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Manchester, 1866: Young Ray, an inventor just like his father - who is
thought dead - and grandpa - who is away in Alaska, inventing - receicves
a package from gramps, which contains a metal globe that in turn contains
some sort of new energy ... thing is, an organisation called The
Foundation is after the ball, and they will stop at nothing to get it
- which all leads to a chase by various steam engines, train and blimp -
but despite all of Ray's attempts to make an escape, helped by a certain
Mr Stevenson, one of gramps' friends, Ray and his globe end up in the
clutches of The Foundation - which much to Ray's surprise, is co-headed by
his dad and a certain Mr O'Hara - whose daughter Scarlet, an obnoxious and
self-centered girl if there ever was one, Ray eventually falls in love
with.
Soon enough, Ray begins to marvel the Foundation, especially since he
can't stop but marvelling at the Steam Palace his father has built,
a mansion of sheer limitless possibilities (it even can fly), that simply
overshadows the neighbouring Great Exhibition (the plot has since
moved to London) of the same year.
Eventually though, gramps, who's not on good terms with his son, shows
up and shows Ray the downside of his daddy's project - it is not only
co-financed by an armsdealer, O'Hara, it is even used to wreak havok on
London so the gouvernment will see the need to buy more weapons - and all
of a sudden the marvelous Steam Palace turns into a terrible threat to
London, spitting out robot soldiers, tanks and flying machines, with only
Ray and his Gramps, and Ray's suddenly reformed dad there to stop it, and
only in the nick of time, too ...
On a visual level, this film is nothing short of great The blend of
science fiction and Industrial Revolution imagery is as inspired as
it's awe-inspiring. Add to this great visuals a number of highly inventive
setpieces, and you have an almost wonderful movie ... but only almost,
because Steamboy's story is a bit on the weak side, the pace of the
film (outside the breathtaking setpieces) leaves to be desired and the
whole thing simpy lacks any compelling character ... which is such a pity,
because the film is a virtual feast for the eyes ...
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