The Sky Crawlers Blu-ray offers solid video and superb audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Set in an alternate future, focuses on boy and girl teenaged pilots called Kildren who are
destined to live eternally in their adolescence. Raised to engage in aerial battles over Europe
for the entertainment of adults, the Kildren are conscious that every day could be their last
because they fight a war organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality
they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the fullest.
Ask any anime fan who Mamoru Oshii is, and most will immediately identify him as the director of
the 1995 classic, Ghost in the Shell. I've always loved Ghost in the Shell, and still
consider it one of my all-time favorite anime films, but it doesn't seem to reflect Oshii's creative
style as well as Jin-Roh (which he wrote but didn't direct), or the follow-up Ghost in the
Shell film titled Innocence. Those two later works demonstrate the sublety of his
creative side, while lulling the audience into a philosophical trance that seems to be Oshii's
cinematic style.
The Sky Crawlers continues this trend, with a story that's based
on the the final chapter in a series of novels written by Hiroshi Mori. I've never read the novel and
have little knowledge of the other four books in the series, but I suppose there are plenty of
examples where non-linear storytelling can work in the writer's favor. It also stands as a testament
that the final chapter in the series was the first book released to the Japanese public (also titled
The Sky Crawlers), with the intention that the series would be read without regard to
proper chronological order. In the hands of any other director, I'd be a little worried, but Oshii has
proven himself to be a capable artist over the years and I was excited to see him step into the
directing chair for this film.
In an alternate reality that mirrors a technologically stagnant Europe, a group of young fighter
pilots known as Kildren take to the skies in dogfights to protect the interests of two rival
corporations. Yuichi Kannami is the newest recruit at a station that's run by Ms. Suito Kusanagi,
a vengeful former fighter pilot who seems incapable of happiness. Over the course of Kannami's
time on the base, he befriends a fellow pilot named Naofumi Tokino, a brash young pilot that
appears far more seasoned than his youth would imply. As Kannami works his way up to ace
pilot of his station, he begins to question his motivation in killing pilots from the rival corporation,
and strikes up an uncomfortable relationship with Kusanagi, who hides the truth behind the
young men and women that participate in the ongoing fued. As you can imagine, everything is
not as it seems, and the harsh reality of being a Kildren fighter is more than some individuals can
take.
It's difficult to discuss the plot of this film without giving too much away.
Needless to say, there are several twists throughout the plot and the ending is set up as the
primary component that makes the entire experience worthwhile. I respect Oshii for the
understated tones of his films, but The Sky Crawlers is a perfect example of style over
substance. The first 90 minutes of the film contains long sequences of methodic shots
interspersed with occasional dialogue that rarely seems profound. I kept waiting for something
intriguing to hold my interest, but it really became a chore after awhile. I'd hate to imply the
entire film is boring, but it seemed the plot could have been told in under an hour, rather than
attempting to fill a runtime that exceeds 120 minutes. On the positive side, the occasional
dogfights offer a nice break from the monotony of the other scenes, but they don't occur with
enough frequency to offset the slow pace of the primary story. Even the finale of the movie is
somewhat of a letdown on my first viewing. There's a chance I'll develop a greater appreciation
for the ending in the future, but I expected a significant payoff in order to salvage the rest of the
viewing experience. Instead, we have a veiled attempt at a philosophical climax, but no defined
conclusion. As a side note, I did watch the last minute that follows the credits, and I can
appreciate Oshii's intentions in closing the story the way he does, but it still left me wanting
more.
