Part of the great Osamu Tezuka's "Life Work", the PHOENIX cycle, which focuses on reincarnation and man's place in the universe, this uplifting SF Story is a beautiful, moving and regarding film. Born into a dehumanising society where people are simply cogs in the machine, and even the wealthy must fit into their assigned place, Godo has one true friend - the robot girl Ogra. With her help he battles against every obstacle his life sets out for him, and finally wins the chance to free himself and save mankind the search for the magical fire bird, whose life-giving powers can regenerate the abused Earth and save humanity. Childlike innocence and a sense of fun combine with a rare breadth of vision in Tezuka's humanist fables, and here the story is dressed in some mervellous science fiction trappings. Ogra's first transformation sequence is a perfect example of wordless communication, and the prison mining set piece has echoes of Tezuka's childhood passion for the works of Disney and the Fleischers. A landmark in SF animation and a hugely enjoyable film.