User Reviews

This is a review of the English subtitled version of the film and not the English dubbed version A boys own adventure as our young hero fights to keep a steam ball out of the hands of evil corporate profiteers. Set in and around London in the late 1880's this is quite simply one of the most amazing animated films ever made. Odds are you have never seen anything like it on this scale.

As Otomo Katsuhiro pushed the field of animation with his Akira some twenty years ago, he does it again with Steamboy his long in production masterpiece. This is a film so rich and detailed you simply can not truly believe that anyone would have taken the time to do the animation. This is a film to shame most animators working in the field who keep things simple. Nothing is simple here as we get grand battle scenes in London, chases through the English country side, and huge clockwork machines that are mind boggling in their visual complexity. It has to be seen to believed.

The characters here all arc. No one is as they seem at first or second except perhaps for our hero, Roy, who tries desperately to do the right thing with the scientific marvels his father and grandfather have given him but instead finds no one is wholly good nor evil. There is a complexity to everyone that is uncommon for most animation, both Japanese and American.Its refreshing to see that we are given real people to root for and to hiss. What happens to them may move you to tears, it did me.

The film is constructed in essentially two half's. The first is a rollicking adventure as Roy is thrust int the fight against the aforementioned evil corporation, which, like the characters is not as clearly evil as first seems. It his here that there are several set pieces that are some of the finest things I've ever seen on film, in particular the initial chase by the bad guys to get the steam ball. It starts in Roys home, which is trashed and then continues on steam powered vehicles across the countryside before ending up intersecting with a speeding train. Spielberg could learn a great deal for the next Indiana Jones movie. This first half is near perfect in execution.

The second half of the film is a giant set piece that begins as a small scale fight during the London Exhibition and quickly expands into a full scale war in London. Its is here that the film falters, not because its bad, rather because its not fully clear whats happening. Its as if Otomo set in motion this huge machine and didn't know how to control it. I knew over all what was going on in the big picture but I was lost as to the details. This is a damaging flaw to the film that destroys many people ability to enjoy the film. If you can let yourself go and let the film wash over you then you will be more likely to truly appreciate this film for what it is- grand story telling on a huge scale.

I can't recommend this film enough. Certainly one of the best animated films ever made, I'm sure it will be near the top of my best films of the year.

Lastly Stay through the credits. If its not readily apparent the pictures under the credits take the story well past the ending of the film and show you quite clearly what happens to everyone we've come to know. One can only hope that we will one day be treated with the story those pictures tell.

Steamboy was a recommendation and likely not something I would have gotten round to otherwise.

Set in the 1860's it tells the story of two sides competing over steam power dominance and it's potential applications. Revolving around one boy and how he gets caught up in it all because of certain family ties.

The first thing you'll notice is that it's fantastically animated, it really looks the part and though Japanese made suffers with none of the usual anime tropes. Set in England it has a fitting and very competent British voice cast including veteran Patrick Stewart who delivers as he always does.

So it looks good, it sounds good, and this wonderful almost steampunk setting is great, so why the underwhelming rating?

The story (Though decent enough) isn't handled as well as it should have been, at two hours they could have paced it considerably better. To make matters worse you have a number of detestable characters (And not entirely intentionally) that really damaged the film for me.

I appreciate what they were trying to do here and entirely see the appeal, I get the impression that many will adore this. For me it was just well made but poorly constructed (If that makes any sense) and though not bad it's certainly not something I'd recommend myself.

The Good:

Beautifully animated

Solid voice work

Some great ideas

The Bad:

Doesn't flow very well

Annoying characters

In the year 2004, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, writer and director of the enormously influential anime, "Akira" (1988), returned to film-making after almost 10 years since his last directorial effort ("Memorîzu" or "Memories"), with another epic story of action and science-fiction named "Suchîmubôi", literally "Steamboy". In this film, Ôtomo dives into the sci-fi sub-genre commonly known as "Steampunk", stories often set in the 19th century where highly advanced steam machines are the fantastic technology of the time creating alternative history and settings. The Steampunk sub-genre shares many similarities with cyberpunk fiction, so it's probably not a surprise that the maker of "Akira", one of the most celebrated works of cyberpunk fiction, would decide to make a story for this very similar sub-genre. Ôtomo's background and the similarities between the sub-genres force an inevitable comparison to "Akira", but while "Steamboy" is far from the masterpiece that "Akira" was, it's one of the best feature length animated films of the decade.

