I would always see this film on the shelf of the ANIME section of my local BLOCKBUSTER store. When they had their OUT OF BUSINESS sale, I figured buying it at a discount couldn't hurt. It would be a month and a half until I would finally sit and watch it. Please bear with me, this is my first written review. The story follows a young fighter pilot named Yukito who has just transferred to a new base. He is puzzled by feelings of Deja vú and by the fact that nobody will answer him about the pilot he is replacing. One thing viewers should keep I mind is that this isn't the action packs spectacle the cover makes it appear to be. Don't get me wrong, there are some stunning dogfights in this movie, but they are few and far in between. Most of the movie's time is spent following Yukito as he tries to unravel the mystery of his predecessor, of his superior, Kusenagi, and his own past. And honestly, I found it thoroughly engrossing. Almost as much as the battles which got a tad bit confusing because all the planes look similar. The movie goes for a more philosophical approach on the topic of war and peace, poses questions about the choices we make as humans. The movie however did get a tad cliché near the end, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't see a lot of the plot twists coming a mile away. But it still holds interest, builds up suspense, creates a certain atmosphere, and brings new ideas that will have you mulling over for a couple hours after viewing. Just know that this movie takes a slower pace and isn't as much about the fighting as it is the who and why.

Mr Oshii is the kind of director you can't fully dislike; the man has some interesting ideas, he knows how to create mood, yet at the same time he suffers of a severe case of minimalistic obsesivus. Staring at a character staring at the sky for 5 minutes is not deep, is not provoking, is just...boring, and dull.There's little to no plot here, pilots that never grow old seem to be fighting in ambigous conflicts for corporations. They are mercenaries for hire, and we take a peek at their rather dull and not very interesting lifes. Fighting, going back to the hangar, visiting prostitutes and repeat. Character interaction, dialogues and, well, anything that looks like movement, or that could approach an engaging situation, remains as short as possible. What was the movie trying to say? That war is senseless and endless and it makes you feel nothing after a while and...something else? Who knows, and sadly, who cares, because it's impossible to care about this movie, or even remember much of it.

This movie is really quite good, especially the idea behind it all. If you are aware of Animes and Manga comics, then you might expect, the movie to be how it is. But if not, be prepared to get a whole lot of story. It might be too much for some audience members and you might not get everything with the first viewing. Now this either will get you hooked and you will watch the movie again or you will hate the movie and rate it badly.Depending on what you think you can take, it should be up to you to decide if you want to watch it. If you do, you will be confronted with quite some interesting question (not all of which get an answer at all), that might inspire you to think some things over, that you take for granted.

The Sky Crawlers: (Sukai Kurora):7 out of 10: This is an adult anime...In fact this is a very adult anime. No there isn’t copious amounts of fan service or blood. (In fact the film is rated PG-13 primarily for smoking.) Instead Sky Crawlers has a very quiet, reserved pacing. It’s a two hour anime that feels like it clocks in at over three hours. Not boring per se but very deliberately paced with adult conversations, adult music and an overall adult tone that reminds one of Before Sunrise with occasional airborne dogfight to break up the relationship introspection.The plot is both light (I will reveal that here) and quite heavy (I will let the movie itself surprise you with its philosophical underpinnings). On the light side is there is a special group of teenagers who are pilots that never grow old. The movie refers to them as Kildren and much is made of how they are just kids; but if you drive, fly, have sex, drink, and smoke a pack every 10 minutes of screen time your are at best a teen and in reality a young adult.These Kildren fight in retro WW2 style aircraft against each other in an air war with no winners and no other casualties all to apparently satiate the public’s need for conflict. (Think Star Trek’s “A Taste of Armageddon”). There is a new pilot, a wingman and a couple of androgynous love interests with deep secret pasts. There is even a Red Baron character rumored to be an adult and a constant source of tension and conversation in both the dogfights and on the ground.The Animation is simply awe inspiring. The CGI work is better than many a Hollywood blockbuster and the 2 dimensional cell shaded characters fit both the pacing and the mood of the film. The attention to detail is quite amazing overall.Overall the film is recommended for fans of adult drama and serious anime. I do confess I did wish for longer sky battles, more realistic violence and even some fan service. It is ironic that one of the most adult anime I have ever seen suffers from a lack of adult thrills with its PG-13 rating.