they ?
Overall , THE SKY CRAWLERS is a fine film and the Blu-ray release definitely makes you much more appreciative of Mamoru Oshii's work . And most importantly , advice from Oshii from the special features , make sure you watch the film entirely as their is an imporant scene that takes place after the credits .
THE SKY CRAWLERS is highly recommended !
002 4 From the award-winning director of the critically acclaimed anime film Ghost in the Shell , Momuru Oshii , comes another award-winning tale of heroes that have eternal youth , waging a battle they can barely understand . Based on the novel by Mori Hiroshi and adapted for the screen by Chihiro Ito , Oshii's newest film captures powerful thought-provoking commentary about the evils of war and the price of peace , in a world where corporations wage war and young warriors can be legally murdered . Sky Crawlers is a dramatic film that has gorgeous animation and displays fantastic dogfights ; and along all this massive commercial appeal and science fiction undertone , the film maintains a soul .
There is a war between Lautern and Rostock corporations , and the very real wars are staged within a theater area . Kildrens are fighter pilots bio-engineered to stay young and never to reach adulthood - - they are trained to wage furious dogfights above the clouds . A young pilot , Yuichi Kannami only has his childhood memory made up of intense dogfights , and the teenage pilot struggles with the fragmented feelings of a lost past . When his beautiful commanding officer Suito Kusanagi ( voiced by Rinko Kikuchi ) refuses to disclose information on the fate of the pilot that Yuichi is replacing , added to the fact that the new plane he is now using is in such pristine condition , Yuichi's curiosity threatens to take hold of him .
Momuru Oshii once again succeeds in bringing his audience to a world where wars are waged without the innocent casualties , but it still results in the loss of innocence and the price of peace may still be too high a price to pay . Oshii brings powerful commentary about the necessities of war , that misery may be necessary to sustain peace so that society can have the illusion of order . The way the film is structured is excellent as Oshii slowly but methodically brings us to understand this surreal world . It is curious that the time and place is almost unspecified , but I think it would be safe to assume that this is a futuristic world , a near dystopian post apocalyptic future because of the advances in bio-engineering . However , it is also quite curious that this world would use propeller-driven aircraft with designs that looked very advance ; it is an odd mixing of future and past tech , this was intentionally meant to emulate this world's past history of bloody wars and that nuclear weapons should be kept out of the picture .
This world uses young warriors to fight their wars , and these pilots are ones with no family and little memories of their past . The film revolves around the relationship between Kusanagi and Kannami , the mysteries of their past life that carries a lot of effective dramatic elements that is the film's main showstopper . Questions such as ; when can human experiences prove more than enough ? Just how much can one strong individual bear before they can begin to break down ? Oshii brings a very dark vision as to how this world can use these human beings to almost fight forever , whose existence can only be ended when they are killed . Oshii brings a true emotional experience , as the viewer is slowly brought to the lives of Kusanagi and Kannami . The direction is powerful and enthralling enough to keep the viewer absorbed in its human drama . I cannot reveal anymore without spoiling the film , but I can tell you this much , the twist and turns in the film's structure are touching , surprisingly outstanding in the manner that it plays the plot's key elements .
The characters in Sky Crawlers feel very real , and you can easily make an attachment to them . The most interesting character of all would have to be Suito Kusanagi ( curiously carries a strong resemblance to the major in Ghost in the Shell ) , and most of the film's burden falls on her . Mitsuya ( voiced by Chiaki Kuriyama ) didn't show up until the film's third act , but the significance of her character is beautifully played by Oshii . The animation is a blend of 3 - D graphics and it seems to me that the only 2 - D animation rendered may be the characters . Some may feel the simplicity on the characters ' rendition may be a little out of place but I rather liked the fact that the animation helmed by Nishikubo Toshihiko was kept grounded and a little restrained . I would not like an overload of special effects to overshadow exactly what the film is trying to say . Yes , the film is an emotionally driven melodrama , with nicely placed sequences of dogfights ONLY to keep it interesting ; but the aerial battles aren't the film's main draw . Those looking for fast-paced action are better off looking elsewhere .
The film isn't perfect though , as it doesn't really draw upon the stakes as to why this war is being fought . The corporations lacked ( ahem ) development , and the life outside the lives of our squadron are only hinted at and never truly fleshed out . Besides some minor plot limitations imposed by itself , the film does remain strong in its brilliant simplicity . I liked the mysterious Teacher in a plane with a black jaguar in its nose , I was reminded of the Red Baron in World War One - - a supposedly ace pilot that any encounter with him may mean certain death . It added a certain different air of mystery , although some parts felt a little forced ; but it doesn ` t really hurt the movie . This is also NOT your children's anime film , as besides its darkly thought-provoking premise , there are hinted at sex and mild nudity . This film is rightfully rated PG - 13 .
Sky Crawlers may have a somewhat bizarre title , but believe me when I say that this anime film is very much worth a spin . Much like Oshii's Ghost in the Shell , the film manages to find a soul , with a well-structured story that hits all the right spots . Remarkably simple , and astonishingly thought-provoking , the film manages to instill our emotions . During these times , it makes us wonder what exactly are the young men and women are sacrificing to safeguard peace and order . Just how exactly can war affect an individual ? Would each kill affect their soul ? When is enough is enough ?
Highly Recommended ! [ 4 ½ Stars ]
003 4 In 2001 , the best-selling novel THE SKY CRAWLERS by Hiroshi Mori was written and published . The novel would feature several books released between 2004 and 2008 which include None But the Air , Down to Heaven , Flutter Into Life , Cradle the Sky and Sky Eclipse .
