Review of Steamboy (2004) by Sam C — 26 Feb 2009

Katsuhiro Otomo is back! Instead of dabbling in cyberpunk light though he tackles steampunk. And in a world where there really isn't that much steampunk movies, this one is sure to please fans.

Ray Steam is the son of a brilliant inventor, who in turn is also a son of a brilliant inventor. The father/grandfather team created a device called the steamball, which can pressurize steam to unfathomable heights. Together they build a massive "steam castle", but both men have different intentions for it. Here's where Ray comes in. His grandfather manages to kidnap one of the three steamballs and mails it to Ray, in hopes he'll keep it safe. Keeping it safe is a hard thing to do when you have a delusional father and jealous inventors chasing you around every corner.

This is the most expensive Japanese animated feature film ever made, and took ten years in the making. Steamboy is a beautiful film that everyone should give a shot. It has its flaws, but they can be easily overlooked by the sheer beauty of the film. In a day and age where Miyazaki has become the household name for anime, it's good to see an oldschooler like Otomo back on the scene.