Yes, this is yet another movie set in the universe of the amazingly popular 1970’s classic anime series: “Captain Harlock”. Further more it’s the sequel to the original Galaxy Express 999 (just in case any of you are wondering, “Adieu” is a French word meaning more or less “so long”).
Although Viz Communication only opted to bring this title to North America a relatively short time ago, Adieu was originally produced in 1981 and not all its aspects have aged well. For instance, the animation is very good for the time but the colors seem faded and the palette is limited. Also the dubbing is of variable quality with some characters obviously sporting brilliant voice actors while others could have been voiced by the office temp while on a cigarette break. I don’t think it’s necessary to give any specific examples, as you will surely be able to tell for yourself, which is which.
The storyline is very similar to the first Galaxy Express but with much less character development which will leave anyone who has not seen the original wondering who’s who and why are they doing all this? Taking place approximately 2 years after the end of the first movie, the action of Adieu Galaxy Express 999 takes place on a battle scarred Earth, the war between man and machine having finally taken its toll on the surroundings.
So, once again, young Tetsuro Hoshino, who is now some kind of freedom fighter, decides to meet up with the mysterious Maytel on the Galaxy Express 999, a seemingly old-fashioned train engine capable of space travel. Together they must find a way to save humanity from its own creation while battling personal demons and striving to rediscover the meaning of being human.
If this whole plot sounds terribly austere to you, that’s probably because it is. In fact, Adieu can be serious and downbeat to a fault. Clearly, the main plot calls for a generally sober delivery but that shouldn’t mean total and complete lack of any comedic element whatsoever. This depressing atmosphere even appears to be getting to the characters all of which are always either nervously stern, visibly depressed or in some form, be it physical or psychological, of intense pain.
This in itself could be forgiven if Leiji Matsumoto’s trademark character designs didn’t clash so much with the severe atmosphere. Matsumoto usually prefers to populate his worlds with simple, cartoonish characters. The men always look particularly deformed, often taking on some ape like qualities with their exaggerated movements and facial expressions which isn’t always a bad thing but when the entire movie is urgently trying to convey some deep and infinitely important message, having these silly looking little people running around your screen tends to be distracting. The women fit in a little better, being beautifully yet mostly drawn (sorry guys, no fan service in this one) but all of them look so much alike it can get difficult to tell them apart. Not to mention that this is a little boring on a purely technical standpoint.
Don’t get me wrong, though, this film does have its qualities. It strives to tie up all the loose ends left behind from the original Galaxy Express and in general, it succeeds. It’s quite thought provoking if you actually sit down and think about it plus its themes are still quite up to date. However, the biggest draw for me was the nostalgia effect. I more or less grew up watching Captain Harlock and seeing him, as well as a few of the other original cast members brought a smile to my face. This movie might have been far from perfect but it was familiar and comfortable. I simply found it easier to gloss over the flaws for old times’ sake.
Nevertheless, if you were not a big fan of either the first movie or the Captain Harlock series, you would probably do best to stick to Galaxy Express 999 and maybe check out Arcadia of My Youth if you thirst for more!
Stats:
Director: Leiji Matsumoto
Screenplay: Trish Ledoux
License: Viz Communication
Official Site
Tags: adieu galaxy express 999