[Blu-ray] Sky Crawlers

[Chris Beveridge]

Please NoteL This is an all region Blu-ray release.

http://www.mania.com/content_pics/000005/50/50/73c5a2998dce745c_thumb.jpgReview by Chris Beveridge (http://www.mania.com/sky-crawlers_article_113734.html)

Mania Grade: C
* Audio Rating: A-
* Video Rating: A
* Packaging Rating: B
* Menus Rating: B
* Extras Rating: A-
* Age Rating: 13 and Up
* Region: A - N. America, S. America, East Asia
* Released By: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
* MSRP: 39.95
* Running time: 121
* Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen
* Disc Resolution: 1080p
* Disc Encoding: H.264/AVC
* Series: Sky Crawlers


In Summary:
At the end of the feature, I admit that I liked the way that everything came together. Unfortunately, it’s a movie where I enjoyed the destination more than I enjoyed the journey. With the awkwardness of the character designs, the very slow but intentional pacing and the way it ever so slowly teased out information, Sky Crawlers is a film that was just too long. Of course, the length plays into the way it’s trying to build its atmosphere which in turn builds the suspense of what the reality is, but after the first hour of the film I found myself not really caring either way. I can appreciate the film in its structure and what it wanted to do, but I never connected with it and the layered look kept me at a distance. There’s a lot to admire with the technical side and the presentation, but the story itself was weak and uninteresting.

[TheGreenMan]

Isn't this move a indictment of the anime industry and it's fans? I guess I'll to watch it to see.

[Chris Beveridge]

Isn't this move a indictment of the anime industry and it's fans? I guess I'll to watch it to see.

I hadn't heard that, but I don't look to see what the hubbub is about a movie until after I watch it. If it is, well, it's pretty damn depressing about the whole concept.

[The Great Bear]

Isn't this move a indictment of the anime industry and it's fans? I guess I'll to watch it to see.

I hadn't heard that, but I don't look to see what the hubbub is about a movie until after I watch it. If it is, well, it's pretty damn depressing about the whole concept.

That's Justin Sevakis' take on the film over at ANN. I've not seen the movie yet, so I have no idea whether he has a good read of the film or not.

[LelouchLamperouge]

I had heard many complaints about the ending of the film, but I found it be neatly appropriate. The animation was, as they say, beautiful. The musical score was really really cool too. The character designs, especially the females' eyes -- just freaked me out. Although I got over it fairly quickly. I interpreted the ending differently from a lot of other people, but I found it satisfying. They smoke way too much.

It reminded me of Makoto Shinkai, just a little more... strange and science fiction-y, I guess.

[jojo_home]

Isn't this move a indictment of the anime industry and it's fans? I guess I'll to watch it to see.

I hadn't heard that, but I don't look to see what the hubbub is about a movie until after I watch it. If it is, well, it's pretty damn depressing about the whole concept.

That's Justin Sevakis' take on the film over at ANN. I've not seen the movie yet, so I have no idea whether he has a good read of the film or not.


Oshii has had many interviews/statements where he has stated about the same thing Sevakis said about it...although Oshii's comments are more encompassing-- he suggests that although SC includes "otaku" in its criticism of youth culture, it is not specifically ABOUT "otaku" as Sevakis' review seems to indicate.

I'll add more thoughts later perhaps.

Edit 2: Okay, I watched the film on DVD last night and yes, while it's still rather deliberate in that Oshii way, it is in many ways very different from Oshii's past 3-4 features. For one thing, it's not as overtly political. While there are a few monologues later in the film, most of the dialogue is kept to a minimum. That's very unusual for a guy who likes his characters to talk their faces off. Some people have described SC as just another "talking head fest". I disagree. While it IS slow, it is not overtly talky like past Oshii stuff. There are a lot of medium range shots, extreme wide shots, long range shots. It definitely does not "feel" like you're seeing a parade of talking head shots. I came across a review on DVDTalk this morning that described SC as "warmed over Antonioni" (obviously not a compliment) and I have to agree with the Antonioni comparison, although I don't see it as negatively as that guy. I happen to really like Antonioni, but most people--even today-- don't.

