Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) poster & wallpaper

Ai Kobayashi, Aoi Tada, Beau Billingslea

2071 A.D. Planet Mars. On the eve Halloween, a tanker explodes killing and injuring more than 500 people on a freeway in the crater of Alba City. The damage extends beyond one kilometer from the cente...( read more  read more... )r of explosion. The use of biological or chemical weapon is heavily suspected. The reward is W300,000,000.00 (Mars currency) to find out the perpetrator. Short of funds as usual, the crew of the Bebop is lured into the investigation by the staggering amount of money they could possibly receive for being able to accurately point the blame. They start a search on their own, and so begins the adventures of the young slacker, Spike Spiegel, and his cohort, the ex-cop, Jet Black, leading their gang of bounty hunters on the trail of an elusive nemesis.

Flixster Users

90% liked it

47,044 ratings

Critics

69% liked it

65 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Hiroyuki Okiura, Shinichirô Watanabe

Release Date: April 4, 2003

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003

Stats: 2,198 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Spike Edward Spide and Julia Cowboy Bebop - Spike radical edward cowboy bebop cowboy bebop Cowboy Bebop Cowboy Bebop Spike Oops... Jet, Ed and Ein Cowboy Bebop Cowboy Bebop bebop bebop group Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) cowboy bebop
Upload a Photo |

View All Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) Photos (20)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (2,198)

  • Saxia
    May 16, 2009
    Saxia
    I really enjoyed the series, great chemistry between the characters. Great humor.
    This movie gives you a good idea on what to expect of the series n_n

    Edo is probably my favorite character: She's crazy!!
    ...( read more)boy_bebop.jpg?o=20" target="_blank">
  • franktowers
    July 7, 2008
    franktowers
    great flick, animation is just.... you know
  • Jungian
    April 19, 2008
    Jungian
    Pretty good. Nowhere near as good as the TV series.
  • DrZeek
    March 12, 2008
    DrZeek
    Robber D: [Spike pulls a gun after being warned to drop the weapon, waving a gun in an old lady's face] Don't you get it? I'm gonna SPLATTER GRANDMA!
    Spike: Well, that's a real shame. But, we're not cops and we're not from some charity organization. Sorry lady, we don't protect o...( read more)r serve. This is strictly business.
    Robber D: What?
    Spike: Guess you'll just have to chalk it up to bad luck.
    Robber D: [growls] Cowboy scumbag!

    The first time I saw this movie, it was playing in theaters, my friends were excited, but had only some vague knowledge behind the concept of the TV series. After seeing it, I enjoyed it very much. Now, having seen the full series, (this movie, by the way, takes place between the 22nd and 23rd episode) still has the same enjoyment factor, but now I have more context and enjoy certain aspects more as well.

    The premise for both this movie and the TV series, revolves around a group of bounty hunters, a hacker, and a dog all living aboard a space ship named Bebop. They live in the future, traveling between planets, looking for bounties to collect money on.

    This crew consists of Spike Speigle, a cynical guy, who is designed to be effortlessly cool in all his actions, from speech to fighting style.

    There is Jet Black, owner of Bebop, a former cop, and general elder type person watching over his team.

    Then there is Faye Valentine. She is the spunky female bounty hunter, looking out mainly for herself.

    This time, the story revolves around a mysterious terrorist, set to release bio-warfare amongst the masses. The terrorist is Vincent, a military man with a troubled past. He is definetely one of the more complicated and intriguing villains in recent action films, animated or otherwise.
    When a huge price is set on his head, the Bebop crew is after this target.

    Also involved is a female special agent, with a possible connection of her own with Vincent.

    This transition from TV to movie works very well cinematically. As mentioned, it's easy to watch without knowing of the TV series, but it also just fits an expanded scope that certain TV shows can't achieve without making it seem like an extended episode.

    This is apparent in the visuals, with creative camera movements, for a hand drawn series and widescreen presentation, making things just seem better in a visual sense. The characters, besides the new additions, don't necessarily develop too much, with the exception of Spike in some ways, however it works.

