The centerpiece of the third disc of this popular series is the two-part adventure "Jupiter Jazz," which offers hints about the shrouded past of hero Spike Spiegel. Spike returns to his old haunts on Callisto in search of a mysterious woman, and comes into conflict with his former underworld associates: the icy Vicious, apprentice mobster Lin, and transgendered barroom musician Gren. Director Shinichiro Watanabe's approach to storytelling is often fragmented and nonlinear, but the results form a strikingly moody collage of falling snow, gritty, blue-tinted cityscapes, and melancholy saxophone riffs. Few big-budget Hollywood features have presented a sense of urban alienation as effectively. The mini-mystery, "Toys in the Attic," comes to an unsatisfying conclusion that the elaborate computer-generated tracking shots can't disguise--and suggests that adding the spunky Ed to the cast was not a great idea. In "Bohemian Rhapsody," the crew of the Bebop find themselves pitted against an aged programming genius who designed a high-tech transportation system--and hid a flaw in the software. But he also concealed clues in chess pieces, setting up a formal and formidable battle of wits.
Note: Viewers of Chinese ancestry and other viewers may find the depiction of the gang lords in "Jupiter Jazz" offensive. Unrated: Suitable for ages 13 and older for nudity, violence, and adult situations. --Charles Solomon