So if you've seen Antonioni you will have an idea of what to expect here. Like Antonioni, Oshii isn't really working with a "story" here. Yes, there's a mystery to give the characters something to chew on, but like Antonioni's L'Avventura, the "mystery" really doesn't matter all that much to the film really. It's all about pretty, young characters drifting aimlessly through gorgeously constructed sets. There are stylish vehicles, stylish women, and stylish smoking. Yes, it's a commentary on the empty lives of their characters, but it's also about revelling in the luxuries of the cinematic form. Kusanagi (yes, same name as GITS' Major, although they have different 'given' names) is very much like the typical Monica Vitti character--pretty, aloof, mysterious. And Yuichi is your standard Antonioni pretty boy "Alain Delon" character. Pretty, clueless, bland. Oh, and like Antonioni, Oshii's film probably runs 20-30 minutes longer than most people think it should.

Anyway, I think Chris has a pretty good handle on the film. While I'm not sure I would consider the story "weak and uninteresting" (especially since I don't think telling a "story" is its main goal here, despite a few nuggets here and there that would suggest "a story") I pretty much agree that Oshii is more interested in the construction of the film and using the cinematic form in whatever way he wants than with pleasing the audience (Oshii must have had tongue firmly in cheek if he said that SC was his attempt to reach a wider audience than before) I used to be one of those people who went, "Why won't Oshii use his considerable skills for something more commercial?" I've pretty much given up on that and realized that Oshii does whatever the hell he wants and what you think of his work depends on how much you're interested in whatever he's doing at any given time.

[DKL]

The Sky Crawlers

You know... I'm pretty sure I've seen this plot many times before:

Set in an alternate world that is at war and uses children/teens as its soldiers...

I've really only seen it done extremely well on a few occasions...

There's Akitaroh Daichi's great war TV drama: Now and Then, Here and There...

Then there's Mamoru Oshii's movie: The Sky Crawlers.

(yes, I did not include Saikano or whatever since I thought that that was kinda dumb and unsubtle... yeah, I said it... the world exists in a vacuum where the only thing people really worry about is a boyfriend or girlfriend [or crush]... though, to be fair, I have seen someone argue that real life is usually about people bitching about their hubbies, and in that respect, it's a pretty convincing argument)

I mean, the wealth of details and how Oshii goes about it via exposition is incredible; never really tipping his hand, but laying out all the clues in various newspapers, casual conversations and TV reports in the background and so forth.

I mean, unlike most conflict stories where the characters angst or complain or whatever, Oshii goes about things in a way so that we know that the most intense feelings are hidden within and not overtly apparent (kinda like a Michael Mann movie: fine-tuned ice); Kusanagi (who looks strangely like Major Kusanagi from Oshii's Ghost in the Shell movies) doesn't always show it, but you get a good sense of her inner-turmoil by just observing her; behind that cold hazy stare lies someone who can't bear the weight of what this war has brought onto her...

In fact, for a movie that stars kids, I like that the kids don't act too obviously like kids... and don't act too obviously like adults; their all caught somewhere in-between all that, which would make sense.

Oh yeah... notice how I've not even talked about how amazing the dogfights are: the intensity inside and outside the cockpit is great; you can feel the G-forces and get a good sense of the large scale fighting that goes on within the movie; I can't help but be impressed at how the stuff was "shot".

That said, while the setting might seem too hokey and contrived, the best part about the movie's setting is that Oshii actually thinks out the political atmosphere is meticulous detail: various countries are at war... and they outsource that war to corporations (which is poetic when thinking about the realities of the military-industrial complex; according to Oshii, in the movie, the planes are propeller-powered due to political reasons: it's a profitable industry, so there's no reason change it up... just keep it going and whoever ends up with the biggest profits, wins).

And thinking about its philosophy of war and the people who participate in war: The Sky Crawlers is miles, if not light years, ahead of something like Metal Gear Solid 4.

But yeah... I guess that's it...

FANTASTIC movie.

Though, I wish the BD had a commentary track with Oshii like Innocence did...

[jojo_home]

The Sky Crawlers

You know... I'm pretty sure I've seen this plot many times before:

Set in an alternate world that is at war and uses children/teens as its soldiers...

I've really only seen it done extremely well on a few occasions...

