A ragtag group of bounty hunters search for the perpetrator of a biological terrorist attack on Mars.
Cowboy Bebop was a internationally successful anime series which aired 1998-1999, its blend of science fiction, western, comedic, and film noir elements taken from the various influences on director Shinichiro Watanabe. Aimed at more mature viewers, the existential crises and murky pasts of the main characters took the series into darker and deeper territory, and earned it widespread acclaim.
The feature film began pre-production right after the conclusion of the series, retaining original writer Keiko Nobumoto as well as the voice actors for both the Japanese and English language versions. Despite the show's history of multiculturalism, Watanabe desired to add another layer to the show's aesthetic, and drawing from his experiences traveling in Morocco, a distinct Arabic influence can be seen in the production design as well as the music.
One of the anime's most notable features had been the score composed and performed by Yoko Kanno and her band The Seatbelts, who play with not only the jazz style that the show's name derives from, but also blues and rock & roll. Two soundtracks were released containing material written for the film.
Two guest directors were brought onboard by Watanabe to oversee specific sequences: the film's humorous opening, and a Western "film-within-a-film" scene. A larger budget allowed for more realistic animation and more expensive action setpieces.
In keeping with the tradition of naming episodes after well-known songs, the film's original title was Knockin' On Heaven's Door, but Bob Dylan's record label prevented this title from being used in the U.S. release.
The film received mostly positive reviews, with overwhelming support from the show's vast legion of fans.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs.
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