Memories (1995) User Reviews

The surreal masterpiece of anime

[nicolopolo77 · 8/10 · 28 December 2004]

Memories conveys three of the best anime segments ever done, even if so many anime fans don't know about it. The first time I saw Memories in a film festival in 1998 left me with such an impression that I never forgot about it. Now that finally I own the DVD, I can say that it's the same as I remembered: magnificent.

The "Magnetic Rose" segment feels at times like an homage to Kubrick's "2001 : Space Odissey", and now I could say it's a straight antecedent of the sci-fi tendency about the human mind in a simulated space which we have seen in "Dark City", "Matrix", etc. How a simulation program triggers the memories of the explorers and gets mixed with synthetic memories is done in a very intriguing form. The opera music plays a most important role, since it's the soundtrack what gives depth to the happenings here told.

"Stink Bomb" is funny as hell, taking the typical idiot hero in the Nintendo kind of plot (thhink Koji in Mazzinger, or Seya in Knigths of the Zodiac) as for what he should be (an idiot, every day man with the flu) , the story revolves around on the accidental creation of a human stinking bomb who treat hens the whole island of Japan. Real funny in a way most kid's animes aren't.

Finally, "Cannon Fodder" is the segment which I feel is the true masterpiece in this little anthology. A metaphorical world where a country is in a war against an unknown (and probably inexistent) enemy, and how the cannons are not only weapons, but the complete essence of the cultural, economical and social layers of this surreal "totalitarian" country. Some reminiscence of Orwell's 1984 is present, but the execution is really like anything I have ever seen or read before. It's a one shot segment, so I can hardly imagine the size of some background panels and the animation logistics of this. The music accentuates this strange feeling (very much like in Aeon Flux), and the unusual rendering style makes this a little strange jewel, not only from anime, but from all styles of animation.

As I said before, most movie and anime fans don't seem to know, or don't have any memories about this surreal collection of animated storied. I'm glad I'll never forget them.

Before Watching: Memories (1995)

[josephrygaard · 7/10 · 20 June 2019]

"Memories" (1995) is a pretty good movie, and if you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:

Memories is a three-episode anime including three separate stories: "Magnetic Rose", "Stink Bomb" and "Cannon Fodder". There is no cohesion between the stories, so don't spend time looking for similar plot elements. There are none.

The first episode, Magnetic Rose, is a sci-fi anime that occasionally borderlines horror, similar to "Alien" but in a more psychological way. This part is rich with great visuals and superb sound, so get close to the screen and turn all the lights out. If possible, use a pair of headphones to get really submersed.

Stink Bomb is a light, bioterrorism comedy. It provides a few shocking frames in the first third of the movie which can be a bit intense, but it lightens up afterwards and provides a hilarious ride which shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Cannon Fodder is the more artistic and rawer episode out of the three. Pay attention to the smooth flows between the sceneries and get ready for some 1984-like vistas and philosophies.

My personal grade: a solid 7/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.

3 imaginative short stories

[niceguy68 · 7/10 · 16 August 2004]

These 3 short cartoons are are aimed at adult thoughts. I'm not sure why this is PG-13: I think it's also appropriate for older kids that can handle more than Disney cartoons, and provide some food for thought. People do die however in 2 of the cartoons, and the topics treatment is aimed for critical judgment.

The 3 stories are shorts with a simple original idea. In this approach they are similar to short anticipation novels. The length of the stories is appropriate to the idea exposed and its treatment.

Magnetic Rose: dwelling on lost times is unhealthy Stink Bomb: biological warfare can backfire Cannon Fodder: brainwashing done by the government

Another example of what US animation just can't do...

[milkshakeboom · 9/10 · 22 August 2004]

It's an anthology. It's three stories of 45 minutes, 40 minutes and 15 minutes that have nothing at all to do with one another. In fact, the film's title only refers to the first story. This film is one part science-fiction thriller, one part bioterrorism comedy (THERE'S a category I've never put a film in!) and one part single-shot (99% of it, anyway) borderline-documentary.

Disney couldn't make a film this engrossing if the fate of mankind depended on it.

Those who have what I call the "It's an Anime" stigma should shake it off for "Memories". Rent this. Buy this. See this!

