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The Sky is Crawling with The Sky Crawlers

The Sky Crawlers

Directed by Mamoru Oshii, this movie is definitely more cerebral than the typical anime that becomes popular here in the US.  I find it hard to review movies after just one watching but I'm going to to my best.

As you can see on the cover art there to the left, Oshii is credited with bringing us Ghost in the Shell. In his works, the viewer is transported to another world like our own but different in a few key ways.  At first glance The Sky Crawlers could be taking place in one of the theaters of World War II.  The opening features a beautifully rendered dogfight between a wing and a solo planes of a nondescript make and model.  As the story progresses, the viewer is treated to unfolding layers of secrecy that both the audience and some of the characters are unaware of.

With the exception of the motherly mechanic, most of the characters are flat and undeveloped.  They have the bare necessities required to get their role in the story across.  If you want a movie with interactions between complex characters you will probably be disappointed.  That's not to say that there isn't character interaction; the relationships between the key figures in the fighter squadron is integral to the story.  The blank expressions on the box art inform us of the mood that Oshii strives to display on the screen.