Tokyo Godfathers

( 8 )

Overview

For those still under the common misconception that anime is all child's play, the films of director Satoshi Kon offer a new perspective on the popular animated art form. With stories that are often intensely personal and characters that are three-dimensional and sympathetic -- not to mention beautiful animation -- Kon's films prove that anime can appeal to more than just the comic-book-reading teenage boys it is often associated with in America. Columbia/TriStar's eagerly awaited stateside DVD release of Kon's ...
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More About This Product

Overview

For those still under the common misconception that anime is all child's play, the films of director Satoshi Kon offer a new perspective on the popular animated art form. With stories that are often intensely personal and characters that are three-dimensional and sympathetic -- not to mention beautiful animation -- Kon's films prove that anime can appeal to more than just the comic-book-reading teenage boys it is often associated with in America. Columbia/TriStar's eagerly awaited stateside DVD release of Kon's tender drama Tokyo Godfathers tells the touching tale of three homeless vagabonds who discover the value of family after finding an abandoned baby on the streets of Tokyo. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image is crisp and the colors bold. Audio is presented in Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 with optional English subtitles. Free of distortion or hiss and sporting impressive directional effects, viewers with babies will no doubt find themselves jumping up from the couch for a diaper check when titular trio's infant charge becomes restless. Though Kon fans will no doubt find slight disappointment in the lack of extra features, a fairly satisfying making-of featurette discusses the film, offers a look at the voice actors in action, and finds the director himself sitting down to discuss Tokyo Godfathers with young starlet Aya Okamoto. A handful of trailers are also included, and liner notes by Variety writer Ken Eisner discuss both the film and Kon's impressive career -- with an exclusive character illustration by Kon himself rounding things out nicely.
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Special Features

Closed Caption; Making-of featurette; Theatrical trailer; Bonus trailers
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Andrea LeVasseur
Strangely, Tokyo Godfathers leans heavily toward melodrama despite its macho title and John Ford Western influences. The constant plot overlaps and unlikely coincidences are more reminiscent of a Pedro Almodóvar comedy, especially since one of the main characters is a maternally obsessed drag queen who frequently bursts into tears. The rapid sequence of events keeps the story engaging, if implausible, with a constant stream of chase scenes and daring rescues. So the film scores well as a family-oriented adventure. The snowy Tokyo landscapes are meticulously rendered to show all the dirty alleyways and garbage dumps that the protagonists call home. However much trash there is, the city doesn't feel that threatening with all of the bawling and exposition going on. The film functions best as a lighthearted romp through an urban playground, something perfectly visualized with the dancing skyline images during the closing credits. It suffers during the weepy, overly emotional bits, but those may be unavoidable due to genre conventions. Detached science fiction this isn't. In contrast to the sad and visceral beauty of the misfit family on Cowboy Bebop, Tokyo Godfathers presents a similar family of misfits who go on a much more warm and sentimental journey.
New York Times - A.O. Scott
For all its echoes of Frank Capra and Charlie Chaplin (as well as Ford), the movie is also a love letter to modern Tokyo, whose alleyways and skyscrapers are drafted with flawless precision and tinted with tenderness and warmth.
Los Angeles Times
As with the greatest animated films, the triumph of Kon's work lies not just in its beauty and singularly sophisticated storytelling but in how that beauty and storytelling combine to give the films a sting so human you can forget you're watching a cartoon. Manohla Dargis

As with the greatest animated films, the triumph of Kon's work lies not just in its beauty and singularly sophisticated storytelling but in how that beauty and storytelling combine to give the films a sting so human you can forget you're watching a cartoon. Manohla Dargis
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/13/2004
  • UPC: 043396028142
  • Original Release: 2003

    • Rating:

  • Source: Sony Pictures
  • Region Code: 1
  • Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital
  • Language: Japanese
  • Time: 1:32:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 30,829