In 2008 , the novel was adapted to an animated film by critically acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii ( Ghost in the Shell , Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence , Angel's Egg , Urusei Yatsura : Beautiful Dreamer , Jin-Roh and many more well known titles ) and features music from well known composer Kenji Kawai and of course , the acclaimed animation studio Production I.G .
Instead of going with popular and experienced anime voice talent for the main character roles , Oshii went with Japanese top acting talents in film such as Academy Award nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi ( Babel , Naisu no Mori : The First Contact ) , Ryo Kase ( Hachimitsu to Clover , Naisu no Mori : The First Contact , Tokyo ! , etc . ) and Chiaki Kuriyama ( Kill Bill Vol . 1 , Azumi 2 : Death or Love , Battle Royale , etc . ) .
VIDEO AND AUDIO :
THE SKY CRAWLERS is one of the most impressive looking anime that I have seen to come from Japan in terms of bringing realism and animation together . The opening sequence is just enough to surprise anyone of how beautiful director Mamoru Oshii strives in outdoing the look and feel of his last film .
GHOST IN THE SHELL : INNOCENCE looked gorgeous but THE SKY CRAWLERS which is featured in 1080p High Definition ( aspect ratio 1 : 78 : 1 ) features awesome cloud effects , water effects , sunlight , shading and just everything you can think of Production I.G . can do to make it feel like you are watching real footage . In one scene where the planes fly high overhead , you can see water crashing into the rocky cliffs and it looks so breathtakingly real , I was very impressed of how 3D was utilized in the film .
I also found the background art and overall artistic look of the locations , an office or bedroom looked in the film . From the posters on the wall , details on the wood of table , details of the many trees . It's one thing to have vibrancy in colors which THE SKY CRAWLERS definitely has but to have this level of incredible detail was amazing .
If there was one thing that did surprise me is with the gorgeous 3D and the magnificent backgrounds , the character designs looked simple and clean but without the massive shading or detail that the film showcases in the background and for some , that simpleness may not be accepted when everything else looks beautiful .
I would imagine that the direction for the character design was to put emphasis on the pilot's surroundings and the various location shots but nevertheless , aside from the character designs , everything else looks incredible .
The picture quality of the film is nice and colorful and I don't recall seeing any compression artifacts , nor did I see any dust or scratches . If anything , the picture quality was very well done .
But what I found incredible on this Blu-ray is the audio quality . THE SKY CRAWLERS is featured in Japanese , English and Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 ( also , in Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 ) . For the making of this film , director Mamoru Oshii and Production I.G . worked with the folks at Skywalker Sound acclaimed for their expertise in audio . So , aside from the audio directionals on different channels which you would expect from the air battles and aircraft zipping around the air , audio is not limited to action scenes . In fact , you will be immersed in sound as you can hear the wind , crickets , birds and various sounds from the distance come alive all around you .
The audio is quite immersive and I don't think I have heard an anime film ( aside from the recent Akira Blu-ray release ) that would utilize audio so effectively . The lossless track for THE SKY CRAWLERS is well done !
Picture and audio quality definitely earn high marks for this Blu-ray release . As for subtitles , THE SKY CRAWLERS is featured in English , English SDH , French , Portuguese and Spanish .
SPECIAL FEATURES :
THE SKY CRAWLERS has a total of three informative special features which are all featured in High Definition with subtitles in English , Spanish and Portuguese . The special features included are :
* Animation Research for The Sky Crawlers Featurette - ( 30 : 52 ) A very informative special feature showcasing Mamoru Oshii and the Production I.G . staff in the Czech Republic . Director Mamoru Oshii explains why he does a lot of research when it comes to looking for locations on which to utilize in THE SKY CRAWLERS . Oshii is quite thorough as he looks at various aircraft , inspecting them , looking at things in the walls , various pipes , crates , switch panels and anything he can utilize in the film in a similar condition and making sure his photographers are there to take a picture of those objects . Also , featuring Oshii looking at soldier uniforms , buildings , school rooms and having his staff experience bowling . Also , shopping in a mall area and purchasing dozens of fashion books . A very interesting behind-the-scenes look at how meticulous Oshii is about getting certain details of machinery to clothing styles and incorporating it into THE SKY CRAWLERS .
* The Sound Design and Animation of the Sky Crawlers Featurette - ( 32 : 16 ) Director Mamoru Oshii and the Production I.G . staff fly to California to visit Skywalker Ranch . It is the first time that Oshii utilizes the acclaimed studio for audio but a very good behind-the-scenes look at how Oshii directs the crew of how he wants audio utilized and being impressed with what Skywalker Ranch has been able to give him . This is very interesting to watch because in past interviews with Oshii , he has a very pro Japanese stance in the way films should be made , so for him to mention how Skywalker Ranch works on a lot of Hollywood films and then he , himself utilizing the popular sound studio was interesting . Also , interesting is how he interacts with his staff and the voice talent and the amount of work his whole staff went through in the process of making the film . Very informative and enjoyable to watch !
* Sky's the Limit : An Interview with Director Mamoru Oshii - ( 15 : 18 ) Director Mamoru Oshii talks about the characters and working on this film . Although the duration is around 15 minutes long , the interview portions are featured sporadically with anime cuts from the film in between each interview portion . Nevertheless , any featurette that helps the viewer learn the mindset of Oshii is a major plus .
JUDGMENT CALL :
THE SKY CRAWLERS is indeed a beautiful film that showcases top notch anime visuals utilizing 3D CG and beautiful background artwork . The film features an incredible lossless audio track that is definitely going to impress audiophiles who have desired more quality anime releases with top notch Japanese / English audio quality .
