Synopsis
After receiving a package from his grandfather, Ray, a young inventor who lives in England during the mid-19th century, finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly conflict related to a revolutionary advance in steam power.
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Cast
- Keiko AizawaRay's Mother (voice)
- Aiko HibiThomas (voice)
- Manami KonishiScarlett O'Hara St. Jones (voice)
- Anne SuzukiJames Ray Steam (voice)
- Sanae KobayashiEmma (voice)
- Katsuo NakamuraDr. Lloyd Steam (voice)
- Masane TsukayamaDr. Edward 'Eddy' Steam (voice)
- Satoru SatoArchibald Simon (voice)
- Susumu TerajimaAlfred Smith (voice)
- Kiyoshi KodamaRobert Stephenson (voice)
Recommendations
- 100
Christian Science Monitor
Visually stunning animation. - 80
Village Voice
Steamboy doesn't have the deep melancholia or the visionary élan of last year's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Consistent in its graphic invention from first to last, however, it's a sensationally designed piece of work. (The retro stylistics are comparable to Brazil, David Lynch's Dune, and The Iron Giant.) - 80
The A.V. Club
Steamboy adds a touch of innocent wonder to the formula through Ray's eyes, resulting in Otomo's most human film to date, but humanity rarely seems to be among Otomo's priorities. His films seem far more concerned with the spectacle he manages like no one else in animation. - 80
L.A. Weekly
The movie's true genius lies in the exquisite animation, a blend of hand-drawn and state-of-the-art digital technology that suggests an old world being bullied into a new one. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
It's a roller-coaster action film that thunders along with top-notch set pieces and studiously researched period settings. The only letdown is that the focus on action drowns out any character development. - 80
The New York Times
The film turns into a preposterous but engrossing spectacle, fueled by a resource more enduring than steam or its successors: big ideas. - 70
Chicago Reader
Visually commanding, conceptually beguiling, but dramatically inert. - 60
Film Threat
Perhaps the key to understanding where Steamboy goes wrong is in understanding why Otomo's previous animated feature "Akira" was such a success.
