Fire Wave Motion Gun!!!

As a kid, Space Battleship Yamato (aka Star Blazers in the United States) was my introduction to the world of anime. While there have been other favorites through the years - namely, the Macross Saga of Robotech and Gatchaman (aka Battle of the Planets) - none of them inspire the childlike awe I get from watching Space Battleship Yamato.



While I still love the anime (even though the animation is quite dated by today's standards), I've always longed for a live action version. Well, I no longer have to wait as a live action Space Battleship Yamato movie was released in Japan earlier this month.



(Why did the makers of the movie include a theme song sung by Steven Tyler? It immediately makes me think of Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing power ballad from Armageddon.)

Here's a longer clip (roughly 5 minutes) from Space Battleship Yamato. Just ignore the picture in picture folks at the top right. You gotta love Japanese TV. LOL!



I was hoping to be in Japan when it hit theaters on Dec 1, 2010, but my vacation plans didn't quite pan out. Oh well... I've waited 30+ years already, so what's another few months for the official Japanese DVD? :-)

PS - I'm very grateful that this movie wasn't made by an American movie studio. If it had been, it probably would have turned out like Dragonball: Evolution or Speed Racer. In other words, it would have SUCKED!