This was so bad... so typical Hollywood low-budget, post-apocalyptic tripe, that I aborted it after about 20 minutes. Nowhere close to as entertaining as the original anime series.<br /><br />The sets were cheesy. The acting was horrible. The fights were on the verge of comical... comical in the bad way, not the good way as the original was. I mean the fights were downright hilarious in the original anime. But in a GREAT way!<br /><br />The manga/anime went on for a LONG time. So much of the plot has to be crammed into a short amount of time that much of the detail has to be dropped on the floor never to be seen. That's one of the main issues with ANY live action version of a manga/anime.<br /><br />As far as character development... forgetaboutit! Again, there is only so much time in a movie. I'm sorry, but to be honest with you, I have simply lost interest in the short Hollywood movie format since having discovered the joy of long-term anime!<br /><br />There is nothing to recommend this interpretation. Save your time.