Set in Victorian Britain, "Steamboy" is the story of Ray Steam (Anne Suzuki), a young kid from Manchester who spends his free time working at a factory and inventing steam machines following the example of his father Dr. Edward Steam (Masane Tsukayama) and his grandfather Dr. Lloyd Steam (Katsuo Nakamura), both renowned inventors working in America. One day, he receives a box from his grandfather containing a small spheric steam machine, with explicit orders of not giving it to anyone except to famed inventor Robert Stephenson (Kiyoshi Kodama). Soon he receives the visit of agents from O'Hara, the company where his grandfather works, violently demanding the spheric machine. Ray's grandfather appears too, and helps Ray to escape with the sphere, making Ray to realize that the small machine contains a power beyond his imagination.

"Steamboy" is definitely a classic example of Steampunk fiction as it takes a historical setting and gives it a spin by adding the element of fantastic super science. Written by Katsuhiro Ôtomo and Sadayuki Murai, "Steamboy" uses the sub-genre's setting and elements to tell a story about science, its possibilities and specially its consequences if handled in a bad way. Ôtomo uses the characters of the Steam family to describe what he sees as the two possible uses of science, and makes a sharp (although heavy handed) criticism to our modern capitalist society. In this way, it shares some of "Akira"'s themes, but "Steamboy" offers a more optimist tone, as it's essentially a story about the birth of modern science (in an exaggerated fantasy way of course) where mankind is still on time to learn the enormous responsibility of using science. Overall it's a pretty straight forward story of action and adventure, but the use of this themes through the movie makes the story really captivating.

As expected, the animation of the film is flawless, with a great (and often unnoticeable) combination of both traditional 2-D and 3-D animation that bring the incredible Steampunk machines to life. The movie has an exiting look, mix of real Victorian designs and Ôtomo's very own sci-fi style, paying honest tribute to the pulp adventures and Victorian literature that form the basis of the Steampunk sub-genre. Director Katsuhiro Ôtomo's eye for visuals is still there, and the epic finale is one of the best staged scenes in an animated film of the last years. The movie moves at a fast pace, probably too fast for its own good, but the plot still unfolds nicely. It's certainly not a landmark like "Akira", but Katsuhiro Ôtomo has delivered another great animated story.

I've seen the original Japanese track, so sadly I can't comment on the English dubbing. In the original audio, Anne Suzuki makes an outstanding job as Ray, not only because the character is male (and she is female), but because the character is old enough to his voice be "manly". Suzuki makes Ray very convincing, as the young kid discovering the benefits (and dangers) of science. Masane Tsukayama plays Ray's father, giving a certain dignity and power to the character and avoiding most of the clichés this kind of character tend to have. On the same tone is Katsuo Nakamura, who in turn plays Ray's grandfather. Nakamura's eccentric character is effectively portrayed by the experienced actor, and is one of the highlights of the film. Finally, Manami Konishi plays Scarlett O'Hara, the young heir of the O'Hara company, making this spoiled little brat (obviously inspired by "Gone with the wind") annoying enough for the character without going too over the top.

Probably the film's biggest flaw is that simply is not "Akira", what I mean is that given that Katsuhiro Ôtomo's 1988 movie was such a landmark in anime, the expectations for "Steamboy" were probably impossible to live up to. However, this doesn't mean that "Steamboy" is a bad movie, simply that it can be disappointing if one is expecting another "Akira". "Steamboy" is a simple, but remarkable epic adventure with the only ambition of being entertaining. It's upbeat tone may look typical of anime at first sight, but despite this optimism, "Steamboy" offers the same dark subject that "Akira": Man must learn to use the science before it's too late. In this aspect it could be seen as a prequel (set several centuries before) to the world of "Akira", as the science in "Steamboy" seems to be getting advanced at a very fast pace. In the end, the only real flaw of the movie is that despite having a runtime of 2 hours, the film feels rushed, and leaves one wanting for more.

Director Katsuhiro Ôtomo spend almost 10 years conceiving and developing "Steamboy", and the effort certainly payed off. Sci-fi fans will find an excellent adventure in "Steamboy", specially if they are fans of the Steampunk sub-genre. With its excellent animation and captivating story, "Steamboy" is an excellent introduction to Katsuhiro Ôtomo's work. It's not going to change anime again, but Ôtomo's movie is still definitely one of the best. 8/10

The latest film from the director of Akira, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, is a pacy thriller anime set in an alternate 1850s London, in the middle of the industrial age. Rai Steam is the third in a line of engineer inventors who dreams of going to the first ever Great Exhibition – when his grandfather unexpectedly returns from the United States with an new invention, the steamball. About the size of a bowling ball, the steamball is a source of immense, self-renewing power and the people who funded the invention want it back at any price. Rai escapes on his steam-powered unicycle, and the race is on. On the way, he encounters a steam-powered cyborg, a giant steam-powered "Death Star" and a feisty, economic rationalist sidekick, the Gone With The Wind-inspired Miss Scarlett (Manami Konishi).