With that being said , I have to say that THE SKY CRAWLERS is another masterpiece from the critically acclaimed anime director and the film is nothing short of stunning and fantastic . With that being said , Oishii films are appreciated by fans who are willing to be open to cerebral storylines or storylines with a philosophical meaning behind it .
Like many of his film's , I have to watch it several times to appreciate the film in various levels . Ghost In the Shell 2 : Innocence was visually captivating but the amount of detail that went into the creation of THE SKY CRAWLERS is amazing . The amount of detail incorporated to the audio is just amazing . You hear the basset hound barking in certain parts of the film that made me pause and wonder if the dog barking was coming from a neighbor , even the crickets .
Obviously , Oishii working with Skywalker Sound was definitely a magnificent partnership because the audio truly made this film come alive . It matched the quality set by Production I.G . in the beautiful 3D and artistic backgrounds and you really feel immersed in the detail and the storyline .
Also , it was a very bold move to go with Japanese film actors instead of experience anime voice talent . Even with the interviews on the special features , actress Rinko Kikuchi and actor Ryo Kase were unsure how they did in the film but were assured by the staff that they would take care of the rest . The talent felt they could have done more , so that uneasy feeling that they had , I think that Director Oshii wanted that . To make the film sound real , unclear emotions to be real and not to be well-acted . Definitely interesting choices made in the creation of this film .
With everything that I said being so positive about the film's video and audio quality , I do have to say that THE SKY CRAWLERS is a film that moves slowly . This is not a film to watch late at night if you are tired , this is a film that you may need to watch twice to understand certain scenes that you may have missed earlier in the film . Oishii chooses not to reveal much about the Kildren , he chooses to focus on the main characters .
This leaves us with many questions of Why are they like this ? , Why were they created ? . . . A lot of questions asking why ? and unfortunately , the film doesn't go into detail about the why's , it explorers these people who were created this way and live this way and now question that way of life and not having really any control of their destiny or do they ?
Overall , THE SKY CRAWLERS is a fine film and the Blu-ray release definitely makes you much more appreciative of Mamoru Oshii's work . And most importantly , advice from Oshii from the special features , make sure you watch the film entirely as their is an imporant scene that takes place after the credits .
THE SKY CRAWLERS is highly recommended !
004 4 When I originally read the review for this movie , I ignored it . The American summary makes it sound like an action packed shooter that , quite frankly , I had no interest in . But then I read that it was directed by Oshii , and my interest was peaked .
I have never disliked a single piece of work by Oshii , from Angel's Egg , through both Ghost in the Shell movies , and most especially Jin-Roh . I love the way he tells his stories , and how he draws out the characters to make them more than just plot driven vehicles .
And Sky Crawlers is no exception . It is a beautiful masterpiece of a movie that had me in shocked tears by the end . It isn't about airplanes shooting each other out of the sky , and it isn't truly about the war . And , for anyone who is looking for two hours of amazing flying fights , this isn't your movie .
While the fights in this movie are gorgeous and spectacular , they are not the point , and they certainly do not take up two hours worth of time . They are placed calmly and timely , and accentuate the storyline like a few drops of cream in a finely brewed tea .
The characters come alive , their suffering , their purpose , their torture . And , in the end , it leaves me wanting more , but knowing that I have already seen more . That the characters are old friends , and this was a fond memory in a photo album that I flipped through on a warm summer's day . These were people I got to know , jokes we laughed at , tears we cried .
And that's what the movie really is about ; the people .
While I don't know anything about the soundtrack being different on the American version than it is on the Japanese release ( something I am going to look into immediately after I publish this review ) , I do know that , even as it stands , it is still another beautiful piece by Kenji Kawai .
007 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers ( DVD )
An astonishing film , visually beautiful and deeply moving . However , it won't be for everyone , especially those who want to sit back and be entertained in an effortless way . Oshii isn't a filmmaker who caters to that kind of audience . I have admired his other films , especially Jin Roh , which for my money is one of the greatest animated films ever , and a great film in its own right ( animation aside ) . If you've seen Jin Roh and liked it , you will probably find The Sky Crawlers worth your time . I was surprised at how much I came to care about certain characters and how emotionally involving the film became . It was also thought-provoking , posing questions about the role of warfare in human society ; and had its exciting moments during aerial combat sequences .
Be sure to watch through to the end of the credits , as there is a tiny epilogue of sorts at the very end .
008 4 An astonishing film , visually beautiful and deeply moving . However , it won't be for everyone , especially those who want to sit back and be entertained in an effortless way . Oshii isn't a filmmaker who caters to that kind of audience . I have admired his other films , especially Jin Roh , which for my money is one of the greatest animated films ever , and a great film in its own right ( animation aside ) . If you've seen Jin Roh and liked it , you will probably find The Sky Crawlers worth your time . I was surprised at how much I came to care about certain characters and how emotionally involving the film became . It was also thought-provoking , posing questions about the role of warfare in human society ; and had its exciting moments during aerial combat sequences .
Be sure to watch through to the end of the credits , as there is a tiny epilogue of sorts at the very end .
012 4 The Sky Crawlers : ( Sukai Kurora ) : 7 out of 10 : This is an adult anime . . . In fact this is a very adult anime . No there isn t copious amounts of fan service or blood . ( In fact the film is rated PG - 13 primarily for smoking . ) Instead Sky Crawlers has a very quiet , reserved pacing . It s a two hour anime that feels like it clocks in at over three hours . Not boring per se but very deliberately paced with adult conversations , adult music and an overall adult tone that reminds one of Before Sunrise with occasional airborne dogfight to break up the relationship introspection .