There's Akitaroh Daichi's great war TV drama: Now and Then, Here and There...



Last Exile probably qualifies as well. In fact, I've been watching Last Exile lately and conceptually, they look a lot alike. Stylistically however, well...

You know an Oshii movie when you see it. ;)






That said, while the setting might seem too hokey and contrived, the best part about the movie's setting is that Oshii actually thinks out the political atmosphere is meticulous detail: various countries are at war... and they outsource that war to corporations (which is poetic when thinking about the realities of the military-industrial complex; according to Oshii, in the movie, the planes are propeller-powered due to political reasons: it's a profitable industry, so there's no reason change it up... just keep it going and whoever ends up with the biggest profits, wins).

I like that this time, Oshii has the setting actually in the background. Oshii usually likes to spell out every detail of the political mechanisms of his world...but in SC, you could pay attention to it or not pay attention to it and still understand the general idea of the film.

And thinking about its philosophy of war and the people who participate in war: The Sky Crawlers is miles, if not light years, ahead of something like Metal Gear Solid 4.


What's fascinating is that there are about three levels you could choose to take the story. There's the war angle of course. There's the now-infamous "otaku" angle (which has produced some very amusing arguments on Anime News Network's forums) and there's the sociological angle in that you could take it as saying something about the political climate today and it's relationship with the under-30 years old set.

FANTASTIC movie.


Though, I wish the BD had a commentary track with Oshii like Innocence did...

Oshii's commentary tracks tend to be very technical, though, aren't they? In Innocence he kind kept mum about most of what the movie was saying.

The one thing about SC is how you can see how precisely calibrated each scene, sound, and movement is. You really see how Oshii is in total control here. Some may not LIKE what he's doing, but he knows EXACTLY what he wants and it really shows when you watch it.

[DKL]

I actually commented on the Otaku angle:

So... what are your thoughts about this movie being a critical look at today's otaku youth in Japan, as noted by ANN's review?

I... did not get that, actually... it's an interesting theory, but I don't think it's something that Oshii himself planned to say in the movie (I mean... I know Satoshi Kon touches on this issue and it's more apparent in his movies).

In the Oshii interview, he said he planned on saying something to the youth of Japan (which might not necessarily be otaku), but the movie turned out to be more universal: how do you make the most out of your life despite the limited setting where the days go on and on and it seems like the same thing over and over again (think about Masaaki Yuasa's Mind Game where the characters have to figure out a way to make the most out of their lives living inside of a whale)?

Yeah, the kids are withdrawn because of the countless days of war, but it's a little hard for me to tie that to the conundrum of the otaku alone; I feel like it's a more general conundrum about how people live life everyday, one day indistinguishable from the next, unfulfilled with what it is that they're doing and where the cycle only ends when you die... that could apply to otaku (such as myself)... that could also apply to some guy working a dead-end corporate job.

I mean... going by that, I guess I could say that the dolls in Ghost in the Shell: Innocence share the same fate as those girls in bishoujo dating sims: dolls with life bestowed upon them unfairly for the exploitation of man...

But, yeah, I feel like Oshii isn't necessarily pinpointing otaku like Kon is (in Paprika, Kon is essentially saying that it's alright to be a kid... so long as you know when to put your damn toys away and man up); Oshii's themes are more universal, I feel.

=========

I mean... I honestly do feel like Oshii didn't go out there with the sole intent of busting otaku balls, to the very least... but that's not to say that you can't take it like that, I guess.

===============

As for commentary, I am interested in the process of how stuff and decisions are made (and criticisms: I think Oshii wasn't too fond of the little girl's voice in the end) , even if the director never discusses the actual meaning in the work (he probably didn't wanna spoonfeed people for Innocence, which is fine); I think I remember Oshii talking about the dog's anus or something and how it was removed in the final cut, which I found funny...

