Some anime titles I'd recommend:
Wings of Honneamise (aka Royal Space Force)
On a basic level, this is
The Right Stuff set on another planet; the story of a post-industrial society's first steps into space. Only, on this world, man has been trying -- and failing -- to get into space for several decades, so the astronaut program is considered something of a 'joke'; an organization fit only for pilots who 'wash-out' of the military air force. The story follows Shiro, a disillusioned prospective-pilot-turned-astronaut who happens to be in the right place at the right time, as the space program finally begins to find momentum in the face of (what else?) an inter-continental Cold War! During his journey from nondescript 'slacker' to national hero, Shiro meets Riquinni, a religious girl who awakens in him not just affection .. but a genuine interest in philosophy, as it relates to the historical achievement of a manned space flight.
More amazing than the story itself is the lush alien world of Honneamise; although the characters are human, they are not earthlings .. and this is emphasized by the fact that every detail of the film is designed from an alternate -- yet seemingly just as functional -- approach. Everything from architecture and vehicles to clothing and utensils are recognizable .. yet different.
This was the first film from Studio Gainax, which would go on to produce the hit anime titles
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster,
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water,
Neon Genesis Evangelion, and
FLCL (
aka Fooly Cooly/
Furi Kuri) -- none of which were theatrical films (although
Nadia and
Evangelion did have theatrically-released 'final chapters'), so I didn't include them in this list. However, they are all well-worth seeking out and taking the time to watch!
Venus Wars
In the year 2003, an icy comet collided with the planet Venus (remember that?
), effectively terraforming it and making it possible for mankind to establish colonies there. By the year 2089, Venus is a bustling frontier-style planet with two major nations whose differences bring them to war. Earth reporter Susan Sommers meets a group of motocross racers during the initial conflict -- who themselves become ensnared in the rebellion when its new weapon (basically a motorcycle-tank) is unveiled.
Although not quite as 'deep' philosophically as
Wings of Honneamise, this anti-war(!) film still packs a few emotional punches .. and is pretty intricately-detailed in its own scenery and mech designs.
This film was written & directed by anime/manga 'wunderkind' Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who was also the director of the
Dirty Pair and
Crusher Joe (which is also an excellent anime film; it's basically the animated adventures of Han Solo!) ..
Catnapped! (aka Catland Banipal Witt)
Just your average story of a boy and girl who are taken to a magical land populated by cats, in order to recover his dog from an evil wizardess whose mere touch can turn any living thing into a balloon! The dog becomes a giant rampaging monster in Catland, and the boy and girl become cats .. but if they can't get their dog and return to their world within three days, they'll become monsters, too!
This highly-imaginative and fun-to-watch movie bears a strong resemblance to the lighthearted Toei animated features of the 1960's (despite being made in the mid-1990's). The director, Takahashi Nakamura, was one of the animation directors on
Akira .. and he has also directed another feature titled
A Tree of Palme (a 're-imagining' of Pinocchio), which is likewise an excellent & imaginative anime film.
There are several other titles I could recommend; but those have been mentioned while I was typing all this
.. so, I'll stop with these three.
. 
), I wrote a 79-page essay on the film career of Charlie Chaplin. For three months, I watched every Chaplin movie and read every Chaplin book I could get hold of .. and I kindled my interest in silent movies that continues to this day. 
