Cosmolina: Apocalypse

Cosmolina: Apocalypse is a 2016 Japanese animated superhero black comedy film written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda, animated by Studio Ghibli and Studio Chizu for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI and distributed by Toho. It is the final installment in the Cosmolina film series, and the sequel to Cosmolina: Payback (2006). The film stars Ashley Johnson, Tara Strong, Seth Green, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jean Reno, Seth Rogen, Channing Tatum, Patrick Warburton, Jennifer Connolly, Will Smith, Jason Schwartzman, Morgan Freeman and Ben Stiller. Set ten years after Maximan's successful conquest of Earth, Emica is in hiding after her secret identity is exposed by him and now hides on Saturn's moon, Titan. When the Meerkats call her back into action, they team up with the survivors for one last attempt to end Maximan's reign of terror once and for all. The film received universal acclaim for its animation, visuals, humor, story, screenplay, characters, themes, emotional weight, action sequences, musical score and voice acting, with many critics deeming it a satisfying conclusion to the film series. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $133 million worldwide against a $55 million budget.

Cast
Ashley Johnson as Emica Kugano / Cosmolina

Tara Strong as Samantha Sevigny / Sunshine

Seth Green as Mike Grenfold, a member of the Meerkats and Emica's love interest.

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Suki Morutaki, Emica's best friend who takes Omnium and gains echolocation and extra sensory hearing -the Meerkats.

Gary Oldman as Henry Atkinson, the leader of the Meerkats and former SAS operator.

Samuel L. Jackson as Anthony Williams, A member of the Meerkats responsible for organizing and planning their operations. Formerly a medic in the United States Marine Corps, he is motivated by his attorney father working himself to death while attempting to bring Klein down.

Jean Reno as Guillaume, A member of the Meerkats and international arms trafficker skilled in munitions, ordnance, infiltration, and communications. After being coerced into joining to protect his criminal friends, he seeks redemption for his past crimes while battling Klein.

Seth Rogen as Steve Sercolonous, a new member of the Meerkats who is the team's hacker.

Channing Tatum as Jason Benson / Freedom Guy, A ruthless, jingoistic killer who believes in achieving peace at any cost.

Patrick Warburton as Tom Craner / Maximan, the extremely powerful leader of the Mighty Seven. Beneath his public image as a noble hero, he is narcissistic, sadistic, and cares little about the well-being of those he professes to protect.

Jennifer Connolly as Chloe Smith / Queen Claire, A veteran member of the Mighty Seven with enhanced physical strength and durability. Although she once wanted to protect innocent lives, she has become disillusioned and suffers from burnout. Her spirit rekindled after helping the Meerkats take down Electricia.

Will Smith as Neil Mattson / Torpedo, a speedster member of the Mighty Seven. He is determined to maintain his status as the fastest speedster in the world, resulting in him becoming addicted to Omnium. He has now begun to use powers responsibly to save lives.

Jason Schwartzman as Jasper Brokowski / H2O, a member of the Mighty Seven who possesses the ability to communicate with aquatic life and breathe underwater. He is looked down upon by the other members of the Mighty Seven due to his status as the group's token aquatic hero. Patton Oswalt voices his gills.

Morgan Freeman as Mark Jenkins, the former CEO of Klein.

Ben Stiller as Army Man,

Release
The film was released on February 19, 2016.

Music
Marco Beltrami, the composer for the franchise's original composer, chose not to return for Apocalypse because of difficulties working with director Mamoru Hosoda. Beltrami said that he had a "miserable experience" working with Hosoda on Payback. John Powell was then announced to score Apocalypse in Beltrami's absence. Powell's score took inspiration from Vangelis' Blade Runner score, Daft Punk's Tron: Legacy score and M83's Oblivion score. Powell stated he wanted to heighten the danger the movie has in store compared to the previous installments.

Transcript
Cosmolina 3/Transcript

Opening logos






Critical reception
The film has an approval rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.