Memories
A Parent's Guide to Anime
Rated: PG
Parental Guidance Advised
Reviewed by Michael Wilson:
Memories is the greatest achievement of Katsuhiro Otomo. There are three episodes: Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb, and Cannon Fodder. Magnetic Rose is based on a short story that Otomo wrote in the early 1980's.
In Magnetic Rose, a group of space junk recyclers come across an old ship in which the soul of an opera singer and its memories haunt those who enter. Stink Bomb is a hilarious black comedy about the stupidest man in the world unwittingly spreading a plague across Japan. Cannon Fodder follows a funny looking kid through his daily routine of learning about bombs and why it's good to bomb away for the country.
The whole movie is visually stunning, but Magnetic Rose takes the cake. It is a neat story and easily is the best of the three movies. Stink Bomb provides relief from the depressing mood in Magnetic Rose. Cannon Fodder is probably meant to be a political statement about the proliferation of Weapons of Mass destruction and humanity's love of war. No one knows who the enemy is, they just know to load the weapons and launch. The kids are taught about missile trajectory and similar things.
Parent's Guide Rating:
yellow (parental guidance advised)
Magnetic Rose is depressing and contains some violence. Stink Bomb is too funny to be distracted by the very little violence in it. Little kids probably wouldn't understand Cannon Fodder. There is hardly any language and no sexuality.