Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is just barely science fiction. Based on the anime series Cowboy Bebop, this movie is set in the future on Mars, which has become inhabitable, thanks to environmental technology. The television show follows a group of bounty hunters, which are in this day referred to as "cowboys," led by the main character, Spike Spiegel. The series is known for three things: often being loads of fun, occasionally reaching touching emotional depth, and always having a great bebop jazz score (thanks to American-inspired composer Yoko Kanno). The film is basically one long Cowboy Bebop episode, not having any special occurrences or making any huge revelations but remaining just as fun and almost as touching as most of the episodes ever are (though the score is oddly different -- more on that in a moment). These things make for grade-A entertainment, just as they do in the TV series.

The plot centers on Vincent Volaju, a terrorist blowing up bridges and public transport systems without demanding money or stating a cause. No one knows who he is or why he is doing it. As is usual in Cowboy Bebop, this bad guy is too much for the police, so an enormous bounty is slapped on his head. Spike and crew, hungry and with no other good bounties in sight, decide to take him on.

The story from here is fairly intriguing even if it is nothing too original. It's basically your standard save-the-world plot, as Vincent has a plan that will destroy the entire population of Mars on Halloween night. That being said, the antagonist's motives do bring a little depth to the story. Without giving too much away, this is a film about loneliness. Vincent is a man who, because of military experimentation, has no memory of who he was. He sits alone in a room at a table with one chair playing a Japanese version of solitaire. Spike, despite having his bounty hunter partners, is likewise alone in his own way since he has no one with whom he is truly close. At one point, Spike says that he and Vincent share a soul. They are both alone and trying to make it through life, but Vincent has a sinister goal in mind. Spike, on the other hand, is just trying to live from day to day. By the end of the film, Spike, Vincent, and guest protagonist Electra Ovilo emerge as the most pertinent to the story, and they all, though at odds in their own individual relationships with each other, also have come to feel a deep bond with each other in different ways; by the end, they all understand each other, but they also know that some of their goals conflict. So, victory to any of them also entails a sadness for what will be another's loss.

Fans of the television series will notice that a very integral element of the series is largely missing: the jazz. The bebop that plays throughout the Cowboy Bebop episodes is mostly gone, except for one instance. This is odd because not only is "bebop" part of the title; bebop is one of the best things about the series, and it is important to the show's theme of improvisation and living in the now. That is not to say that the music used in the film is bad (though certainly not all of the songs are winners). It's just a shame that the trademark bebop jazz that all Cowboy Bebop fans know, love, and expect is used only once in the film. This divergence from the TV show is baffling.

For those unfamiliar with the show and unknowing of its trademark musical style, the most noticeable thing about the film is how great-looking it is. The animation is sharper than ever, and even the cinematic techniques are used beautifully. In one scene, Vincent and Electra are in a sort of standoff on a monorail. Vincent pulls the pin of a grenade and calmly holds the grenade up in the air. The "camera" focuses on the grenade, then cuts to Electra, then to her gun, then back to Vincent himself, and finally sweeps back from that shot to reveal the whole situation. It gives us everything: the emotion (or lack thereof) of the individuals as well as the thrill of the overall action. During the finale, one character has another at gunpoint, and time seems to halt as the camera backs away and one speaks a few lines. It gives us a chance ourselves to back up and ponder the significance of the moment rather than remain stuck in anticipation of only the action. The virtual camera moves with a finesse that allows us to consider all aspects of the events on screen.

These action scenes and others, though nothing of ultra-deep significance, are not just boring fistfights. In a fight between Spike and Electra, for instance, Spike hooks his arms around a broom which is horizontal behind his back. Instead of holding it in his hands to strike with it, he has a little fun and jerks his body from side to side, swinging the ends of his broom at Electra while complimenting her good looks. The fight scenes do sometimes slow down the telling of the overall story, but another part of Cowboy Bebop (a part more apparent to those who are familiar with the TV series) is the joy of living for the moment, a joy often exemplified through action sequences. Spike always has fun with his life, even when he's fighting for it.

Overall, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is nothing mind-blowing or deep, but it is a fun way to spend two hours. Besides the music, the film stays true to both the tone and the main characters of the series, and this means that it's a lot of fun. It is required viewing for Cowboy Bebop fans and anyone else looking for a good time.