Classic anime

[MrVibrating · 9/10 · 6 January 2008]

After seeing Akira it's natural to be curious of what Otomo's produced. This collection of short movies(all more than 20 minutes though) is a fun, action-packed and imaginative reminder why anime is among the best genres, and NOT restricted to kids(or in the case of these shorts, not really for kids at all).

The last short of the three is called Cannon Fodder. It features a very cool style unlike normal anime, some neat "camera" tricks and illusions of 3D, and a heavy but playful mood. It's quirky and good but not great.

The second short is called Stink Bomb, which is a crazy, fast-paced disaster/action story with a healthy dose of black humour. It's very well made, with insanely detailed tanks, helis, airplanes etc, and lots of explosions. The whole thing is funny and bizarre, and easily a classic.

The first of the three shorts, which in my opinion should have been saved to last, is Magnetic Rose. Here the humour of the two others is gone, and we have a very gripping and serious story set in a sci-fi environment. This is more like Otomo's Akira stuff; epic but with great characters. Some scenes are gut-wrenchingly emotional and disturbing. All set to a classic opera score, it is chilling and eerie and grand-scale in a way Hollywood never seems to get right.

If you like to watch the occasional anime, this is a very good choice. Don't know how easy it is to get a hold of, but it seems to be very popular at least in Japan.

Beautiful

[frankiethefly · 16 September 2004]

This was an amazingly beautiful film, filled with great music that only pushed each scene along wonderfully. I thought this was a great piece of film. I have had the pleasure of showing this to friends that have always looked down on what anime is, and walk away stunned. Some might find these stories slow, but I think if you have any real appreciation of anime, you will find this to be an interesting piece of work. It consists of three stores. Koji Morimoto's "Magnetic Rose", Tensai Okamura's "Stink Bomb", and Katsuhiro Otomo's "Cannon Fodder". I would say that Magnetic rose was perhaps the deepest of these three stores. Offering a beautiful mix of classical music, with a futuristic settings to offer a sense of contrast. Stink Bomb being the more lighthearted of the three. While still maintaining a grim reality, and almost eerie sense of setting, using a more modern day look, and music. Then Cannon Fodder, right from an Orwell idealized future, with the loud sounds, and marches. These movies all offer up something different, and wonderful, while still working there way along a nice line of thought.

An odd anthology film

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 6 January 2024]

An anthology movie split into three distinct pieces, so I thought it better to review them all separately.

Memories (1/3): Magnetic Rose - 7/10

Part 1 of the anthology movie that is Memories starts with what most people consider to be the best of the three: Magnetic Rose. Broadly speaking, it sees the crew of a ship in deep space investigating a distress signal, and then coming across some unexpected things.

It introduces its premise confidently, a little slowly, but overall surely, and it builds mystery well as things go along. As a piece of sci-fi, it's moderately intriguing, but I think it's all boosted immensely by the visuals on offer. What's happening doesn't seem too important, sometimes, when the animation is this striking.

Memories (2/3): Stink Bomb - 6.5/10

Stink Bomb is perhaps the best Japanese film about bureaucratic boobery that isn't Shin Godzilla. It's a good deal sillier than the first short film in the Memories anthology, but it's still fairly entertaining, following a ridiculous young man who accidentally turns himself into a bioweapon.

It does feel like a bit of a goofy kaiju movie parody, and even if that's the only real joke the short has, at least it's a funny joke, and at least it's only a short film, rather than them trying to stretch something like this to feature-length. I had fun, but it probably won't stick with me.

Memories (3/3) - Cannon Fodder - 6.5/10

The most visually unusual of the three, Cannon Fodder also stands out because it runs for 20-something minutes, while the other two shorts are both approximately 40-45 minutes each. As much as I can gather, it's about the meaningless of war, all done with a futuristic slant that bleakly suggests the human race will never change, and firing increasingly advanced cannons will always just be a thing.

It feels satirical, but not in a truly funny way. It's kind of feel-bad and has a vibe that feels off, but that feels intentional, and I think it makes for an offbeat and sort of fitting end to the overall anthology movie that is Memories.