    The staples of the series are all here as well. The presentation, besides the settings, are very inspired by Hong Kong action films, Westerns, Samurai films, and Blade Runner among other sci-fi titles. The music, a main staple of the series, has always been a mix of jazz and offbeat tunes, especially during the action portions, and this movie continues with that aspect, which I am very keen of.

    There are some gripes with the film. The second act tends to drag a bit before getting to the final act and aspects of the end are left somewhat unclear, but these are minor quibbles.

    The action is very well handled, combining some gunplay, hand-to-hand, and a very cool space ship chase, once again working with the music.

    The sense of humor running throughout is also a big part in making this an enjoyable feature.

    Good film overall, for both fans of the series and newcomers.

    Vincent: Why don't you shoot?
    Spike: What?
    Vincent: What's wrong? Lose your nerve? You started out so fearlessly. Go on. Pull the trigger.
    Spike: I don't think so. I blow the bounty if I blow you away.
    Vincent: I have no fear of death. It just means dreaming in silence. A dream that lasts for eternity.
    Spike: [sarcastically] You're an original, aren't you?
  • QueenCityFilms
    March 3, 2008
    QueenCityFilms
    good shit right here
  • theoneandonlytony
    October 18, 2009
    theoneandonlytony
    Truth is, when the series ended... I actually felt like part of me had died! I actually believe that one of my main regrets in life now will actually be not discovering this series sooner! Seriously if you haven't seen it you're wasting your life!

    Not only does this movie do the...( read more) series justice, its possibly one of the best animated movies ever made... (I have been known to be bias.) You do have to admire the level of integrity behind the Bebop, where most production companies would use the series for a simple cash-in... this show breaks the mould. Seriously though, what this movie accomplishes actually rivals what most Hollywood blockbusters bust a nut over... and it does so effortlessly.

    How can I express how good this movie is any further? That it can easily stand up to Ghost in the Shell, Akira or Spirited Away in terms of animation... cos it probably could! Or that every single time I think of it... it makes me smile... as cheesy as that sounds... it's actually fucking true... this movie (and the series behind it) does things in a way that most movies will never be able to even begin to compete with.

    Effortlessly stylish, effortlessly cool and the characters are just completely outstanding! This movie completely dazzles me.

    Completely Flawless.

    Oh and on a final note: FAYE VALENTINE IS THE MOST PERFECT WOMAN!!!!! (Despite the fact that she's not actually real.... damn!)
  • martinmune
    October 8, 2009
    martinmune
    This is great storytelling!! And the music, out of this world!
  • ElCochran90
    September 18, 2009
    ElCochran90
    Shinichiro Watanabe can do anything he wants, and proves it with this blow-away piece of animation, and a good feature film continuation to one of the Top 10 anime series ever created.

    82/100
  • queenfatale
    September 5, 2009
    queenfatale
    only cool ppl shud watch this
  • danrml
    August 24, 2009
    danrml
    Some of my friends says CB Bebop is good but I have no real interest in watching it.

View All Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) Reviews

Critic Reviews

April 4, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It's hard to imagine this overlong, overplotted and underdrawn animation winning many new converts, either to the series or to anime in general. full review

April 4, 2003
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Animaniacs will probably want to bump that rating up a star, and even I am looking forward to catching episodes of the TV show. full review

April 4, 2003
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

This switched-on futuristic anime noir is visually stunning -- and it makes a lot more sense than Spirited Away! full review

April 4, 2003
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

With all due respect to Japanese animation fans and pop-culture enthusiasts, life may be just too short to plunge into the busy world of Cowboy Bebop. full review

January 15, 2003
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com

We come down to the simple fact that this is Cowboy Bebop, and in the end, the journey taken is more important than whether or not it makes any sense. full review

View more Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door)" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Punisher
    The Punisher (67%)
  • Babylon A.D.
    Babylon A.D. (33%)
  • Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children
    Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (64%)
  • Heavy Metal
    Heavy Metal (0%)

More Movies like Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door)

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Kaubôi Bibappu: T... : Watch Free on TV

Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

shrkntz Skin by shrkntz
90 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins