Kaubôi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door) poster & wallpaper
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David Lucas, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Jennifer Hale, Nicholas Guest ... see more see more... , Daran Norris , Megumi Hayashibara , Unshô Ishizuka , Kouichi Yamadera , Koichi Yamadera , Aoi Tada , Tsutomu Isobe , Ai Kobayashi , Dave Wittenberg , Hitoshi Hirao , Melissa Charles , Michael Reisz , Mickey Curtis , Nakajima Akihiko , Renji Ishibashi , Melissa Fahn

The popular animé series Cowboy Bebop gets its own feature-length film with the aptly named Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. Set in the late 21st century, it jumps into the series' story line just prior to it... read more read more...s conclusion, with the bounty hunting crew of the interstellar craft Bebop chasing a hacker aboard a tanker into a major city on Mars. As crew member Faye Valentine closes in on the tanker, she witnesses its catastrophic explosion, which soon appears to be a viral terrorist attack as the death toll continues to mount in the days following. Furthermore, Faye caught a glimpse of the person responsible for the blast and is thus the only surviving witness of the crime. After the government puts out a large bounty for the perpetrator's capture, the Bebop gang -- slacker Spike Spiegel, former policeman Jet Black, and hacker girl genius Edward -- begin their own hunt for the mass murderer, who is eventually revealed to be one Vincent Volaju. Vincent, it turns out, was the lone survivor of a governmental medical test and now seeks revenge by unleashing the same microscopic robotic virus used in the tanker explosion on the unsuspecting city. The Bebop crew must scramble to prevent Vincent from carrying out his plan, as well as try to locate an anti-virus to counterattack the effects of Vincent's virus. Released in both dubbed and subtitled cuts in the United States in 2003, Cowboy Bebop - The Movie premiered in Japan in 2001. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

Flixster Users

89% liked it

50,796 ratings

Critics

65% liked it

69 critics

R, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: Shinichirô Watanabe, Hiroyuki Okiura

Release Date: April 4, 2003

Keywords: action, anime

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DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003

Stats: 2,410 reviews

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Spike Faye Valentine Edward Spide and Julia Cowboy Bebop - Spike radical edward cowboy bebop Cowboy Bebop cowboy bebop Cowboy Bebop Oops... Spike Jet, Ed and Ein Cowboy Bebop Cowboy Bebop bebop bebop group Keanu Reeves - My Idol, Lilianetty's Idol
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Flixster Reviews (2,410)

  • fb535316333
    June 2, 2011
    fb535316333
    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 se... read moreems 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.
  • lewiskendell
    July 7, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "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 fo... read morer 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.
  • 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 moreboy_bebop.jpg?o=20" target="_blank">
  • skactopus
    March 23, 2008
    skactopus
    The Japanese show once again how animes can not only be great series, but great movies as well. The Cowboy Bebop series is well written and so is this film.

    Although this movie is released a few years after the last episode it makes one wonder when this actually takes p

    ... read morelace 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.

    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.

    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.

    Visually, this anime is top-notch. The landscapes and futuristic settings are portrayed well and Faye Valentine is still sexy as h***.

    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.
  • 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 morer 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?
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    January 22, 2008
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Manages to both capture the mood of the series and to have life of it's own.
  • mjgildea
    October 30, 2006
    mjgildea
    Goes on a bit long, but don't all movies that are also TV shows?
  • staindslaved
    February 28, 2012
    staindslaved
    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 betwee... read moren 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.
  • fb100000659631664
    October 12, 2011
    fb100000659631664
    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 t... read morehis, Gotta Knock a Little Harder!
  • fb208103125
    February 22, 2011
    fb208103125
    Great movie, but not quite up to par with original OVA storyline.

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

Critic Reviews

Vic Vogler
June 6, 2003
Vic Vogler, Denver Post

The movie, with room to gallop through nearly two hours and an R rating, often just kicks around in the stable. Full Review

Michael Senft
May 15, 2003
Michael Senft, Arizona Republic

Even those unfamiliar with the good ship Bebop will enjoy the high-intensity action and witty dialogue.

Roger Moore
May 8, 2003
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Folks who go for this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing they go for. But the rest of us may find reason to scratch our heads and scratch again.

Lisa Schwarzbaum
April 16, 2003
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Honors the affectless beauty of the original anime art and maintains the outlaw boppiness of the series concept. Full Review

Robert Koehler
April 15, 2003
Robert Koehler, Variety

Helmer Shinichiro Watanabe's oversight of Bebop's more expansive visual canvas is impressive, bringing out details not previously seen in tale's small screen version. Full Review

Desson Thomson
April 4, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

The atmospherics are wonderfully dark and film-noirish, if overly violent.

Peter Howell
April 4, 2003
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Too episodic to be coherent drama, too silly to be taken seriously and too long by far, this is the rare example of Japanese anime that seems singularly lacking in inspiration. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
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

Jan Stuart
April 4, 2003
Jan Stuart, Newsday

An endless and endlessly pretentious expansion of the popular Japanese anime TV series. Full Review

Ty Burr
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

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