Amazing anime trilogy

[LARSONRD · 9/10 · 4 July 2005]

Amazing anime trilogy from AKIRA's Katsuhiro Otomo, who presents three unrelated sci fi stories directed by different directors (he did the last one, writers/first-time directors Tensai Okamura and Koji Morimoto did the other two). They are amazing vignettes with some stupendous animation in three different styles. Otomo's is especially unique in that there are no cuts – the "camera" moves fluidly through every scene without a jump or a stop. Morimoto's 40-min "Magnetic Rose" is stunningly animated, the most amazing of the two, telling of a space ship's investigation of a distress signal discovering a magnificent world created by a woman's memories – the music takes advantage of the operatic aria, Madame Butterfly, arranged by Yoko Kanno, who also supplies an excellent original score. "Stink Bomb," the middle segment, is clever and funny and fast-paced; Otomo's anti-war statement in "Cannon Fodder" closes out the film with a subtle bit of thought-provocation about a city whose entire purpose is the firing of cannons at an unknown enemy.

Sci-Fi compilation

[parkerbcn · 7/10 · 12 May 2021]

This is a compilation of three different Sci-Fi stories with the figure of Katsuhiro Ôtomo as the main link (he produces the film, writes two of the stories and directs one); even when the first story (and probably the best) is distinctly written by Satoshi Kon and has all his style. Funnily enough, the short that convinced me less was the last one, written and directed by Ôtomo, while the middle one is less pretentious, but at the same time the most fun of the three.

A Masterpiece!

[reflux-2 · 10/10 · 18 September 1999]

It's a masterpiece.

On 23 December 1995, Otomo Katsuhiro, the creator of Akira, released Memories to Japan's general viewing public. A collection of three stories, this movie brings not only variety, but enjoyment to each. "Magnetic Rose" is the first and longest of the three, followed by "Stink Bomb" and "Cannon Fodder".

The animation of each episode differs, depending on how one views it. While all three episodes are very well done, the style of "Cannon Fodder" is vastly different from "Magnetic Rose" and "Stink Bomb". "Cannon Fodder" uses more computer effects than the other two, integrating them into the perspective of the scenes (like the Sharon Apple concert in Macross Plus), rather than just using them for a computer display. All three episodes are very fluid, never once skipping a few cels per second for the sake of the budget.

Magnetic Rose: "Magnetic Rose" is set in space in the year 2092. Four men -- Heintz, Miguel, Ivanov, and Aoshima -- pilot the mighty spacecraft Corona to new heights in interstellar garbage collecting. Actually, they are one of many ships that collect garbage left over from the expansion of humankind into space. When the crew of the Corona run across a distress call, they discover a huge scrapyard of debris floating about a huge, central piece. Heintz and Miguel go to investigate, discovering living area set aside for an early twenty-first century opera diva who went into space after the death of her husband, Carlo. While there, the pair encounter strangely real and seductive illusions which make one wonder what exactly is going on.

"Magnetic Rose" - the first part of Memories, an artistic masterpiece by Katsuhiro Otomo - is one of the best animes we've ever seen. Despite its length, it's only about 50 minutes, its depth and content is amazing. A fantastic story, excellent graphix and some scary touch. We really love "Magnetic Rose's" message, and the ending is tough. You've gotta see it. 6 out of 5 stars. Hehe.

Good little film

[Cosmoeticadotcom · 7/10 · 14 September 2008]

I had long suspected that the American geeky infatuation with Japanese animation (aka Japanimation or anime) stemmed from the same impulses that veered Western Intellectuals into the Eastern Mystical religions. To me, anime was merely the new name for the poorly animated cartoons that proliferated in this country back in the 1960s wave of cartoons that began with such fare as Gigantor the Space Age Robot, Kimba the White Lion, & Speed Racer. By the 80s & 90s the filmic equivalents had spawned such 'classics' like Akira, & Princess Mononoke. I was wrong…. it is heartening to see a film of such daring, even when it fails, getting made & released in Japan, as well frustrating to note that no American animators would dare pick up the gauntlet this film drops- opting instead for numbingly simpleminded Disney fare, which is far more like the watered down Mysticism I expected from this anime film. Instances like this are those times I love being proved wrong. In fact, I only hope my artistic presumptions are more routinely proved wrong. I strongly recommend this DVD to both hardcore anime buffs & mere filmic afficionados. I doubt you will be disappointed.

