Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000 is a 2000 Canadian-German adult animated science fiction action film directed by Michael Coldewey and Michel Lemire, serving as a standalone thematic sequel to the 1981 anthology film Heavy Metal.[1] The story centers on a miner named Tyler who discovers a shard of the malevolent Loc-Nar artifact, which possesses him and transforms him into a power-hungry tyrant bent on achieving immortality by conquering a distant planet designated as F.A.K.K. (Federation Assigned Ketogenic Killzone).[2] After Tyler devastates the planet Eden, killing most inhabitants including Julie's family, the sole survivor—a fierce warrior named Julie—embarks on a quest for revenge, allying with a mysterious alien named Odin and others to thwart Tyler's plans and rescue her kidnapped sister.[1] The film was produced by CineGroupe Animation in Montreal and Trixter Studios in Munich, with a runtime of 88 minutes and an R rating for its graphic violence, nudity, and language.[1] It draws inspiration from the graphic novel The Melting Pot by Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley, though the screenplay was written by Carl Macek and R. Payne Cabeen, expanding on themes of heavy metal music, surreal sci-fi, and eroticism akin to its predecessor.[2] Key voice cast includes Michael Ironside as the villainous Tyler, Julie Strain Eastman—whose likeness inspired the protagonist—as Julie, and Billy Idol as the enigmatic Odin, alongside supporting voices like Sonja Ball, Brady Moffatt, and Rick Jones.[1] Originally released in South Korea in January 2000 and in France in April of that year, Heavy Metal 2000 (also known as Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2) had a limited U.S. theatrical run starting July 10, 2000, distributed by Columbia TriStar Home Video, and later aired on the Encore channel.[1] The film features a heavy metal soundtrack and ties into video game adaptations, emphasizing fast-paced animation and over-the-top action sequences.[1] Critically, it received poor reviews, earning a 8% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews, with critics noting its derivative plot and reliance on genre tropes despite strong visuals and music.[2]Background
Relation to original film
Heavy Metal 2000 serves as a direct sequel to the 1981 animated anthology film Heavy Metal, expanding on the original's science fiction and fantasy aesthetic while shifting away from its segmented narrative structure.[3] Produced nearly two decades later, the film was positioned by distributors as a continuation of the cult classic's legacy, drawing from the same Heavy Metal magazine inspiration but focusing on a standalone epic adventure rather than interconnected vignettes.[3] Unlike the original, which comprised multiple short stories unified by a framing device involving a malevolent orb called the Loc-Nar, Heavy Metal 2000 adopts a single, linear storyline centered on protagonist Julie, a female warrior seeking revenge after her planet's destruction and her sister's abduction.[4] This departure from the anthology format results in a more cohesive but less varied plot, often criticized for stretching thin ideas into feature length without the original's episodic diversity.[4] The animation style also evolves, moving from the original's mix of traditional cel animation influenced by artists like Don Bluth to a more fluid, computer-assisted approach that emphasizes action sequences over the eclectic visuals of its predecessor.[5] Despite these changes, the sequel retains core thematic elements from the original, including graphic violence, erotic undertones, and heavy metal music integration, though it moderates the explicit nudity and sexual content to align with late-1990s distribution standards.[6] One direct nod appears in a scene where the protagonist acquires battle armor by swimming through a pool, echoing a similar motif from the original's "Taarna" segment. Overall, while praised for its ambitious action and voice performances, Heavy Metal 2000 is frequently viewed as a lesser follow-up that lacks the innovative spark and memorable soundtrack of the 1981 film.[4]Development history
