In Japan, the long-running fan favorite Space Battleship Yamato comics/TV cartoon/theatrical feature franchise (launched in 1974) has been getting super-deluxe remakes. In this installment, the catastrophic 22nd-century war between Earth and the imperialistic, blue-skinned Gamilans has ended with a peace treaty and uneasy alliance between the two races. But a fresh threat emerges from another marauder: the green Gatlanteans, a ruthless race of test-tube militarists who proclaim their superiority due to an absence of emotion and they covet the powers of an ancient culture that literally transcended physical being to evolve into a goddess-like entity. Answering the latter’s divine distress call is Earth’s main defender, the hero starship Yamato and its young new captain, Kodai. The crew of the Yamato defy their bureaucratic superior’s political ambitions and intrigues to set forth into deep space, where massive attacks and cruel dilemmas constantly challenge Kodai’s resolve to save lives and resist using the Yamato‘s ultimate weapon, the "wave-motion gun." The animation is high quality, with CGI assists for the formidable warships. Presenting the first 13 episodes from 2017-18 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-14, extras include an English-dub cast episode commentary and interviews with voice actors. Recommended. (C. Cassady)
Star Blazers 2202: Part One
(2017) 4 discs. 325 min. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $64.99. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). Volume 34, Issue 4
Star Blazers 2202: Part One
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: