Space Battleship Yamato

Bought the blu-ray of this movie.  If you like all things awesome, you should watch this film.  Yes, you'll have to read subtitles (awww.) so dumb people who can't read aren't going to like this, sorry Tennessee!  Earth is ravaged by an unknown alien enemy that is devastating the earth with radioactive meteors.  The Earth Defense Force launches space vessels to try to stop the meteors but is out-flanked by the enemy's ships. Earth has run out of materials to reconstruct any more vessels so retro-fits the WWII ship the Yamato as a last-ditch effort to get to the coordinates of a mysterious capsule that crashes near one of Earth's underground cities.  Predictions indicate the Earth has less than 1 year to survive.

Based on the 1974 anime, Star Blazers which I used to watch as my first Japanese anime (next to Speed Racer by TransLux of course), this sci-fi is very action-packed with awesome surprises and space-tactics and is very action oriented.  Very common to Japanese sci-fi of the time, such as Robotech (aka Macross Saga), there's quite a bit of very impressive space battles back-dropped with personnel inter-relationships.  This setup is often known as a Space Opera for it's levels of complexity.  Firefly TV series approaches this, but the action in the show as a bit weak with more focus on the individuals.  Space Battle Ship Yamato (made in December 2010) balances the action sequences and character development expertly.  Truly brilliant.  There's a few nod to the fans by way of the original with IQ9 (aka Analyzer) making a cameo, and some of the scenes are almost direct replicas of the '74 series here and there.

THIS is THE sci-fi to watch this year.  Aerosmith plays the end-credits, which is surprising and unexpected.  Blu-ray transfer is outstanding and the audio, though only 5.1 surround Dolby Digital and not the 7.1 we expect with Blu-ray release is well executed with ships flying from behind and in front ala Top Gun.  Acting is top-notch, particularly with Otika (aka Captain Avatar).

Buy it here:  http://www.amazon.com/Battleship-Yamato-Blu-Ray-English-Subtitled/dp/B005H2IAM6/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1321556818&sr=1-1

Or here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPACE-BATTLESHIP-YAMATO-BLU-RAY-MINT-CONDITION-NOTE-BOOK-AND-SLIPCASE-/250932871459?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item3a6cc3c123

Or you could just simply borrow it from me, of course.

Space Battleship Yamato (2010 live-action film):

Comic book fans (or fans of the series): A+++infinity plus 1

Zombies: A

Everybody else: B (what, I have to read?)