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Akiko Yajima, David Lucas, Emi Shinohara, Ethan Murray, James Lyon ... see more see more... , Lia Sargent , Mitsuru Miyamoto , Motomu Kiyokawa , Robert Wicks , Tesshô Genda , Wendee Lee

The Big O (1999) represents an unusual fusion of American and Japanese elements: the designs in this mecha detective series have a minimal, Art Deco-influenced elegance that recalls Warner Bros.' anim... read more read more...ated Batman, but the cyber-Girl Friday Dorothy Wayneright continues the anime tradition of android females. Everyone in Gotham-esque Paradigm City lost their memories in a mysterious "incident" 40 years ago; since then, they've struggled to survive in the half-ruined metropolis. Officially, Roger Smith is a Negotiator who handles difficult situations for the police, but he's really a crime fighter in the Batman tradition. Unfortunately, the stories lack the depth of plot and characterization needed to support the stylish graphics. Most episodes follow a simple template: Roger goes beyond his mandate to capture a villain; when the going gets tough, he summons the title character, a giant "Megadeus" mecha suit; Big O beats the transistors out the bad guy; Roger returns to his luxurious penthouse.

In the final episodes, the film makers began to tie together the mysterious plague that destroyed humanity's memories, schemes to restore those memories (or implant false ones), the origins of Big O, the truth about Dorothy's nature, and the sinister plans of Paradigm Corporation head Alex Rosewater. This complicated story line was supposed to play out in the second season, which was never produced, and the adventure simply ends. (Rated 13 and older: minor profanity, occasional suggestive humor, mild violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

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22% want to see it

2,434 ratings

Unrated, 5 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Kazuyoshi Katayama

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DVD Release Date: September 16, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (83)

  • ceWEBrity
    March 20, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    Underrated. It's like a Japanese Batman retread in tone, but not in plot. I love the hard, oppressive noir design.
  • pilot42484
    July 5, 2010
    pilot42484
    Wow. The way that it ends, just, wow. I saw when I was younger and did not really understand it then, but I do now. And WOW!
  • mrdarkk1
    February 16, 2008
    mrdarkk1
    Excelllent series about Negotiator Roger Smith and his Megaduece Robot Called The Big O. Smith has a lot of Bruce Wayne and Batman that shows in the characters design and manerisms.
  • homelessbumv2
    January 14, 2008
    homelessbumv2
    This interesting show is the strange but great mixture of film noir, "Batman: the Animated Series," and giant robots. How is that not awesome?
  • Venieza
    July 18, 2007
    Venieza
    Grandest movie
    Enjoy anime/manga to the fullest good or bad sad or funny they get plus stars in my book
  • mayhem138
    June 24, 2006
    mayhem138
    Pretty good mecha-genre science fiction. Kind of like "what if Bruce Wayne used a giant robot instead of donning the Batman costume?" Good art and animation to it.
  • KentAron
    June 18, 2006
    KentAron
    the fact that it doesn't end drops this series into one of my love and hate lists... fucking so cool at times... but also so fucking bad cuz THERE'S NO END TO IT.. it just stopped... no finishin the story... god that pisses me off... if they made a movie to wrap it all up it'd be... read more an instant 5

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Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler
April 1, 2011
Robert Koehler, Variety

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The Big O Trivia

  • This actor has been in each of these films: _ungle Fever Miller's Cr_ssing O, Brot_er, Where Art Thou? Rou_ders Secre_ Window _nstrung Heroes Clocke_s _he Big Lebowski Q_iz Show Ba_ton Fink Mo' Bette_ Blues The Go_d Shepard  Answer »
  • Which actor starred in all of the following:- - The Flinstones - The Big Lebowski - Raising Arizona - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Barton Fink  Answer »
  • I was in Rounders, The Big Lebowski and O Brother Where Art Thou, who am I?  Answer »
  • I've been in... Cars O Brother, Where Art Thou? Beyond The Sea Coyote Ugly Monsters, Inc. The Big Lebowski And much more! Who am I?  Answer »
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