| Lensman: Secret of the Lens | |
| Director: | Yoshiaki Kawajiri Kazuyuki Hirokawa |
| Producer: | Michihiro Tomii Tadami Watanabe Masao Maruyama |
| Based On: | Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith |
| Narrator: | Eiji Kanie |
| Music: | Akira Inoue |
| Cinematography: | Iwao Yamaki |
| Editing: | Osamu Tanaka |
| Studio: | Madhouse |
| Distributor: | Toho-Towa |
| Runtime: | 107 minutes |
| Country: | Japan |
| Language: | Japanese |
Lensman: Secret of the Lens, known in Japan as, is a 1984 Japanese animated film based on the Lensman novels by E. E. Smith. Most of the CGI sequences were created by the Japan Computer Graphics Lab (JCGL). It was dubbed into English and released in the United States in 1990.[1]
The story is about a farm boy named Kimball "Kim" Kinnison. From a dying Lensman of the Galactic Patrol, Kinnison receives a particular Lens. It contains information that would enable the Galactic Patrol to face a weapon created by the Boskone Empire. A non-human species, the Arisians, created the Lenses in order to stand up to the evil Eddorians. Through their Lenses, Lensman minds are merged with the cosmic consciousness of Arisia. Opposing the Patrol is Lord Helmuth, a Boskone leader and drug lord, who would stop at nothing to get his hands on the Lens.
The Boskone blow up the agricultural planet Mqueie where Kim lives with his father, Gary ("Ken" in the Harmony Gold dub). Now a humble farmer, Gary is one of the founders of the Galactic Patrol. If he hadn't lost an arm in battle, Gary would have been a Lensman himself. Having always dreamt of becoming a Lensman, Gary sacrifices his own life to secure Kim's escape from the pursuing Boskone fleet.
Kim escapes the Boskone with his horned and bearded near-human friend Van Buskirk. Through the movie's events, Kim also meets Clarissa MacDougall, a nurse and technician working with the Galactic Patrol. Like Gary, she cannot explain how the Lens could be transferred from the dying man to Kim.
Through the tutelage of a flying alien green dragon hero named Worsel, Kim gradually realizes the Lens's power, which provides the key to Helmuth's defeat. He transmits the formula to the Galactic Patrol fleet, knowing that their planned attack against Helmuth would fail without the answer.
| Characters | Japanese voice actor | English dubbing actor (Harmony Gold, 1988) | English dubbing actor (Streamline Pictures, 1990) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball Kinnison | Toshio Furukawa | Kerrigan Mahan | ||
| Peter Van Buskirk | Chikao Ohtsuka | Michael McConnohie | ||
| Clarissa MacDougall | Mami Koyama | Melanie MacQueen | Edie Mirman | |
| Worsel | Nachi Nozawa | Jeff Winkless | Steve Kramer | |
| DJ Bill | Katsuya Kobayashi | Gregory Snegoff | ||
| Lord Helmuth | Seizō Katō | Tom Wyner | ||
| Gary Kinnison | Michael Forest Tom Wyner | Mike Reynolds | ||
| Admiral Haines | Hidekatsu Shibata | Mike Reynolds | Michael Forest | |
| The Lens | Tadashi Yokouchi | Tom Wyner | Alexandra Kenworthy | |
| LaVerne Thorndyke | Takeshi Aono | Steve Kramer | Dave Mallow | |
| Sol | Yuko Saito | Theodore Lehmann | Robert Axelrod | |
| Blakslee | Yasuo Tanaka | Doug Stone | ||
| Zuilk | Shingo Kanemoto | Kerrigan Mahan | Milton James | |
The film received a mixed reception.[2] [3] [4]
The GURPS supplement for Lensman references the film.[5]