Venus Wars

By Roman Martel     February 13, 2002
Release Date: November 03, 1998



The Review!
-Synopsis-
In the distant future Venus has been colonized by Earth, but instead of the utopia it was hoped to become, Venus has instead become a battleground for two of the largest civilizations on the world. Our protagonists are hurled from their normal lives and into the war. Some of them try to resist and others embrace their new lifestyles, relishing in the fact that they can make a difference. However war damages all things; homes, friendships, families, as well as lives. In the end each person must make their own decision and live with it. This is the harsh lesson that must be learned by all who survive the wars on Venus.

-Artistic Ratings-
Animation: 5
Sound: 5
Plot: 4
Acting: Japanese: 3
English: 2
Music: 4
Overall: 4

-Disc Ratings-
Sound: 3
Picture: 4
Menu: 3
Presentation: 3
Goodies: 3
Overall: 3

-Review-

This is an impressive story to try and bring to the screen. With a running time of 104 minutes this film is almost able to capture the scope of the war and still bring it to a personal level. I would have liked about another hour or so because many of the characters seemed intriguing enough to be explored in more depth (why was Miranda so obsessed with going after the tank?). Still this movie does not disappoint. The animation is very smooth and detailed. It is also very moody in its atmosphere and tone. There is very little use of bright and happy colors (and even these are tainted). Oranges, reds and browns are used in abundance and much of the time there is a oppressive and claustrophobic feel to the film, very appropriate over all. The production design was also impressive, from the tanks to the speeding cycles. The sound was used to make everything even more real. You felt like you were trapped with our protagonists in the war and surrounded by chaos. The plot is a familiar one. Innocence is lost in war-time. These young people didn't ask to be involved but they must and do become part of the war. Still this story does work well, and we care about Hiro and hope he makes it out of all that befalls him. The music was well done and fit most of the time. It was a bit much in some places, but overall I liked it. The end song (over the longest pull away in anime history ?) went on a bit too much. I have to add this film to my preferred Sub watching list because the dub was pretty bad. The Japanese voice track worked much better and the lines were less corny than some of the dub stuff.

This disc is pretty average on all counts. The sound was plain stereo. Kind of a let down considering what a wonderful surround soundtrack this could have had. Since this is an old show, I guess the costs of remastering it would have been hideous but this could have been a great showoff piece. The picture was also average. The master has some scratches and some of the projection circles I saw in Beautiful Dreamer. They aren't too distracting but you do notice them. A big bonus is the fact that this film is presented in widescreen. Way to go! This boosts the rating up a bit. The menu (as with many of CPM's early releases) is a bit slow, but functional. The presentation is passable. You get some bland artwork and all your essential info on the jacket. Of course I don't care for the liner notes on the reverse side of the cover, I would have liked a little booklet instead. Your goodies include and intro to the main characters, and some scenes of the battle sequences in the film. They are kind of nifty but I would have liked a little text with them as well. Also some of the conceptual drawings for the ships and tanks would have been nice. A lot of thought went into creating a realistic feel to this movie. You also get some trailers for other CPM releases...I like trailers.

So to sum up, I think this is a great addition to any anime collection. The story and its characters are very engaging. The animation and sound are very good and artistically this is another well done war film. It doesn't glorify war, and it doesn't make it overly depressing. Plus it's got plenty of action to keep you action lovers happy. I definitely recommend this disc.

Review Equipment
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