The plot is both light ( I will reveal that here ) and quite heavy ( I will let the movie itself surprise you with its philosophical underpinnings ) . On the light side is there is a special group of teenagers who are pilots that never grow old . The movie refers to them as Kildren and much is made of how they are just kids ; but if you drive , fly , have sex , drink , and smoke a pack every 10 minutes of screen time your are at best a teen and in reality a young adult .
These Kildren fight in retro WW2 style aircraft against each other in an air war with no winners and no other casualties all to apparently satiate the public s need for conflict . ( Think Star Trek s A Taste of Armageddon ) . There is a new pilot , a wingman and a couple of androgynous love interests with deep secret pasts . There is even a Red Baron character rumored to be an adult and a constant source of tension and conversation in both the dogfights and on the ground .
The Animation is simply awe inspiring . The CGI work is better than many a Hollywood blockbuster and the 2 dimensional characters fit both the pacing and the mood of the film . The attention to detail is quite amazing overall .
Overall the film is recommended for fans of adult drama and serious anime . I do confess I did wish for longer sky battles , more realistic violence and even some fan service . It is ironic that one of the most adult anime I have ever seen suffers from a lack of adult thrills with its PG - 13 rating .
013 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers ( DVD )
This movie is very different then any run of the mill storyline . And I have to say that's what got me to watch this movie . Now I know I've heard people talk about this movie not being that good because it doesn't have a happy ending or really lead anywhere . I disagree with that though , when you really think about how things are when the movie ends , a lot of important things have happened since the begin and it seems more real the way its been done . And OMG you might have to think after the movie is over ; about what's going to happen after the movie in the storyline . I like movies that make me think after there over , so I thought this was a great movie .
PS : after the movie don't forget to watch after the credits are over . . .
015 4 Sky Crawlers / B001VBM0Z0
* Spoilers *
Funny enough , I didn't much care for
Ghost in the Shell
, but I felt that Sky Crawlers was a rare and unexpected gem . Indeed , the day immediately after watching Sky Crawlers for the first time , we sat down and watched it a second time as well .
Part of this repeated viewing , however , is kind of because you * have * to in order to understand the plot . If you don't understand , going in , that the pilots are all ageless clones that die and are reborn to wage pointless , unending battle as an opiate for the human population , then you're going to miss out on a lot of the sub-text , and indeed , a lot of the super-text as well !
Once you get past that , you may find that Sky Crawlers is one of the most horrific movies out there . The slow , hazy crawl of the movie ( there's even a lovingly rendered shot of the pet dog doing marking territory on the front lawn ) mirrors the slow , hazy crawl of the clone's lives , as they live in a perpetual haze - their long-term memories almost completely non-functional , due to the chaotic live-die-live cycle that they perpetuate . The clones go through their daily routines , noting blearily that everything seems familiar - that diner reminds me of somewhere , that food tasted familiar , I used to know a person like you , and so on . As some of the clones become more self-aware , they blanch at the bleak and terrifyingly changeless future before them , and contemplate escape - even if it means suicide .
Sky Crawlers is slow-paced , and despite the air battles , seems largely more like a dreamy philosophical film than an action packed adventure . The characters are exceedingly well rendered and well characterized , an interesting tightrope to walk when the clones are also supposed to be largely ' personality free ' , due to the near-brainwashing effects of lacking any substantial long-term memories . And the animation is truly lovely - this is one of the prettiest anime movies I've ever seen . Really , Sky Crawlers is one of those ' love-or-hate ' movies , and it's just going to depend on taste and personality .
On a lighter note , you can play a good drinking game with the number of cigarettes lit on-screen - there were so many lighting a cigarette sequences that I actually half-jokingly theorized that the cigarettes were a metaphor for the clones - easily used-up and replaceable consumer commodities that provide comfort for the population at the expense of their ( moral ) health . Indeed , considering the resolution , that theory might not be too far off . . .
017 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers ( DVD )
This is a must see for anyone that is savvy to WW2 prototype aircraft . It is really cool to see them in action instead of just schematics . Worth buying just for that . Otherwise , the story is decent but not the next Ghost in the Shell smash hit . Can't complain though . Money well spent .
018 4 This is a must see for anyone that is savvy to WW2 prototype aircraft . It is really cool to see them in action instead of just schematics . Worth buying just for that . Otherwise , the story is decent but not the next Ghost in the Shell smash hit . Can't complain though . Money well spent .
019 4 I respected the director that made Akira and Ghost in the Shell ( and also made this ) . While I instantly liked both of those movies , I also struggled to enjoy some parts of the movie . With Sky Crawlers , I enjoyed every minute it ran . It isn't a short movie and does have some slow parts . However , unlike the slow parts of Ghost in Shell , Sky Crawlers does not simply throw pretty scenes up that are somehow pictures with immense untold meaning behind them . This movie's strengths are its sense of wonder and mystery , but also its characters and story .
As should be expected , this is not an easily grasped movie . The theme of the movie is well laid out and executed . Some of the finer points that westerners may have difficulty understanding relate directly to modern Japanese culture and some of its problems .
This movie was meant for blu-ray . I didn't find the extras to be of much interest , not compared with the actual movie . The visual quality difference is why this should be seen on blu-ray .
