by Vihn-Luan Luu
Katsuhiro Ôtomo is back on the big screen with his latest movie, Steamboy. Set in a steam-punk version of Victorian England, Steamboy follows the story of Ray Steam, the young son of inventor Eddie Steam and the grandson of Loyd Steam. Three generations of the Steam family are torn apart with the invention of the steam ball, a small metal ball that takes the level of steam energy to a new dimension. The father wants to use it for military purposes, the grandfather wants it for the greater good of mankind, and the son is trapped in between these worlds, having to decide with whom his alliance falls. Lines are drawn and motives are uncovered as the stunning visual roller coaster flashes before the screen.
The movie Steamboy tackles the very issue that modern day technology faces: whom does this new invention benefit? The Ohara Foundation is the so-called evil corporation, hoping to use the new steam ball technology for military purposes. Their plans to unveil their military prowess at the world’s fair would ensure them military contracts from every nation in the world. The characters Robert Stephenson and his assistant David represent a nation’s drive to survive, as they want the steam ball technology for the United Kingdom. Lost in the shuffle, though not completely helpless, is Loyd Steam, Ray’s grandfather, who only wishes to make the world better with the new invention. These archetypes are present in nearly every movie about newfound technology, though the faces here are represented better than they usually are. The characters Stephenson and David are well handled, as is Loyd. Eddie, on the other hand, comes off as very flat and lacks a distinct personality. Sadly, Ray Steam is also done in a similar fashion, a blank canvas who has a lot of potential in the beginning, but falls short of becoming a memorable character. He does, however, act as the fresh eyes seeing all the new inventions and stunning visuals, voicing the awe that the audience feels when the grandness of the movie unveils itself. The character Scarlett functions only as a foil to this appreciation, treating the technology as her own plaything, exemplified by the fact that she has a complicated steam-powered treadmill for her dog. There is a slight relationship tension between Scarlett and Ray; and one would guess that they’ll be a couple in the future, but that never really blossoms on the screen. All in all, the characters are rather stereotypical and forgettable, though Scarlett is memorable only for the annoyance factor.
The true hero of the movie is the visuals. Ôtomo and his team once again create a stunning world that lives and breaths on the big screen. The world itself becomes another character, though it leaves the audience feeling that only the surface of the story has been touched. The complicated gears and machinery are finely tuned and detailed to realism, letting the audience feel the rush of a steam tank or a steam plane as it chugs across the screen. The world captures the feeling of the era, where the Age of Machines was at its height and the future of humankind knew no limits. “Victorian” is the best description of the visuals: ornate, detailed, and complicated, yet never really pushing into grandiose or fulsome. Also, the technology and advancement in the animation technique help with this feel. The camera is able to move and rotate in ways that were impossible in animation years ago. Audience members who wish to be stunned and awed by the visuals will not be disappointed.
In the end, the story falls victim to stunning visuals, giving the audience just enough to be interested, but leaving them craving for more. In that sense, it feels a lot like Akira, in that parts of the story just feel missing. Steamboy is a fun ride for the audience: a visual roller coaster that excites and awes, but neglects to flush out a solid story and characterizations.
