Kidô senshi Gandamu: Senkô no Hasauei

I'm not a a fan of the series, but this movie came into my Netflix recommendation and I thought I'm gonna give it a try. I love it! I enjoyed it a lot.

First, I love the art, it's a classic style with a touch of modern animation technology. I feel like I watched a 80's anime but much better. Second, the ambience, there is a right amount of romance in the air and tbh, reminds me of James Bond's classic movie. There also fan service scenes, thankfully nothing vulgar. Third, the story might more enjoyable if I follow the series but I think it's enough for a non-fan like me. It makes me want to dig more into the series.

Murase's glorious return to the industry and entry into Gundam is a visually stunning masterpiece. Feeling like the spiritual continuation of Ergo Proxy, Hathaway has added a new breath to Gundam with Murase's color tones, shadings, drawing techniques and minimal but uplifting music. But this movie is more than just a visual feast. Coming out of Gundam's now banal theme of "War's damage to society", the film perfectly handles the new perspective that Hathaway Noa added to the events and it manages to be an extremely superior work in terms of narrative and story. Contrary to the other Gundams, interior monologues and ethical dilemmas at the points where the movie rises too high are used much more effectively. The first masterpiece of the 2020s has been revealed.

The difference between a series episode and a movie is that, even if they are connected, the film attempts to provide a standalone story that anyone can enjoy. If you are a fan of the series you will enjoy the parallel story and the hidden gems, if you are not you might like the film and try the series. Unfortunately, Hathaway is not that.

I don't enjoy Mechas that much and the only reason I watched this was that I thought some of the Mecha stories were good stories. I can't complain about the story too much, other than it was filled with hard to believe coincidences just in order to keep the same characters in focus, but without being familiar with the stories you won't get what this film was about. Characters pop up, complete with names and former connections to existing characters, and you are supposed to know who they are. The world is not developed at all. Everything stands on your ability to have seen, liked and remembered the preexisting content. And to top it off, there are two battles in total involving Mechas, one of them seen from the standpoint of civilians running around dodging debris.

The animation was good, without being exceptional, the acting was OK, but I didn't get anything out of the story, didn't empathise with any character and I do not feel the need so see what happens next. All in all it was pretty boring.

The movie looks really good and has some beautiful character designs but other than that its a slog and is only recommended for die hard fans who are heavily invested in Gundam. Those new to the series will be extremely confused and will feel no real connection to the characters or story and may feel frustrated from the lack of any sort of refresher.

As a fan of Universal Century, the movie didn't elevate the rich history with younger, but familiar characters, sadly. The endless exposition will please those who like drama but someone seeking a more balanced mix of action will not find it here.

In summary, the movie looks good with sparse action scenes and a story that requires a quick rundown, Hathaway is a worthy attempt by Netflix to present Gundam to an audience who would've wanted a bolder and more thrilling addition to the franchise.

Hathaway is perhaps my favourite entry in this franchise yet, with its emphasis on the moments between big fights. The big robot battles are fun, all the more so when I care a lot about the characters in the cockpits. The visuals are the best I've seen in this timeline so far. Brilliant lighting, shot composition and a greater sense of scale really sell the weight of the events and the mechs.

It does suffer from a little too much exposition, especially towards the start, but that's sort of a staple of the franchise at this point. It also feels really disconnected to Unicorn and Narrative, but they're adapting a novel that was written before those existed. I'll give it a pass, for now. I'm very excited for the sequels that are supposedly on their way.