Overall: Great Gears of Steam and Fire! This film is completely worth 2 hours of your time. The soundtrack fit comfortably, and the steam and gear noises were fun.Ĭharacters: Although most of them fit one trope or another, I liked that their personalities were revealed through the actions they took and through their conversations with one another-instead of through narration or monologue or flashback (which, in my opinion, are much less effective ways to develop characters). The character design was a little plain, but worked. The explosions and things being smashed and broken looked cool. Gears and valves and steam were plentiful. The backgrounds were unbelievably gorgeous, textured, detailed, dimensional, and had a great sense of depth and perspective. And managed to do so without long philosophical lectures.Īnimation: Steamboy is one of the most expensive anime films ever produced, and it really shows in the art. Furthermore, the plot managed to incorporate complex themes, framed through the characters and their struggles with each other because of their beliefs about science and society. Story: The plot had all the elements of a good plot: multiple characters whose actions collided in an exciting and suspenseful way, excellent pacing wherein no scene felt unnecessary or unnecessarily long, and the situation kept getting worse and worse until the climax, which was, admittedly, rather vague. I love all things steampunk, so I borrowed Steamboy from the public library recently.