Rating: 
Summary: Paper Fantasy
Review: OK, so animation technology has left this creation behind, but Heavy Metal magazine is hardly the finest glossy created ! It captures all that the original publication is about. I'm afraid that I was the original 17 year old adolescent when I saw this for the first time, and I was blown away by the combination of high-octane rock and lurid fantasy comic-book stories. It's not a ninety minute story, it's really a set of free-standing items, each with their own weird twist. The B17 series is good but gruesome, and my particular favourite is Commander Stern. I would recommend this to the teenage adolescent audience, but they're probably looking for finer crafted eye-candy (unfortunately).
Rating: 
Summary: Elmer Bernstein
Review: I wrote a review that never showed up, possibly because I kept writing "Bernard Hermann" rather than "Elmer Bernstein" - it's all those "er" sounds that confuse me! ;)Anyway, the thing that is often overlooked in Heavy Metal is the film score. The soundtrack, filled with a number of examples of late 70s/early 80s rock music, gets all the attention, while Elmer Bernstein's lush and evocative score gets little attention. The "Taarna" sequence benefits the most from Bernstein's work. It adds sweep and grace, as well as mystery, to the best sequence of the film. Too bad so much of the dialogue sounds badly recorded. It often has that flat, non-ambient sound that is heard in Saturday morning cartoons of the same time period. The animation itself is rough and often weak at times. Again, the "Taarna" sequence manages to convey a grandeur often missing in the rest of the film. Regardless, the animation manages to create a "feel" for the film that would be lost with modern computer animation. My opinion of this film fluctuates. At times it makes me nostalgic, at other times it engrosses me with its style, at other times it irrtates me with its rough edges. A lot of the film's power is lost on a TV screen, but having seen it back when it was released in 81, I also remember being disappointed in the quality of the art and animation - the magazine it was based on was bursting with some of the best comic art ever to appear, and the film often looks like a training ground for Ralph Bakshi imitators. Regardless, I can't help but watch it every time I get the chance. It's better than the sequel, which isn't really bad - it just lacks the epic feel of the original. Heavy Metal and Ralph Bakshi's Wizards are films that somehow seem to go together. I recommend viewing the two back-to-back some weekend, for the full 70s animated head trip experience. Heavy Metal is the superior of the two, so I'd recommend viewing it last.
Rating:
Summary: Elmer Bernstein
Review: The thing that is often forgotten about Heavy Metal is Elmer Bernstein's lush and beautiful score for the film. It stands the test of time much better than the high-profile rock soundtrack. The score for the "Taarna" sequence in particular is haunting and evocative, and is one of my favorite pieces of film music. In general, the animation is relatively poor, although ambitious. The "Taarna" sequence, again, is perhaps the high point of the animation. I remember seeing the film in the theater, and I think the animation suffers on the small screen - but it wasn't that much better on the big screen. The thing is, though, that the mood and feel of the film is firmly rooted in the time period in which it was released. The animation, which is not too much better than Saturday morning fare of the late 70s, helps evoke a mysterious, almost raw-edged atmosphere which would likely be lost if done with today's smooth and polished computer animation. The thing that hurts the film the most is the recording of the dialogue. It sounds like most of the actors were recorded in one of those studios used for Saturday morning toons of the time, and often sounds very flat and artificial. Although this, too, helps create a certain feel at times, it mostly just sounds poorly miked. In addition, too many alums of SCTV show up, and often are very poorly cast. It begins to sound too much like "Scooby Doo meets SCTV" at times. Overall, though, I can't help liking this film. I was disappointed when I first saw it 20 years ago, but now that it shows up on VH1 quite a bit, it holds up under repeat viewings, and begins to create a certain late 70s head trip ambience. Taken by itself, without preconceptions of grandeur, this is a minor classic, rough edges and missteps and all. It'd be great to see a sequel that stuck with its episodic nature, like another modern Fantasia.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic
Review: This was as much a classic as Star Wars and Battle Star Gallactica. I was shocked when I found that animation master Ralph Bakshi had nothing to do with this film. The three minutes of lost fottage did not scare me, but it made me think... a LOT. The cab driver was cool, Den was awsome, Captain Stern was just plain funny, B-17 was mysterious, the druggie aliens were hilarious, Taarna probobly broke the world record for most accomplished without making a sound, and the Lost fottage "Neverwhere Land" gave me a funny feeling that I will never forget. Just those three minutes changed me forever.
Rating:
Summary: A true cult classic
Review: Heavy Metal is the landmark in adult animation and still stands as a cult classic today. Each story is based on stories from the comic book magazine of the same name, and they pretty much offer a lot of graphic violence, sex, and nudity, just about everything a teenage sci-fi fan could hope for. What makes the movie even better is having John Candy, Harold Ramis, and Eugene Levy star as voices of different characters throughout the movie. Forget the lame sequel, and even if the music is a bit dated, Heavy Metal is an unforgetable movie.
