Rating: 
Summary: Great, not not the best
Review: Cowboy Bebop the movie is awesome! Great fight scenes, involving plots and an amazing cinematography (or animetography). Still, my opinion is that the story is inferior to some of the best episodes from the series.
Rating:
Summary: Get ready for the world of Bebop!
Review: It's really hard to understand why Japanese anime hasn't crossed over to a wider audience in the United States. Many anime films are consistently better in terms of quality storytelling than their western live action counterparts. And Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a prime example of that "quality". Directed by Shinchiro Wantanabe, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is based on the anime/manga series about four bounty hunters; Jet, Faye, Ed and Spike. But this time they aren't after a mere hacker or bail jumper. A terrorist has released a bioweapon onto an unsuspecting city. And if he isn't he will unleash a more devastating attack that threatens to destroy the entire human race. While that may seem like standard action film fare, where Cowboy Bebop: The Movie shines is it's ability to weave complex themes into the story. The characters contemplate life, death and the meaning of existance. There's some pretty heavy duty stuff going on here. More than likely you'll need more than one viewing to soak it all in. It's definitley deeper than what most western filmakers are churning out of Hollywood these days. The story is told well. Eventhough Bebop is well known series running about twenty five episodes, this can be considered a "stand alone" movie. You really don't need to know alot about the series to enjoy the film. This film probably would make a good introduction to the anime/manga for those who are unfamiliar with it. The animation is richer and more detailed than that of the animated series. It has a more film like quality to it. One thing that the Japanese animators have been able to do in recent years is develop styles of animation that, despite not having a alot of photo-realistic elements that a CGI film would contain, have the ability to immerse you into a rich world all it's own. When watching Bebop you really do get the feeling that this is a living, breathing city that the characters are living in. The sound is also crisp and very clean. Space ships race past you, bullets whiz past your ears. I really wish I had viewed this film in a home theater setting to take full advantage of the surround sound elements. The films default setting is the Japanese language track with English subtitles. A bit unusual even for anime. The English track contains all the television series voice characters and sounds just as crisp. This is one of the few series that the English dialogue is probably just as good as the Japanese. And remembering a time when just about ALL dubs were horrible, that's saying alot. There's not alot in terms of "extra's" on this disc. There's two music videos of both the title and end credits songs. A good "making of" feature which is interesting because we get to see the voice actors who play the characters on screen. And there's an image gallery, character profiles, and some trailers, including the English theatrical trailer for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. This is a film that should have reached a much wider audience. Hopefully it can now that it's on DVD. If you're new to Japanese anime then this will make a good introduction to the genre. This film is definitly worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best animes I've seen since "Akira."
Review: I saw this movie without really knowing too much about the series. I had seen the first episode on one of my friend's DVDs, and had acquired the MP3 of the song "Tank!", which I listened to many times. Almost immediately after the movie had ended, I was filled with the urge to watch the rest of the series. Several months later, I received the DVD as a birthday present, and I sat and watched it again. Normally, making a movie out of something that began as a half-hour series is a difficult thing to do, and the end product usually alienates fans of the series. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (the alternate title for this movie) is an oustanding exception to this rule. There are many trademarks from the series that were carried brilliantly over to the movie, some of which were taken to new levels. First off, the film's hour and 55 minute long running time is almost four times longer than an episode of the series. The director and writer were thus presented with the opportunity to tell a deeper, more complex story, and they delivered in spades. One of the things that impressed me about the series was how much they were able to cram into a half-hour. Anyone who has seen Cowboy Bebop knows that in addition to action, there is also a great deal of character development. Every character on the Bebop (Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed) has a complicated past. Delving into the pasts of the main characters, as well as keeping the storyline interesting with beautifully edited action sequences, is difficult. But they somehow manage to pull it off. Now take the same formula - a storyline of interesting, complex characters kept moving with very smooth, yet edgy animation - translated into a feature-length presentation. Oh yeah! Fans of the series know that it is everything you would expect it to be. There's never a dull moment in the story, even when the action slows. And the action is slick, flashy, and beautifully edited. Everything you would expect. The final battle between Spike and Vincent (the main villain) at the end is outstanding! I don't really want to give away the story to someone who has never seen it, but they created an excellent villain. Vincent Volaju might actually be able to take Vicious with one hand tied behind his back, he's that tough. Second, the soundtrack is incredible. Yoko Kanno, the composer for the series, wrote a new score for the film (a mix of instrumental and spoken word), and just like her work on the series, it is brilliant. Kanno somehow manages to employ many different styles of music (blues, pop, hard rock, jazz, and techno, to name a few), sometimes on their own, sometimes blended together. It matches the action on-screen perfectly; I was tapping my foot several times as the film progressed. Finally, I would have to say that the English voice talent on this is some of the best I've ever seen. I have a problem with dubbing in most foreign films; the talent that they get is either over-the-top in their acting style, or else the sound of their voice just feels wrong for the character. With Cowboy Bebop, anime fans finally have something they won't be ashamed to watch in English. Every actor takes their job seriously, and the dubbed vocals fit the characters perfectly (even Ed was tolerable). I was thoroughly entertained by this movie before I was familiar with the series. And I have to say I enjoyed it even more the second time I watched it. Whether you're a fan of the series or not, you'll be satisfied with this. It stands tall on its own, and it also lives up to the expectations of Cowboy Bebop fans. What more could you ask for?
Rating:
Summary: If I could give it 10 stars, I would! One of the best!
Review: I was so sad when I finished the very last episode. I was thrilled when they made this movie. The English version is so much better than the Japanese version. A lot is lost in the translations and the humor is lost in the Japanese version. I made the mistake by buying the "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" version (Jap.)on release day. I rented the English version and I was blown away!
