THE WINGS OF HONNEAMISE

VOICES OF: Robert Matthews, Melody Lee, Stevie Beeline, Lee Stone, Arnie Hanks, Alfred Thor

1987, 120 Minutes, Directed by: Hiroyuki Yamaga

Low-key "anime" (Japanese animation) film about the first attempts at manned space flight on a planet very similar to Earth. Or let me rephrase that: it rather seems to be set in an alternative universe in which World War II was never fought and the Japanese Empire still exists (uneasily) along with America. The Wings of Honneamise is weird stuff. Almost as if Ingmar Bergman decided to direct animated movies.

Anime? While it is big in Japan, it is often very difficult to come by elsewhere. In Japan animated movies aren't merely a medium for family fare, but often for comedy, adult drama and erotica.

As you might have gathered by now, this isn't exactly Disney. There are a few scenes in the film that would never have made it into any Disney movie - like an attempted rape and some graphic violence. Also, the film's offbeat (yet interesting) visual sense makes it all the more watchable. Because of this, Wings of Honneamise is recommended for adult animation fans.

And if you have never watched any anime before and are interested, then Wings of Honneamise is a good place to start. Incidentally, it is one of the few anime films to have been released theatrically in the States.

Sci-Fi Movie Page Pick: Great animation but not really for kids. Want to check out anime - or rather Japanese animated movies? Then this is the place to start . . . Stark, surreal, at times violent - Wings of Honneamise isn't quite Disney.