While the plot is nothing new – and very much in the Hollywood thriller style, the inventiveness of the world Steamboy is set in is exhilarating. Imagine steam-powered individual submarines, flying machines and more, all drawn in painstaking detail – with thousands of cogs and wheels all impacting on each other. Although some CGI is used, most of the film's made in the traditional anime style – around 180 000 individual pictures were used to make Steamboy, and it shows.

Steamboy's a rip-roaring 'steampunk' piece of entertainment, complete with an insane despot who plans to take over the world. Although it's strange to see a film set in London where all the (Anglo) characters are speaking Japanese, it's best not to take Steamboy too seriously. Comic relief is provided by Miss Scarlett and Rai's grandfather, Loyd Steam (Katsuo Nakamura). Loyd Steam also speaks for the natural order, something that's often found in Japanese anime and was inspired by both the animist former national religion, Shinto, and the WWII atomic bombings. Unlike Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, however, it's barely touched on here. Steamboy succeeds because of the fantastic imagination behind the animation, not for its philosophy. ***½/***** stars.

I was dragged to this movie by my son, knowing of Anime only Totoro, the Cartoon Network Anime shows, and passing things from the web.

I was astounded by the superb quality of the graphics, especial the CGI macro shots, throughout the film. I found myself thinking of people seeing early Disney features in the 1930's. The visuals looking through various magnifying lenses were absolutely incredible!

I was surprised to see how the setting in Victorian England had given me such an easier time visually comprehending familiar scenes, vehicles, etc instead of the usual anime Asian or Space-Age themes I had come to expect. In this way, I feel I was finally able to visually appreciate the quality of the artistry for the first time. Wow! The English dubbing was great, and again helped me appreciate the film. And the storyline was a perfect "Perils of Pauline" tied to a gone-bad "Mad Scientist" tale as seen in Frankenstien, the Invisible Man or any of 1,000 such movies.

I don't understand complaints of the ending "dragging on". *spoiler<?>* If not for the extra-twists in the list 30 min, we would all be complaining that the plot was flat and the ending dragged out of a dustbin. As it was, I burst out laughing at the twist and thought it clever, along with the two more twists including the one just before final credits. If you were taking yourself (as Monday Morning Quarterback) a little less seriously, you would see it was poking fun at the notion of a hero's "heroic moment".

Of course it was a comic book style plot, blowing up the famous historic buildings at the Victorian Exhibition using steam power! I easily accepted and enjoyed the diabolical plot twists for what they were. How can one accept the presence of a 20,000 foot tall steam powered flying rocket (built by a mad scientist and stuffed with secret weapons) and not expect escape bays, rocket packs, secret pods, and trap doors? Lighten up! Doesn't one certainly imply the other?

Steamboy has such a rare quality of production values that it almost merits a viewing for the aesthetics alone. But there is a story to the film; and although the hardcore fans of Otomo may have been expecting something a little deeper, and although the pacing and characterization is notably flawed, it still stands as an extremely fun yarn with no shortage of what you'd expect from a classic action/adventure flick. The film, in many respects, is comparable to works like Sky Captain and the Indiana Jones films; a classic storytelling style somewhat augmented for a modern audience.

Numerous characters such as Scarlett and the henchmen are essentially devoid of anything resembling development. Scarlett in particular seems to have had her personal developments skipped or accelerated just to give a comic or emotional foil to Ray and the others, and it sticks out noticeably. She's given the typical "redeeming moment" at the end of the film that has no real grounding or weight considering her screen presence; it comes and goes without making a single ripple in an audience.

Essentially, Steamboy crams too many action set pieces and grand ideas into a story too lightweight to fully support them, and the plot suffers because of it. But it's far from lacking meaning or emotion, so as long as you can detach yourself from expectations you're assured quite a ride.

As a final note, if anyone finds the explicit diatribes concerning science a little distracting, try to keep in mind that they all come from your stereotypical mad scientists types. It becomes somewhat more plausible!

