Space Adventure Cobra is the
1982 movie adaptation of the
Buichi Terasawa penned manga which was subsequently adapted into a television series of the same name months later. Although both adaptations were helmed by the master
Osamu Dezaki and resemble one another visually, embellished in his trademark pastel visage and littered with his patented postcard memories, vignettes that capture key moments, the two adaptations still feel wholly individual, both interesting and worthy of your time.
Although the visual fidelity of this film isn’t that much greater than the TV series the visuals are still delightful due to the fantastic art, attractive character designs and a great use of colours.
Cobra swaps out raw detail for style but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking substance. Like the television series,
Space Adventure Cobra looks better in motion due to the use of dynamic camera angles that are utilised in order to manipulate the viewer’s sense of space, perspective and orientation and a great sense of lighting is employed to create a unique feeling of speed to each scene. The Space Cobra franchise is home to a myriad of psychedelic imagery however the hallucinogenic visuals are dialed up to a significant extent in the theatrical film. The film opens up with a James Bond-esque title sequence that’s a treat for the eyes with scantily dressed women floating across space, silhouettes of people against backdrops of ocean waves and profiles of seagulls against the sky in a segment that’s both intoxicating to look at and super stylish. Its depictions of space travel is simple but effective, with dark blacks juxtaposing with bright neon and florescent bursts of colours being used when traveling at fast speeds. In typical
Dezaki fashion,
Space Cobra is embellished with a painterly visage, a style that is timeless and looks amazing all these years later, trading fine detail for a more vibrant and fun aesthetic.
Dezaki also manages to incorporate his patented pastel freeze frames seamlessly within the film during explosions and such events. The
Dezaki/Akio Sugino duo are extra adventurous here with loads of experimental camera angles and unorthodox transitions.
Visually one of the key differences is funnily enough something that mightn’t register with the viewer at first but is painfully obvious and it’s the fact that whereas the TV series is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, the film is presented in 16:9 widescreen. Although it’s a simple alteration that is brought about due to the format change the larger screen real-estate allows for more scenery and action to be depicted at a single time. The 4:3 aspect ratio has never been a hindrance in my opinion but the widescreen format does exude a greater sense of freedom to each scene.
Since the televised series was 31 episodes in length a great deal of plot is omitted from the theatrical film and so for a person whose already seen the TV series a great deal of frustration may occur when key moments that would make for great transitions on the big screen are absent. The television series focused on an ensemble of villains however the film zones in on a single antagonist however I felt that this focus was squandered. Even with a
1 hour 40 minute run-time the film wastes little time with building character and the world. Instead it is very linear and goes from point of interest to point of interest without meandering which is upsetting due to the fact that the world of
Cobra is fascinating and the side stories are exciting but as exhilarating as the Rugball arc is, it makes sense that the movie wouldn’t devote time to it. This is where the film failed to capture my interest, because it’s clear that it looks great visually and I find the characters and their designs endearing but there’s not much ground covered with character development and although that’s to be expected within reason due to the transition to film and hence the smaller run-time I’ve nevertheless seen smoother transitions elsewhere. It is a shame, because the silly hijinks that
Cobra finds himself in is usually highly entertaining.
The
Space Cobra franchise is no stranger to spiritual elements however it’s featured more prominently within the film which adds to the psychedelic visuals.
Cobra has always been a series that is filled with crazy and weird occurrences, all of which are never explained which I can appreciate as less is indeed sometimes more. It’s clear everything in this world exists just as a means to look cool and indeed the film does look cool if not a little goofy here and there. The action unfortunately is a huge weak point in this film to a degree that made the last conflict boring. The invulnerable
Cobra is often unphased by his obstacles, and that’s no different in the TV series however where the main villains in the TV series are defeated in imaginative and eccentric manners like video game bosses, we never see this in the film.
The excitement towards
Cobra for me originates from the little stories that surface from the journey across the galaxy and although it’s nice to have a high production film focusing a single arc, the opportunity was somewhat wasted. On paper the
Crystal Boy arc is a perfect candidate for a film adaptation, however the illustrious golden humanoid cyborg is neither strong nor intimidating in this version which of course is a huge disappointment. My tone towards this film may come across as solely negative but the truth is I still enjoyed it quite a bit. My negativity stems from my prior experiences with the television series. As I stated previously I'm aware that the transition comes with some caveats due to the format and run-time changes and so I never expected a 1:1 transition but it’s still a slight disappointment.
Space Cobra is a fun film, but it can be a little boring due to the lack of stakes but this adaptation does take some liberties with the material and so a few surprises do await.
Space Adventure Cobra is a stylish, sci-fi romp across the galaxy with a slick soundtrack and goofy hijinks galore. Encapsulating a now bygone era in which we once looked towards the future to be a utopia filled with flying cars and jet-packs the film is a product of its time and is all the better for it. Although the action is a little dull and story is nowhere as eccentric and energetic as the television series, the film is still a fun experience that succeeds in entertaining its audience during this brief stint across the galaxy.
7/10