Trigun: Badlands Rumble [Blu-ray]

In town surrounded by quicksand, an outlaw from Vash the Stampede’s past has resurfaced after twenty years. His name is Gasback – and he’s looking to cause a little trouble. It seems Gasback has a serious beef with the town’s mayor, who’s paying dozens of bounty hunters to protect his turf. One of those hired guns is a beautiful woman with a vendetta against Gasback. Will she get a shot at revenge? Maybe, if she can get through Gasback’s bodyguard, Wolfwood. And what’s Vash got to do with this mess? Nothing much – except for the fact that he personally set off the entire chain of events two decades ago!

Amazon.com
More than a decade after the Trigun broadcast series debuted (1998), Vash the Stampede is back in a new adventure, Badlands Rumble (2010). As the film opens, Vash keeps bank robber Gasback and his henchmen from killing each other. Twenty years later, Gasback attacks Macca City, the town the henchmen built. A five billion double dollar policy from the Bernardelli Insurance Society protects the gargantuan bronze statue looming over the town, so Meryl and Milly are on hand to protect the company's investment. Gasback's plan has brought scores of bounty hunters to Bacca in pursuit of the staggering reward on his head, including Amelia, a mysterious redhead who has the misfortune to catch Vash's eye. As bullets fly, Vash keeps people from being killed and faces down his old friend, gun-totin' preacher Nicholas Wolfwood. When the smoke finally clears and the credits roll, Vash learns that every throw of the dice can have greater consequences then he realizes. Johnny Yong Bosch re-creates the role of Vash, mixing over-the-top romantic nonsense and serious reflections. The rest of the cast is new, with Brad Hawkins as a slightly cooler Wolfwood and Trina Nishimura as a properly befuddled Milly. In the extras, Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow says that Badlands Rumble was made in response to the requests of North American fans. Given the popularity of Trigun--and the movie's inconclusive ending--there may be more adventures in store for the irrepressible Humanoid Typhoon. (Rated TV 14: violence, violence against women, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon