Air: The Motion Picture

Based on a very successful video game, which in turn spawned both manga and anime series, Air: The Motion Picture (originally released in Japan in 2005) is a more focused, romantic retelling of the central story about a drifter boy and lonely girl. Traveling puppeteer Yukito struggles with his mother's prediction that he is destined to rescue someone from a terrible fate. Upon arriving in a small village to perform at a summer festival, Yukito meets Misuzu, a clumsy but energetic and sweet lass researching a thousand-year-old local tale revolving around Kanna, an imprisoned winged young woman who ultimately flees with the help of her lover only to be killed. Anyone familiar with previous incarnations of the Air story knows it will end sadly, but the telescoped perspective of the compressed movie combined with fine animation make this worthwhile for fans of the series, while newcomers will also likely appreciate this simple tragic love story enhanced with a few supernatural overtones. Presented on a dual-language disc, rated TV-14 (due to flashbacks to Kanna's romantic relationship and violent death), this is recommended. [Note: Air: The Complete Series is also newly available.] Aud: P. (L. Martincik)