021 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers ( DVD )
I love animation , and Sky Crawlers is another good addition to my collection . My only problem with it was that the parameters of the world were never explained . It takes place in , what looks like Italy , with an American diner down the street , and Japanese people being at the air base . The characters , I think , fight for the entertainment of the rest of the world ? It's a little confusing . The relationships between the characters , who they are , and where they come from is explained completely . The reasons they fight , however , are quite vague .
If you don't mind your animation being a little surreal , then it's a wonderful animated film . Absolutely the best dogfighting film in animation . If you like fighter planes in animation , then this film is a must have . They get the feel and motion of a dogfighting experience completely accurately in this film .
022 4 I love animation , and Sky Crawlers is another good addition to my collection . My only problem with it was that the parameters of the world were never explained . It takes place in , what looks like Italy , with an American diner down the street , and Japanese people being at the air base . The characters , I think , fight for the entertainment of the rest of the world ? It's a little confusing . The relationships between the characters , who they are , and where they come from is explained completely . The reasons they fight , however , are quite vague .
If you don't mind your animation being a little surreal , then it's a wonderful animated film . Absolutely the best dogfighting film in animation . If you like fighter planes in animation , then this film is a must have . They get the feel and motion of a dogfighting experience completely accurately in this film .
023 4 One of the best new anime movies I've seen in a while . Sky Crawlers is based on a popular series of Japanese sci-fi novels ( not manga ! ) . They were so big , they spawned off a video game , and a manga based on the game titled Sky Crawlers : Innocent Aces . It won the Future Film Festival Digital Award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival , and several awards at the Catalonian International Film Festival . It's credit was due to the fact that the film had acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii ( Patlabor , Ghost In The Shell , Jin-Roh ) .
Set in an alternate timeline , a type of human beings exist called Kildren who stop aging once they reach their teenages . These Kildren are employed by a nation's government to be pilots who engage in arial battles with the rival country . Yuichi Kannami is the newest ace pilot at a military base , of which several Kildren pilots are stationed , along with the Suito Kusannagi who is the pretty but stern base commander . Yuichi learns later on that he is the replacement for a deceased pilot that Suito allegedly had killed , although whether he died in battle or not isn't revealed . Yuichi carries on a relationship with Suito , despite her apathetic nature toward everything , even her own daughter ( yep , she's the only Kildren to have a child ! ) . Yuichi also sets his sites on the illusive enemy pilot known as The Teacher , who may or may not be his father . As the movie progresses , the truth about the Kildren is revealed , that they are artificially-created beings bred to act as sacrificial fighters .
Sky Crawlers is an absolute triumph in animation . The dogfight sequences are spectacularly rendered , and the arial visuals are like nothing seen in any other anime ( even Macross Plus ) . Mamoru Oshii does a masterful job with developing the characters , and is brilliant with establishing the storyline . This movie was a breath of fresh air after alot of the somewhat stagnent non-Miyazaki feature-length anime films as of late . You simply must own this one . I don't care if you like animation or not ! You must own it ! Go out and buy it now !
024 4 Despite the beautifully shot aerial sequences , The Sky Crawlers ( Sukai Surora ) should not be called an action film . Directed by Mamoru Oshii ( of Ghost in the Shell fame ) , the animation is about the characters called Kildren and their lives , and the alternate world in which the young fighter pilots live , or are trapped . The Kildren will never grow old and will continue to fight . . . until the day they get killed in the sky .
The story begins with the arrival of a new Kildren , Yuichi Kannami ( voice by Ryo Kase ) . Why he is sent to the base , where he comes from , or even for what he is fighting - everything is unclear at first . The commander Suito Kusanagi ( voice by Rinko Kikuchi ) seems to know the answer , but she would not talk . The audiences are required to find their answer by themselves in this slow-moving tale of Kildren .
The film's aerial CG animations are beautiful and the visual effects are imaginative , but I believe for all the amazing visual techniques , the combat scenes are made not just for thrills . Rather they serve as a way to create contrast between two worlds the Kildren live in , the world above , and below . Or I should say the dynamic , deadly world of dogfight , and the uneventful , peaceful everyday life on the ground .
[ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH contains a MILD SPOILER . ]
Truths about the Kildren ( in the original language Kirudore ) are only vaguely suggested , but what is implied is intriguing . In this alternate European world , the Kildren are hired by two contract war companies : Rostock Corporation and Lautern Corporation . Apparently , the 16 - 17 year-old fighter pilots are designed to live forever until shot down . Still , the aerial POV ( point-of-view ) scenes flying back to the land after the opening dogfight , it seems , symbolizes the resurrection of Kildren . Several hints as to Kildren are given in the film - such as snapped matchstick , folding newspaper - which suggest some of the habits of the shot down pilots stay with the new Kildren . Though The Sky Crawlers is based on the book of the same name by Hiroshi Mori , the film's vision on life and death is definitely that of Oshii , who had previously used the similar idea of people repeating same things in his more accessible Urusei Yatsura 2 : Beautiful Dreamer .
[ SPOILER ENDS ]
When The Sky Crawlers was released in Japan , 56 - year-old Mamoru Oshii said his latest film is a message from him to young people . You may find it in the philosophical underpinnings of the film , or in the words spoken by the main characters , about , say , the film's endless war explained by Suito Kusanagi .
And here is the problem of the film . With all respect to Mr . Oshii , the film's rather simplistic idea about war and peace doesn't convince , even set in alternate universe . Moreover , though some audiences will be intrigued and even touched by the fate of Kildren , many would find it hard to be interested in , or relate to , the rather distant characters of The Sky Crawlers . We can understand what they say , but can rarely feel it .