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Toru Emori Voice Only
Yoshiaki Umegaki Voice Only
Aya Okamoto Voice Only
Masato Harada Youto Kazama
Jun Horikawa Toshitaka Shimizu
Kazuaki Ito Voice Only
Atsuko Ito Akiko Takeguchi
Shozo Izuka Voice Only
Seizo Kato Voice Only
Mamiko Noto Voice Only
Mitsuhiro Ogata Voice Only
Chiyako Shibahara Voice Only
Kyoko Terase Voice Only
Yuusaku Yara Voice Only
Atsuko Yuya Nobuyuki Furuta
Technical Credits
Satoshi Kon Director, Screenwriter
Nobutaka Ike Art Director
Shinichi Kobayashi Executive Producer
Taro Maki Executive Producer
Masao Maruyama Producer
Masafumi Mima Sound/Sound Designer
Keiko Nobumoto Screenwriter
Takeshi Seyama Editor
Katsutoshi Sugai Cinematographer
Masao Takiyama Executive Producer
Satoki Toyoda Co-producer
Keiichi Zuzuki Score Composer
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Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Start [8:35]
2. Guardians for a Night [3:28]
3. Gin's Past [2:05]
4. Second Thoughts [2:35]
5. The Key [:43]
6. Something Smells [3:20]
7. The Cemetery [2:18]
8. Blocking a Public Thoroughfare [2:23]
9. His Daughter's Wedding [1:14]
10. "Her Name's Sachiko." [:59]
11. Kidnapped [2:02]
12. "We're Not Action-Movie Heroes." [3:43]
13. Last Request [1:57]
14. The Nursing Station [:56]
15. New Year's Cleanup [1:31]
16. Miyuki's Past [2:56]
17. Lost Children Found [4:36]
18. Hana's Past [6:31]
19. The Neighbors Remember [2:50]
20. A Child Never Forgets Its Parents [5:40]
21. Gin's Daughter [5:04]
22. The Weeping Red Devil [2:24]
23. Sachiko [2:38]
24. Sachiko's Husband [5:26]
25. In Pursuit of Stolen Goods [5:55]
26. "I Want to Be Reborn." [2:28]
27. Hana Saves the Baby [:56]
28. The Final Miracle [6:19]
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Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Subtitles
      English
      French/Français
      Spanish/Español
      Portuguese/Português
      Subtitles Off
   Scene Selections
   Special Features
      Making Of
      Previews
         Tokyo Godfathers
         Astro Boy
         Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
         Cyborg 009
         Memories
         Metropolis
         Returner
         Steamboy
   Previews
      Tokyo Godfathers
      Astro Boy
      Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
      Cyborg 009
      Memories
      Metropolis
      Returner
      Steamboy
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 8 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Awesome animation, Great storyline!

    Very few animations can be approved by both adults and teenagers. 'Tokyo Godfathers' is one of the animations that has both great story and action. Great details in scenery really is one of the things you cannot easily find elsewhere. A story of how three homeless people trying to find the baby's real parents and how they get to interact with the society really is an interesting subject to see.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great movie! I enjoyed it very much!

    Before I saw it, I read in one of the customers' reviews that while watching this animation people tend to believe the characters being under impression that this is a live movie with real actors. I watched it today - it is totally true! I could see realistic emotions of drawn characters, which I never experienced watching animation. And I loved the story. Don't believe to trailer; what you saw there is not what you will find in the movie... the story develops in a very dynamic way with absolutely unexpected result! That was really entertaining, and thanks to other customers for not disclosing the plot in their reviews! Intrigued? Watch it! By the way, please keep your children out of this DVD, as there is some violence, a few explicit talks, and lots of serious social problems, which you would never be able to explain to them....

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    " Tokyo Godfathers" - A GREAT STORY!!!

    My Mother and I have watched this movie twice! We love it! It has a great storyline and animation. She is Japanese, so I try to find Japanese films that have English subtitles (even though she understands English very well).

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    The best Christmas movie you've never seen

    I caught this movie on Sundance two years ago, and it is now a holiday favorite around my house. I can't remember the last time I saw an anime that was, not only, well executed; but also riveting. I recommend it for any anime lover who has the holiday blues.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    great movie

    this is a great movie. Highly recommended..

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 9, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 3, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 26, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews