Metropolis (Wait, Again?)

73 years after Metropolis was created, Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis was released. As I said before in my last blog, Fritz Lang's Metropolis was a great influence to many. Osamu Tezuka was one of them. Tezuka is regarded as the godfather of Japanese animation as he created many of the first Japanese cartoons such as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. Even the esteemed Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by him.
After drawing inspiration from Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Osamu Tezuka wrote a manga putting his own spin on the story. Years after his death, the film was created. Much like the original, Tezuka's Metropolis takes place in a dystopian city of the future where the working class are suffering as robots are taking their jobs. Things are exacerbated as heavy tax reforms are created to fund the construction of the Ziggurat, the tallest, most technologically advanced building ever created. Inside the Ziggurat dwells Duke Red, a man who plots to take advantage of the public's unrest to overthrow the city's leaders and seize power. A wrench is thrown into his plans as the robot created to serve as the Ziggurat's mainframe is mysteriously lost amidst a fire. The robot, named Tima, is rescued by a young boy named Kenichi. Now, Kenichi and Tima must run for their lives as they are chased by both Duke Red and the Marduks, an Anti-robot extremist group led by Rock, Duke Red's jealous adopted son.
There are many differences between the two incarnations, but there are many key themes that they share, such as the need for compromise between social classes, the rejection of extremes, and the evils of the abuse of power.
This movie has some of the greatest animation Io have ever seen. The blend of traditional and computer animation is flawless and creates a sense of size and power. The animation is fluid and beautiful. If ever you have a chance, watch this movie.