STEAMBOY is director Katsuhiro Otomo first feature film in ten years, since the release of the cult-classic AKIRA. Though he did work on a few projects in between, like MEMORIES and METROPOLIS as well as supervising SPRIGGAN and the brilliant psychological thriller PERFECT BLUE, you can easily imagine Otomo-san spending the better part of a decade honing STEAMBOY to the masterpiece it has become.

I've always felt a great anime should do the following: create real characters, make you think, dazzle you visually, and forward the art of animation by creating new techniques. STEAMBOY does all of that. Simplified, the message of the film is that science is a tool that should benefit mankind, and not be used to fatten the pockets of warmongers. The message is not heavy handed though, as Otomo-san presents several angles and allows the viewer to come to the obvious conclusion on their own. Visually this film is stunning. Even minor touches like water reflections under bridges were added to make the film seem more real. 3D was incorporated throughout the film, which I normally hate, but instead of inserting it and having it look out of place, it is simply used as a reference, and then painstakingly traced to appear more 2D and blend in with the film. I've been waiting for someone to do this properly for years. There is a lot of camera action that you've never seen in an anime before. Rather than quick edits, some scenes are panned, zoomed, or rotated with amazing accuracy, as if they were actually filmed rather than being drawn.

This film is full of wonder, with amazing inventions, interesting characters you quickly care about, and beautiful scenes. It plays like a classic adventure film. There is a scene where Dr. Steam turns to his grandson and says "Go Steamboy!" That choked me right up. I could not have been happier with the way this film turned out. It's a masterpiece that Otomo-san should be extremely proud of, and that every anime fan will enjoy. (9/10)

Admiring the gadgets, machines and all the insanely gorgeous animation you won't have enough time to wonder where the plot or character development went.

Steamboy is set in Victorian England, the age of inventions and the industrial revolution. Dr. Steam has developed a ball that contains an enormous amount of pressure, that can be used to power huge amounts of steam machines. However, Dr. Steam's son and grandson both have their own designs...

I've never been a huge anime fan, but I've enjoyed every film I've seen that Otomo has been involved in, and this one is no exception to the rule. Since I enjoyed it as a non-anime fan, I recommend to all others like me who are curious about anime.

A film by the same director of the popular anime film "Akira", but I liked this better.

A steam-punk tale set in London at the time when steam was discovered as a source of energy, in some slightly different and parallel history than the one we live in. London during the Industrial Revolution is recreated in detail ... and more. This is not a Ghibli production, but it is just as good, and visually amazing: the natural and architectural settings are eye-popping. And I dare to say that the human characters are better drawn than in Ghibli anime films. In a way it is better than most "real" films, because anything, and I mean anything, can be drawn, even things you could not shoot on film or video, and this is the demonstration. One of those movies you are glad you lived to watch them.

'Steamboy', the groundbreaking new film from the makers of 'Akira' represents the new benchmark in Japanese animation. While the underlying story that science should be used to benefit mankind and not to wage war is somewhat bland, it is the animation that captivates.

Using both 3D CGI and traditional 2D cel animation, (which works wonderful and is seamless together) 'Steamboy' far surpasses any previous animation to date. The camera pans and swoops around our hero beautifully as we are taken into a 19th century England that is mixed with science fiction. There are inventors and machines, weapons and explosions - are encaptulated within this alternate world. This is the highlight of 'Steamboy', the world is alive and so detailed. All the machines are full of cogs and moving parts - everything seems so real and alive. 'Steamboy' has captured the industrial feel perfectly, just as well (if not better) than 'Akira' captured the 80's futuristic feel.

If you like Japanese animation you will love and adore 'Steamboy', and if you only see one animation this year make sure you see 'Steamboy'. It's simply amazing.

The great Katsuhiro Ôtomo (Akira / Metropolis) returns with this cool anime about a young boy's adventure in 1960s London on the eve of the World Expo. David comes from a family of inventors but when the mysterious new invention of his father and grandfather winds up in his hand, David must protect the "Steam Ball" and all the power locked inside from the hands of an evil corporation bent on grabbing the find for their own.

The beautiful looking "Steamboy" mixes cell and CG-created animation flawlessly. Ôtomo one again proves he is one of the masters of anime with this slick and adventurous piece of storytelling.

Steamboy is the best Anime movie that has been released in North America in recent years. The story, animation, and other visual effects are all amazingly done, even though the characters are not as deep as those in Otomo's previous work, Akira. These two films have nothing in common aside from the director, and maybe a similar character animation style. So people who loved Akira and want to see something similar, stay away from Steamboy.

