Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2010

One of the best-known anime franchises to older fans in Japan and around the world, Space Battleship Yamato first appeared as a TV series in 1974 and was followed by a hit film in 1977. Numerous other series and movies followed, including the erroneously titled Final Yamato in 1983. Now we get a big budget, media-hyped, live-action version with Japanese mega-stars like Takuya Kimura and Meisa Kuroki. The year is 2194 and the earth is an irradiated wasteland with mankind almost completely wiped out by alien invaders. Kodai (Kimura) finds a capsule from the faraway planet Iscandar and learns that there is technology there that has the power to eradicate radiation. The spaceship Yamato and its crack crew are sent to secure the world-saving tech. Though the visuals are impressive and the action scenes strong, the film is basically melodramatic and silly. This adaptation is only for kids—or adults really into clichéd fantasy space epics. (131 min)