The chemistry between the characters is even better than in the season TV series.
I only hope they will continue to create more 'Bebop' movies. Spike is a 'Dream', Faye is so 'Cunning', Jet is amazing, and Ed is as adorable as ever!
~ ~ ~ ~ See Ya Space Cowboy...
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: Immersive storyline accompanied by excellent animation...I see butterflies already, watch the movies and you will understand!
Rating:
Summary: Art
Review: I'm an "off-and-on" anime fan, who purchased this movie the day it came out. I am not dissapointed in the least bit with any of this movie. The action is great, if not the best I've seen animated. The story keeps you watching, and is definatly not a weak point of the movie. I havn't seen any of the Cowboy Bepop series but I didn't feel left out at all with the story or characters, which makes this movie a great stand alone. The movie does seem to be very long, but is very enjoyable. This is a great buy.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly, it's just as good as the series.
Review: If you haven't seen the series yet, shame on you. I feel pretty confident when I say that the original series was one of the greatest artistic accomplishments of the last decade.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Folk Anime
Review: If all you've seen of "anime" so far is Miyazaki stuff like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, then please *rent Cowboy Bebop"! Because until you've BeBoped, you haven't seen anime. Cowboy Bebop is the *real folk anime*. Dark, mysterious, adult-oriented. Full of hip references, angst, alienation, action, and wit. Bebop is what "Minority Opinion" or "Long Kiss Goodnight" would be if we weren't dependent on over-rated twits like Tom Cruise or Geena Davis. *Of course* Bebop is escapism, but it's flawless-diamond-sharp escapism that satisfies the Spiderman fan in all of us. Put down that overpriced "director's cut" of the Matrix and pick up this film! See how Mars, the Eiffel Tower, Morocco, nanotechnology, ramen noodles, John Wayne, kung fu, WWII torpedo bombers, and a girl named Ed fit into an interplanetary future. Nits: Me Cowboy Bebop junkie. Me expect "Tank" at beginning and "The Real Folk Blues" at the end. Wat hoppen?
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but nothing overly spectacular
Review: Do not get me wrong at all, you are not about to read a negative review, but all I'm saying is that while I enjoyed this movie and it had all the qualities of a Bebop episode...thats basically all it was. It was an hour and a half long episode. While that means its fun to watch, I was hoping it might offer some insight into the show's characters or their personality. Instead its fairly typical Bebop formula: there's a bad guy, Jet handles police corruption while Spike goes off on his own, gets beat up, vows vengeance, and has a showdown with the villain at the end. The music is good, the action's good, the series' characters are all in there (including the three old guys that are always popping in randomly), but it didn't break any new grounds. Its basically your typical Series-to-Film movie. I don't really call this a "classic," although its certainly worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: A great choice for my very first anime experience
Review: My review is aimed primarily at those unfamiliar with Cowboy Bebop and of the world of anime itself, as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie represents my first baby step into a cinematic style I have been curious about for some time. Obviously, I can't compare this film to others of its kind, nor can I comment on how well this movie ties in to the original Cowboy Bebop series. I can only say how much I enjoyed the movie and offer my own comments, for whatever they are worth, about the format of the presentation. This was a new kind of viewing experience for me, and while I enjoyed the movie a great deal, parts of the storyline took a while to sink in or missed me altogether; I'm sure this is because I have no familiarity with the original series. Spike Spiegel is certainly an interesting character; I would not call him an antihero, but he is certainly a hero of a different stripe, as is his whole gang of fellow bounty hunters. Spike can be cryptic at times, and he spends a lot of time sleeping. When the time for action comes, however, he is up and at 'em, doing superheroic things in spectacular fashion. Then there is Faye Valentine, a partner who pretty much does her own thing and looks good doing it. She and Spike almost seem to be working at cross purposes at times, but their own paths converge eventually; the relationship between the two is a mystery to me. Former policeman Jet Black is the general of the bunch, but his arguments for slow, methodical action are rarely acknowledged by Spike and Faye. The most unusual character, particularly for a Cowboy Bebop neophyte such as myself, is young Edward, apparently some kind of hacker savant who oftentimes speaks in a child-like language all her own. Lest I forget, I should also mention the wunderdog Ein. When a tanker truck explodes in the middle of a crowded city, unleashing some type of unknown agent that kills everyone who comes into contact with it, a huge reward is promised to anyone who discovers the culprit and brings him to justice. This reward gets Spike and the gang right on the case, one in which they have a head start - Faye actually saw the man who drove the tanker. This is no regular old bounty hunt, though, as our intrepid heroes soon discover. The man behind the terrorism is planning to kill everyone on the planet with the unknown agent in his possession, and there is precious little time to stop him and save the world. Treating the tanker explosion as an act of bioterrorism, scientists work feverishly to identify what they think is a virus while both the cops and the military make moves to find and stop the terrorist from striking again. Spike and Faye wind their way into this seething world of mystery and hidden danger, only to find that identifying the culprit makes their job that much harder. There is plenty of great action throughout the movie, including several fights and a number of spectacular chases by both land and air. I had a hard time getting a real grip on the story until I made it pretty far into the movie, but the story is a compelling one from the very beginning. Visually, the film is a joy to watch, exhibiting levels of incredible detail and fluidity of movement, really bringing to life every character in the story. More striking than the visuals, though, is the sound. The soundtrack of cutting edge music fits perfectly with the evolving story and stands out as one of the more memorable features of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. Don't make the mistake of dismissing this film and others like it as mere fancy cartoons. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a marvelous, gritty, realistic presentation of a breathtaking world of serious intrigue and excitement.
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