Based on the popular adult sci-fi magazine, this animated anthology is hit and miss when it comes to the stories but is still a visual delight.
The linking thread of the futuristic tales has a strange green orb, the Loc-Nar, a thing of pure evil from a distant planet cornering a young girl and recounting how life will be and has always been. Among the stories are a noir-style episode involving a cab driver who gets more than he bargained for on a night shift in a run-down New York. He gives as good as he gets though and is gloriously cynical. Other diversions include a trial of a space captain, which showcases a splendid variety of alien species, and a haunting battle involving a World War II B-17. There’s also a lot of sex and nudity (the majority of which is female). This is no kids’ cartoon!
With several art styles utilised, Heavy Metal is a bit of a hodgepodge of ideas and visuals. When it hits, it’s marvellous, and even at its lowest ebb, it’s interesting and watchable. The stories, as mentioned, are a mixed bag, but the four that lead into the main tale (the one with the scantily-clad woman riding a large bird) are relatively short. Most anthologies suffer with this problem. The film is the perfect representation of what the Heavy Metal magazine was at the time and the addition of the rock soundtrack provides some interesting needle drops, and it’s good that the music doesn’t overpower the on-screen action. The best use of music comes during a scene of rebellion when we hear the Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath track The Mob Rules.
Umbrella’s Blu-ray features a vintage documentary that includes much of the talent behind the scenes and is very informative and enjoyable. There’s also a sequence that was cut that shows how the orb created all that was bad on Earth. While it’s a slim package extras-wise compared to some releases, it’s well worth a place in your collection.
Heavy Metal is available on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment.
