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Reviews
Suchîmubôi (2004)
Undeserved Criticism
"And so we come to Steamboy, a theatrical feature birthed originally from the concept of the "Cannon Fodder" short work Otomo produced for Memories, Steamboy of which centers on a young man and his journey into adulthood and maturity as wrought by political corruption, social discomfort, and familial contention. Originally released in Japan in the spring of 2004, this particular movie has acquired a unique press and popularity, and as it has come and gone through a western release in but an instant, it would appear that the mixed reviews hovering about the industry would only continue. While fans and critics are quick to note that Otomo's theatrical follow up to Akira is not as overtly dynamic as the previously mentioned, I would argue that it is just as, if not more so, ambitious. Steamboy is an outstanding movie, and although is not significantly violent with overly pretentious child protagonists, excels far beyond the dramatic integrity of its predecessor...
"I find it incredibly disappointing and ironic that some film critics cut down this work by Katsuhiro Otomo, by observing the movie as project inseparable from the previous success of the artist. And while I give Otomo what respect he deserves as the mastermind behind this incredible project, by the pushing of a concept beyond a particular medium's limits, I still honor the fact that he looks at every project as something individual, elemental, and unique unto itself. There is an unspoken journey of maturation that each character of Steamboy must go through; and what I find many individuals overlooking, is the detailed effort that this film's creators had put into making such distinctions perceptible." --A.Bynum