Manco

I apologize if this has been posted already. i just saw this today. Anybody know anything about this?

I remember watching "Starblazers" growing up. The FX look decent although Captain Avatar's beard looks awful.

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WTK

via Mania.com...

buckee1

Soiling my pants as I type...! This looks very, very interesting!

Mordred

For the lazy:



Definitely will watch this one. I loved Star Blazers as a kid.

visitor Q

I love Star Blazers as an adult. I'm actually in the middle of the series as I write this; after 25 years. It's dated as hell, but I'm totally digging the old school animation and the rush of memories as Quest to Iscandar is progressing. It's like watching a VHS transfer on my new plasma screen but I don't care as its adding to the nostalgic value. "..launch the ultra-menace missle!" The cheese is in over-flow ...as is the dated 70's tracks.

I'm totally stoked for the live action version, but I have a feeling it's biggest flaw will be too much flash! But I'm willing to forgive that aspect if they can really put something together here.

Ash Ketchum

The original Yamato series was a risky project made under restrictive budgetary conditions by hungry, visionary animators who were trying to prove something at a time when even veiled displays of Japanese nationalism were strongly discouraged. Every cell of ink and paint showed the blood and sweat of its creators. This live-action version comes at a time when no one in the Japanese film industry has a single new idea and must keep rehashng past glories to maintain itself. I'll pass.

Mordred

I bought the first disc several years ago and never finished watching it. It was just a little too cheesy for me and not quite how I remembered it, although maybe I should give it another chance.

Star Blazers was must see TV every afternoon at 3:30 for me and my friend down the street. We'd watch the show and then spend hours collaborating on drawing enormous space battleships prickled with laser guns. A few years later and I somehow forgot the name of the show. I'd describe it to all my friends in high school and nobody knew what I was talking about. I didn't figure it out until college when I met some true nerds who shouted "Star Blazers!" at me before I got through the "battleship floating through space..." description.

visitor Q

That's cool, Mordred.

I wish I had your memory. I don't recall the times the show originally aired, but I do know only two people I went to elementary school with knew of the show ...a best friend of mine ...and myself. We used to doodle during class and got trouble a couple of times. The comet empire "floating city" was typically the focal point ...and the many battles we used to come up with involving it and the Argo. Good times.

I'd add to your observation, that after watching another few hours of Quest for Iscandar last night, there are some serious flaws that I completely missed as a kid ..or didn't care. It's drawn out with a fairly weak script; most notably how each side knows the other side's weaponry and logistical information even though there is no reason why they should at the points of time (interesting how Deslok knows exactly where the star force is heading so early in the series without any given hints to the viewer). And that's really just the start - there really is a lot to be left in the void of unexplainable plotting - for instance, how the Argo only has 90 secs left for its first warp in-between Jupiter and its moon where the tiger squadron fights off a enemy ship and has limited time to return before the jump. Wildstar is in the landing bay helping (verbally yelling, not through a communications device mind you) an incoming damaged ship to steer right for a safe landing! Christ, I can't make this stuff up. Really helpful. The ship crash lands and after beginning with 90 secs to go, Wildstar is able to get to the landing deck, help the flailing ship land and return to the bridge in enough time for the psychedelic (awesome!!!) trip through the time warp! Wow! Impressive.

Anyway, yeah I have trouble consolidating my reasoning, but ya know, through all the bullshit it's still an interesting journey to see how it all plays out. It doesn't always make sense, that's certain, but so far there's just enough intrigue to the story to keep me interested. Besides, since it's been 25 years since I've seen this classic (in my own mind anyway) series I have to complete it. It's a chore.

And that's awesome that you met a few people back in the day ...who knew. I've met people through the years that know of the name, but that's it.

Lastly, I'd be curious to find out if the "stupidity" of the show was either lost in translation or done on purpose when translated over towards the English speaking audience. I've heard that the original Japanese Space Battleship Yamato series if far superior in its native tongue

Takeshi357

I've never seen Star Blazers, but I have seen Space Battleship Yamato and I'm currently in the middle of the second series.

And yes, the series does have some major continuity flaws; Yamato appears to suffer heavy damage in almost every single episode, and in one the whole bottom falls off - and yet the ship is in perfect shape again in the next episode. And the same thing goes for the crew as well, there's not even 200 men aboard and there's plenty of redshirt deaths yet they never seem to run out of them.

But hey, it's still a great series, I love oldschool anime like Yamato. And I find myself singing the theme song constantly.

Mordred

I don't know about the SBY theme song, but the Star Blazers song is badass. I like to sing it at my wife to annoy her.