The development of Heavy Metal 2000 originated from the graphic novel The Melting Pot, created by Kevin Eastman, Simon Bisley, and Eric Talbot, which was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine from 1993 to 1994 before its collection as a four-issue miniseries by Kitchen Sink Press.[7] Eastman and Talbot handled the story, while Bisley provided the artwork, with the project emerging during Eastman's expansion of his Tundra Press imprint in the early 1990s to foster collaborations with UK artists like Bisley.[7] Although Eastman later viewed the graphic novel as underdeveloped and a missed opportunity for Bisley's talents, its core elements— including the protagonist Julie, modeled after Eastman's then-wife Julie Strain—formed the foundation for the film adaptation.[7] Ideas for a sequel to the 1981 anthology film Heavy Metal had circulated for nearly two decades by the late 1990s, but Heavy Metal 2000 shifted to a single, linear narrative drawn directly from The Melting Pot rather than an anthology format.[8] Eastman, as publisher of Heavy Metal magazine, developed the initial treatment with Hollywood writers and producers; the screenplay was written by Carl Macek and Robert Payne Cabeen, building on the treatment to expand the story into a feature-length animated sci-fi action film.[9] The project partnered with Montreal-based CinéGroupe as the primary production company, alongside Germany's Helkon Media and Trixter Studios, marking a Canada-Germany co-production aimed at adult audiences with themes of revenge and genetic experimentation.[9] Production spanned approximately two years, with Eastman traveling to Canada every two weeks to contribute, though CinéGroupe retained final creative control despite initial promises of collaboration.[7] Directed by Michel Lemire for CinéGroupe and Michael Coldewey for Trixter Studios, the film faced significant challenges, including outsourcing animation to a new, inexperienced studio in Manila that required retakes on 96% of its output due to quality issues.[7] Produced by Jacques Pettigrew and Lemire, the adaptation emphasized Strain's likeness and voice for the lead role, but Eastman later described the process as chaotic, lacking a strong directorial vision and resulting in execution problems that he attributed to his own oversight.[7][9] The film premiered internationally in early 2000, including in South Korea in January and France in April under the title Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2.[9]Production
Animation process
The animation process for Heavy Metal 2000 utilized a hybrid approach combining traditional 2D hand-drawn techniques with early computer-generated imagery (CGI), characteristic of late-1990s feature animation efforts to balance artistic expression with technological innovation. The film was produced primarily by the Canadian studio CinéGroupe, known for its work in 2D television series and features, in collaboration with German partners as a co-production. Directed by Michel Lemire and Michael Coldewey, the process began with storyboarding and character design to establish the film's adult sci-fi aesthetic, followed by the creation of key animation frames by hand. Core sequences featuring characters and ground-based action were animated using conventional cel methods, where drawings were inked onto transparent celluloid sheets, painted on the reverse side, and photographed frame-by-frame on 35mm film to capture fluid motion and detailed expressions.[10] This traditional pipeline, involving layout artists, animators, inbetweeners, and background painters, emphasized the film's dynamic fight scenes and character-driven narrative. For more ambitious elements like interstellar travel and alien landscapes, low-resolution CGI was integrated to model and render spaceships, the planet Eden, and explosive effects, which were challenging and time-intensive to achieve solely through hand-drawn means.[10][11] Final assembly relied on digital compositing to merge the 35mm footage with CGI layers, a workflow that scanned film elements into digital formats for editing and effects enhancement using software common in the era, such as those from Discreet Logic or Adobe After Effects precursors.[11] This integration aimed to create a seamless visual world but was limited by the period's hardware constraints, resulting in a resolution and aliasing profile typical of hybrid productions transitioning from analog to digital pipelines. The overall process, spanning development from the late 1990s, aligned with the film's concurrent tie-in to the video game Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2, though animation assets remained distinct between the media.[12]Voice recording
The voice recording for Heavy Metal 2000 formed a key component of its multi-year production, involving targeted preparation for lead performers to align with the film's sci-fi action narrative. Julie Strain, voicing the protagonist Julie (F.A.K.K.²), drew from her real-life persona as the character was modeled after her from Kevin Eastman's The Melting Pot graphic novel series; she participated in voice lessons, rehearsals, photo sessions, and costume fittings to embody the "smart, sexy, strong female heroine." Strain noted the exhaustive process, stating, "For me, it was like being pregnant for five years," reflecting the deep investment amid production delays.