Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack Review

Synopsis:
After biding his time for several years, Char Aznable returns as the leader of a reinvigorated Neo Zeon force, threatening to plunge the earth into nuclear winter if his plans come to fruition. Amuro Ray, now serving under Captain Bright Noa in the Earth Federation's new Londo Bell mobile suit division, crosses paths with Char once again as the two put their epic fourteen-year rivalry to rest at last. 

Release Date: 
1988

Timeline:
UC 0093

My Grade:
B-

As the first Gundam theatrical release and the culmination of almost a decade of storytelling centering on the events of the Universal Century timeline broadly, and Amuro and Char's rivalry specifically, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack has a lot riding on it. While the film does contain a lot of fantastic action and beautiful animation (the best the Gundam franchise had seen by this point), it unfortunately suffers from a handful of extremely unlikable characters and a failure to deliver on past story threads, dragging down what should have been a much more satisfying milestone for the Universal Century timeline. 

Right off the bat, we're thrown into the new status quo with little backstory - after being entirely absent from Mobile Suit Gundam: ZZ, Char Aznable has since resurfaced to lead a new Neo Zeon force against the Earth Federation, having apparently decided that the entire population of earth must be wiped out (a far cry from his character and motivations in prior storylines). No mention is made of the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG), which served as the primary "good guy" team for the entirety of the previous two series' stories. In fact, with the exception of a single throwaway line re: Haman Karn, not a single mention is made of any of the events that spanned Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam or ZZ. This film instead ignores those stories completely and assumes the audience has only seen the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. I can only guess that this was done intentionally in order to avoid bogging audiences down with almost 100 additional episodes' worth of backstory, but as a viewer seeking closure on the overall UC events up to this point, it was very disappointing to only get this narrow focus. The jump is so jarring that it feels as if an entire additional series could have occupied the space between this film and ZZ, centering on Char's return and rise to power.

Notably absent are the original series' supporting characters (with the exception of Bright Noa and a small handful of scenes featuring his now-wife, Mirai). It seems we'll never see Kai Shiden or Fraw Baw (or her orphaned children) again (I know Kai comes back briefly in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, but that wasn't for another 22 years). Most conspicuously absent is Sayla, Char's sister, who played a pivotal role in the original series and was hinted at returning through both Zeta and ZZ. Her complete absence leaves one of Gundam's biggest unresolved story threads unaddressed, likely forever, not to mention the lack of other major characters from Zeta and ZZ like Kamille, Fa, Judau, etc. 

What we do get is a heavy focus on Amuro and Char, which is great for what it is. You really get a continued sense of what's going on in each of these complex characters' minds (even if Char's motives don't make all that much sense on paper), and their final showdown is very satisfying in terms of wrapping up their long-standing rivalry (though we do get a sort of epilogue to that later on in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn). If nothing else, at least Gundam's two main characters are handled relatively well here in their last true appearance.

Main characters aside, the supporting cast really drags down the roster here. Both Amuro and Char have disposable love interests (Amuro's previous squeeze, Beltorchika, is inexplicably gone) who admittedly add a nice touch of humanity to the story but are relatively inconsequential otherwise. More importantly, the actual crux of the film revolves around the newly introduced Quess Paraya, spoiled daughter of the Earth Federation Vice-Foreign Minster. To be blunt, Quess is THE worst in Gundam's long line of "annoying girl" archetypes - she's bratty, selfish, psychotic, obsessive, loudmouthed, and wildly unstable (yes, I know her emotions are "extreme" because she's a Newtype - that doesn't make her more likable). Every moment she was onscreen (which is a lot of the film), Leah and I found ourselves squirming. It was disappointing how much time was spent with this insufferable and irredeemable character when that same effort might have been spent crafting a story that included Sayla or other left-behind characters. 

"Notice me, Senpai! (or I'll kill hundreds of people)"

The time-honored Gundam tradition of slaps continues!

Gyunei Guss, a Cyber Newtype serving as Char's wingman, shares many of Quess' annoying personality traits, specifically the ones falling under the category of "obsessive" - his driving motivation is to out-pilot Char so as to prove himself in the eyes of Quess, a thirteen-year-old girl he just met who shows no interest in him. Great. Glad we're spending time with these two yahoos rather than Sayla, Kamille, Judau, or literally anyone else. 

"Maybe if I act even MORE like an entitled stalker, this thirteen-year-old girl will love me!"

Lastly, we have Hathaway, Bright Noa's son, who gets wrapped up in the events and forms a bond with Quess. Hathaway is actually a pretty decent character - he acts appropriately for his age (no more or less mature than he should be) and doesn't do too much to negatively impact the story...that is, until he straight up murders one of the main characters in a fit of rage. Hoo boy. It'll be interesting to see how he's portrayed in the new Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash film, which takes place ten years after these events.

Just two innocent kids - definitely no murderers here!

 
Amuro and Char's new mobile suits, the RX-93 Nu Gundam and MSN-04 Sazabi, respectively, are both great, especially the latter. While the design of the Nu Gundam is a classic to this day, it felt a bit underutilized to me, especially its Fin Funnels system, which Amuro spends most of the film not being able to control. The Sazabi, on the other hand, is an intimidating brute that kicks all kinds of ass throughout the movie. When the two titans clash, it's a sight to behold: 

The ending of the film is a climactic affair, with Amuro and Char venting their mutual rage both physically and emotionally. The stakes are through the roof and it all rests on the wills of these two contrasting warriors. However, my favorite moment during this sequence (and the film in general) had nothing to do with Amuro or Char. It's when some of the Zeon mobile suits fly in to unexpectedly aid their Federation adversaries - as they start being blown away by the force of the giant meteor they're trying to hold back, one of the Federation grunts reaches out and grabs the mechanical hand of one of the Zeon soldiers, trying to save what was up to that moment his enemy. Great stuff.

Beyond this, though, the actual end of the film is very abrupt - without decades of internet posts to refer to, I'm not sure I would have known what actually happened to Amuro and Char if I were just walking out of the theater. We also don't get much in the way of closure for any of the other characters - like many Gundam stories, this one ends abruptly as soon as the main characters finish their business. 

As the conclusion of Amuro and Char's journey, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack feels like a fitting and respectful ending to a long and exciting rivalry. With gorgeous animation and many pulse-pounding action sequences, there is a lot to like about this film. On the other hand, taken in the broader context of the UC Gundam storyline, the movie is an often frustrating exercise in wondering what could have been. Of course, personal expectations are a big part of this, but I can't help but feel like I wanted something different. I'm aware of the novel, Mobile Suit Gundam: Beltorchika's Children, which presents these events differently, but I can only react to the film itself, which is decent, but ultimately a mixed bag.