STORYLINE:  After an unidentified plant from outer space invasion, Rita finds herself trapped in a time loop, forced to relive the same day over and over again. With each loop, she learns. She fights. Her memories and experiences sharpen her skills, turning her into a formidable warrior. Yet, the endless cycle of death and solitude begins to wear her down. Then, she meets Keiji. “I’ve been repeating this day too,” he says. Two lost souls, trapped in an endless war. Could their meeting change fate? (IMDb)

   Slowly but surely I became a fan of anime films. Releases such as Miss Hokusai (2016), When Marnie Was There (2014), and The Wind Rises (2013) turned me into a fan.  Along the way I have discovered films such as Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989).  Recently I sat down to watch All You Need is Kill, a science fiction anime feature.

   For reference, the source material for All You Need is Kill is the same for the same for the 2014 Tom Cruise feature Edge of Tomorrow.  The anime changes the perspective from the mail lead, to the female lead. In all honesty I have not read the manga, in which both films are based. I can tell you which character tells the story, just that I preferred how it was told in this film.

   All You Need is Kill clocks in at eighty two minutes.  The nice thing about this runtime is the film wastes no time it’s story.  The viewer is thrown right into the events of the film, and their time is not watered with unnecessary plot points.  The concise story made for a better feature. 

   The flip side of that is there was no wiggle room for little extras to be sprinkled throughout the movie.  Sometimes these little extras add a bit of spice to a feature film.  All You Need is Kill may have benefited from one or two of these moments.  Shill, oy was an entertaining film.

   The anime film still had the animation I have come to expect and enjoy from this style of animation.  It was the standard visual feast to watch.

   All You Need is Kill is a science fiction anime feature with a tight, entertaining story.

   Until next time I will see you at the movies!