Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Toshiro Yanagiba, Naoto Ogata, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Shin’ichi Tsutsumi, Maiko, Reiko Takashima,
Running Time: 137 minutes
Certificate: 15
Toho have given us many great adventures from the past, so who could blame them for shelling out for the Japans most expensive film of all time, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO. Now as we know, a big budget doesn’t immediately equal a great film, but when it comes to world cinema you can generally deduce that that budget will be spread and stretched to its full extent. In terms of visuals SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO doesn’t disappoint, it manages to stand up against even Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, as well as keeping an unpolished look that has proved so endearing when considering the GODZILLA and ULTRAMAN franchises.
SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO will be familiar to anyone who followed the original anime, or to anyone who follows sci-fi in general. Humans face extinction from an alien threat and so a merry band of soldiers are sent on humanity’s last battleship (which is a space battleship) to reach a planet that may have a weapon for their survival. LOST IN SPACE and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA immediately jump to mind, but SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO establishes its own world and rules without seeming derogatory of other’s work. Sure with given a mix of stock characters ranging from the fatherly figure, the idealist, the tough soldier, and the walking targets bound for death from their first appearance on screen, but the script makes sure to work with these clichés and teach the characters something. Our idealist hero soon realises that sacrifices have to be made and not everyone can be saved, while also showing how our no-nonsense captain begins to admire the efforts and hope of such a young man. The characters also have plenty of time to bond, and for every heated battle, there’s moments of joking and drinking.
The film juggles personal conflict with epic battle sequences very well for the first half of the film. It’s easy to see each of the characters’ individual perspectives, and it also does a fine job of placing our hero outside of his comfort zone. Suddenly he finds his own morals and judgements challenged, which makes a change from offering us protagonists who are constantly right. Unfortunately things do unravel slightly in the final act. Once the humans arrive on the alien planet, the film takes on a melodramatic tone that flirts with being unintentionally humorous towards the very end. Detail is lacking from the alien creatures themselves and there are times when it seems an entire trilogy has been crammed into a two hour film but still manages to drag.
The destination may be a letdown, but the journey is something truly wonderful to experience. Special effects live up to their name and manage to retain the fantastical elements that bigger films try and avoid with their incessant push for realism. You’ll have plenty of characters to love and situations to make you think as well as thrill you. Like BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, you feel a constant threat forever present which only adds to the tension. A fun and well crafted intergalactic action film that could have used a bit of trimming down, or a more satisfying ending.
SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 19th August 2013 via Manga Entertainment.
