![]() ![]() The opening sequence is simply a taste of things to come, and A-1 Pictures have put a great deal of thought into bringing home the idea that the children really have gone to another world. ![]() Welcome To The Space Show is a creatively visual feast that, like Oblivion Island, easily surpasses Spirited Away when it comes to imaginative design. When it comes to the looks though, this movie seems to shift into a higher gear. This rather dizzying array of influences initially looks like a disaster waiting to happen, so it's surprising that this narrative cacophony is not only understandable, but also entertaining. There are also themes taken from the novel Five Children & It by Edith Nesbit (which was adapted into a live action movie in 2004), The Chronicles of Narnia, and the 1985 movie The Explorers. Now many people will automatically draw comparisons between Welcome To The Space Show and certain other anime movies, in particular Spirited Away, Galaxy Express 999, My Neighbour Totoro (they find a strange friendly creature in the forest), and Oblivion Island, Production I.G.s 3D feature from 2009, and that's just from the East. In addition to this there are a number of themes "borrowed" from other stories, and while plagiarism may be the first form of flattery, moderation is the word that director Masunari Koji and screenplay writer Kurata Hideyuki seem to have forgotten. Unfortunately this is very much at odds with the simplicity of the plot, and the result is a tale that lacks the finesse of rival features. Too much effort can sometimes be a bad thing, and that seems to be the main problem with Welcome To The Space Show as it simply tries too hard to be everything to everyone. Part of this is reflected in the visuals and audio, but the lion's share of focus undoubtedly falls on the story itself, so it's unfortunate that this is also the area where matters become somewhat. That said, given that the movie is billed as family entertainment, it's nice to see that efforts have been made to make the whole thing more appealing to adults and children alike. The storyline is a rather interesting take on the whole idea of alien encounters, but there is a degree of predictability to proceedings due to the rather simplistic nature of the plot. ![]() During the first day they decide to search for a missing pet rabbit, but what they find are crop circles and an injured dog. The movie follows the adventures of a group of children from a rural Japanese village who are attending an unsupervised week long summer camp in the local school building. Uchuu Show e Youkoso (Welcome To The Space Show), is simply the latest in the long tradition of adults stealing ideas off kids. of visits to strange worlds, encounters with weird creatures, travels on spaceships, fights with monsters, and other such flights of fancy, that doesn't stop adults from creating stories about children in exactly those situations. The irony is that while the "mature" population of the world will often scoff or smile condescendingly at children's tales The main reason for it is because kids are naturally curious individuals (when you're young the universe tends to be a fascinating place), and are more willing to accept as fact things that many adults would find preposterous, ridiculous, or just plain crazy. Leave any child unattended for a length of time and they will undoubtedly find themselves in some sort of mischief, even if they weren't looking to get into trouble, and all world weary parents, teachers and carers will attest to this as truth. Amidst their adventure, they are pursued by aliens affiliated with "The Space Show," the universe's most-watched production shrouded in mystery. Left with no other choice, the group journeys around the galaxy in search of a way to safely return to Earth. Unfortunately, after hearing that Pochi was severely injured on his mission, the government of the moon issues a travel sanction on Earth, preventing the children from returning home. When they arrive, the group quickly discovers that the moon hides a vast alien metropolis which they begin to gleefully explore. After nursing the dog back to health, they are shocked when he suddenly speaks and introduces himself as Pochi Rickman-an alien researcher who has been on Earth researching its plant life.Īs thanks for saving his life, Pochi offers to take the children to the moon on a sightseeing trip. While on a hunt for their missing rabbit, Pyon-kichi, they find an injured dog in a field with crop circles. Five elementary school children are spending their summer break camping at a remote mountain village. ![]()
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