Another and bigger problem is the film's animation itself . As I said , the battle scenes are riveting , the designs of aircrafts are unique and attractive , but the character designs of Kildren , especially their eyes , need more delicate expressions ( even though intentionally done so to suggest certain aspects of the characters ) . Their facial expressions often look monotonous and the performance from Rinko Kikuchi , who is obviously not ready for the role which needs more nuanced voice acting , doesn't help .
The Sky Crawlers is a bit arty and too long , but is still thought-provoking with such topics as life , death and perhaps love . The film is only for those who are patient enough to sit through the two hours of the film that are more about everyday life of fighters than their fights , and try to find the keys to see what is really going on .
By the way , the film's real ending is after the end credit . Don't miss it .
025 4 First of all let me say the battle sequences in Sky Crawlers were phenomenal ! I only hope that this is the future of anime . Visually the anime would get 5 / 5 stars , however , the story leaves a lot to be desired . Now I loved Ghost in the Shell and though it was also slow it kept my interest throughout ( and that was when I was a more attention deficitable ) .
The story follows an ace pilot and his entrance into a new squad . He has replaced another pilot who has died but not in a plane flight . None of the other pilots want to tell him truth about the pilot he replaced . . . and so it goes .
To summarize : the story is painfully slow but the action sequences are not to be missed .
027 4 This review is from :
The Sky Crawlers [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
This movie is very much like Jin-Roh , which was probably the best movie done my Mamoru Oshii . Meaning , some , SOME great action , but it's mostly a quiet and wonderful character piece . Definitely worth your time , but go in with your expectations appropriately locked down .
The only problem with the movie is that Oshii plays some of the clues WAY too obviously . It reminded me of Grant Morrison's Mystery Play , where he felt so burned by his previous , breakthrough graphic novel Arkham Asylum because the fanboys were upset that the book was too obtuse and required them to puzzle out the story , that he made the second story much more obvious . Look , my hand is bleeding . ( Translation , pay attention , this , THIS is a important . ) Oshii does some of the same things , and that's what slows the movie down a little for me . But , to each their own .
Lastly , some ( insane ) reviewers have read WAY too much of their own psychosis into the story , and have claimed the story is a FU by Oshii to anime fanboys . After seeing the movie , you can decide for yourself , and I'll admit , this analysis does have SOME merit . However , the bigger picture is that everyone's life is about breaking out of routine and trying to make your own path , finding your own identity . In short , those ( insane ) reviewers need to relax .
028 4 This movie is very much like Jin-Roh , which was probably the best movie done my Mamoru Oshii . Meaning , some , SOME great action , but it's mostly a quiet and wonderful character piece . Definitely worth your time , but go in with your expectations appropriately locked down .
The only problem with the movie is that Oshii plays some of the clues WAY too obviously . It reminded me of Grant Morrison's Mystery Play , where he felt so burned by his previous , breakthrough graphic novel Arkham Asylum because the fanboys were upset that the book was too obtuse and required them to puzzle out the story , that he made the second story much more obvious . Look , my hand is bleeding . ( Translation , pay attention , this , THIS is a important . ) Oshii does some of the same things , and that's what slows the movie down a little for me . But , to each their own .
Lastly , some ( insane ) reviewers have read WAY too much of their own psychosis into the story , and have claimed the story is a FU by Oshii to anime fanboys . After seeing the movie , you can decide for yourself , and I'll admit , this analysis does have SOME merit . However , the bigger picture is that everyone's life is about breaking out of routine and trying to make your own path , finding your own identity . In short , those ( insane ) reviewers need to relax .
029 4 The film opens with a fast , furious , and fatal dogfight , but who was the victim ? When newly assigned replacement pilot Yuichi Kannami arrives at the base , it seems familiar to him , and he is familiar to everyone , especially the commanding officer , Suito Kusanagi .
There are so many echoes still reverbrating from Ghost in the Shell and Innocence that it's hard to not see this as a continuation . If there are definite philosophical differences , it is not the human / machine line , but youth / adult , and society's need for war to make peace meaningful . The seemingly never-ending battles between the Lautern and Rostock corporations / nations are a curious non-war : there aren't any ground battles , and civilians are free to tour the air bases and watch the battles with full details given by the CNN-like commentators . Beneath the surface , though , this Nietzschean cycle of endless recurrence can be intepreted in as many ways as your imagination will allow . Is this Oshii's comment about modern adolescent fans who don't , or won't , grow up , and remain immersed in endless loops of the same old anime cliches ? ( These folks are known as hikikomori in Japan . ) Or is it a lament that , without breaking out of adolescence , people are doomed to sterile , emotionally unfufilling lives , and to repeat childish mistakes ? ( It's no mistake that the lethal Lautern fighter pilot is known as The Teacher . . . . . )
If you want to enjoy the film as pure eye-candy , you can always zip through the non-aerial scenes . The graphics are nothing short of astonishing - I'm sure that some folks will feel a trifle queasy if they see this on a large screen . Oshii and crew went to GREAT lengths in researching the environments that serve as backdrops , and WWII fighter buffs will get a kick out of analyzing what parts of what aircraft were used to create these incredible machines . ( Yuichi's Sanka Mark B looks like a Japanese Shinden with a Messerschmitt canopy and drop tank , while Teacher's Skyly J2 is a late-model Focke Wulf on steroids mated with a P - 51 . ) In Blu Ray - an easy 10 . I couldn't spot a flaw . Stereo sound is also great .
It would be trite to point out there's more to the film than dogfights and death . But just what you'll bring away is going to be up to you . Highly recommended .
