Starring
Takuya Kimura
Meisa Kuroki
Toshiro Yanagiba
Naota Ogata
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Shin'ichi Tsutsumi
Maiko
Reiko Takashima
Based on the 1974 Anime Series
For five years the enigmatic aliens known as the Gamilas have been battering the Earth with their missiles, systematically turning the planet into a radioactive waste.
But then a capsules arrives from space with schematics for a new warp engine - and coordinates for the planet Iskandar.
The reborn Yamato, Earth's last battleship, is dispatched on a desperate mission that may be humanity's last hope for survival.
The first thing you have to remember is that this film is based on an anime. Specifically an anime tv series from the 1970s. The writers had to pare the events of 26 episodes down into slightly more than 2 hours and in the process a lot of plot points and development got somewhat compressed.
This might explain why hero Kodai can walk onto the ship as a new recruit then literally 5 minutes later he's not only an officer but in charge of the brand new secret weapon. This sort of thing is standard in anime, trust me.
So, once you've tuned yourself to the proper wavelength, what you get is an old-fashioned space-opera with elements reminiscent of "Star Trek", "Star Wars" and "Starship Troopers".
It's not stunningly original but "Yamato" plays the old riffs with enough style to get away with it and enough twist to the tale to make it that little bit fresher.
Visually this film looks good. The Gamilas spaceships are disturbingly organic, like the bastard offspring of a zombie starfish and a Henry Moore sculpture, and I have to admit that there is something fundamentally right about seeing a WW2 battlewaggon soaring through space with all guns blazing.
Like a lot of Anime heroes Kodai is initially a bit of a tool but matures out of it. I was slightly less impressed with heroine Mori's character path. She's introduced as a sharp-tongued fighter ace with a tendency to get punchy, and does get in a few cool moments, but by film's end she's relegated to the role of love interest and getting dragged hither and yon like a hapless 1940s movie damsel. Shame.
The rest of the supporting cast are sketched in with sufficient depth to make them worth caring about. I particularly liked ships medic Doctor Sado - usually carrying an enormous bottle of sake around with her and often a cat as well.
One particular character might as well have "Dies in the next scene" in neon letters on his forehead but that's about par for the course.
If we're quibbling, one particular moment in the climax dips into cringeworthy but maybe that's just me. You'll recognise it when you see it.
Summing up: A fun slice of old-fashioned, spacefaring heroics with no attempt at deconstruction or knowing camp and all the better for it.
Since posts with pics are always guaranteed to get double the pageviews, here's a few screenshots.
So, once you've tuned yourself to the proper wavelength, what you get is an old-fashioned space-opera with elements reminiscent of "Star Trek", "Star Wars" and "Starship Troopers".
It's not stunningly original but "Yamato" plays the old riffs with enough style to get away with it and enough twist to the tale to make it that little bit fresher.
Visually this film looks good. The Gamilas spaceships are disturbingly organic, like the bastard offspring of a zombie starfish and a Henry Moore sculpture, and I have to admit that there is something fundamentally right about seeing a WW2 battlewaggon soaring through space with all guns blazing.
Like a lot of Anime heroes Kodai is initially a bit of a tool but matures out of it. I was slightly less impressed with heroine Mori's character path. She's introduced as a sharp-tongued fighter ace with a tendency to get punchy, and does get in a few cool moments, but by film's end she's relegated to the role of love interest and getting dragged hither and yon like a hapless 1940s movie damsel. Shame.
The rest of the supporting cast are sketched in with sufficient depth to make them worth caring about. I particularly liked ships medic Doctor Sado - usually carrying an enormous bottle of sake around with her and often a cat as well.
One particular character might as well have "Dies in the next scene" in neon letters on his forehead but that's about par for the course.
If we're quibbling, one particular moment in the climax dips into cringeworthy but maybe that's just me. You'll recognise it when you see it.
Summing up: A fun slice of old-fashioned, spacefaring heroics with no attempt at deconstruction or knowing camp and all the better for it.
Since posts with pics are always guaranteed to get double the pageviews, here's a few screenshots.
The wise Captain Okita. For some reason I find myself thinking about fish fingers
Susumu Kodai looks puzzled.
The initial relationship between these two, summed up in one photo.
The lovely Yuki Mori looking peeved.
She looks a lot happier here.
Dr Sado gives Kodai a checkup. Or possibly a singing lesson.
This is coolness.
Why has the ship still got an anchor?
Why not?
And here's the trailer.
That's all folks
Hmm, Yuki Mori, yummy.
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