From the Director of the critically acclaimed anime films Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Mamoru Oshii's latest release, Sky Crawlers, is yet another film that deals thematically with characters that seem alienated from the world in which they live. Combining razor sharp 3-D computer generated animation with traditional hand drawn 2-D animation, this film starkly contrasts the washed out colors of the foggy, surreal, dream-like world of the main characters, with the exciting and colorful adventures of breathtaking aerial battle scenes.

As the film opens, Kannami Yuichi, (Ryo Case)  a young fighter pilot has just been transferred to a European base to replace another pilot who supposedly died in battle. We quickly learn that Kannami is a Kildren, a member of a group of ageless adolescents genetically engineered to be fighter pilots in some type of ill-defined, futuristic, never-ending war. The base Commander, Kusanagi Suito (Rinko Kikuchi) is a mysteriously androgynous pilot, with a young daughter, potentially fathered by the pilot Yuichi replaced. The two characters become romantically involved, while attempting to battle rival forces in a world where the lines are blurred between reality and illusion, as Kusanagi describes war as a pacifier of the masses, "that sustains the illusion of peace in our society", and Kannami, when accused of being immature, proclaims, "do people who might die tomorrow really need to grow up?" All of this weighty existentialist banter is one of the more intriguing aspects of this film that hints at the possibility that Kannami, is not actually a hot shot new pilot, but the reincarnation of Kusanagi's former lover.

As the following suggests, this incredibly slow moving film gets bogged down, at times, in all the moody, existentialist, musings, so much so, that the plot never really gets off the ground, but serves as a sort of rambling monologue between the thrilling aerial battle scenes. The new age tinged, Oriental flavored, musical score by Kawai Kenji is reminiscent of the popular '80's group Tangerine Dream.

The dubbling is overall pretty well done with both English and Japanese language tracks available with subtitles. Unfortunately, if you choose the English version, there is no option for turning off the subtitles, which I found terribly distracting. The vocal performances are well done, considering the fact that none of the characters are particularly well develope, since they all a part of a hazy landscape of Zombie-like creatures.

While fans of Oshii's work may find the aptly named (snail paced) Sky Crawlers intriguing, the average viewer, like myself, may find the rather abstract, slowly paced, story line, a bit difficult to follow and find themselves fast forwarding to the aerial battle scenes. In fact, these scenes are so realistic, it's difficult to remember that you are watching an animated film.

I recommend Sky Crawlers for die hard fans of Oshii's provocative style of cynical, existential, ramblings. Others will likely find the plot rather tedious and not worth sitting through for a few beautifully choreographed Top Gun style aerial battle scenes.

Blu-Ray Special Features:

Animation Research for The Sky Crawlers Featurette
Sound Design and Animation Featurette
BD Excluive -"Sky's the Limit": Interview with Director Mamoru Oshii

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older