Ash Ketchum

Same melody, different languages. The Japanese version is sung a little deeper. "Our-Star-BLA-zers" is heard as "YA-MA-TOOOOOOOO."

buckee1

Any news on the live action front?

WTK

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buckee1

The new trailer looks great! This is supposed to premiere in December in Japan so, I'm thinking, it will be at least 11 months before we see anything on the BD/DVD front. Evidently, a new anime Yamato feature film was recently released but not to any glowing reception. Hopefully, that pic's failure will in no way affect the success of this live action entry.(That is of course supposing this film doesn't totally suck)

Cardiac161

I am so looking forward to this. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same director that did "Returner" (which I personally liked) starring Takeshi Kaneshiro. That movie was a hit in Japan but was totally derided internationally as it heavily borrowed elements from Men in Black, Independence Day, ET, The Matrix & Mission Impossible 2. The filmmaker is more known for his CGI visuals but was able to blend special effects with drama when he made "Always" back in 2005, which won best picture in the Japan Film Academy.

I'm a big fan of Takuya Kimura (my wife has a huge crush on him) and having Meisa Kuroki is a big plus.

kndy

Definitely look forward to the film and the fact that it is a Takuya Kimura (KimuTaku) starring film is pretty big in Japan. Great to see Kuroki in it as well! Loved the latest trailer!

WTK

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GenPion

Awesome clip! Wow, I got chills over my entire body. I can't wait to see this. I wish we already knew when this will show up in the US.

Ash Ketchum

This is not your father's Yamato. And since I'm your father, I should know.

The imagery is too dark and the Spaceship designs, both interior and exterior, are way too detailed. I loved the simple, streamlined designs of the anime, the bold lines and the bright primary colors. I don't even see any color in this. One of the pleasures of the original comes from the knowledge that what you're seeing was drawn by hand by a small, tireless crew of dedicated artists working in pen and ink. The resulting animation was the magic that such hard work produced. This live-action clip doesn't have that kind of magic at all. Sorry.

GenPion

Having seen the anime (and also having read the manga) I feel like my comment is fine to have made and justified. It's not the anime -- it wasn't going to be entirely the same. I think the clip makes the film look fantastic, so it's just to each their own.

zombeaner

A friend of a friend is a HUGE fan, and japanophile, and he thought it was great. He's something of a japanese pop culture expert, has a couple of books about kaiju films and stuff like that. His opinion makes me want to see it. I have no previous experience with these characters, so I might enjoy it more.

Traxan

Well you know why don't you? Two words: Battlestar Galactica. Looking at the clips, it's clear that the director watched way too much BSG and copied too many ideas, most notably the shaky handicam and the dark, grungy look.

WTK

HK version up for pre-order: http://dddhouse.com/v3/product_detai...roductID=12173

Traxan

Copied from my posting in the Movies board.

I finally got around to watching it. Some interesting changes and some strangeness, too. They modernized it. After all, the original series was basically Japan fighting WWII all over again and winning. Foreign invader dropping radiation weapons on Japan, Yamato riding out to defeat them, etc. So there are a few nice twists, especially when they get to Iskandar.

* Susumu (Wildstar) is a bitter ex-military man for reasons explained. His brother sacrifices his life and ship so Captain Okita (Avatar) can escape. But Susumo spends the whole movie furious at Okita, thinking he let his brother die and Okita never tells him the truth.

* Okita is taken out relatively early due to an unnamed illness, which means it's cancer. The Japanese are real funny about that disease.

* Dr. Sado (Sane) was turned into a woman but is still a drunk. She spends a lot of time clutching a fat orange cat in one hand and a giant bottle of sake in the other, which wrecks the character IMO.

* Yuki (Nova) has been transformed into BSG's Starbuck, basically.

* The engineer, Orion, was downright genius casting.

* The strong friendship between Susumo and Shima (Wildstar & Venture) in the anime is non-existent here.

* It has a fair amount of BSG grit and camera style. The crew is remarkably undisciplined for a military ship.

* The biggest change is Gamilas/Gamelons. Their ships are organic-looking, kinda Borg-like. That's only the beginning of it.



* Remember the BSG episode where the ship belly flopped right onto a planet? You aint seen nothing.

* There's actually very few fights. Much of it is melodrama among the crew, including a real clumsy romance between Yuki and Susumu.

* There's no IQ9 to sexually harass Yuki but Susumu has this computer he wears on his belt about the size of a large smartphone, that routinely talks to him in a computer voice. And IQ9 isn't totally forgotten. That's all I'll say.

* The ending is handled terribly.

milo bloom

Hmm, going to have to figure out to rent this. We just cancelled our Netflix disc service and I don't see Redbox carrying something like this....