Todd caught the press screening at TIFF in September 2008 where he mused, "For his latest feature legendary Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii promised to put aside his experimental leanings and produce his most mainstream oriented film since he left the giant-robot series Patlabor behind. And, true to his word, Oshii’s Sky Crawlers follows a very direct, linear storyline centered on his characters rather than his concepts. So, yes, in many ways Sky Crawlers is the most mainstream film Oshii has directed in ages. That said, Oshii is still Oshii which means Sky Crawlers is not only a stunning technical achievement but also layered with meanings, obsessed with questions of identity, torn between a love and fear of technology, and operates in a dreamy haze."

Kurt managed to also catch it at TIFF in 2008 on the brand spankin' new all-digital AMC flagship theatre with silky audio presentation, yet it was the Antonioni-esque storytelling that engaged him most, "Like Kazuo Ishiguro’s wonderful novel, Never Let Me go, Oshii does not bury the mystery or secrets of the narrative so deep that a careful observer may have things figured out within the first quarter of the film. But the joy here is in how things reflect and refract current social trends, and draw commentary and observation into the forefront of the storytelling. The film is postulating some big questions in amongst the lives of pilots, war melodrama and stunning action set-pieces. It is a film concerned for the future, while not necessarily nostalgic of the past. There is a character, one that goes unnamed, in the film (in the background really) that sits alone and silent on the front steps of a diner. The Kildren all look at him, but never make any real contact. This old man weeps for the world as it is, a peace bought at a curious price of static non-progress and cyclic stagnation. A moment in the film when another adult human, the lively cook and bartender at the diner, joins the old man in his silent withdrawal. This moment resonates. At 57, Oshii is obviously concerned with the consequences of toys, distractions and general white noise of modern Japanese society, which can leave many young folks in a state of perpetual adolescence. He has constructed a curious epic that is evocative of history, while starkly original in tone and execution. A message movie that is subtle, urgent, and most certainly worthy of your time and consideration."

Onderhond, self proclaimed Oshii devotee, caught up with it on the European circuit and offered, "For fans of the director the film may need some adjusting. Oshii’s always savored his creative freedom which led to many projects carrying a very distinct atmosphere. His work is characterized by technical improvement and a meticulous exploration of themes present and techniques used. Sky Crawlers has all of that, but is definitely a more timid and subtle film, so much that at first the hand of Oshii is hard to recognize. The film takes its time to ease the viewer into the setting, with a couple of aerial fights promising a worthy and spectacular finale, but also lots of quiet time spent on the air base. This slow first half hour is definitely needed as nothing much is explained and it is left up to the viewer to string together the pieces of information that are given. The alternative post-war setting and air base antics are not quite unlike Wings of Honneamise, though the atmosphere is without a doubt darker and more pensive. And for anime connoisseurs, the aerial fights resemble those of Yukikaze, especially the timed camera work trailing the planes. Not a bad thing at all."

Ard was 'punched in the soul' by the film recently when he finally caught up to it after much anticipation. Nevertheless, he spent a fair bit of time savoring the technical side of this as well, "As always I’ll be wondering what happens when Momoru Oshii ever decides to make a straight action flick, as the action and fights in this one are incredible. But this movie is not about fights. Instead, it’s about incomplete humans, their questions and their (often wrong) answers. If that interests you this film comes VERY much recommended, and as a nice bonus you’ll get to see some damn good dogfights as well. For me, “The Sky Crawlers” is the movie which has affected me the most out of everything I’ve seen released in 2008."

On the DVD (I've not upgraded to Blu-Ray yet, but between The Sky Crawlers, Satoshi Kon's Paprika and Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express, I am mightily tempted!)

Rinko Kikuchi (Babel), Ryo Kase (Letters From Iwo Jima), and Chiaki Kuriyama (Battle Royale, Kill Bill) make for an all star voice cast on the Japanese side, but the DVD has a very solid Voice Dub, which I am probably going to get some flack over recommending it to English language viewers. Anyone who wants to crawl a little further into Oshii's artistic space would be wise to look at the two documentaries included on the DVD release, particularly one on sound design. The hands-off laid-back construction of this special feature allows for 'fly-on-the-wall' insight on the Oshii's team as they co-operate with the Skywalker sound folks.