Customer Reviews

Phoenix 2772 [VHS]

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4 star:		(1)
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This film, also known as "Space Firebird", was one of the earliest animes released in the West. I first saw it as a young child on television in New Zealand, and for years it remained in my mind. In my late teens I wanted to find it again, but could not remember the title or anything else about it; certain scenes haunted me, but I was never sure if they were all from the same film. Finally in my early twenties I spent hours online trying to find it, and as soon as I saw a picture of the cover I knew this was it. I bought it, watched it, and was astonished to realize that numerous recurring childhood dreams were images directly from this film; also many other impressions, associations, and attachments could similarly be traced back to this film. Never have I been so affected by a movie as I was by "Phoenix 2772" as a child. The images, concepts and storyline are classic, simple and powerful, and draw on ancient themes and archetypes which, especially for a child, serve to imprint it deeply on the memory. It is a very universal film, the tale is timeless, and the unashamed sentimentality, passion and earnestness which infuse it are charming. This film is definitely not for the cynical; it is for the young-at-heart, for lovers, romantics, mystics and seekers; and for anyone out there following their own quest for the mythical, magical firebird.

It was shown in Cuba in the 1980s. As someone said, images from this film also haunted me and my friends until adulthood. I remember we were like 7, and we all fell in love with the robot. I had dreams and nightmares straight out of the film. Images of beauty and terrible harshness. As kid, we all walked away with the idea the world we will live in the future is harsh, but we can beat it if we are good at something: a good pilot, a good friend, scientist, or if you love someone. These are actual discussions we had at 7 when we watched the film.

At 28 I finally got a hold of a almost detroyed copy, and it was still a sad story. It is a combination of adult themes with the innocence of a child. It didn't have the same overlasting effect as an adult. But I was surprised that it hit me hard again.

I remember being in junior high, and me and my friends still remembered scenes from the film that we had seen once when we were 7. It is a timeless story like a cindirella in space.

This is an early anime film which was part of Osamu Tezuka's "Life Work" it is an epic which symbolises man's place in the universe and reincarnation (via the symbolisom of the phoenix). Anyone interested in anime should really check this charming film out - some of the animation borrows from such american influences as max fleischer and walt disney (check out those crazy sidekick creatures!) - The story is very much in the Space Opera vein with betrayel heroism and romance all playing big roles.