Plot: What’s it about?
Tyler (voiced by Michael Ironside) is a space pirate who many might claim belongs on the lower rungs of the grand scheme food chain, but he now has a power that few others will ever know. It seems that Tyler has possession of the key that enable him to access to chamber of immortality, which is bad news for everyone within his prospective path. As if he wasn’t ruthless enough as it was, he now plans to wipe out anything and anyone that crosses him and that includes entire planets if need be. With such a powerful tool to serve his needs, Tyler doesn’t expect he will encounter much trouble and if he does, he is confident he can dispatch it with ease. But when he takes aim on the lush, peaceful planet of Eden, he has no idea how big of a mistake he has made. He leaves the once scenic planet in total chaos and ruins, as well as kidnapping one of the female residents before he checked out. But hot on his trail is F.A.K.K.2 (voiced by Julie Strain) has risen from the ashes and plans to give Tyler a taste of his own medicine, regaining the key and rescuing her sister in the process. But can even she overthrow the vicious Tyler, who still has the power of the key and the chamber?
This is bound to be compared to the original Heavy Metal and as such, I feel I should give my spin on how the two stack up against each other. The original packs a more visual punch and also has the superior storyline, but Heavy Metal 2000 targets the more modern audience and I think younger folks will prefer this version in the end. I like this modern revisit, but I think the original is far more creative and effective in the bigger picture. But I still think this one is worth a look, so don’t misunderstand me on this issue. The animation is good, but lacks the layered detail of the original and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Still though, this one has some cool sequences and loads up on the flesh and blood, which gives it a nice edge. I’m always up for adding those elements when all fails and that seems to have been the case with Heavy Metal 2000. The voice talent includes Julie Strain (The Rowdy Girls), Michael Ironside (The Perfect Storm, Starship Troopers), Sonja Ball (Tv’s Samurai Pizza Cats), Pier Kohl, Brady Moffatt, and even Billy Idol (The Wedding Singer, The Punk Rock Movie). I think this is a fun ride and though not as intense as the original, still more than worth a look. Columbia/Tristar has issued this movie with reference level audio & video as well as a nice selection of extras, so there’s no reason not to check this disc out.
Video: How does it look?
Heavy Metal 2000 is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a sharp & colorful transfer and the animation hasn’t lost anything in the transition to the digital format. The colors look bold and rich, but never smear, bleed, or become oversaturated. There isn’t much call for shadow depth with this movie, but the black levels here are impressive and never obscure what we’re supposed to see. This one is also free from even the smallest compression flaws, another reference quality transfer from the folks at Columbia/Tristar.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is one powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, which will have your system working in overdrive to keep up. The surrounds are used to frequent and effective ends, which means the mix draws you right into the film and that adds a lot to the impact of the movie. I heard directional effects throughout and I’d almost swear I saw my subwoofer signaling for a timeout, to catch its breath. This is an excellent and powerful track, which always seems natural and never forced in the least. Add in the hard rockin’ soundtrack and musical score, and you’ve got a total reference quality audio experience. If you want a disc to show off your system with, this one would be a wise choice. Oh…and the voices are crisp and clean also, never buried in with all other elements. This disc also has a 2.0 surround track and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I was pleased to find an isolated musical score, which is a very welcome addition to this special edition release. You’ll also find the film’s trailer, a pair of still photo galleries, and some cool animation tests, which feature commentary from Kevin Eastman. You can view several concept to final comparisons, which means you can view the conceptual artwork while the final cut is shown in a smaller section of the screen. The final supplements are two featurettes, both of which are brief, but make for interesting ways to burn a few minutes. One spotlights the wonderful Julie Strain all by her lonesome, while the other skims over the voice talents involved in the movie.