A good anthology of Anime shorts, different in their own way (MILD SPOILERS)

[AnotherFuture · 10/10 · 18 March 2005]

I rented this movie one day and this anthology was very good. All of the shorts are based on manga by Katsuhiro Otomo and Otomo directs one short and the two others are directed by different people. Here are summaries of the shorts. If you want to see for yourself, you should not read these summaries: Magnetic Rose- This is the most thought-provoking short. Directed by Koji Morimoto (Animatrix), this short is about astronauts, answering a mysterious SOS signal, landing on an asteroid. The asteroid is actually an amalgamation of holograms, based on the memories of a mysterious opera singer named Eva Friedel, whose life went to turmoil after she lost her voice. Chaos ensues.

Stink Bomb- This is the funny short, although the subject matter is not funny. It is directed by Tensai Okamura (Wolf's Rain, Neon Genesis Evangelion). A stupid scientist has a bad fever and a friend suggests to sneak to his boss's office to take a prototype medicine that could cure him (the friend says that it's a blue pill in a red capsule). Instead of taking the "blue pill in the red capsule", our idiot hero takes the "red pill in the blue capsule", and as a result, he not only is cured of his fever, but he also becomes a walking, talking bio-weapon that kills millions of people and wreaks havoc in Japan. Chaos also ensues, and the ending is funny.

Cannon Fodder- This is the satire short. It is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (the writer of the stories in the movie and the director of Akira and Steamboy). It is about a day in the life of a family that lives in an eerie country where cannons are fired at an unknown enemy. A little boy goes to a school where the teacher subliminally shoves war and glory into examples of work (physics of firing a cannon, cannons in math problems, etc.) The boy's mother works in a factory where they make the cannon shells. The boy's father helps load the shell into a cannon. As everybody else does hard work (fueled by jingoism such as "There Is No Conquest Without Labor"), some fat ugly person people call a ruler just walks to the cannon in pretentious uniform and fires the cannon. He just pushes a damn button, and he just walks there in a blaze of glory, pushing a button. He may fire at the enemy, but the workers did a more gutsy job than the ruler. Obviously, this is meant to be satire, as you'll find out in the ending. Usually, people might say this is the worst of the shorts, but if you go beyond the surface, you'll discover the message: War is not only bad, but it is a stupid/simple way for people to keep their minds off of reality by relying on imaginations of the enemy when they do not know who the enemy is, and those that question that might wind up dead.

I love these shorts, but the only problem (though small) is that all of these shorts are from the imagination of one person. Sure different people directed, but they were all manga by one person. I'd like to see completely different people writing stories when it comes to anthologies. It is a small problem and I don't care. Nevertheless, these shorts are great and they are different ("Rose" is thought-provoking, "Stink Bomb" is darkly comic, and "Cannon" makes fun of reality). ' I give this anthology of anime a 10/10

An animation who give goosebumps

[AvionPrince16 · 7/10 · 4 October 2022]

What an animation movie with some pleasant visuals mostly for the first episode. The mix between fiction and reality was awesome and wonderful like we lived the fiction and the horror trough the characters. A very emotional first episode with some nice story behind the Opera Singer. The second episode was more into politics and how to deal about crisis and maybe a message behind it: we saw that the americans do some kind of conspiracy and have secrets (weapon, medicine.) I also love the twist at the end: the young man who is in fact who bring the virus is in fact in the suit and not dead as we see before and that was pretty surprising and work very well . And we have also the third episode who i need to admit that i didnt understand: is it a message about wars and the way that propaganda work with that little kid and how war affect him and his families. I was pretty surprised of the movie: like i said the animations was very nice and the mood of some episodes really was wonderful and work very well. I recommend to people to watch it. Even if the last two episodes was less convincing for me: the first episode was really good about the story and the ambience ( horror trough the fiction) and the animation give something pretty original.

My reviews for the three films that are included in this one

[Horst_In_Translation · 5/10 · 30 January 2018]

Kanojo no omoide 4/10 - Some great music, the rest is only okay

"Kanojo no omoide" is a Japanese science fiction animated movie from 20 years ago. A couple astronauts hear strange singing from a place they considered deserted. So they go on a journey to find out who or what is the reason for this strange occurrence. The director here is Kôji Morimoto, who is probably a name to animation fans these days as he also worked on a segment of the Animatrix movie. However, I must say that even if I liked the animation in here, I cannot say that i found the story too interesting. The whole tragedy plot in terms of love, fatherhood etc. was a bit over the top the longer the film went and it was also some weird contrast to the horror elements in here. All in all, I can recommend this film only for the beautiful music used in several parts. I think it would not have been the worst decision to keep this at 30 minutes max instead of 45. Not recommended.



