" It's a must-have for any anime fan or someone looking to get into the whole Japanese animation scene. "

      Title: Cowboy Bebop The Movie by Sunrise/Columbia Tri-Star

      Format: Anime Movie

      Reviewing Monkey: Zimbu

      The Hype: Following on the steps of one of the most successful anime series of all time, the theatrically released Cowboy Beebop movie comes to DVD.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Animation: Staying consistent with the smoothness and style of the series, Cowboy Bebop The Movie (hereafter known as "Bebop") flows with its slick mix of fluid animation and a not-too-distant future setting. Instead of the stereotypical saucer-eyes of most anime, Bebop features realistic and believable designs for the characters and their various weapons and vehicles. The best display of the animation quality is in the fight scenes. Whether the characters are trading punches, bullets or missiles, it is all displayed with a quick and somehow serene beauty. It's hard to do any better than this. 5 out of 5

      Story and Voice Acting: Occurring between episodes 22 and 23 of the popular series, Bebop lets us follow a group of bounty hunters chasing after an elusive 300 million-dollar bountyhead. Along the way, things become more and more complex, with the crew having to also save Mars from a deadly attack. Mixed in is some philosophy and trippy golden butterflies that might pass over some viewers' heads but it really doesn't have a lot of bearing on the primary focus of the movie. Lead by the trademark voice actors from the series, every character has a unique voice suitable for your character that remains faithful to the Japanese track. 4 out of 5

      Value vs. Price: While not exactly brimming with extras, the DVD has a fair amount including 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes with the stars and creators, art galleries and "music videos" (the music videos are actually nothing more than the opening and ending sequences wiped clean of the credits). But most people won't be very concerned with extras as this is one of the better action anime available. 4 out of 5

      The Verdict:

Featuring a likeable cast of characters, great fight scenes, superb animation and terrific writing; this movie is just downright cool. It's a must-have for any anime fan or someone looking to get into the whole Japanese animation scene.

      The Good: Just about everything

      The Bad: Lack of extras

      The Overall Ugly: Pick this one up as quickly as humanly possible.

      What it's Worth: Market price.