Recommended for age 9 and older. This animated science fiction fantasy from Japan is full of such charming contradictions that one critic called it a mixture of Star Wars and Pinocchio. The Galaxy Express is a spaceship that looks like a steam locomotive. In his search for castles on a distant planet, the film's hero encounters robots, but he also meets villains reminiscent of pirates and bandits. Galaxy Express 999 (Ginga Tetsudo 999) was a very popular film in Japan; our print is dubbed in English.

• Directed by Taro Rin. Written by Shiro Ishimori and Paul Grogan, based on a television series by Leiji Matsumoto. Animation director, Kazuo Komatsubara. (1982, 91 mins, In English, 35mm, Color Animation, Print from Films Inc.)