Taiho no Machi 4/10 - Never tries to make a statement on (anti-)war, but the storytelling perspective is fairly mediocre

"Taiho no Machi" or "Cannon Fodder" is a Japanese animated short film from 1995, so this one is also already over 20 years old. At slightly over 20 minutes, it is the shortest by far from the trilogy of films included on Memorîzu and Katsuhiro Ôtomo is not just the writer as usual this time, but also the director. At the beginning and end, the focus is on a boy and his family and how they deal with life in a place that is vastly influenced by the military. In-between there are tons of war action and army references and we even see a character on one occasion who through his beard may have a bit too much resemblance with Adolf Hitler. Anyway, it's not a Nazi film or anything, but it is much more about the mystery who they are fighting and why, which is an idea I like. Still the exact execution here did not seem too memorable to me and the animation style wasn't really to m,y liking either I must admit, but that's just personal preference and not really because it looks older than mid-1990s. The exact plot and attention to detail, especially about the story rather than the animation could have been a bit better too and as a consequence I found most characters really forgettable, even the key players. About the voice acting I cannot say too much as I focused on the English subtitles, but I guess it wasn't too bad. Still all in all, this is not my favorite from the Ôtomo trilogy. But it's also definitely not bad enough to be a negative deal-breaker that may keep you from watching the entire thing. Nonetheless I give it a thumbs-down as a whole, this one here at least. Not recommended.



Saishu Heiki 6/10 - What a difference the wrong medication makes

"Saishu Heiki" or "Stink Bomb" is a Japanese anime short film from 1995 that runs for 40 minutes and was written by Katsuhiro Ôtomo and directed by Tensai Okamura, both pretty prolific in their fields. This film is easily over 20 years old already now and the story is about a young man who takes the wrong pills and eventually ends up as an environmental and military catastrophe. It is an extremely bizarre story indeed, but somehow it is actually working. Maybe my preference for this one is that I also liked the animation style here and that most of the characters were interesting enough by just being there and without really in-depth exploration and background elaboration. The twists and how a seemingly harmless story initially becomes more and more dramatic by the minute were both well-handled. You actually get curious about what happens next, to the protagonist and in general. This is not typical anime style, but still successful from my perspective. The voice actors did an okay job as well as much as I can be a judge of that as my focus was mostly on the subtitles which yours should be too unless you actually are fluent in Japanese. I am generally not that big actually on anime that isn't particularly recent, but this felt like a well-rounded effort that never drags and succeeds from all production value perspectives. A little film that is as bizarre as it is entertaining. Go see it.

An Amazing Vision

[buffychik · 10/10 · 18 September 2006]

Katsuhiro Otomo's "Memories" combines the vision of Otomo's usual "God's revenge for the human race believing too much in science" with two first-time, although far from inexperienced directors. The first of the three films, "Magnetic Rose" is by far the least Otomo-esquire of the three pieces, although based on one of his short mangas. The film centering mainly on the sci-fi side of anime. Space freighters respond to a distress call in a bad sector of space, and become lost in the haunting memories of an intergalactic opera singer. The second piece, "Stink Bomb" shows, if possible, a humorous side to biological warfare, as an unsuspecting pharmaceutical tech accidentally ingests a biological weapon and becomes a walking disaster. The final film, actually directed by Otomo, called "Cannon Fodder" was by far my favorite, and the most disturbing of the three films. The basic story centers around a family living in a town whose citizens devote their entire lives to bombing an unseen enemy in the sky. This story is very politically motivated, very dark, and not at all a "happy little story". The animation is unlike anything I've ever seen from Otomo, and full of sweeping single-cut shots that give you chills. Overall, I highly recommend this movie collection for any anime fan. It most definitely incorporates the vision of three brilliant directors.

3 Tantalising Stories

[emaan · 10/10 · 30 August 1999]

Part 1: Magnetic Rose Unsuspecting space freighter crew responds to a mysterious SOS signal and gets ensnared by the bizzare past of a galactic opera star. Has touches of Kubrick's 2001 in the "museum"-like settings.

