Heights
Among the Depths:
Blue Submarine No. 6: Toonami Version
Bandai
DVD Review by: Troy
Brownfield 
War movies, good or bad, often break down into easily recognizible
sub-genres. There's the Infiltration movie (like Where
Eagles Dare), the P.O.W. movie (take The Great Escape),
the Invasion movie (such as Saving Private Ryan) and
countless others. Among my favorites are the Submarine movies.
Marked by moody lighting, claustrophobic sets, and almost
unbearable tension, these films often turn out to be fantastic
(like Das Boot; my rant on why U-571 sucked
is better left to another column, and our British pal, Ian).
Blue Submarine No. 6 easily fits the bill for a cool
sub flick, but it's the pieces that weren't dictated by tradition
that make it stand out from the rest of the anime herd.
Based
on the comic by Satoru Ozawa, BlueSub6 is, at its core,
about Tetsu Hayumi, an ex-sailor who is recruited to go back
to the Blue Fleet to help stop a threat to the world. The
scientist Zorndyke has turned his back on the world, creating
a hybrid human-animal race and beginning the process of shifting
the poles and plunging the Earth under water. How Hayumi fits
into the grand scheme of things isn't clear at first, and
it's the questions about Hayumi and Zorndyke that drive the
plot. Also central to the action is female pilot Mayumi Kino;
she doesn't like Hayumi's maverick attitude, but grows to
like him both personally and professionally.
What's
really fantastic about all of this is how the creative team
has taken disparate elements of the war film, thrown in bits
from sci-fi movies (obviously Waterworld) and classic
literature (The Island of Dr. Moreau and Heart of
Darkness). You recognize certain homages, and they add
to the overall impact. The questions about man ruining the
environment, science gone wrong, and how advanced intellect
can corrupt primitive societies are all at work in the narrative.
However,
don't think that philosophy makes action a forgotten commodity.
While much of BlueSub6 is thoughtful and quiet, there
are explosive moments of underwater combat that ring true
to any student of the genre. Tom Clancy would be proud of
the multi-plane strategizing and sub-Antarctic manuevering
that occurs.
It's clear
that the source comic and film have a message, and they don't
back down. There is no clean resolution, and there are no
quick, definitive answers. The mysterious overtones enhance
an already strong piece.
Blue
Submarine No. 6 stands out as a bold work; it contains
enough slam-bang action for the tech-fiend die-hards and tempers
it with a progressive attitude and intelligence. It's a strong
piece that belongs in any sharp fan's collection.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. For
another great animated underwater flick, check out Yellow
Submarine. It's got pretty decent music. Email
Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.
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