Bravestarr: The Movie (DVD, 2008)

I decided to buy this due to a friend's recommendation. While cartoons of this era, especially those by this company, have a moral theme, this one's message is so well integrated into the plot that it manages to be non-offensive. :) It's about a boom-town planet called New Texas, in a general Space Cowboys setting.

While the plot is strongly Homeric, predictable and some of the characters are rather undeveloped (CactusHead?!), the main characters are surprisingly "alive" and believable as people. The lead role is BraveStarr himself, an (apparently) American Indian with mystic powers who becomes a hero (and who also wears the ugliest shirt in the galaxy!!)Probably the most interesting is 30-30, a horse who is able to transform into a humanoid and who carries a large rifle.

While the main reasons to see this movie are nostalgia for the 80s and the fact that it only played theatrically for a week or less and was never seen again, the fact that it's animation occasionally attains the heights of Heavy Metal would be a significant factor. It looks good. I mean this movie is BEAUTIFUL start to finish, and anyone who appreciates anime will find it a real treat.

So due to it's engaging central characters and beautiful art and animation, I give this one a 5/5. Definitely worth the price!