Part 2: Stink Bomb Most accessable segment of the lot. Hapless biolab assistant Nobuo's desperate search for a cold cure has dire and comedic consequences for his collegues, Japan and eventually the US top brass.

Part 3: Cannon Fodder Most surreal of the 3. Citizens of an unnamed country go about their daily lives serving the countless number of cannons protruding out of every roof-top and window. Question is... who is the enemy? Excellent art direction and innovative use of perspective CG.

Not as impressive as I'd hoped *some spoilers*

[Druff · 27 February 2002]

The first segment of this "trilogy," Magnetic Rose, is my favorite of the three. However, it's extremely derivative of the early 70s sci-fi film Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. In the story of Solaris, a space station near a newly discovered planet falls prey to the bizarre nature of the "sentient ocean" on the planet surface. Somehow, this ocean is able to sense the memories of any human in the vicinity, and manifest those memories physically in white foam which hardens into a recognizable form. Dead loved ones return, etc. When you see the first segment of Memories, it should be quite clear that Otomo must have been very heavily inspired by Solaris when he created the original manga as well as this animated version.

The second segment, Stink Bomb, is an amusing black comedy piece. Perhaps pointless, but I don't mind that. Not everything needs to shove a message into your face.

The third segment, Cannon Fodder initially knocked my socks off with its unusual style, I was sure they were saving the best for last... but it quickly petered out and didn't really go anywhere. Typical of animated shorts of course, but for some reason I was expecting more from it. A small side note, I wondered if perhaps Cannon Fodder had influenced the makers of Final Fantasy VII, since that game features a city which is built around a gigantic cannon. It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw several visual similarities between the anime segment and the RPG. It wouldn't surprise me too much, since there are many blatant similarities between FFVII and another of Otomo's works, the classic and extremely well known Akira.

I can't say I didn't enjoy this movie. If only I'd kept my expectations lower.

File in Corners of My Mind

[robinski34 · 7/10 · 7 June 2014]

Enjoyable but somewhat dated animation from three of anime's leading early exponents. Magnetic Rose is an effective 'Bermuda Triangle' tale; and Stink Bomb neatly covers environmental disaster with a slightly comic tone, but Canon Fodder is the piece that, for me, looks and feels like something different. There are strong notes of Gilliam-esque styling and it left me feeling quite happy to watch another half hour exploring the grim, dystopian lives of the central characters - it feels like the first chapter, or perhaps prologue, of a feature length story of one cog battling against the authoritarian machine. Entertaining stuff for anime fans.

Otomo's Best

[chuuzetsu · 10/10 · 14 December 1999]

I first saw Memories in 1997 when I recieved a fansub copy. I had just gotten into Anime at the time. The film is divided into three segments, Magnetic Rose/Stink Bomb/Cannon Fodder. The most impressive segment is Cannon Fodder, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, to my knowledge its the first animated feature done in One-Shot (Meaning it never cuts, the camera just keeps moving around from scene to scene). Anyways, all the segments are based off of old manga shorts written by Otomo. Its an amazing film, with awesome music, storytelling, and animation. Highly recomended.

Beautifully made .

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 1 March 2007]

THis was one of the best animated movies that I've seen in along time . I'm not a big fan of anime ,but I appreciate originality and "Memories " isn't like the Japanese animation that you see on television .

Katsuhiro Otomo , the director of "Akira " directs with other two animators this collection of shorts .

The first "Magnetic Rose " Takes place in the future , it's my favorite .The animation it's splendid ,full of details and a subtle use of CGI .The opera music was very effective to support the dramatic story .

The second "Stink Bomb " ,takes place in the modern Japan ,and works very well like a dark comedy . The animation it's very good ,just like the first .

The third ,"Cannon Fodder " it's the most original ( and the most strange ) first of all ,the animation doesn't look like it were anime ,but it had a stylish and interesting appearance .The story follows the every day life of a family that lives in a society were every activity it's connected with the war . This movie it's a must see for every fan of animation .Even if you don't like anime ,I'm sure that you will find interesting material on this movie ,and proofs that animation could be art .

My 34th birthday viewing.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 9/10 · 9 February 2021]

For the movie to watch on my 34th birthday,I decided to choose one of the movies that has been waiting years (!) to be played. In the mood for a Anime, I got set for a memorable viewing.

