Heavy Metal 2000

Released 2000
Stars Michael Ironside,  Julie Strain, Billy Idol, Pier Kohl
Directed by Michael Coldewey, Michel Lemire

Instead of cartoon vignettes that chronicle adolescent fantasies of sex and drugs in the near future, this sequel to 1981's Heavy Metal follows but one story. On a distant planet, a fountain of eternal life has been locked away by a race of supposedly wise people, who have buried the only key deep in space. If found, the key will give directions to the planet, but will also drive the finder crazy--which is exactly what happens. On his way to the planet of youth, Tyler (voice of venerable character actor Michael Ironside wipes out most of a space colony and kidnaps a sexy woman. His big mistake is that he doesn't kill the woman's sister, Julie (voice of B-movie actress Julie Strain) who then sets out on a mission of rescue and revenge. Created with an uneasy blend of computer and traditional cel animation, Heavy Metal 2000 is utterly predictable. Even the sex scenes are bland and politically correct, eschewing the joy of dirty sex in favor of glimpses of T&A and lots of violence and gore. Of course, one big reason for this movie is to supplement its heavy metal soundtrack, which includes Pantera, Monster Magnet, MDFMK, Insane Clown Posse, Billy Idol, and others. It's probably better to think of it more as a string of music videos than as a story.

Summary by Andy Spletzer

This is a tepid sequel to the cult classic Heavy Metal. I liked the animation and loved the CGI, but the plot was simply boring. It was a tired retread from thousands of previous stories, and it included a disturbing rapacious undercurrent that made me uncomfortable. I had no problem with the gratuitous nudity, but the only sex is the repeated attempted rape or threat of rape against the two sisters. Worst of all, it was always presented in a leering, titillating fashion. This movie was obviously targeted toward 13 year-old boys, but they're precisely the ones who shouldn't be bombarded with a glorified message of sexual violence against women. --Bill Alward, July 20, 2002