Assisting Okita is the hotheaded yet effective Battle Chief, Susumu Kodai (Derek Wildstar).  Kodai is eventually promoted to be in charge of the Yamato during the long journey that is damaging Captain Okita’s health. For some much needed comic relief, Dr. Sado, Okita's doctor and a wacky Doctor Slump type in contrast to the slender Leiji Matsumoto designs, is added to break through the serious problems and dilemmas needed in any good space opera such as this.

As a side note, it is interesting to see how the Yamato spacecraft was first constructed. There is a scene of a father telling his son to take a long look at the Yamato Battleship as it prepares to battle American forces during World War II.  The battleship is shown being attacked by U.S. aircraft and eventually sinking to the ocean floor.  This signifies the end of the battleship era as air battles win the war.  Parts of the Yamato are salvaged and used in the construction of the spacecraft.  Both the battleship and the spacecraft become iconic symbols of Japanese power.

Despite its 2-hour and 15-minutes length, the movie does not drag on.  The plot is simple but effective for this type of storytelling:  The Yamato and crew must reach the planet Iscandar to get the Cosmo-Cleaner-D that will clean the dangerous radiation that threatens Earth. 

As the Yamato makes the long journey to Iscandar, problems occur between the good crew and the Gamilas. Each problem is quickly set up, forcing the Yamato crew to react and fight back using logic and military strategy.  This causes the movie to flow along from one problem to the next, until the final conflict at the end.  If the Yamato crew should fail at any point then all hope is lost.

This is just the type of storytelling that goes all the way back to the classic adventures of Homer’s Odyssey, where a central hero must led a crew through various perils for a greater good.

Another memorable aspect is the dialogue. On the planet Gamilas, the supreme commander Desler (Desslok to most US fans) is trying to force the Yamato to land in an acid sea as bombs rain down.  Just before carrying out this order Desler says a truly great line:

The Yamato’s fate will be like a cockroach in a cup of acid. [Truly on par with Shakespeare - Ed] 

Space Battleship Yamato:  The Movie is a great story that will appeal to fans who can still appreciate anime from 1974 and might even win over those who don't.

Rating: A+
Review by: Jason Fetters
Production by: AIC A.S.T.A.
Directed by: Hisashi Saito
Licensed by: FUNimation

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