Crusher Joe (1983): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1983, Crusher Joe is an action, adventure, animation and science fiction film directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, running about 132 minutes.

What it’s about. Enter the tale of the Crusher Council, a group of rugged individuals known for assignments ranging from transportation to terraforming and everything in between. In the early days of space exploration the Crushers took on the job of destroying asteroids and defining space lanes. Because of their work, they were nicknamed "Crushers" which eventually became their business moniker. Despite the rough and ready nature of the Crushers' work, they subscribe to a few steadfast rules. Unethical and illegal assignments are taboo, and any Crusher accepting one is barred from the Union. Of course, this presents problems for shady clients who try to trick the Crushers into accepting misleading assignments. They know that once the Union accepts a case the Crushers are honor-bound to follow it through. Among the various worlds, the Crusher Council has a stunning reputation, and among the Crushers, the most elite team is the one led by Crusher Dan and his successor, Crusher Joe.

Who’s in it. Crusher Joe stars Hiraku Takemura as Joe (voice), Noriko Ohara as Ricky (voice), Kiyoshi Kobayashi as Talos (voice) and Issei Futamata as Dongo (voice), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Crusher Joe has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Darkroom. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Crusher Joe page.

If you liked it. Fans of Crusher Joe tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.