The extras are also top-shelf . Oshii and crew are shown scouring a Polish air base and towns for , not specific details , but overall atmosphere , from which the artists would create a familiar-looking but original environment ( soft of what the Kildren must feel when ( re ) called to action .
031 4 Version : U.S.A / Sony / Region Free
Aspect Ratio : 1.78 : 1
MPEG - 4 AVC BD - 50 / AACS
Running time : 2 : 01 : 14
Feature size : 31,260,284,928 bytes
Disc size : 44,461,794,536 bytes
Total bit rate : 34.38 Mbps
Average video bit rate : 23.57 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio Japanese 1532 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1532 kbps / 16 - bit ( AC3 Core : 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps )
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1506 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1506 kbps / 16 - bit ( AC3 Core : 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps )
Dolby TrueHD Audio Portuguese 1523 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1523 kbps / 16 - bit ( AC3 Core : 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps )
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Subtitles : English ( SDH ) , English , French , Portuguese , Spanish
Number of chapters : 16
# Animation Research ( HD - 31 minutes )
# The Sound Design and Animation ( HD - 32 minutes )
# Sky's the Limit ( HD - 15 minutes )
# HD Previews
# BD-Live enabled
034 4 Yep , those animated dogfights are spectacular . The rest of the movie is a bust .
I like slow contemplative movies , but only when there is substance in the film to contemplate . The whole premise for this movie fails the suspension of disbelief test .
I would have enjoyed watching Ghost in the Shell for the umpteenth time more than I got out of seeing Sky Watchers once . I suppose it is worth a Netflix rental just to see the dogfights . You can safely skip everything else .
Also , there's a discontinuity that I found odd , some may find jarring . There is a tremendous amount of realistic texture and detail in the backgrounds , the furniture , the airplanes , the clouds , etc . , which I assume is a triumph of computer aided animation technique . The human characters appear as if they are traditional cheap hand-drawn animation cells - - with minimal detail and texture in the skin , clothing , etc . This is a flaw - - if you're going to go for hyper-realism in animation , then go all the way .
036 4 Mamoru Oshii , one of the leading lights of the anime world , has one thing in common with directors as diverse as Hayao Miyazaki , David Lynch , Ingmar Bergman , and Hitchcock : his directorial oeuvre is , like theirs , marked by obsessions with certain themes and is united by specific stylistic techniques that you will see used more often than in films created by others . But , more than anything , he is like them in that his films are distinctively his . While his level of devotion to his films is not as strong as the devotion of others to their films , at times ( Miyazaki , for instance , has in the past redrawn numerous cels , or overseen others redraw them , until his characters ' moved right ; ' Oshii assigns that task to an underling ) , he is still passionate about his work , and it shows , usually . His style is one that is simultaneously paranoiac and highly focused , and his films often walk a tightrope between being highly-intense and hypnotic , if often ponderous , and being downright dull . Most of the time he lands on the right side of this . On occasion , he slips up . Never this badly , though . This is his worst film .
Character design for this is just plain lazy . The main character , and a few asides , are done up in a generic anime look . The most prominent female character eerily resembles the Kusanagi-sex-doll from GITS 2 . The animation is generally fluid , although the 3D sticks out like a sore thumb . I couldn't help but wince whenever one of those jets was on-screen .
You will notice I am not using names . Given my excellent ability to instantly recall the names of even unimportant characters in fictional works I have read / watched days , months , and years ago , this is significant . The characters had no personality . They can only be distinguished by obvious physical characteristics : main character had Grey hair , prominent female looked like Motoko Kusangi in GITS 2 , older woman was . . . well , really the only adult on base , wing buddy to Grey-haired lead is an obnoxious idiot .
The plot is , apparently , based off of a series of science-fiction novels . The setting is futuristic , I suppose , and since world peace has evidently been achieved , war companies now battle one another in order to placate the ignorant masses , who evidently need international conflict to stay sane . These wars appear to be almost entirely aerial in nature , and people called Kildren , who do not age past a certain point , tend to be the ones to pilot the aircraft in battle .
We follow Grey-haired depressive as he arrives at the base of one of these war companies . Everyone here is afraid of the Teacher , a rival pilot working for the opposing war company who is an adult and evidently kills every pilot that is unfortunate enough to cross his path .
This is about as much of a plot as the film presents us . Beyond this , we're subjected to what feels like an endless stream of wasted sequences that communicate nothing and seem content to be wasting the viewer's time . We follow the main character into a few action sequences that seem to be lacking a pulse , an encounter with some sort of prostitute , frustrating sequences of Protagonist moping sullenly , cryptic conversations which neither enlighten nor intrigue the viewer ( this viewer , at least ; I am aware that the film has its supporters ) , sleepy shots of people lingering around a restaurant , and other episodes which do nothing but evoke the most oppressive tedium possible in a film of this potential .
It might be objected that A ) there is more to the plot than I am mentioning , involving clones , murder , and conspiracy , and B ) that the film's tedium is an essential part of its allegorical nature .
To the first , I respond only that I have commented on what has been clearly presented to the viewer . Little hints of some hidden plot surface here-and-there , and perhaps there can be salvaged from the wreckage of this picture a life-changing and epic story that should be told and re-told for generations . There might possibly be , but I have the same reaction to this as I do to Finnegans Wake : if meaning is there , it isn't worth the effort ( although it could be objected that Finnegans Wake actually has some definite underlying meaning to it ) . Oshii does not sufficiently interest me enough as a philosopher for me to pick through this film for meaning . He has failed at the most basic task of the filmmaker - the task of telling a story that is , if not palatable , at least engaging . This film fails as narrative , and , as such , it loses my interest in other regards .