I mean, for such a serious work (though, Oshii has arguably one of the more outstandingly subtle senses of humors I've seen: I remember the part where Batou is reaching into his car trunk for something in Innocence, and when the item in question enters the frame, the look on Togusa's face is priceless), he's not actually the only director that pokes seemingly inappropriate fun; I specifically remember Sidney Lumet, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke kinda drooling over Marisa Tomei's body during various moments in the commentary track for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

=========

As for the political atmosphere: Oshii does a very good job at depicting the political atmosphere in his various works (miles ahead of, say, Code Geass, which I couldn't sit through more than an episode of... not a big fan of how it's done in Full Metal Alchemist either... yeah, I said it); the surreal presence of the army in the city in Patlabor 2 did an outstanding job of demonstrating how radically different daily life is when the army is stationed in the city; some people treat it somewhat like it's a gimmick (otaku taking photos, kids waving at the soldiers), but you can't help but feel the tension. In Sky Cralwers, you couldn't help but notice Kusanagi and the officer dude from the other base stepping over each other's toes over the bombing raid snafu, yet trying to be civil and proper about it; while brief, you get a good picture of the in-fighting that goes on within the army in the movie.

While that attention to detail might annoy some (though, I don't really know why) at least Oshii's not obtuse about it like, say, Ichiro Itano or whoever is... and even then, I honestly think that Oshii does a good job of showing that, behind all the complicated mechanisms, there lies people that are human (Batou's home life in Innocence spoke wonders about the person *I've not seen many better depictions of someone coming home from a hard day's work as I have in that movie; that's EXACTLY what it looks like*; in Sky Crawlers, we actually sit through an entire sequence where the kids are out the bowling... it's really one of the more interesting sequences I've seen in an anime, not just because of its fine detail, but because of how the kids go about doing it: everything's closed, so why don't we just do this? They might even have some booze if we're lucky... and yet, somehow, it feels very unfulfilling to do this [and they know this]... but we'll do it anyway if only to momentarily divert ourselves from the reality of what it is that we're doing... yeah, all that detail even if they didn't actually say it).

It's effectively, somber: despite the complicated political mechanisms, behind all that are people that are actually quite discontent with life even if it's not always apparent upon first glance (you can really feel like Gotoh and Batou are pining for their female companions in their respective movies, even if they don't show it so obviously; the difference between this and most things is that they go about it convincingly as adults in a very professional line of work... it's not cute, yeah, but it's not supposed to be [on that subject, how many directors in anime actually make romance that's not overtly "cute"? Osamu Kobayashi... Yoshiaki Kawajiri... Shinichiro Watanabe...]).

That said, I guess I can also appreciate the fact that Oshii isn't very sentimental (though, a lot of people might find the lack of sentimentality somewhat cold, I guess); it's getting to a point where I realize that that kinda thing is too easy most of the time (people should check out Martin Scorsese's New York, New York; shockingly, Liza Minneli and Robert De Niro don't end up together, but it makes sense given that they're aware of the reality of their interactions with each other; it's like fire and ice).

Uh... stuff...

Yeah, I'm tired.

Blah blah blah.

[jojo_home]

Yeah, in general I agree with your take DKL. I'm not feeling it as solely an attack on otaku, although otaku could certainly be included in the people Oshii is targeting. I do feel like SC is one of his more open-ended films, and I think that's what I find so interesting about it.

As for the production stuff...looking at some of the extras, you really see just how involved Oshii is with every aspect of the production--I think in some ways even more than Miyazaki. I found the sound design segments especially interesting--and Sky Crawlers has some of the best use of sound and silence I've heard in any anime. It was interesting to see Kawai working out the soundtrack with Oshii right there telling him specific beats and sounds he wanted as Kawai experimented with them. Oshii also manages to be in total control when he goes to work with the American sound crew at Skywalkers for the english dub, even though he can't speak much english. I often see foreign film directors working with Americans for english adaptations of their films and they kind of get overwhelmed and shy around Americans and sometimes let them alter their film in subtle ways that aren't necessarily what the director originally intended. But not so here--Oshii knows exactly what he wants and isn't afraid to articulate it. There's one moment in the segment where one of the American sound guys says how they thought that a certain scene might use more sound effects, and then Oshii would then specifically state he wants that scene to play out more silently, etc,. I like that kind of hands-on approach for sound and I'd like to see more anime directors do that.

I also found the documentary showing Oshii going bowling with his staff to be quite funny. Going by what we see, apparently Oshii is the worst bowler ever.