Review of Space Battleship Yamato

There may be spoilers in the following review, although no part of the story is mentioned at any time. There's a lot to like about Space Battleship Yamato. The concept flies light years ahead of Hollywood's sclerotic and rewarmed releases. When you see that Japan's film makers dare to go beyond crowd-pleaser productions, you have to rejoice and recognize that all is not lost for science fiction. The budget is obviously smaller than an average US movie, but most CG space actions are nevertheless very good (Not comparing to spectacular productions like Avatar, of course). And the battleship itself is an icon that's worthy of placing as a wallpaper on your laptop. Its space version is beautifully anachronistic, mixing high-tech capabilities with mechanical WWII menacing lines. As in all Japanese movies, I wish there was more of an international mix in terms of actors, as well as seeing the participation of more nations for the storyline (this shows a serious lack of global aperture from the authors. As a matter of fact, no other nation or population is ever mentioned during the movie) and the acting is, in many cases way overdone. The story is a little naive and can get a little long winded, especially at the end. The last point I'd like to address is about discipline on a battleship. It's clear that the authors have no idea of proper military behavior, how to man stations, how to pass information up and down the chain of command or acknowledging orders. So my advice would be for a next release to look for consultants in as many aspects of the movie as possible. Many spectators want now more realistic themes, solid background, technological realism, and good special effects on top of good acting. These points are the reasons why I gave it a 6 out of 10. If these last issues had been met, I'd have given it a 9 without a doubt. Now if you're ready to forgive them, you'll have a lot of fun. TM