The animation of The Sky Crawlers is reasonably proficient for a
theatrical anime release, but rarely approaches the quality of other recent anime productions
(such as the Freedom OVA). The incorporation of hand-drawn characters with computer
generated backgrounds has a tendency to create a jarring experience for the viewer, and it
admittedly drew me out of the film on multiple occasions. If the characters were drawn in a
detailed fashion it may have meshed a little better, but next to the fine textures of the excellent
CGI animation (courtesy of Production IG), it simply didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped. On the
other hand, the dogfight sequences are almost 100% digital, and the results are fantastic. From
the exhaust trail of the jets, to the exploding bombers, the precise attention to detail creates an
immersive experience that leaves you wanting more. If there's one reason I'll be watching this
film again in the near future, it's the aerial dogfights.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), The Sky
Crawlers offers a visual experience that appears to be somewhat hampered by the source
material, but still offers a mostly pleasing visual experience. Several scenes in the film incorporate
visual effects that were likely intended to help blend the hand-drawn animation with computer
generated backgrounds, but the end result is a noticeable softening of the picture. Lighting effects
seem to be the main culprit in the loss of detail during the dialogue driven scenes (for a good
example, go to the sequence around the 26 minute mark with the call-girl), but I still noticed a
degree of softness in several aerial shots that were completely rendered using CGI. On the positive
side, I never detected the presence of artifacting, banding, edge enhancement, or any other
transfer-related anomaly, and black levels were consistently deep with a pleasing degree of contrast
in both daytime and nighttime sequences. Despite the hazy nature of some scenes, the transfer is
still a vast improvement over DVD resolution and my overall impressions are positive.
Skywalker Sound demonstrates they have the midas touch with this Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the
native language of Japanese. Aside from one or two scenes with overly soft dialogue, this film could
be used as demonstration material for the unique use of surround channel separation to create a
cinematic experience that is truly engulfing. Anyone with an interest in aerial jet battles will be
treated to a first-hand experience that (dare I say) surpasses anything we've heard in live action
films such as Top Gun. The sound of bullets as they zing past the aircraft, or the whir of
the propellors approaching from the back of the room blend together with clarity and spatial
precision to create a jaw-dropping experience. Even in the subtle, dialogue-driven scenes, the
creative use of environmental effects is handled with a level of care I simply didn't expect. You'll
heard the tiniest drops of rain as they hit the concrete, or jump at the resulting echo of the falling
bowling pins during the bowling alley sequence. I've heard impressive effects on a number of prior
Blu-ray releases, but it's a rare treat to hear sounds that stand out with ultra-realism. Kudo's to
everyone involved in this audio track and I hope to hear more from Skywalker Sound in the near
future.
Animation Research for The Sky Crawlers (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 30:52 min): This supplement
includes interviews with director Mamoru Oshii, who discusses the inspiration for locations and
artistic designs in the film. A good portion of the supplement is also dedicated to video footage of
Oshii and the crew traveling around Ireland and Poland to gain first-hand experience that could be
utilized in The Sky Crawlers. The audio is presented in Japanese with English
subtitles.
The Sound Design and Animation of The Sky Crawlers (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0,
32:16 min): This is a wonderful extra, that includes footage of Oshii's initial meeting at the
Skywalker Ranch (they completed the creative sound design for the film) as well as footage of the
Japanese animators working on several scenes. It's a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at Oshii's
directing style and the people who dedicated countless hours to his labor of love.
Sky's the
Limit: An Interview with Director Mamoru Oshii (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 15:18 min): On this
extra, Oshii provides an exposition on the many themes he hoped to convey in the film and provides
some background on how he designed the alternate reality that exists in The Sky Crawlers.
Anyone with an interest in Oshii's work as a visionary director will find this supplement fascinating.
If you already have an interest in the film, I hope this review doesn't sway you away from at least
testing the waters with a rental. The underlying story is intriguing, and the revelations toward the
end are a welcome addition, but I found the overall experience a little underwhelming compared to
other anime films on the market (including prior work by Mamoru Oshii). This is definitely the type
of film you have to be in the mood to watch and I could see a number of viewers losing interest (or
falling asleep) within the first hour. From a technical standpoint, the audio presentation is close to
reference quality and the video appears to be an accurate representation of non-reference source
material. Taken as a whole, this Blu-ray is easy to recommend as a rental, but can't be
recommended as a purchase unless you're sure the film fits your taste.
Father's Day may still be a few weeks away, but that hasn't stopped studios from flooding the market with male targeted films. Universal is taking their turn today, releasing four catalog titles that are sure to appeal to a good number of high definition fathers ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have announced that they will bring the Mamoru Oshii film 'The Sky Crawlers' to Blu-ray on May 26th, day-and-date with the DVD release. Additionally, they have announced that they will bring the 'Underworld BD 3-pack' to Blu-ray ...
