Another masterpiece from Otomo Katsuhiro, this one a steampunk epic, that really defines the term steampunk (Webster’s new Millennium Dictionary defines it as: a genre of science fiction set in Victorian times when steam was the main source of machine power; also written steam-punk and in this movie it really is all about steam, and the nuclear power like steam ball that has unlimited steam power. This film is an all out thrill ride, with incredible animation and some of the most amazing animation I have ever seen. Sure the film is a bit heavy handed, with a message of the misuses of technology as overpowered by greed instead of making life better for mankind.

Review contains Spoilers…

The film starts off in Alaska, though still part of Russia, with 2 British scientists first finding an incredible mineral, and then creating the all powerful steam balls. The scientists are Eddy Steam (Tsukayama Masane) and his father Loyd Steam (Nakamura Katsuo). Loyd is pushing the pressure beyond it’s limits, and Eddy tries to stop it, while his father wants to push and push, as all technological advancements require risk, but something goes wrong and the machine explodes in Eddy’s face.

Next we go to Victorian England, where Eddy’s son Ray Steam (Anne Suzuki from Hana and Alice, and the upcoming Initial D film) manages to stop a runaway steam engine at a sewing factory from exploding. He returns home and he and his mother receive a package from his grandfather Loyd. It is a steam ball, with plans for it and a message not to give it to anyone from the O’Hare foundation from the US, and to give it to the british inventor Robert Stephenson (Kiyoshi Kodama). Then jus as the ball arrives two thugs from the O’hare foundation show up to get the ball, but then so does Grandfather Steam, and he gets Ray to run for it. Ray uses his steam powered mono-cycle to run from the self propelled tractor the O’Hare foundation chases him with, and he manages to get to a train where Robert Stephenson and his men are traveling to Manchester in, and they agree to help him, except a mechanical balloon rips the top off the train and takes ray and the steam ball with it.

Ray is given dinner with Scarlett, the bratty daughter of the O’hare Foundation and one of it’s lackeys, but then his father shows up, with a metal hand and a metal cowl over part of his face, and he wants Ray to help him with the steam tower, which is supposed to help mankind, but in fact is actually made to be a weapon of war, filled with all the latest weapons on war. Ray helps his grandfather to stop the plan, and eventually is able to escape with one of the steamballs, leaving only 2, when 3 are needed for full power. Ray gives the steamball to Stephenson, but it turns out Stephenson and his men are also going to use the ball to power their steam powered weapons, but to fight the weapons of the Steam Tower, which have started to blow apart the pavilion of the expo where it stands, as an arms exhibit to world leaders. Of course this leads to a huge battle with armored soldiers, tanks, and even flying men. In a huge exciting clash like only Otomo can do. And it mixes Scarlett into the fray when she goes out to find Ray, but realizes their are men dyeing in the suits, and she is none too happy, and neither are the arms buyers who only want to escape.

Ray at Stephenson’s ends up taking the steam ball back and reworking one of the flying machines into his own personal steam powered handheld flying machine. Ray goes in to get his father and grandfather, but his father links himself into tower, and it takes flight as a massive weapon that’s frozen steam freezes the river and everything bellow it. The grandfather shoots his son to stop him, but the controls are locked off, and he must go to his own original lever controls in the heart of the tower, while Ray goes to attach the final steam ball and balance the power of the steam tower. The grandfather activates his part of the steam tower, and huge legs come out, and a carnival on top with ferris wheels and the like for children, while his son only wanted to make weapons of war, a change that came on him when he almost died from his father’s experiments. Hear we learn the father wasn’t killed because of his metal body and he help his father because the weapon has been shown and now it is inevitable in his opinion. Ray saves Scarlett and they fly out with his father’s emergency jet pack set in the control seat, and the tower collapses into the river and explodes in a cloud of frozen steam, but we see a submarine periscope escaping the scene, so this is probably not the last we have seen of the Steam family (and I have heard they are working on a Steamgirl movie next).

>All I hear about this film are complaints! it is too long (and rumors that the Japanese version was 30 minutes longer, but let me dispel that since both versions are 126 minutes long, unless the dubbed version is hugely changed from the subtitled version. I just got some info from a friend at a forum and it seems the dubbed version is 106 minutes, so that is a 20 minute difference, and probably accounts for most of the peoples accounts on not liking the characters), the characters are too 1 dimensional, the story is awful, the only thing good is the action. Well I totally disagree. I enjoyed the story. Sure it has it’s conceits in the all powerful steam ball, but this is science fiction after all, and what science fiction doesn’t? And i like the characters. Ray is especially an enjoyable character, torn between his father and his grandfather since he loves them both, but doesn’t want to do wrong. And his grandfather who went to far and almost killed his son, but realized it was wrong and is trying to stop it. And Eddie Steam the father, sure he is the villain, but what he says makes sense. Once weapons like that are seen, it is inevitable. And yes he became evil, when his body became totally twisted so did his mind. The most annoying character is certainly Scarlett, but she does like Ray, and she does show redeeming qualities when she realizes that there is death going on, and that all the money in the world isn’t worth that. We see in this movie how ultimate power corrupts absolutely. As I have said it is heavy handed, but so is all of Otomo’s work. At least this story makes sense. Anyone who can explain everything in Akira standup, because I have read the whole manga about 10 times and I still don’t get everything that is going on.

As for the animation you don’t get better than this. This film looks amazing. The best integration of CG elements I have seen in any anime, and still with that Otomo look. He sure loves explosions and clouds of smoke!

I loved this film and wasn’t at all disappointed. Lets just hope it doesn’t take him this long to make his next film!