Metropolis is one of the few anime films that stand on its own merits as a phenomenal exercise in filmmaking. As much as it hurts to say, anime films are rarely excellent movies. Something about the way the stories are told seems to work better in a series format. Often, the films that people consider great anime are continuations or expansions of series.

Metropolis is a multi-layered narrative. It is the story of the perfect city, of the politics of that city. It tells about revolution and betrayal in that same perfect setting, about greed and ambition, and about humans that have forgotten how to feel, and robots that feel too much. It's about a boy meeting a girl, and the one who would tear them apart. To be honest, it is the simplicity an universality of that last layer, that makes all the previous that much more powerful.

A detective and his nephew, Kenichi, come to Metropolis on the trail of a criminal; a scientist that has experimented on humans in an effort to create the perfect robot. They find little help, since the city is celebrating the creation of the Ziggurat, named after Babylonian temple constructions, and proof that Metropolis is the most advanced city in the world.

Rock's unwillingness to allow a robot steal his adopted father's affection is one of the driving forces behind the surface plot.	But, the spotlight is on the innocent Tima and her quest for self-discovery against a shadowed backdrop of racism, civil and political unrest, and revolution.

Immediately, the two come across the Malduks (most likely a transliteration error of Marduk, a Babylonian god) and their leader Rock, a political party that immediately conjures up images of fascism. The Malduks hate robots and destroy any that wander out of their place or cross the line into self-awareness. They also serve to do the dirty work for Duke Red, the economic power in Metropolis. Rock is a child, orphaned by war and raised by Duke Red. He views Duke as his father, something Duke will never accept, thinking only of the daughter that he lost long ago.

In chasing down their villain, Kenichi and company find a laboratory in flames and a young girl, named Tima, lost and without memory. Their fates are entwined as they are drawn in the political machinations of the state and are constantly pursued by Rock, who knows Tima's origins and cannot get past his jealousy and prejudice.

It would be simple to spend a good part of this review going over the exalted histories of the film's creators. Rintaro, the director (X, Galaxy Express), Kastuhiro Otomo, the screenwriter (Akira, Memories), and Osamu Tezuka, the original creator (basically the originator of Japanese anime and manga) all have illustrious pasts. But, the fact is the film is simply good on its own merits.

Unlike his previous effort in Akira, Otomo's screenplay never stumbles in the third act. Where Akira was bogged down by metaphysical drivel that had no place in an action film, the thread of what humanity is and how it should be judged is entwined in the actions of the characters, making the metaphysical aspects both more integral, but less obvious and distracting.

Rintaro evokes a deep sense of respect for the past by using an incredibly unique style that will often force comparisons between the early Disney films. A scene of Tima in the light, as her hair flows around her gentle face directed by a soft wind, has a fluidity and substance to it that evokes feelings of Snow White more than recent anime films like Cowboy Bebop. And, it works completely.

The past is evoked more fully by the use of several musical standards from between the late 20s and 40s, as well as an excellent score of jazz and other tunes that sound similar to Gershwin and the like, adding to that bustling feeling of the 1920s.

The film looks phenomenal on DVD. The colors are vivid and detailed, and the dark scenes are quite distinct. The sound is just as clear, and one can catch every footstep and sound effect of city life, while perfectly hearing the music. An interesting musical note is that Rintaro himself played bass clarinet with the orchestra for the soundtrack.

The extras come in the form of a mini-DVD, which is obviously a gimmick, but a cool one. The disc has a short interview with both Rintaro and Otomo, a making of featurette, images from Tezuka's manga Metropolis, and a conceptual art gallery. One fascinating extra are the two multi-angle animation examples. By pressing the angle button on your DVD remote, you cycle through the different stages of animation. The scene plays several times in a row so that you can keep switching to different aspects. It is the best use of the angle feature that I've seen yet.

How well one likes the packaging design will vary with taste. Columbia Tristar used a paper gatefold case to house both DVDs. The images on the case are beautiful, but some do not like the use of paper in their cases or the fold-out nature. As well, on my copy, some moron in the assembly line put the security protection tag behind the plastic DVD holder and directly on the paper image, ruining the picture and insuring that I could never remove it.

If there is any negative to the film, it is the character designs. Many will not be able to get by the cutesy designs and will automatically assume that the film is only for children. Rintaro decided to stay true to the roots of Tezuka's work and only updated the characters to work in the animated format, leaving them distinctly recognizable from their comic origins. After a few minutes, I was lost in the film, and the character designs were not even an issue. Hopefully, this will not prevent people from seeing the film.

Metropolis is definitely one of the best films of the year. Rintaro and Otomo have finely crafted a work of art that will stand the tests of cinematic time. The level of detail in the city in unbelievable. The characters are fascinating. It is absolutely wonderful to have a villain like Rock, that has such powerful motivations that the viewer can totally understand the choices he makes, even while disagreeing with them. Surrounded by greed and individuals lusting for power, a hero like Kenichi and his uncle show a hope that humanity can overcome those limitations, as well as racism, through actions and not preaching.

While this film definitely basks in lofty ideals, it is, as I said, most enjoyable when viewed as a tale about a boy meeting a girl and the adventure they have. Anyone could enjoy this film and walk away with as much or as little as they want. Metropolis has my definite recommendation into the anyone's essential anime collection, but that may be too limited. It has a place in any movie lover's essential film collection.

Distributor: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
Creator: Tezuka Productions/Metropolis Project
Released: 2001

Plot: A
Character Design: B+
Animation Quality: A+
Music: A
Overall: A+