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Steamboy Movie Review

Steamboy is a 2004 steampunk action anime film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It’s a typically bombastic, though well made Otomo picture.

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“An invention with no philosophy behind it is a curse“

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James Ray Steam, a young inventor, receives a metallic ball from his grandfather Lloyd. However, the evil O’Hara foundation wants the new invention for its sinister plans. I have never been the biggest fan of this director’s output as I find ‘Akira’ to be slightly overrated. This one was different in a sense that it was targeted more toward children, though it still has those similar SF action sensibilities. It’s a film that he was making for ten years before it was released to mixed reviews. I find it to be perfectly solid, but wildly flawed.

My main problem with this flick is its pace. It’s frenetic to the point that it eventually grew tiresome for me. The first half is so interesting, fun and exciting with endless possibilities around every corner. The first act was particularly engaging. But then the director did not go anywhere with this premise, instead littering the movie with endless action sequences that threatened to topple the entire conceit under its own weight. The third act was especially bombastic and by that point I didn’t care anymore what would happen.

The characterization is quite slight, though there are some personalities that I definitely enjoyed. Ray is your standard proactive anime boy protagonist with no discernible personality of his own. The backstory of his grandfather going against his father due to their conflicted views on science and its usage on society was quite interesting at first. That was the catalyst of the entire story and it worked to a degree, but it needed more development and both characters were underutilized. As for Scarlett, she’s my absolute favorite character as this spoiled, rich girl who develops a fun dynamic with Ray. She added the necessary bolt of humor and charisma to an otherwise stale flick.

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Steamboy is gorgeously animated. Some may find its grimy, dusty aesthetic problematic, but I found that to be a strong choice that paid off in dividends. It made the movie feel positively grounded in reality while still being very much a steampunk story with overpowered weapons and huge steam-powered vehicles. It’s the case of a period piece mixing with science fiction in a very smooth and exciting way. The world building is excellent, the score is rousing and the film is both atmospheric and charming initially. I just wished that the second half was slower in pace and better crafted in plot and character arcs.