Here we are again. Sunday, bloody Sunday. And you know what that means: it’s time to plug in and tune out.
Last week we checked out the Netflix original Spectral. This week’s recommendation is a flick I’ve had on my docket for a while now — ever since it first hit Netflix several years ago. It took me some time to get around to it, but I was spurred on by my recent viewing of Gantz: 0. And although this week’s flick is a tad bit spottier than Gantz: 0, it’s darn solid overall.
So, without further ado, this week’s Netflix Sunday Time Dump is Harlock: Space Pirate.
While there’s an enormous Harlock mythos out there (the character’s apparently been around for longer than I have), I decided to just jump right into this movie without catching up. I let it stand on its own merit, if you will.
So let me start by asking a question: Is this movie hokey? Absolutely.
Harlock: Space Pirate adheres quite literally to the idea of space pirate-dom, with a swashbuckling Captain Harlock navigating the depths of space in what’s basically your stereotypical idea of a pirate ship. He wears a cape and has an eye patch. He has a bird and a swashbuckler’s sword. But if you can stomach literal space pirates, there’s a pretty good movie here.
The basic premise is that Earth has been deemed off-limits by the Gaia Sanction after a huge war, so humanity, by and large, are left idly roaming the cosmos. Captain Harlock, for reasons not initially revealed, desires to rectify this and return home to Earth. He and his crew travel around to pick up willing enlistees — keeping the truly worthy and killing the rest outright. When a young man joins their cabal, we’re off to the races.
Without giving away too much, the plot takes some twists and turns. After a dodgy second act, things come to an incredible, action-packed conclusion that makes any previous eye-rolling seem like exercise to get those peepers ready for the explosive finale.
The characters typically have some questionable design qualities or characteristics, but some are truly endearing — and most are pretty badass too. And the visuals are stunning. Aside from the literal exemplification of pirate-ness that makes up a good deal of the movie’s aesthetic, there are several really cool ideas on display.
I will say that there is a noticeable lack of blood once the bullets start to fly and bodies are slashed into pieces. I am only nitpicking here, not as an advocate for blood and gore, but simply because its absence definitely stood out.
But, with all of that said, check out the trailer below to see more of what Harlock: Space Pirate has to offer. Happy dumping, everyone!
