User reviews

This movie is an excellent sci-fi romp combining intense actions sequences with a tense plot. Basically the story centers around an alien invasion of earth and a teenager who finds himself forced into the battle with the aid of a prototype suit of armour which could be the planet's only saviour.

I recently caught this movie as part of a anime run on Sci-Fi, and almost missed this enjoyable piece of science fiction. Detonator Orgun dives straight into the action with a sequence which although enjoyable is slightly confusing. After this sequence the actual story begins and starts the process of explaining the situation and characters. As the movie progresses the plot unfolds, leading to more excellent action sequences and a plot that draws you in. By the end it all makes sense, but somehow you still want more.

I would recommend this movie to anime fans, and sci-fi fans alike. If you can cope with the initial confusion, the remainder of the film bears the marks of a classic. Extremely enjoyable.

I've seen a ton of anime over the last 40 years and this is one of the best.

What really surprises me is that I didn't see this before now.

The art direction is great (borrowing from Blade Runner, Aliens, and Return of the Jedi). Mech designs are excellent. I suspect that the designer of these is likely the same person who later designed the mechs for Evangelion. Of course, this pre-dates Neon Genesis by many years.

The story is a simple one with an important message. It's a theme that appears in a lot of anime. Today's viewers should put this into context and realize that many famous anime have borrowed from this series. And for the message that it conveys, Detonator Orgun succeeds where Harmageddon failed.

Top all of this cool presentation off with a soundtrack that features a vocalist that sounds like a Japanese version of Ultravox. Awesomeness abounds.