Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
A bounty-hunter crew tracks a mysterious terrorist across Mars as stylish anime noir collides with apocalyptic science fiction and questions of identity.
Overview
A thrilling chase through the cosmos where bounty hunters confront a deadly virus and a haunting past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- witty
- propulsive
- melancholic
- late night viewing
- anime marathon
What critics said
Critics generally praised the film's music, animation, visual design, and expanded science-fiction storytelling, while finding parts of its long plot uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Bebop crew pursue a bounty across Mars through a hardboiled investigation shaped by western-style outlaws and futuristic technology.
Vincent is described as a man with no past or future, and the investigation progressively uncovers the mystery surrounding his memory and identity.
Critics specifically praised the animation quality and the visual execution of scenes including the final fight between Spike and Vincent.
The lethal virus attack on Mars and the film's critical discussion of its proximity to the September 11 era give the thriller a disturbing contemporary resonance.
Films like Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, and why
Ghost in the Shell
Shares adult anime world-building, cyberpunk science fiction, philosophical questions about identity, and kinetic action.
Akira
Shares ambitious science fiction animation, apocalyptic threat, noir atmosphere, and visually inventive action.
Serenity
Shares spacefaring bounty-hunter adventure, western motifs, ensemble banter, and stylish genre blending.
Blade Runner 2049
Shares futuristic noir, amnesia, terrorism, and a protagonist investigating a dangerous man with an erased past.
Movie Details
- Director
- Shinichiro Watanabe
- Release Date
- 2001-09-01
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (1091)
Cast
- Koichi Yamadera
- Unsho Ishizuka
- Aoi Tada
- Ai Kobayashi
- Megumi Hayashibara
- Mickey Curtis
- Tsutomu Isobe
- Jin Hirao
- Renji Ishibashi
- Miki Nagasawa
Where to watch in United States
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie about?
- A bounty-hunter crew tracks a mysterious terrorist across Mars as stylish anime noir collides with apocalyptic science fiction and questions of identity.
- What is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie as graphic.
- What did critics think of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie?
- Critics generally praised the film's music, animation, visual design, and expanded science-fiction storytelling, while finding parts of its long plot uneven.
- Which films are like Cowboy Bebop: The Movie?
- Films with a similar feel include Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Serenity, and Blade Runner 2049.
- How long is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie?
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cowboy Bebop: The Movie?
- In United States, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
In Ember's collections
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- Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence2004
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- Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 2: Ghost Whispers2013
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man2005
- Battle Angel1993
- Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie2015
- Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War2021
