Five feature films from the Universal Centruy Gundam series:
The Movie Trilogy
Although the subsequent television series, theatrical features, novelizations, manga, and merchandise have made it one of the most popular properties in film history, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s landmark mecha series Kido Senshi Gundam (Mobile Suit Gundam) was not a success when it aired in Japan in 1979. But when the series was recut with new animation into three theatrical features in 1981 and 1982, it connected with audiences, sparking a craze that climaxed with near-riots in Japanese toy stores over Gundam merchandise. Inspired by George Lucas’s Star Wars trilogy, George Pal’s Destination Moon, and the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu, Tomino set out to create a universe that would enable him to go beyond the standard duels and battles to explore politics, mysticism, ecology, and social prejudices. The robots in earlier science fiction adventures were generally remote-controlled machines owned by boys who treated them almost like pets. Beginning with the Mobile Suit RX-78, the Gundam robots resembled outsized space suits that could function as one-man space ships. Kunio Okawara’s anthropomorphic designs blended the flamboyance of traditional samurai armor with high-tech angularity. The eye-catching results added to the visual power of Tomino’s well-choreographed sword fights and wrestling matches on Earth and in space. The Gundam features ushered in a new era of mecha adventures–and anime fandom: decades later, their influence can be seen in countless other animated sci-fi epics.

Char’s Counterattack
The fourth Gundam feature (1988) takes place 14 years after the third and continues the rivalry between Earth Federation mecha pilot Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, now ruler of the space realm of Neo-Zeon. Char so hates the Earth, he plans to bombard the planet with asteroids, causing a deadly nuclear winter. Although the corrupt Earth Federation commands vastly superior resources, all that really stands in Char’s way is Amuro and his Nu Gundam Mobile Suit. Writer-director Yoshiyuki Tomino continues the story of the Newtypes, humans who possess psychic powers. The latest possessor of these abilities is Quess Paraya, an obnoxious teenager who whines and fusses until she’s finally killed. Char’s Counterattack is essentially a two-hour space battle, and although Tomino had only limited technology at his disposal, the choreography of the mecha duels is generally effective and exciting.

Miller’s Report
In this brief OAV, Federation intelligence officer Alice Miller pretends to examine captured Zeon mobile armor, but she’s really investigating the conduct of Lt. Shiro Amada during the skirmish that reunited him with Zeon noblewoman Aina Sahalin. Miller bluntly challenges Shiro’s conviction that even enemy soldiers shouldn’t be killed unnecessarily, but Shiro remains unshaken in his beliefs, even when staring down the barrel of a gun. Miller’s Report consists almost entirely of recut footage from the 13-episode 08th MS Team adventure. Seeing Shiro and his loyal crew of misfits again is a welcome prospect, but there’s very little that’s new. The 08th MS Team is set in 0079 UC (Universal Century), within the main Gundam continuity. This collection belongs in the library of every serious anime fan. Rated 13 Up: Brief nudity, minor profanity, and violence. –Charles Solomon

Released in Japan 23 years after the initial Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (2002) introduced a new generation of viewers to the Yoshiyuki Tomino’s sci-fi universe. Kira Yamoto becomes a mecha pilot when he stumbles onto the top secret GAT-X105 Strike Gundam during an attack on his home satellite-colony, Heliopolis. The Earth Alliance and ZAFT, the fighting arm of the genetically enhanced humans known as Coordinators, are at war; Heliopolis is caught between them. Because Kira is a Coordinator, he can pilot the Strike and reprogram its operating system with no training. Although he’s a civilian, Kira joins the crew of the Earth Alliance ship Archangel, fighting off ZAFT attackers. But many of the “Naturals,” the regular people he defends, doubt Kira’s loyalty because he’s a Coordinator–even when they owe their lives to his extraordinary abilities. The focus of the story is not the struggle between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, nor the conflict between the Naturals and the Coordinators: it’s the clash between Kira and his old classmate, Athrun Zala. A dedicated ZAFT officer, Athrun adheres to a space-age version of bushido, the warrior’s code of honor; Kira only fights to protect his friends. These emotional entanglements provide a backdrop for the dramatic Mobile Suit battles in space, on Earth and under water. Director Mitsuo Kukada stages these CG fight sequences with a panache that makes the viewer forget how often the action violates the laws of physics. Gundam Seed provides all the elements that have made Gundam one of the most popular franchises in animation history. Material from the first 20 episodes was recut into the feature Mobile Suit Gundam Seed–The Movie. (Rated 13 and older: violence, minor profanity, brief nudity, alcohol use) –Charles Solomon

Universal Century 0093. 13 years have passed since the events of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. But the foundations of peace are once again threatened by a new Neo Zeon army led by the infamous Char Aznable! Their ultimate goal is to initiate a nuclear winter upon Earth ushering in a new age of mankind into space. Armed with the state of the art Nu Gundam mobile suite, Amura Ray and the Federation forces are all that stand against Neo Zeon. Torn between vengeance, duty and love- the final battle between rivals Char Aznable and Amuro Ray is finally at hand! Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, Mecha Designs by Yataka Izubuchi. Genre: Mecha/Sci-Fi/Action.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) gets increasingly complicated, as Amuro Ray and Char Azanable from the first Gundam series appear. The confrontation between the rebel forces of the A.E.U.G. (Anti-Earth Union Group) and the power-hungry paramilitary Titans becomes a triangle of competing powers when a relict Zeon force arrives on the scene, led by Haman Karn, who is determined to restore the Zabi family to power. The storyline gets even more tangled as Kamille Bidan uses his Newtype powers to establish psychic bonds not only with his girlfriend Fa Yuiry, but with Sarah, Four, Reccoa, Emma, and Rosammy. These links feel repetitious, as do the metal-hand-to-metal-hand duels between Kamille’s Zeta Gundam and the enemy Mobile Suits that occur in every episode. There’s little sense of a broad story arc, and at this early phase of anime, the filmmakers were still learning how to write credible female characters. Fa comes across as a twit along the lines of Minmei in Robotech, and she’s saddled with two thoroughly obnoxious orphans. Zeta Gundam lacks the depth of characterization that made 08 MS Team memorable and the CG-assisted space battles in Gundam Seed and other recent installments. But for viewers interested in following the development of the popular and long-running Gundam franchise, it’s must viewing. (Rated 13 and older: violence, violence against women, nudity, alcohol use) –Charles Solomon