MOVIE OVERVIEW
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Genre: Anime
👍 Pros: Great for the current fan, tons of new tech toys
👎 Cons: Not great for an introduction to the series
✅ Bottom Line:
Hey Noisers! A week ago, Vitto and I were covering New York Comic Con, it was here that I remembered that I REALLY enjoy anime! Over the last few years I found myself too busy, too lazy to keep up with the latest shows coming from the land of the rising sun. So what better way to get back into the swing of things than to revisit a perennial franchise (and the one that got me hooked on anime) to get back in the swing of things. Here’s my non-spoiler review of Gundam 00 The Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer.
Set two years after the emergence of the world’s first true Innovator (the next step in human evolution) and the end of the war between the A-Laws, Earth Sphere Federation, and the “Innovators,” Trailblazer once again asks can the world truly live as one entity in peace. The world has entered a period of reconciliation and the actions of the paramilitary group, Celestial Being, have made possible an uneasy peace that is just as fragile as it was in the years leading up to the great war at the end of Gundam 00 Season 2. With a just a couple of years of peace (and no end to their bickering), the Earth faces a threat from the far reaches of space that may very well end life on Earth.
For those familiar with the Gundam franchise, Trailblazer is packed with great characters, a broad scope of world (the movie is set primarily in space but manages to ground the tension of the story on Earth), and lots LOTS of action sequences. Also, we see the introduction of various new mobile suits and mobile armor – this is really how to get the tech obsessed paying attention.
As far as animation style is concerned, Gundam 00 does not disappoint. Gundam 00 was the first in the franchise history to be produced in true widescreen and in high definition; the perfect canvas for the bright and colorful character designs employed throughout the series. There’s a reason why this movie was released with the intention of being seen on Blu-ray, you owe it to yourself to watch it in full HD.
One of my gripes however, was with the pace of the movie. Trailblazer took on the daunting task of writing coherent/relevant stories for the 100 multiple central characters and though for the most part they were entertaining, at more than one point they felt rushed or not thoroughly explored. I’m aware we’re dealing with a time constraint of two hours but if you don’t plan on telling me way it was a pivotal moment (not really but telling you all this will not affect your viewing of the movie if you haven’t already seen it) for Saji Crossroad to leave his girlfriend/wife behind to be a “space engineer” and then never have either of the two show up again, there’s a problem.
Another potential problem lies in the fact that Trailblazer is intended to tie up some loose ends from the series, so if you’re unfamiliar with the series, you’re pretty much left thinking, “what the balls is going on here?!” It’s a movie that fans of the series will appreciate but would leave newcomers feeling isolated or too far removed from the individual stories of the characters and the tensions of the newly formed Earth Sphere government. The problem with most Gundam series/movies, is that without investing the time with each preceding story (or 25 episode season) the characters fall flat and no connection can be established between them and the viewer.
That said, Gundam 00 was a perfect movie for me, a fan. There were enough new mecha introduced, wrapping up the compelling storyline from the past two seasons, and the slick animation style used in the original series and movie were nothing less than breathtaking. As a fan it’s easy to give the movie high marks but objectively speaking, there are too many self-references that would go over your head if this is your introduction to Gundam 00; but if you’re a fan of mecha anime, give Trailblazer a spin.
I’m a Gundam Wing person. The rest of the Gundam universe has never really appealed to me.
BLASPHEMY!!! Actually 00 is a modern remake of Wing, so if you liked Wing, you will be very familiar with whats going on here.
I have always liked SEED and 08th Team myself, as SEED was just an updated original Gundam and 08th Team made the Gundams just like very powerful weapons in mortal hands…no 50 vs 1 fights where the Gundam is invincible…in fact, the Gundams overmatch the normal MSs, but is nothing against a true ace pilot…who still can’t stand against a small group of Gundams. Kinda more “realistic”.
I always remember the episode from 08th Team where the Gundams break down in a dessert, because sand and dust jams it machinery. It just seemed more authentic.
I can respect that, but there was always something about Wing that appealed to me. 08th lost me. I’ll give 00 a chance if it has the same sort of tone and feel.
Pretty much…its the “mysterious youths representing a mysterious organization” deal. The names are different and the story not as focused, but you can see the lines to Wing.
It is worth a watch, and yes, the Gundams are so overpowered that the enemies are only there to get blown up.