Rating:
Summary: Taarna
Review: I saw Heavy Metal when I was a teenager in the summer of 1981, and it remains one of my all-time favorite movies. My most esteemed sequence is the final one, and seeing it is the only reason I now watch the film. After being subjected to all of the gratuitous nudity and sex in the earlier parts of the film, and having watched all of the earlier characters succumb to evil, there was something very striking, even haunting, about Taarna, who spoke not a word and went about her duty with a single-minded, no-nonsense purpose which was quite out of contrast to what had transpired in the earlier stories. I realize that this is an animated film which, in the main, is entertainment for entertainment's sake, and that I am deriving more from the movie than was intended. Nevertheless, Taarna struck a deep chord in me at an elemental level by the conjunction of the concepts of good triumphing over evil, selflessness and self-sacrifice, and the beauty and power of woman which has remained to the present day. The sequence in which she dons her gear in the hideaway, which was rotoscoped, is particularly striking and beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Film
Review: This is just such a classic. Happening upon this sight makes me want to watch it again. Since, I got the VHS when it came out, I am going to pop it in this weekend. Especially, since the wife is out of town, because this is a BOYS movie. Me and the guys, obtained a pirated copy way back and just laugh. There are so many clssic bits. John Candy does a spot on job in "Den". Hanover Fist is hilarious. And "Harry Canyon" is the Robert De Niro of animated cabdrivers. So "fire it" up on the player, and "take a ride, on heavy metal." PS: The Don Felder song is worth the soundtrack alone. Hard to believe it's the dude from the Eagles. Be warned though, this is classic rock, not metal, despite what the title implies. Remember this is before Metalica,Pantera,etc... In my day, BOC,Nazareth,Nugent,etc were labeled metal. Just to show you how unMetal this is, Journey(?) and Devo are included. Course DEVO works in an odd context, where as Journey is well Journey. I can only imagine the soundtrack if this came out when Heavy Metal really became bonecrunching Metal. But this is really not about the music, as this is based on the magazine Heavy Metal which isn't about music. Hope that clears up any confusion
Rating:
Summary: C'mon, it's meant to be fun
Review: Boy, I can't believe everyone is panning this. It was silly fun, and still is. It brings back those old memories...The late great John Candy capturing that high school geek tone just perfectly in "Den". You gotta love that quote,..."Nothing in 18 years, NOW twice in one day!" The captured sarcasm of "Harry Canyon", the Robert DeNiro of animated cabdrivers. Just the name alone, Hanover Fist, is classic. This movie is forever 15, and we like it that way. Props, for the Devo type band in the bar scene. And for all stoners, the greatest scene and quote ever "NOSEDIVE!."
Rating:
Summary: Helped me relive my high school days...
Review: I first saw the movie "Heavy Metal" in high school, on a scratchy print at a run-down theater at a midnight screening with various vaguely threatening characters loitering around, a almost choking smell of smoke (legal and otherwise) and glue-trap floors...this movie will forever invoke memories of that showing. "Heavy Metal" captures the spirit of it's magazine namesake--walking the fine line between campy art and violent but cheesy porn, crashing and burning at least as often as it succeeds. The animation is interesting, though not particularly fluid, and the stories don't really connect, except perhaps from the standpoint of a teenage stoner who also "gets" "Dark Side of the Moon." The most interesting segment for me is "B-17," which was the genesis for the movie "Alien," one of my all-time faves...but fun is the name of the game, and for a gloriously nonsensical, fun, and nostalgic viewing experience, "Heavy Metal" is one of the best values out there. Makes me long for the simpler, innocent days when summer meant something, aside from the fact that it was just going to be hot for the next three months.
Rating: 
Summary: HEAVY METAL light... Best to leave this for Jr. High boys.
Review: First, 'Heavy Metal' is a light weight compared to other rock films (i.e. "PINK FLOYD - THE WALL", "Who's Tommy") . But more importantly, 'Heavy Metal' is more a visual piece than anything else. I wasn't very impressed with this film. It seems to be more geared to sexually curious 13 year old boys swimming in sweaty jock straps and wet dreams than any real audience. More like an animated issue of Playboy. (Which isn't all that bad) ;-) Let's not forget to mention the varied background tracks from 80's artists like Stevie Nicks or Black Sabbath. The tracks were inserted at appropriate times of action during the film, creating no big perks. Too obvious... The aimless plot can be easily summerized, a glowing green ball. wow... Naked men and women reminescent of He-Man action figures... super...
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