Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise

A multiple Best Picture award winner upon its initial release, Hiroyuki Yamaga's The Wings of Honneamise chronicles the odyssey of Shirotsugh Lhadatt, chosen as the first man to be launched into space from a planet very similar to (but not) Earth. Sporting a more philosophical bent than most anime efforts, the film traces Shiro's "right stuff" gung-ho training (despite being largely ignored by his superiors and an apathetic public), his relationship with a religious young woman, and his race against time to complete the project even as military superiors plan to use him as a pawn to spark a war with a neighboring country. A landmark film in its day, Yamaga's (who also directed the recent Princess Mononoke) classic is less effective today, at least visually. Compounding the problem, the DVD transfer is disappointing, lending a soft, slightly blurry look to the images. Again putting the cart before the horse, the release features Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on the English-dubbed version, but not on the Japanese original with English subtitles that most would prefer to watch. Extras include the original short made to raise funding for "Wings," conceptual artwork, and commentary. Optional. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)