Virtually everything about this film is enjoyable. The lead character, Shin Kazama, is three dimensional, and is a nice moral change of pace from the all-too-common kill-em-all cowboy cliché so common in most actioners. Shin's plight is tragic: he has been tricked into a life of war and chaos; and ironically, he fights and kills for love--to return to his fiancee in Japan. Every day that Shin is forced to continue flying his missions of mass death and destruction is another day that a little piece of him dies inside. His struggle is to block out the horrible deeds he's being forced to commit, and keep his sights on returning to the love of his life, and to normalcy.

Granted, even though the emotional backdrop is one of unbearable tragedy and guilt and longing, there are still plenty of beautifully directed action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the feature. In fact, because the filmmakers have developed a character as empathic as Shin, to whom you can really relate, the action sequences take on an almost epic meaning--Shin isn't just fighting a faceless foe for the sake of some militant third world country, he's fighting a constant physical and emotional battle to stay sane and earn his ticket home.

We highly recommend this beautiful film for all fans of animation, aviation, action, and thoughtful character-driven stories. There truly is something for everyone in this exciting tale of a righteous man imprisoned within the despicable morals of his oppressors.