View on the film:

The lone story not written by Katsuhiro Otomo, the screenplay by Satoshi Kon for the opening tale, brilliantly continues to build on the recurring themes across Kon's works,in a compact form. Landing on a space ship whose distress call has been frozen in time, Kon welcomes the investigating crew with a eerie Horror atmosphere sprung from an increased blurring of dreams and reality (a major Kon theme) spun from Eva Friedel's memories haunting the ship.

Writing the other two stories in this Sci-FI anthology, the scripts by Katsuhiro Otomo (who also directed the third segment) wonderfully link them together via dark satire and allegorical menace, with Otomo being inspired by the real Gloria Ramirez incident, in having Tanaka spread his deadly stench completely unaware, whilst Cannon Fodder charges up the existentialism of a meaningless/never ending war.

Drawn from three different pairs of hands, the animation is linked to each tale with a incredible, hand drawn-animation clarity, from the detailed drawing of Eva's memories and the gas following Tanaka on every step he makes, to the smoke from the cannons of Cannon Fodder clouding the memories.

Forgettable

[danrogy · 5/10 · 12 April 2004]

Unless you are an anime JUNKIE, stay away from this one. Three beautifully animated stories. Too bad the stories themselves are boring enough to put you asleep. Like most anime, they all start with promise, drawing you in with beautiful visuals and a story that might just reveal something interesting. Instead, you're left with a bit of annoyance that so much emphasis was placed on the art and so little on creating a worthwile tale.

Must See, very engaging

[lancer0410 · 10/10 · 12 November 2004]

While watching Memories I went to check IMDb.com for some further background information on the short's directors. This film is unique in that it is really three smaller movies blended together to create one of theatre length. I expected them to all be intertwined, and in a way they are, only in substance if not in plot or characters as I had imagined.

Anyway, all I can see is this film is a great watch in that it engages the viewer and forces him/her to think, the plots engage you in such a way that makes the overall experience rewarding to say the least.

I am only commenting due to the fact that the current user reviewer rates it as forgettable. Although I respect that he is entitled to his own opinion, I do not believe that a review entitled "forgettable" should receive top billing for an 8.1 rated movie on IMDb; and yes it is really that good. Your current commenter thinks scripts such as Donnie Darko are "contrived" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/usercomments-1089) and that Halloween: Resurrection is a great piece of cinematography, along with Drumline (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303933/, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220506/usercomments-467). He himself states Drumline is so good because it contains "no surprises." To me a surprise or plot twist is the trademark of good cinema, and any director and/or producer worth his salt would agree. I apologize for picking on fellow reviewer Dan from somewhere in East LA, but really, please give such fine works as Memories the reviews they deserve, at least in terms of the top billed review which appears on the main page of each movie. Thank you.

Memories is a Badass Sci-Fi Anthology you Should Watch.

[rfolks-46580 · 9/10 · 1 January 2021]

Memories reminds me of what you picture in your mind when you read good science fiction short stories in a magazine from the 60s or 70s brought to life in beautiful animation.

The animation on each short film is a 10/10. Each of the three stories has a different style, with the third being the most distinct. There was obviously a lot of care that went into each frame and it show. The music is a 9/10, its fully orchestrated, has great range, and sounds amazing. The plots of the short films aren't quite as good as the animation and music quality. I would give the plots of each short film a 8/10, 7/10, and 6/10 respectively. The first short film has an amazing plot from start to end. The second story is interesting, but drags on for a little too long. The third story has the opposite problem, it builds up a very cool setting, but doesn't quite go into enough explanation.

Its hard to see how anyone who likes sci-fi wouldn't rate this at least an 8/10, and personally its a 9/10. Even if you just like anime and aren't into sci-fi as much, this is still a solid watch.

Memorable

[spamspaz-1 · 10/10 · 11 July 2006]

I am a guy that rents Anime from my local video store and not much makes it through even though I live in a part of the Greater Torono Area that has a large Asian population. I find that the stuff that I find is either really good or really bad, and this film is some of the best I have seen. Each story has emotion, power, and overall, the power to be remembered years later. I think I saw this two or three years ago and I can still vividly remember the imagery and stories. My personal favourite story was Magnetic Rose because of its look into paranoia and the mind. I think it was also a wise choice to put Stink Bomb in the middle because it is the humorous one. And artistically, Cannon Fodder takes the cake. A great find for artistic types and anime-lovers alike. See this movie now!