Product Details

• Format: Color, Dubbed, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Central Park Media
• VHS Release Date: October 20, 1993
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000GIA9
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,290 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Yoshikazu Yasuhiko directed this 1989 feature based on his own manga. The new frontier of Venus has degenerated into a dystopia ravaged by the civil war between Ishtar and Aphrodia. Bubbly reporter Susan Sommers arrives in the capitol of Aphrodia just before it's captured by Ishtar. She falls in with a bunch of teen-agers who live for a sort of motorcycle version of Roller Derby. Daredevil rider Hiro and his friends reluctantly join the struggle to free Aphrodia from the invaders. Not surprisingly, Hiro proves an ace at piloting the mono-cyles that are the Aphrodians' secret weapon in the key battle. Venus Wars holds better than many early anime features. The American-influenced designs may annoy purists, but the characters are well developed and the battle scenes well staged, despite the limited technological resources available at the time. (Rated 13 and older: violence, profanity, alcohol use, risqué humor) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A feel modern anime hasn't given in a while, June 2, 2005

By 

Kuroda Taiki "Taiki" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Venus Wars (DVD)

When you go back to the 80s anime and early anime, you see less of the bouncy fanservice existent EVERYWHERE. You go back to the anime/manga back then, it had more of the violence and grit you would crave for. It had less of that feeling where it's quickly hashed out, or obviously influenced and tailored to the American viewers.

The only gripes is the views of back then, such as sexism against women (who usually play the extreme princess who can't fight), and music from that time (this is selective to some). Hiro isn't the usual gundam main character: why're we fighting? oh well, i'll fight to protect. Hiro is more of what you'd expect, a hotheaded teenager. Another, thing is that action sci-fi in general, is great at retelling lessons completely based on reality. This is no exception. Venus Wars resembles a lot of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (it only took a couple days to gain a surrender). The monobikes w/ railguns, chase scene, liberation, etc. Its all there. The rousing action, where the whole city gets pissed off and overthrows their occupiers!

After growing up on handpainted cels, you just don't feel the love and dedicated work presented in modern anime, which uses computer. It feels so impersonal and for the money. Don't get me wrong anime is great, no matter what era its from. Its just that, it's no longer as conceptual art in motion, you no longer see any of the stages, its too clean and straight lined that its like standing in a decontaminated room. Or eating a well-done steak. When you have an explosion, it's supposed to be messy, and this anime gives that to you.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Problems with the DVD, June 16, 2000

By 

captainspankypants - See all my reviews

This review is from: Venus Wars (DVD)

This is a pretty good anime title (except for the live-action stuff, ew). The animation is great, the artwork is great, the voice acting is pretty good, and the plot is decent. The only problem I had with it (aside from the aforementioned live-action segments) was the DVD "extras." If you see the bonus materials listed on this site or on the back of the box, and think they sound interesting, don't get your hopes up. Its just the footage from the movie divided into sections for emphasis. There is no new material. For example, select Hiro from the characters section, and they just show you a scene from the movie that featured him strongly. I just figured people might want to know this...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Far Better Than I Expected, October 23, 2003

By 

TrezKu13 (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Venus Wars (DVD)

If some one had told me this film would turn into a story of an actual war between nations, I would have watched it sooner. The reviews I had read for it made it sound like a rip-off of Akira, and the first hour or so makes you think it just might be it.

A group of friends who are in a sort of Xtreme motorcycle sport find themselves in the middle of their nation Aphrodia invaded by the nation of their enemy Ishtar. They quickly find themselves under military rule, and have to deal with life changing in such a time period. The group eventually decides to do some guerilla action and attack an enemy tank that is always in their stadium.

Then, just as the tank is destroyed and reinforcements are coming up, and the hero is about to be run over...a Free IO soldier fires a missile into the Octo and destroys it.

Then the movie becomes a story of a nation fighting for their freedom, as the group joins the free soldiers who are fighting Ishtar all the way back out of IO. Eventually the hero, at first sympathetic, is convinced to join forces. The final battle takes place in the capital of IO, and what a climax it is.

Overall, the film boasts fine animation and retro 80's anime design. The action is well done and the mecha designs even better, and the storyline is also exceptionally well done. You get a good sense of a population under foreign rule, and its good to see an anime exploring such depths. Also, the politics of a nation in exile fighting for their return is equally unique. Maybe its because I'm a political nut, but I found it all interesting.

If I had known I would have enjoyed this film, I would have watched it far sooner than I did. Oh well...I bought the DVD the minute I saw it. I'm proud to own it. And thats my word.