Area 88: Treacherous Skies, Target 01

Shin Kazama is a young pilot who is tricked by a jealous rival into signing a contract with a mercenary air force engaged in a never-ending Middle Eastern civil war. Unfortunately, the commitment is rather steep: three years of active duty, or else Kazama must pay $1.5 million to break the deal. Needless to say, Shin reluctantly goes off to battle and proves himself to be an ace fighter pilot, but the endless brutality of the war and the destruction he rains down on others begins to weigh on him. Kazama's dilemma, which is compounded by leaving behind a girlfriend who is actively pursued by the aforementioned treacherous rival, offers an astonishing (for anime, at least) emotional depth that helps make the character fully dimensional (the supporting characters are also original and often strangely comic--watch for the Russian pilot with an abnormal fear of the dark). Even better, the artwork here features some of the best action sequences from the anime genre of late (the air battles easily rival Top Gun thanks to imaginative staging and brilliant editing). Area 88 is based on a video game, but unlike many films that boast digital roots this one is rich with style and substance. Compiling the initial three episodes on a dual language disc, rated TV-PG, that features DVD bonus interviews, this is highly recommended. [Note: Area 88, Target 02 is slated for release on Sept. 13.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)