To the second , I will , again , state that the filmmaker's primary job is to provide an experience that is aesthetically involving . Everything else , however central to the director's concern , is secondary to this . Stories about boring people , if not creatively styled , are usually boring . If Oshii is attempting some sort of allegory or commentary about the nature of modern Japanese society , he must at least make sure that it works on an artistic level first . Anime films are , after all , art .
I am aware that Oshii has his supporters who will endlessly praise whatever he directs , no matter how good or bad it is . I am one of those Oshii fans who is willing to admit when he missteps . . . as he does here . And I am also aware that many people genuinely enjoy and respect this film . All aesthetic judgment is , after all , supremely subjective in nature . To that extent , I can only say : take my judgment with a grain of salt , and don't let any one person's opinion influence your decision to see this , either way . See it and then make your judgment .
039 4 I was a huge fan of Ghost in the Shell . That film , along with Cowboy Bebop , was what got me into anime .
So imagine my disappointment with Oshii's Sky Crawlers . I wasn't expecting a movie all about air combat , as implied by the title and the excellent opening shootout , but I was expecting something that would hold my attention like a pair of meathooks . What followed was an interesting , but slow-paced and ultimately boring film with a fairly predictable conclusion . If it could be called that .
Oshii's Ghost in the Shell was an intelligent balance of style and substance , action and thought-provoking dialogue . It was one of those movies that stayed with you , gave you something to think about .
The Sky Crawlers attempts to create this same feeling , but I don't feel like it quite made the cut .
040 4 This is another typical case of a director's sense of over importance and self-indulgence .
At the expense of anything even remotely resembling an entertaining movie , The Sky Crawlers seeks to bludgeon you with a tired point about the painful necessity of war .
If you want to make a movie for the sole purpose of expressing your ideology , fine ; there are plenty of them out there . But when the back of the box makes it sound like it's going to be an exciting , entertaining anime just to get people to pay attention , that's pushing it .
This movie is an absolute waste of time unless you are quite familiar with the team behind it and already know what you are getting into .
For my part , I watch anime to be entertained , not enlightened . I'm sorry but I don't require the assistance of cartoons to help me see the world in a different light . Draw parallels to make the subject matter more relatable , yes ; but please , do not try and disguise your political and philosophical views as entertainment just to fool us into watching .
043 4 Sky Crawlers has some interesting Dog Fights and imagery , but little else interesting .
Chris
045 4 Crap crap crap , not only have the character designs been changed from Jin-Roh / GitS to make everybody look like emotionless robots but the general pacing and ' plot ' is pathetic . Its a time of war , there's dogfights out in the sky yet you wouldn't even think they're actually pilots judging by the way they act . Nobody seems to get that angry even after their base gets blown up and everybody ends up having sex yet don't even give the hint that they like eachother
As soon as the main character arrives he gets assigned a new plane and starts asking all these stupid questions throughout the movie
who's plane is this ? why isn't the pilot personally handing the plane over to me ? it looks brand new so obviously he wasn't shot down . what was he like ? how did he die ? did you love him ?
Honestly , STFU !
The animation looks nice sometimes ( cockpit view ) but I really hate the blend of CG , whenever I see it I can never get excited because it looks so out of place and bad . I don't know why japan consistantly uses it , unless its a 100% CG movie don't bother or use it lightly like in Howl's Moving Castle instead of making it look like some old videogame .
The movie itself does raise questions about what war means but everything is so uninteresting you'd be better off reading a book , seriously
046 4 Here is a movie toted as being the best film by this oh so famous anime creator since Ghost in the Shell , but what we have is a shell of a movie .
It attempts to have a huge meaning , but fails miserably , as the plot just drolls on for most of the movie and barely scrapes the surface of what's going on until the very end . Yes , you do get some clues about the big shocker in the movie , but they are so few that it's hard to piece together anything concrete . To top it off , one character that seems to just be thrown in to try to give the movie an ending drops almost all of the plot right at the end . That's the cheapest route to make an ending when you hit a road block . Insert an odd , out of place character who observes and makes some comments for most of the film and then spills the beans of everything right at the end . When everything was lain out in front of me , I was thinking , Seriously ? This is the best he could come up with ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPOILER ALERT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The only thing remotely inventive about the plot is what the characters are . And their big enemy ? Umm . . . I'm guessing he watched Star Wars too much , as their enemy is their former teacher . Ooooooh ! How un predictable .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPOILER ALERT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After watching this movie , all I could think was about how much I was ripped off , and about how there is no doubt in my mind that people would do what happens in the movie and not think anything of it . Yes , Sky Crawlers does have a philosophical plot , but it gets beaten out by single episodes of Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig and Hamtaro .
The end seems rushed and it never goes anywhere . Though Oshii claims the characters have changed , the don't change one bit during the movie , only before , and then they revert back to what they were before .
Here's a hint , Oshii : If people decide to do something drastic , there's a high chance they'll do it again as they have already done it before .
The animation is good , except the CGI stands out and takes you out of the movie . The characters are horrible . Oshii tries to make it look like they change while they don't change at all . The dogfights are cool , but the movie is horrendously abysmal .
Sky Crawlers is a good name for this movie , as the movie is crawling ever so slowly to it's demise .
If you want to watch this movie , you should smack yourself in the back of the head and say No !
If you want to watch a movie where you also will think Given the circumstances , people would do this and not care about who ( or what ) gets hurt , just watch Michael Clayton . It's a much better film , and it's probably cheaper on Blu-ray , too . ( Though it doesn't have any dogfights , it does have an exploding car . )
