Mobile Suit Gundam: L'éclat de Hathaway

First of all the animation, cinematography and atmosphere is incredible. World design is 10/10 and pretty decent writing and storyline. The night scenes were amazing and having to see mecha fights from perspective of people on the ground was very cool and you really feel the scale of it

Clearly only for gundam fans if you're new to gundam you'll probably be scratching your head.

I really enjoyed this movie but it has one major problem, the gundam fights and designs. Unfortunately you can barely see the gundams the director chose to keep them off camera for most of the movie and then in the end when they are fighting it's all happening in a flash, the gundam design actually looks horrible, possibly the worst gundams design so far, they took a very unusual route with the design making them look with big spikes and dragon like but it was poorly executed. And it's like they don't even want you to see them because the camera is mostly zoomed out and the fight is happening all in flashes , at some point you can't even tell which is which. This is very unfortunate as something gundam series is good at is showcasing the awesomeness of the gundams but we never get that opportunity here.

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.

Having seen only a few of the Gundam Series, this didn't make much sense straight out. You make out a couple of names, and references to Char Aznable.. so the context is set, and you can place your self in a timeline.

But this movie works more as a "First episode" anyway, with a story that is somewhat easy to follow. The writing is one that presents eloquent characters in a "smart setting".. that is to say it takes the viewer seriously. As a Gundam piece of content, it doesn't scratch any itch, but as a character study and setting, it is intriguing. Watch for Gigi's gorgeous animations, and every visual and design in general, if nothing else! And for the little bit of action it presents!

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 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.