Ragtime

A fast-paced sci-fi adventure, Coyote Ragtime Show (2006) is clearly aimed at fans of Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Super-criminal "Mister" busts out of prison, determined to reclaim the 10 billion "Space Dollar" horde of Pirate King Bruce Dockley. But Mister doesn't want the loot for himself--he wants to get it to Dockley's daughter Franca. And the swag is hidden on the planet Graceland, which is slated for destruction. Investigators Angelica and Chelsea are hot on Mister's tail, as are the 12 android assassins of Madame Marciano. The filmmakers cut from chase to battle to chase with barely a pause for breath. Coyote Ragtime lacks a strong central character to anchor the adventures, the way Spike and Vash did in Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. The episodes careen along so wildly, the results feel exhausting, rather than exciting. Some viewers may be offended by the depiction of Swamp Gordon, an African-American pirate turned revivalist preacher. (Rated TV 14 VL, suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, profanity, risqué humor, ethnic stereotypes, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon