Space Pirate Captain Harlock (2013)

Plot summary (story synopsis): Renegade captain Harlock is on the run from the Gaia Sanction that rules over Earth and the human diaspora that has spread out across the galaxy. He travels in his spaceship Arcadia, which runs on alien dark matter technology.

Harlock plans to set off 100 bombs at different parts of the galaxy to reverse time and fix the problems caused by the Gaia Sanction. Yama, brother of Isola (an important member of Gaia Sanction), infiltrates Harlock's crew and tries to stop him.

***

Space Pirate is a visually impressive but grandiosely nonsensical science fiction anime movie. It's okay to have a technically ridiculous premise, as long as you make the audience want to believe in the story - through good storytelling or engaging characters.

However, Space Pirate doesn't give you any reason to overlook its badly-imagined space opera world. It lacks the world-building integrity and rich character development of TV anime series such as Escaflowne or Neon Genesis Evangelion. Heck, even the Final Fantasies are better.

For one thing, Harlock himself doesn't get much screen time, appearing more as a shadowy enigma - a supporting character - than as the main protagonist. That role falls to Yama, who comes across as a cardboard character too.

Isola is the designated bad guy (complete with cliched physical disability - he can't walk). Unfortunately, he is literally a cartoon bad guy. And his soap opera relationship with Yama is painfully melodramatic.

Harlock's crew are also cardboard cliches. There's a super-confident hot blond in a tight-fitting suit (who looks like Heather Locklear) and a crude, salty cigar-chomping sergeant (not really a sergeant, and I might have imagined the cigar, but you get the idea).

The visuals are good. The overall design is some kind of steampunk tech that we've seen before but still looks interesting. Lighting is dramatic high contrast, a bit like the lighting in Underworld. I'm not a clothes guy but the baroque costumes look good. Each major character has his own signature design, with realistically rendered fabric textures.

The characters do move a bit like robots but you quickly get used to this and barely notice after a while. Facial expressions could be better but are good enough.

Unfortunately the space battles are unimaginative Star Trek-style visual-range laser fights between lumbering space battleships. Heck, the Gaia Sanction troops look like Stormtroopers.

Space Pirate is advertised with a breathless endorsement from James Cameron. I can't imagine what he must have been smoking.