When I first saw Steamboy I was quite surprised. I had foolishly believed that since the movie was created by the same guy who did Akira, it would be

violent and somewhat depressing. But what I saw was a fast paced, beautifully animated, adventure that even a young child could enjoy. The film does have a bit of violence in it, but mainly its just explosions and a few steam burns, so fairly young children will be able to see it. The movie does deal with some serious topics like war and the possible destruction of London, but with all the action and crazy inventions kids will easily forget the plot. But even though this movie is suitable for younger audiences, doesn't mean it cannot be enjoyed by older and more seasoned anime fans. I saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, and there were plenty of older fans of anime clapping loudly after the credits of the film.

The story is quite simple and centers around the adventures of a young inventor named Rei Steam. At the beginning of the film he is sent a new invention from his grandfather, and soon after he receives it he's being chased by members of the Ohara Foundation, a group that designs weapons and sells them to the highest bidding country. He later finds out that the invention he's carrying is called the steam ball, and that it's able to produce mass amounts of energy and would be able to power highly destructive weapons if put in the wrong hands. So its up to Rei and his highly eccentric grandfather to make sure neither the Ohara Foundation or the British Government get hold of the steam ball. (I purposely left out some key plot elements and some key character, but this was done so none of the surprises will be revealed)

Steamboy is a remarkable movie created by anime master Katsuhiro Ôtomo, filled with a brilliant mix of 3D animation and hand drawn characters. Hopefully, since this movie is more family friendly that normal anime movies, it will help introduce more North Americans to the joy that is Anime.

Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy is an animated marriage of Metropolis and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a fable about the limited and unlimited possibilities of science and invention. This film takes the powerful presence of steam in the mid-nineteenth century and blends it with scientists' and politicians' dreams of transcendence to craft a story broad in its depiction of progress's evils and bold in its setting-- the Crystal Palace's opening. That event was as important as a dozen modern Olympics in reflecting the dreams of an industrial society.

The animation is traditional, not fancy, just comic book enough to make you nostalgic, but modern enough to dazzle you with the pipes, dials, bolts, gears, and steam--as Fritz Lang did in Metropolis (1927), which has a pop-animation feel to it. Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell: Innocence has a similar style and typically Japanese take on the black and white of morality. The characters in Steamboy don't move as fluidly as they do in Shrek, yet they carry gravity about the effects of human folly better for their awkwardness. When Ray uses an engine-driven wheel to escape a monstrous tractor, the thrills are as effective as those of the best Hollywood chases.

Young Ray struggles with his scientist father's belief that science is an end in itself and his scientist grandfather's humanistic approach that uses science as a help to mankind. The visible symbol of these constructive and destructive impulses of humanity is the Steam Tower, which Ray's father wishes to use for power and Ray's grandfather wants to destroy because of its abuse by humans. Scarlett, a friend of Ray, is a young girl with wealth and naivety, the former crucial to the Tower, the latter a liability in the modern world. The two friends find a sympathetic bond between progress and happiness when they explore a shut down amusement park.

The look of Steamboy throughout is more like Blake's "dark Satanic Mills" and less like the idyllic counterpoints in Lang's "Metropolis." But both films give little hope that the great inventiveness of mankind will ever keep evil at bay. Although at times repetitive and didactic, Steamboy is thrilling and serious about the future of mankind.

To think I could have just rented Steamboy and got it over and done with. But it was only the UK Theatrical cut that was available to rent and with a Director's Cut available in a limited edition box set out there I had to be a snob and go buy that. What a complete waste of money. Steamboy is a steaming pile of crap! The only thing I liked about it was the quaint depiction of olden-days English countryside. The rest was so phenomenally boring, that I was almost falling asleep.

James Ray Steam (voiced by Anna Paquin, sounding more like a Gaelic South-African than a boy from Manchester) is the grandson of some good scientist and the son of some bad scientist...blah blah blah...steam power...blah blah blah...war machines. Christ almighty, I am sending myself into terminal coma even summarising this guff!

The cover makes it look like some sort of exciting superhero story. But all of the action happens in the last 10 minutes. Everything before this is so, so unbelievably slow. Every line of dialogue so flat. Every character bland as living hell.

I wish to erase this film from my memory forever and I am extremely bitter over the 2 hours I WASTED watching it.

I haven't marked this as a spoiler, but I do mention a couple of things that occur in the film. I don't think they'll spoil it though...

