Metropolis

Reviewed By: Andrew Kaplan

Sony DVD

Review based on 1 disk

Rating: PG-13

What it’s (basically) all about: In an unspecified future, in the city-state of Metropolis, humans coexist uneasily with a robot labor force.  Tensions between the humans and robots come to a head when a massive new building, the Ziggurat, is completed.  The Ziggurat houses a terrible secret of its own, and Ken-Ichi (a human) and Tima (a robot girl) find themselves at the center of a literally explosive situation.

Nitty Gritty: While there is some mature language (the word “dogshit” is used, in both the English language dialogue and subtitles, and there is some relatively bloodless violence), it is the tone of Metropolis that keeps it from being appropriate for younger audiences.  The story is dark, violent, and complex.  The ending is unsettling and morally ambiguous.  Comments about how people can eat dogsh*t aside, this is a mature story for mature audiences, and will not necessarily appeal to fans of Pokemon or Dragonball Z.

Extras: two sets of subtitles (a new translation and the subtitles from the 2002 theatrical release.)

Trailers:

Metropolis

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Cowboy Bebop teaser

Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles

All trailers are appropriate for a teen audience.

Survey says: Based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka, with a screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomu and directed by Rin Taro, this is a significant work by key figures in the anime industry.  Because of the mature themes, violence, and some mature language, this is recommended for YA or adult collections.

Personal Ad: While Metropolis is unquestionably a quality piece of cinema, it completely lost me at the end.  I’m not saying that a good story needs a happy ending.  But the resolution here just didn’t seem to naturally flow from what came before, and if I’m missing something, I missed it through two viewings.  So, although this is probably a minority opinion: pretty, slick, thought-provoking, but ultimately unsatisfying.