The Anime Review

Super Atragon: The Movie

There are plenty of movies out there worthy of one's time--some just happen to be more worthy than others. Super Atragon falls near the bottom of the "worthy" category...it's not shabby, but it's not compelling enough to move it to the top of your "to do" list.

Super Atragon starts just as the bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. A Japanese submarine and an American battleship meet, and the Japanese sub commander is determined not to start a fight...but there is no such luck, and battle commences. But neither of the warships is exactly World War II issue, and as they fight it becomes apparent that this is no minor conflict. Two young women, Annette and Avitar, are the center of the conflict and the crews' destiny.

Cut to present day. Strange monoliths have appeared at the North and South Pole, and these seemingly indestructable creations start destroying the ice caps. At the same time, we are introduced to Go, a young naval officer with a lot of background. His grandfather commanded the Japanese sub in the beginning of the movie, and his father was lost at sea on an Antarctic expedition. As he and his girlfriend Ann become involved in the events around the monoliths and discover the secrets of the lost battleship Ra, secrets that will forever change the human race are revealed.

And so it goes. Super Atragon is better than your run-of-the-mill Saturday matinee science fiction movie, but it is never so compelling that it rises to the level of a Star Wars or Star Trek film. Not that it doesn't try, though; there's plenty of melodrama and attempts at character interaction. What we've really got, though, is a plot-driven vehicle for lots of things blowing up. Which is fine, I suppose, and the pace is helped along by a fantastic (if somewhat bombastic) score that is better than the movie it supports. Honestly, there's almost too much plot going on here and not enough importance placed on individual characters--or maybe it's just that the characters aren't all that interesting in and of themselves. There's also some glaring problems. Why don't we ever get to see more of the subterranian race that wants to destroy all of the surface-side humans? Does no one fly the monoliths that the subterranians have created? And what is this mysterious energy source that everyone keeps talking about? These and many other questions are left unanswered. But it's OK, as long as you just sit along for the ride. In many spots, I was reminded of Stargate, and I would place it at the same level of entertainment. Those who want some entertaining action without a braindrain will like it, but those who like anything cerebral should stay away.