I wanted to like this film SO much. I love the Steampunk genre and knowing how good the animation on Akira was I thought this would be a lush Steampunk adventure akin to Ghibli's Castle in the Sky.

However, where that film had heart, this one had cogs and steam. Yes, it was beautifully animate and had some lovely ideas in it. The central concept of a power source that never was, and yet is so powerful it corrupts all manner of men and turns family upon itself is fascinating. It's something that I would expect to see in a futuristic sci-fi with some kind of newly discovered power. Setting it in a steam age where the power source is a new way of harnessing steam is, for me, the single best thing about this film. It's a nice twist. My main problem with it is bland characters with nothing to make you feel the ties between them. The film tries to get us to sympathise with James' plight when he makes revelations about both his father and grandfather, without EVER having shown us any kind of previous relationship between himself and them. We are asked to assume that there is an emotional tie between a boy and a father and grandfather who have been absent for an undivulged amount of time. The film asks us to feel betrayal from both the father and the grandfather towards the other, without ever having shown us that they ever did anything but hate each other. It is hard to empathise with this betrayal from two people who we have only seen mistrust each other from the outset. The film asks us to feel James' angst when Scarlett is in peril, without ever having shown us he has any kind of emotional tie to her (and quite rightly so in my opinion for she is rude, abrasive and irritating throughout the whole movie. Why the film then expects us to want James to save her is beyond me!)

This film is actually quite cold and mean-spirited. Rarely do we see any character in it act out of anything other than their own interests. Rarely does anyone help anyone else. The characters are selfish and single-minded. I'm normally not so cynical, but maybe this is truer to life than most films. Maybe in such extraordinary circumstances, people would be so selfish. But as a piece of cinematic entertainment, it leaves me cold.

What I DID enjoy was that the film didn't clearly outline who was "good" and who was "evil". There was a point, round about where James first meets his grandfather in the castle and stops trying to hinder him, that I almost kicked myself. It was about there that I had a revelation that the film wasn't going to tell me who to root for and I was disappointed in myself for being annoyed with the film up to that point for not making it clear who were the "goodies". Such is how used to being force fed emotion and morals by films. At that point, I was pleased that the film left it up to both James, and the viewer to decide who was "right". Yes, James makes his choice, and as the viewer we are then more likely to side with him, but at the point I described in the film it was very much up in the air and I liked that.

Unfortunately I watched the dubbed version. Though, being set in England with English characters, maybe, for one, this was more authentic. I bought my DVD, put it in the player, went to find the language options only to discover it was an English only DVD. Yes - some of the accents were ropey to say the least, but not to the point of distraction. I'm a Midlander but I know what a broad Mancunian accent sounds like. With Patrick Stewart being from Huddersfield, not far from Manchester, I though he might've gotten the accent closest, but he seemed a little too generic northern pushing towards Lancaster. Though that is a minor quibble. And hey - maybe the granddad moved to Manchester from Yorkshire?

Lastly - my final major quibble with the film is that by the end of it, I was left with a "so what?" feeling. Has this experience changed James in any way? Or the balance of international power? From the closing credits, I think James went on to develop a super steam train and maybe become a superhero who fought in something like WWI, brought forward maybe due to the steamball? I don't know. The film didn't focus at all on how this monumental experience of being kidnapped and, whilst aboard a pioneering and potentially world-altering piece of technology being actively and aerially embroiled in an explosive international battle for power on which two of his close family members are very active on opposite sides has affected young Master Steam and as such, I find the film again rings hollow.

I don't just come on IMDb just to knock films. I come on to comment when something about a film is notable enough to me to comment on, good or bad. And the hype surrounding this film coupled with a certain amount of disappointment was one thing. Also, it is rare that whilst watching a film, I notice a lack of emotional connection at the time of watching. If that lack is there, it's normally afterwards that I notice so I thought this was notable.

Technically, a very proficient film. Emotionally, lacking.

Where this film's heart should have been, there's just cogs and steam.

It's been a long time since I last watched Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, and so many years later that I finally picked up Steamboy, his follow up production which took years from conception to fruition. Set in 19th Century, alternate history of Victorian England, Steamboy boasts some fantastic looking action visuals, but got bogged down by a very clunky narrative that deals with three generations of steampunks with the erm, Steam family.