[13] Casting extended to musicians and seasoned actors for authenticity in the rock-infused story. Billy Idol was recruited for the role of Odin after the team selected his track "Buried Alive" for the soundtrack and inquired about his availability for voice work. Michael Ironside provided the voice for the antagonist Tyler, leveraging his signature gravelly timbre to convey menace, though specific recording anecdotes from him remain limited in public accounts. Recordings occurred across studios linked to the film's international production partners, including CinéGroupe in Montreal, where dialogue editing and foley integration followed initial sessions; this setup allowed for remote contributions from U.S.-based talent like Ironside and Idol while centralizing post-production sound design. The process emphasized emotional delivery for isolated animation syncing, with Strain highlighting a pivotal scene where her character buries Odin alive, synced to Idol's soundtrack contribution "Buried Alive." Overall, the voice work prioritized dynamic, character-driven performances to complement the film's heavy metal aesthetic without on-set interactions typical of live-action.[14][13]Story and characters
Plot summary
In a distant future, a space miner named Tyler discovers a fragment of the malevolent Loc-Nar, a glowing green orb from ancient lore, while sifting through asteroid debris. The orb whispers promises of immortality, directing Tyler to return it to its origin on the planet Ouroboros to unlock eternal life. Seized by ambition, Tyler mutates into a power-hungry warlord, slaughtering his own crew and commandeering their ship to pursue this goal.[15][8] Tyler's rampage leads him to the peaceful planet Eden, a lush world inhabited by a harmonious human colony. There, he devastates the population in a brutal assault, seeking a biological fluid from their blood that can create an invincibility serum for his army. Julie, Eden's fierce defender and a trained warrior, survives the massacre but witnesses Tyler abduct her younger sister Kerrie to harvest the vital essence for his experiments. Using the orb's influence, Tyler engineers grotesque, genetically altered minions and builds a formidable armada, setting course for Ouroboros to claim ultimate power.[2][8][16] Donning the F.A.K.K.² exoskeletal battle suit—Federation Assigned Ketogenic Killzone 2—Julie launches a relentless pursuit across the galaxy, vowing vengeance and rescue. She battles Tyler's cybernetic horrors and mutated soldiers on alien worlds, allying with the pilot Germain. Encounters include skirmishes in derelict space stations and chases through hazardous nebulae, testing Julie's combat prowess and resolve. After a hyperspace mishap, Julie crashes on Ouroboros, where she meets the enigmatic alien Odin and his companion Zeek, guardians of the immortality fountain built by the ancient Arakacians.[15][8][16][17] In the film's climax on Ouroboros, Julie infiltrates Tyler's forces and frees Kerrie from experimentation. With Odin's assistance, she confronts and kills Tyler in a fierce battle. Odin then reveals himself as the last Arakacian, intending to use the Loc-Nar for his own immortality, but Zeek intervenes, seizing the orb and flying into space, transforming into an asteroid to ensure it remains lost forever. With Tyler defeated and the threat contained, Julie escapes with Kerrie, leaving the galaxy safe from the orb's corruption.[2][8][16][15]Voice cast
The voice cast of Heavy Metal 2000 features a mix of established actors, musicians, and voice performers, bringing to life the film's post-apocalyptic characters in its adult-oriented animated narrative. Michael Ironside provides the gravelly voice for the villainous Tyler, a miner possessed by the Loc-Nar and driven to seek immortality.[14] Julie Strain not only voices the fierce warrior Julie—modeled after her own likeness—but also embodies the character's physical presence through motion capture elements.[14] Billy Idol, the punk rock icon, lends his distinctive timbre to the enigmatic alien Odin, who aids Julie but harbors his own motives.[14] Supporting roles are filled by a roster of Canadian voice actors, reflecting the film's production ties to Montreal-based studios. Sonja Ball voices Kerrie, Julie's younger sister kidnapped by Tyler, while Pier Paquette (credited as Pierre Khol) portrays the comic relief engineer Germain St-Germain.[14] Additional characters include Lambert (Brady Moffatt), Zeek (Rick Jones), Dr. Schechter (Arthur Holden), and Jefferson (Alan Fawcett), alongside minor voices such as the Sysop (Jane Woods), Cyber Sex Doll (Elizabeth Robertson), and Street Vendor (Vlasta Vrana).[18][19]| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Michael Ironside | Tyler |
| Julie Strain | Julie |
| Billy Idol | Odin |
| Pier Paquette (as Pierre Khol) | Germain St-Germain |
| Sonja Ball | Kerrie |
| Brady Moffatt | Lambert |
| Rick Jones | Zeek |
| Arthur Holden | Dr. Schechter |
| Alan Fawcett | Jefferson / Additional Voices |
| Jane Woods | Sysop |
| Elizabeth Robertson | Cyber Sex Doll |
| Vlasta Vrana | Street Vendor |