Boobs! Big Boobs! Big beautiful breasteses! Now that that’s out of my system, “Heavy Metal 2000” is primarily a sequel to pay tribute to the walking Amazonian that is Julie Strain. While it is adapted from a “Heavy Metal” novel like its superior animated entry, this is a film very much of its decade that is hell bent on convincing you that Julie Strain is a goddess. Not that it takes much convincing, mind you, but Strain succeeds in pull off a heroine who is very sexy but also tough as nails, and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty; especially when her equally sexy sister is taken hostage.
For some reason Loc-Nar shows up again this time in the form of a green crystal shard that is the desire of everyone in the universe. Though it lacks a name and voice, it’s basically the same green mcguffin, but claimed by space miner Tyler. Michael Ironside has fun as Tyler, the space miner possessed by his lust for immortality who takes over a ship and begins spanning the galaxy and conquering seemingly desolate worlds to find the location of an immortality fountain granting him unlimited power and healing ability. “Heavy Metal 2000” lacks the anthology form of the 1981 animated film, and follows a wider narrative that attempts an epic scope. It almost achieves its purpose with its efforts to deliver adult animation, and some awfully sub-par CGI animation.
After Tyler destroys Julie’s planet and kidnaps her sister, Julie follows Tyler around trying to figure out how to kill him and race against his growing power as he inches closer to immortality. “Heavy Metal 2000” is a sub-par follow up with the just the amount of sub-standard animation that holds back the action and momentum like the first film. Sony doesn’t seem to have sunk their top dollar in to this production, holding back a lot of the attempts to suck us in to the surreal science fiction world of “Heavy Metal.” For the most part, the voice performances are solid, especially by Strain who knows what kind of movie she’s in and delivers about the best performance as the heroine as she can.
“Heavy Metal 2000” isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s an interesting diversion that carries the tradition of the magazine with exploitation, misogyny, and gore. One of the many caveats that hold the film down is that the writers seem to run out of story after the hour mark, running on auto pilot with repetitive scenes of gore, wars, and naked woman galore. Much like the original film, if you take in to mind that “Heavy Metal” is pretty much exploitation and simple male wet fantasies, it’s an interesting animated action film and a fine guilty pleasure. Plus, Strain’s sexuality seeps beautifully through the animated character she portrays.