Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Destination Films | Release Date: April 4, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
When the action sequences work, they work well; the climax cribs heavily from 1989's "Batman," but improves on Tim Burton's finale. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
There's something to be said for watching an animated movie not with the eyes of a child, but with those of a turned-on grownup. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesCharles Solomon
Demonstrates how exciting and vital contemporary animated filmmaking is in Japan. The characters may not move with the fluidity of their American counterparts, but the story unfolds with a sinister grace that any live-action director might envy. Read full review
80
EmpireStaff (Not Credited)
Has something for everyone. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Isn't exactly adult animation but it's more complex and ambiguous than the usual Hollywood live-action blockbuster, and just as splashy. Read full review
75
Chicago TribunePatrick Z. McGavin
Magnetic, beautiful stuff. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyDavid Chute
There are so many good ideas at the visual level that you can't help wishing the narrative elements had been more cleverly worked out. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
It certainly fulfills all the conventions of the genre: sci-fi premise, noir stylings, martial arts, snarky dialogue. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The atmospherics are wonderfully dark and film-noirish, if overly violent. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
These visual techniques also serve to emphasize the Japanese anime fetishes for violence and female body parts -- you can always count on a gun or a breast to be in the foreground' but I'll take this opportunity to again stress that this is an adult cartoon. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
If you want state of the art anime that comes within spitting distance of escaping the limits of its genre, this might be your cup of bootleg sake. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
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. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Despite the spectacularly cool opening credits and some first-rate animation, the story starts to flag about halfway through. Read full review
63
PremiereGlenn Kenny
There's much visual inventiveness and a good sense of fun here. But I was expecting something more spectacular. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Brisk, engaging story. Read full review
60
VarietyRobert Koehler
Though it isn't the entirely original creation "Metropolis" was, Bebop is more satisfying. Read full review
60
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
Notable chiefly for its eye-catching urban backgrounds and an eclectic score that ranges from jazz and country to classical and choral. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
It's a stylish work, seeping with brilliant animation and potentially interesting characters that didn't need so much time to establish themselves. It's worthwhile, but it's a good thing there's a television show to refer to. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJanet Kim
Americanized through western showdowns, shadowy film noir, gangster shootings, sci-fi, Bruckheimer explosions, slapstick, and soaps, Bebop aims to transcend its own genre by emulating all genres, and it falls short only in the melodrama. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Overlong, overplotted and underdrawn. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
When Bebop's anime characters stand still, chirping their strangely stilted, dubbed talk and not moving their strangely blank faces, I feel lost on Mars myself. Read full review
40
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
The ambition is laudable, but the execution is wanting, and the attempt itself may indicate that Watanabe and company have forgotten what made Cowboy Bebop so much fun. Read full review
30
Film ThreatEric Campos
Good news is that most of the marvelous English dialogue cast from the Cowboy Bebop series has returned for the film. The bad news is that the heart and soul of the series hasn’t. Read full review
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