Grandad Llyod and dad Eddie Steam collaborated in the building of what would be the next technological marvel at the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, but a difference in philosophy led to catastrophe, that will put their grandchild/child Ray in harm's way when their "steamball", a device with infinitesimal steam power, gets sent in a package to their family home, plunging the tech-mechanical whizz into an adventure that's way beyond his diminutive age, in a crossroads between the O'Hara Foundation, and the might of the British Empire, both wanting his family's device to achieve their own ends.

For an anime film, the story's rich with themes such as the abuse of technology, and man's propensity to weaponize almost everything in order to gain an upper hand on our enemies, but just who this enemy is, be it real or imagined, is something explored in depth in the film. From Ray's perspective of a peace-loving nature, it's also quite true that we're usually swayed by beautiful ideals and wonderfully inspiring phrases, often used to mask true intentions, that we find our loyalties flip-flopping from one to another, until of course a ground must be found upon which to stand upon, and it is this growth that we witness in the protagonist. Worst still of course is that these differences in philosophies stem from the same family tree, making it a lot harder for rational decisions to be made.

But the story did feel bloated especially in the third act, where it seemed to drag on perpetually without an end in sight, which of course gave opportunities for the animators to showcase their intricate designs, from little trinkets to large moving gears, and plenty of out of this world concepts of early gliders, one man submarines, and the one that takes the cake will be Steam Tower, like a Transformers fortress such as Metroplex. Watching this film is like witnessing how the animators can take a simple Lego brick, here made up of valves, pipes and steam, and put them all together to become weapons of mass destruction, all steam powered. Even Steamboy's own creation later on, as seen in trailers and movie stills, seem like a hark back to The Rocketeer.

With characters created that you'll clearly love or hate - Scarlett comes to mind for being extremely pompous, whiny and absolutely clueless as the heiress of the O'Hara Foundation, Steamboy did have its moments that will thrill during its action sequences, but everything outside of that seemed one really round robin way to get from start to end. Enjoyable nonetheless, as it kept its best moments during the end credit roll, with a poignant and fitting end in its epilogue of an alternate history.

There's a scene that occurs late in "Steamboy" where a massive structure, a steam-powered mobile fortress that is the creation of scientist father and son Dr. Loyd Steam and Dr. Edward Steam respectively, rises out of the ruins of a prominent British castle and proceeds to annihilate enemy military as well as most of London. It's just one of the many visual delights in "Steamboy."

An event in animation that's 10+ years in the making, acclaimed artist and director Katsuhiro Otomo finally brings forth the epic "Steamboy," his first effort since the landmark 1988 Anime' "Akira." In fact, "Steamboy" bears a little more than a passing resemblance to its predecessor in many ways but is quick to distance itself from the previous movie.

Katsuhiro Otomo's "Steamboy" was painstakingly drafted over the course of at least 12 years and his hard work pays off in this stunning and brilliant piece of animation cinema. As a regular fan of Anime', I found "Steamboy" working from the very first frame and I'm glad to see a master craftsman back in the saddle of bringing forth another one of his masterpieces. And while Otomo could probably never top "Akira" and certainly "Steamboy" is a step down from his previous masterpiece, this film is imaginative and glorious in its own right.

Set in 1866 Victorian London and featuring the voices of such talented actors like Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina and Patrick Stewart, James Ray Steam, the son of the aforementioned prominent inventor Dr. Edward Steam, receives a mysterious package one day from the postmaster. The package, which contains the "steam ball," an invention of the boy's grandfather and father, is a device that will, as we're frequently told in this picture, revolutionize science and technology well into the next century.

If such a device were to fall into the wrong hands, however, the power harnessed within the steam ball could just as well be used for evil purposes, and this is what becomes the main conflict of the story. No sooner does Ray discover the steam ball, its blueprints for more steam-powered devices and his grandfather's note warning him about the ball's powers, do two sinister-looking gentlemen from "The Foundation" show up at his mother's house in search of the boy's new "gift."

As it would turn out, both Dr. Steams had apparently run afoul of these Foundation people, who are aware of the steam ball and its powers, and would like it for their own devious purposes. Ray is forced to go on the run, with the device in tow, searching for the man whom his grandfather had entrusted the steam ball with.

Much like "Ghost in the Shell" (1995) and Otomo's own "Akira," "Steamboy" shares a plot line that's not unfamiliar with most Anime' pieces. There is of course the hero and his allies, who are in a constant power struggle with an ominous government syndicate that wishes to inflict serious harm upon the main characters as well as the rest of the world. Young and resourceful Ray Steam is an inventor himself with a nice head on his shoulders; a quick-thinker he is, having to make a number of hasty decisions and this is what I admired most about the character.

