Sarita Rafferty
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
The_Film_Cricket
You know, I have seen thousands of movies in my life and a quarter of those films were animated. This has GOT to be the only time in my life that I have ever seen (or am likely to ever see) a movie about an asinine solution to the problem of health care for the aged.The story: The Health Department decided that there are just too many old people in the world and not enough people who want to take care of them. So the solution comes in the form of a ridiculous contraption called the Z-001. Now get this: This is a robotic sickbed run by a sixth generation computer that an elderly invalid will be strapped into. The Z-001 will feed them, give them medicine take care of their basic functions, give them a bath and be their doctor. There is even a television on board.The only person who seems to hate the Z-001 is the former nurse of the poor sod currently strapped into the prototype. She tries to help him escape but a complication arises. The computer has gone haywire and has taken of the personality of the old man's late wife. That's where the story REALLY gets interesting.I would have had trouble imagining this story in any kind of movie live or animated. This is one of those wacky animated movies that come out of Japan and get lost on the video shelves here in the states. I have never seen anything like 'Roujin-Z'. No American animator would dare tackle a satire with this much bite, it is just too politically incorrect. I simply could not believe the level of mad genius and courage that went into making a movie like this.It isn't perfect, the animation doesn't hold up to other anime features like 'Ghost in the Shell' or 'Grave of the Fireflies'. This one is sort of low rent. You have never seen a movie like 'Roujin-Z and are never likely to again.
Donald F
Can mankind advance without losing their humanity? Conservatives throughout history have fought our gradual change, but ultimately lost, only tarnishing their legacy. Yet even rational, progressive individuals worry about our increasingly wired world, where face-to-face conversation is replaced by text on electronic screens. Thus, Roujin Z's premise is more relevant than ever, over two decades after its release - should technology replace human interaction? In this near future, Japan is not in mid-Apocalypse, but is a modernized metropolis. People may live longer and enjoy more comforts, but old customs are struggling to survive. The frail, demented eldery aren't always treated with reverence, but as burdens, families ignoring traditional roles by hiring nursing homes or caretakers to provide their needs. With new technology from a mysterious source, the Ministry of Public Welfare reveals the ultimate caretaker for any fading senior citizen: the Z-001, a mechanical bed that functions as a perfect life support system and entertainment center. When one of her patients is forced into the machine through his family's permission, Haruko attempts to free him, objecting to, in her mind, a cold practice.Little do they know that the Z-001 is more than an advanced medical suite...The social satire in the film is well-done - slightly outrageous, but not unbelievable. Both sides are portrayed, yet neither are vilified. The film is much more mature than most of the crude, violent sci-fi anime of the 80s/90s. But that's just the starting point for an adventure involving a renegade machine, spiraling out of control as it incorporates whatever touches its wires! A good portion sets up the plot, character, and tone, but at the end of the day, the ridiculous action is the headliner of the movie.Which isn't to say Roujin Z is a mediocre film. In fact, it mixes many elements to its benefit. Its enjoyable, but not empty of character nor theme. Characters may have comedic reactions to events, but its never out of place, nor overused. The machine's chaotic wake may be impressive, but its serves more purpose than action alone. Its a balanced movie, that doesn't rely on tired, lowest-common-denominator tropes. I suppose there's minor complaints. Hanako's college friends aren't particularly useful or interesting. The animation is alright, but only that. The main focus is loosened up once the action begins, but it never drops out from the film entirely. Besides, I was enjoying myself regardless.Roujin Z is a very solid, unfortunately forgotten anime. Its probably too balanced to make your best-of list, but I don't see much to dislike about it. Its perfectly paced, entertaining, a little emotional, and may even make you reflect on life. I'd recommend it to most people, and say its a high pick for sci-fi/retro anime fans.
crash-14
Roujien Z starts out being a wonderfully vicious satire of society's treatment of the aged. We see a young nurse taking care of an almost vegetative geriatric, one of the many old and infirm that would be in a nursing home in the USA. He is then selected to be the guinea-pig for a new, completely automated caretaking robot, a sly jab at the dehumanizing sterility of geriatric care. The story maintains its high energy and grinning cynicism until the robot goes insane and decides it is the old man's wife; from here it becomes a rather confusing action movie before pulling itself together in time for a poignant ending. Still worth watching, if you can find it.
