The story has a generally slow pace but is strong and believable. There are some action scenes and the animation of these, and human movement, is simply amazing. This is master level animation. Even so, the animation is almost eclipsed by the astounding level of technical detail and animation in the film. Politics, culture, environments, domestic items but especially the mechanics of space flight are invented and animated with immense care and attention to detail. You almost get the feeling gainax built half of this stuff just to animate it right. As a result if you have any interest in the engines of space flight, and how people acheive such a complex task, then you need to see this film. I also saw the dub version, and the voices seem pretty good and even very fitting to the atmosphere of the film.

The well known american movie critic Roget Ebert, has a Review of this title. I thougt I would be alone, but THEM also have some issues with the film in this review although primarily with pacing and plot. No such doubts for Akemi's AnimeWorld who find the slower pacing gives time for a richer experience, and adore the `subtlety' of the scenes and characters. Their review is also both long and deep, and to my mind indicative of those capable and generous enough to fill in the blanks gainax left. The Anime Critic puts the boot in to this `slow' movie in this review suggesting that only those who find the `space race' element interesting will enjoy it. The normally sedate (hah!) Lord Carnage is out of his seat and cheering for this `masterpiece' in this review he also mentions a dub version called `star-quest' to beware of, sounds intriguing.