Ray does eventually find the people with whom the steam ball had been entrusted to, but is not especially pleased when he discovers what their true intentions are. Ray finds himself a visitor in a castle, which is owned by a prominent British family but it is currently occupied by their snobby daughter Scarlett O'Hara. He finds his father, who is not dead like he had been previously told but is disfigured, having to rely on metallic limbs to function and hide his injuries.

But Ray soon finds that all is not well with his father and their current situation in the castle, as he is soon unable to really trust anyone with the steam ball. It becomes clear to him that he has been drawn into a conflict between two opposing factions, both of which aim to use the device for their own destructive purposes.

Not just that and like the two previously mentioned films, "Steamboy" is also a parable about the closing gap between man and technology. Of course I'm talking about a scene in this film where a character is able to bond with his own metallic creation and have absolute control over it. There is a lot of Anime' that happens to share these traits in their stories.

Director Otomo is back in the game with "Steamboy," no question about it. His picture has many well-rounded characters, and his own Ray Steam does share an uncanny similarity to "Tetsuo," the villainous teenage psychopath from "Akira." It's amazing to me that in both features, teenagers, not adults, are the heroes and the grown-ups are the ones with more serious issues.

The animation, which has been enhanced by computers, is beautiful and marvelous to look at. 1866 London never looked so beautiful as it does in this picture, as it was obviously set to give way to the technological revolution in just a few short years. One could tell Katsuhiro Otomo did a good deal of research into his subject matter from looking at his work on this picture; London would never be the same after the events in "Steamboy."

Is "Steamboy" a classic? I'm not sure, but I will say it's a nice addition to the work of a fantastic and imaginative mind. "Steamboy" has a parable about changing times, events of which would only come to the fold in due time. How true, indeed.

9/10

Hardly perfect, but this really did not deserve to be dismissed as thoroughly as it was. It's one of the most outstandingly awesome animated films ever made. The visuals are simply eye-popping, and the action and adventure are top notch. This film imagines an alternate route for science where steam is harnessed to its fullest extent, producing unimaginable energy. A small sphere works as some sort of super-engine, and several different groups are after it. A young boy in Manchester, England, Ray Steam, whose father and grandfather invented the sphere, must try to keep it out of the wrong hands. Unfortunately, he has no clue which hands are the wrong ones. Even his relatives might be using the power for the wrong reasons. The story isn't deep, but it's exciting. The main reason to watch is the animation, which mixes traditional and computer animation in fascinating ways. Katsuhiro Otomo, who directed the animé masterpiece Akira so many years ago, has had a small output over the years. He directed a live action film in 1991 known as World Apartment Horror. The only other animated work under his direction is the third part of the portmanteau film Memories, one of the most remarkable animated shorts ever, entitled Canon Fodder. He also wrote the screenplay and worked on the storyboards of Rintaro's Metropolis, of which Steamboy reminds me most. I think Metropolis is one of the best films of the 2000s so far, and Steamboy is only a step behind it.

Saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, and I swooned with the massive audience in sheer awe at the absolutely astounding masterpiece that Otomo-san has created. 10 years in the making, the visual feast pays off with an incredible bang.

Although not as violent and complex as the powerhouse Akira, Steamboy is a straight-forward sci-fi-action-adventure story set in Victorian London, England that even strangers of the anime genre can follow with ease. I can see this film being another landmark hit in North America that will hopefully draw more people to appreciate anime. When this comes out in 2005, don't miss it for the world!

Sadly I have to bash this movie. I just saw Otomo's Memories (which is awesome) and so looked forward to this that I drove 50 mile0, by my lonesome, to see it as soon as it opened. Then I was disappointed.

The animation is good enough (although sometimes overly-flashy for the sake of the flash). The story had solid potential, but the script beats you over the head with its message. It started off with promise; the audience (and the main character) don't know which side is right, but by the end it is too clear that this is bad and that is good. And this is obvious enough solely by the actions and consequences, but they also make it explicit by the dialogue, repeatedly.

All this could have been (somewhat) overlooked if it was a sweet action anime, but the ending is just long and boring. Don't get me wrong, there's some fun steam-based sci-fi thrills, but it goes on and on unnecessarily.

That said, it wasn't a TOTAL waste of time. It at least had ambition. Reaching for the stars and falling on your face is infinitely better than the Hollywood tradition of diving straight for the pavement.