Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) (2001)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Drake T

  
  Embodies everything I loved about Cowboy Bebop. The chemistry of the crew, the Scifi elements, Spike's martial arts prowess and delicious animation while still retaining that slick bounty hunter feel. Someday though I'll have to climb over that lame melodramatic mountain… More
  Embodies everything I loved about Cowboy Bebop. The chemistry of the crew, the Scifi elements, Spike's martial arts prowess and delicious animation while still retaining that slick bounty hunter feel. Someday though I'll have to climb over that lame melodramatic mountain that seems present in all Anime. The main antagonist is such a quack, boohoo everyone died except me! I don't know about my past so I have to kill large amounts of people! Please.

• Lewis C

  
  "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 or serve. This is strictly business." One word came to my mind after watching this. Unnecessary. I have been putting off watching… More
  "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 or serve. This is strictly business." One word came to my mind after watching this. Unnecessary. I have been putting off watching the Cowboy Bebop movie for several years now. I'm a huge fan of the show, but I had heard and read so many mixed or negative reviews of the movie online and from friends, that I was hesitant to see it. In the end, though, I figured that any Cowboy Bebop had to be somewhat worthwhile. That turned out to be partially true, but I still find myself disappointed. To be blunt, the story was completely uninteresting. Each episode of the series was like a (good) mini-movie on its own, so I don't get why giving the creators more time to develop and tell this story, ended up producing something that wasn't nearly as engaging as any given one of the original episodes. It felt like the decision to make the movie came first, and very little effort was put into making a worthy plot to go along with it. The new characters are uniformly dull, much of the soundtrack was poor (How did THAT happen? Where's the jazz?), and the film as a whole felt disjointed, at best. I tried as hard as o could to like it all, but the most positive description I can give for my experience is "meh". I'll admit that it warmed my fanboy heart to see Spike, Faye, and the gang in action again. The animation was very good, and some of the action scenes were top notch. But without the great storytelling that we've all come to expect, I'd recommend this to only the most fervent Cowboy Bebop fan. You'd have much more fun in the same amount of time by just watching four of your favorite episodes from the original show.

• Saskia D

  
  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!! <a… More
  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!! <a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/cowboy%20bebop/krystlemb30/cowboy_bebop.jpg?o=20" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/krystlemb30/cowboy_bebop.jpg"></a>

• Justin Y

  
  The Japanese show once again how animes can not only be great series, but great movies as well. The <i>Cowboy Bebop</i> series is well written and so is this film.<p>Although this movie is released a few years after the last episode it makes one wonder when this… More
  The Japanese show once again how animes can not only be great series, but great movies as well. The <i>Cowboy Bebop</i> series is well written and so is this film.<p>Although this movie is released a few years after the last episode it makes one wonder when this actually takes place in the Bebop universe. With the characters that are involved and some of the conversations that pop up, many may be inclined to believe that this takes place sometime in the middle of the series.<p>Like many other animes, the story is fantastic. I guess it is easier to focus on the story when you don't have to worry about the acting. This film gives you everything that you remember from the series. The character interaction is good and so is the action. You get the usual gun-play, hand-to-hand combat, and ship chases. The final fight (hand-to-hand) at the end is phenomenal. Nicely choreographed and drawn. My only real gripe with this film is that the whole thing takes place on Mars. This isn't totally bad, but there are too little space sequences when compared to the series. Then again, this is only a two hour movie.</p><p>Once again, Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts deliver in the music department. You get the same jazzy feel as the series and this does wonders for this film. The same thing can be said about the voice work.</p><p>Visually, this anime is top-notch. The landscapes and futuristic settings are portrayed well and Faye Valentine is still sexy as h***.</p><p>You don't have to have seen the series to watch this film, but it will really help with the understanding of the characters. In any case, most of the people that watch this will be fans of the series.

• Aaron N

  
  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… More
  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 or 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?

• Tsubaki S

  
  Manages to both capture the mood of the series and to have life of it's own.

• Michael G

  
  Goes on a bit long, but don't all movies that are also TV shows?

• Matthew Y

  
  The general consensus is that the film does not live up to the anime. Personally I wasn't head-over-heals for either of them but the anime series is largely considered the greatest anime of all-time and much beloved by fans worldwide. The film chronologically takes place… More
  The general consensus is that the film does not live up to the anime. Personally I wasn't head-over-heals for either of them but the anime series is largely considered the greatest anime of all-time and much beloved by fans worldwide. The film chronologically takes place between a few of the early episodes of the series and could easily be watched as a simple elongated episode (and it would be far from the weakest one too). The one thing I always admired about Cowboy Bebop is the style, groovy old-school jazz music set against a sci-fi space world that also incorporates themes from westerns, film-noir and spy thrillers. A cool show the I always felt was a colorful outer shell but unfortunately hollow in the middle. Many, many would disagree.

• Will T

  
  This is how you make an anime movie, I am a big fan of the series, so this is great. We have everything we love about Cowboy Bebop (The Music, the action scenes, the amazing characterization) brought together into this movie, and no anime movie has ended with a better song than this,… More
  This is how you make an anime movie, I am a big fan of the series, so this is great. We have everything we love about Cowboy Bebop (The Music, the action scenes, the amazing characterization) brought together into this movie, and no anime movie has ended with a better song than this, Gotta Knock a Little Harder!

• Chris B

  
  Great movie, but not quite up to par with original OVA storyline.

• Bill C

  
  Can’t quite figure what was wrong the first time so I watched it again and I’m still not sure. There is the proper balance of action and plot the anime is top rate, but I just never got totally into it. I have never seen the series but it kept popping up as a 4+ star in my queue.… More
  Can’t quite figure what was wrong the first time so I watched it again and I’m still not sure. There is the proper balance of action and plot the anime is top rate, but I just never got totally into it. I have never seen the series but it kept popping up as a 4+ star in my queue. Spike Spiegel is the main character who is the updated James Bond of bounty hunters. His partner is Jack Black, who from the oddly arranged comment in the movie is a will developed character in the show but poorly developed in the movie. Other characters are Faye Valentine the fleshed out anime women in the show. Do flesh tight lieder hosen short shorts really exist? Hmm. Ed and Ein are an amusing duo. Ed is an apparently 13 year old feral genius computer hacker and Ein is a normal looking genetically engineered Welsh corgi (Lap dog). Who can win at chess every time. Out of the hoe show Ein is the most addressable, he solves the tough questions but no one takes him serious because he is a dog and he can’t talk. From what I read about the series the characters are well developed and multifaceted, but the movie is more of a more elaborately animated and longer episode. If you watch the series its probably a must without previous viewing it more like a sampler that not very fulfilling.

• Jonny C

  
  Great movie. I loved the story and the great characters, and I thought the soundtrack was terrific. I found the cinematography absolutely fantastic, the fighting scenes in particular were excellent. And I thought the space ship chase near the end was very well animated too.

• t h o m !

  
  I love this anime. Some great scenes in here. Love the music.

• Krystle C

  
  Too stylish for words, and Yoko Kanno's jazzy score tops it. The plot is a fascinating character study and very much in the spirit of the series.

• Sarah B

  
  I can't believe this is even on here! the series is even better, but this is a fantastic introduction. Part, Sci Fi part western, bounty hunters have not looked this good since Boba Fett.

Read all 15 featured audience ratings