Lensman
Lensman
PG-13 | 12 December 1988 (USA)
Lensman Trailers

In this animated adaptation of E. E. Doc Smith's groundbreaking science fiction serial "Grey Lensman" from the 1930s-1950s, Kimball Kinnison, a young man from the agricultural planet Mquie and his Valerian companion, Buscirk find a dying man with a legendary crystal lens embedded in his hand. As the man was dying, he mysteriously passed on the Lens to Kim. With more companions to come by, Kim must find out the purpose of the Lens before the Boskone dynasty does.

Reviews
HeadlinesExotic

Boring

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Dynamixor

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

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Plustown

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

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Juana

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

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haildevilman

This was a manga series that later made it to TV/Video. Unfortunately it stayed a minor hit in Japan and barely made cult status in the states.There was only one feature length film released stateside and it played mostly art theaters.Young lad (Skywalker-san?) inherits the power of the Lens from a dying warrior. Now he needs to learn to use it to fight off the Boscone. (I spent half the film wondering why they were fighting a chocolate drink.) This was of course after the lad's father sacrifices himself to save his son.Now he needs to move on.He learns to use his power while being chased and also chasing. A lone female comes into his life to help. Along with a friend of his late father. You're typical gruff big guy.This movie clearly got influence from the Spielberg canon. The young ladies Princess Leia hairstyle. The Lens=the Force. And one scene ripped off completely from Indiana Jones. You'll see it easily.A rocking adventure worth sitting through. And good for younger kids too. Meaning it's more adventure less apocalypse.And the fight in the disco was a trip.

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Phil White

The original Lensman series of novels is a classic of the genre. It's pure adventure SF with some substance (here and there) and I've always wondered why Hollywood hasn't filmed it verbatim because it's just the kind of thing they love: massive explosions, super-weapons, uber-heroics, hero gets the girl, aliens (great CGI potential), good versus evil in the purest form, etc etc. Instead (and bear in mind I'm a Japan-o-phile and anime lover) we get this horrendous kiddies movie that rips the guts out of the story, mixes in Star-Wars (ironic as the latter ripped off the books occasionally) pastiches and dumbs the whole thing down to 'Thundercats' level. To see Kimball Kinnison, the epitome of the Galactic Patrol officer and second stage Lensman portrayed as a small boy is pitiful (etc). I just can't understand why the makers did this because they obviously had the rights to the story and could have made far more money (FAR!) by telling straight. It makes no sense.

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moonbus69

Heard of this anime film about ten years ago, and finally got off my duff and watched it on VHS. So much in it to recommend, I don't know where to start, except that it's a classic Sci-Fi adventure like some of the early Heinlein juvenile novels (never read the Lensmen books, but I will now) and the Star Wars Trilogy, just in anime form. The characters are interesting, and the music score and rock tracks go well with all the futuristic imagery. I am really wishing for this to be on DVD soon!

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Chibi Riza

This is one of my all time favorite old-school Animes of all time!The Lensman anime movie has been looked down upon alot and doesn't deserve the bashing that it gets.The story focuses around a young hearder named Kimball Kinnison and the Galactic Control base and their struggles with the Boskone dynasty and the mavolent Lord Helmuth. This one is chocked full of plot twists and really amazing extra-terrestrials and monsters.The one thing I did not like about this film is the relationship between Kim and Clarrise.

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