Synopsis:
Twelve years after Amuro Ray and Char Aznable's climactic confrontation, the Earth Federation has grown ever more corrupt, with Amuro's sacrifice and message of unity seemingly falling on deaf ears. Mafty, an idealistic terrorist organization secretly led by Hathaway Noa (using the pseudonym "Mafty Navue Erin"), seeks revenge against EF officials for their apparent greed and decadence. Hathaway must contend with a new anti-Mafty unit led by EF Space Force Colonel Kenneth Sleg, even as both men are drawn into a strange, triangular relationship with Gigi Andalucia, a mysterious and intoxicating young woman with potentially supernatural powers.
Release Date:
2021
Timeline:
UC 105
My Grade:
B
Before I say anything else about Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, I want to mention just how much the animation blew me away. This is among the absolute best-looking Gundam films. Even though there isn't a ton of action (more on this below), the quality of animation shines through in each and every little character interaction and conversation, down to subtle body language cues. Right from the start, during the film's prolonged intro sequence, which is all human-based (as opposed to mecha), we were hooked on the stellar visuals. Add in a gorgeous score by Hiroyuki Sawano and you have a true feast for the senses.
Moving on, though, I have to say that, as a concept, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is something of an odd duck - while it's part of the larger Universal Century timeline, it simultaneously takes place in its own pocket continuity which entirely ignores all events following the conclusion of the Amuro Ray / Char Aznable storyline. The reason for this discrepancy is because the plot of Hathaway is in fact roughly thirty years old - the novel series it's based on (Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash) was meant as a continuation of the events featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Beltorchika's Children novel, which itself was the initial unused pitch for what would later become the first Gundam film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. Confused yet??
Fortunately, Hathaway doesn't rely on convoluted canon to tell its story, instead focusing on heavily character-based moments all revolving around a tight, well-developed trio of protagonists.
I left the film hungry to know more about Hathaway and what makes him tick - almost to a fault, actually, as I still wasn't quite clear on what his motives were by the end. He seems to wish for all humans to leave earth - how murdering Earth Federation officials is supposed to accomplish this is not apparent, though. It also seems like he should in fact be aligned with the Earth Federation, who now employ roving teams of Man Hunters (mobile suit-armed deportation squads, last seen briefly in Char's Counterattack) to force people off-world. Does Hathaway actually care about the planet's people or does he just want to punish earth's leaders for their perceived decadence? If it's the former, how does murdering politicians (and occasionally civilians) help anyone, and how would the Earth Sphere's citizens be better off if they all lived in space colonies? These questions aren't answered, as this film is ultimately just the first of a three-part story. I was left uncertain as to whether these discrepancies were intentional or merely the result of sloppy writing. However, there are some hints that it's the former, as Hathaway is shown to be conflicted about his own actions - for instance a scene in which he is surprised by a cab driver who says he wants to stay on earth despite the government's corruption.
Hathaway's foil is Colonel Kenneth Sleg, newly appointed leader of the Mafty Annihilation Unit (aka "Circe Unit"). Sleg is a bit older than Hathaway and though he's more experienced, he lacks Hathaway's natural composure and coolness, instead resorting to a strained macho persona which doesn't seem to impress many people. Despite this "cool guy" attitude, Sleg is in fact an incredibly competent and sly officer and investigator, who is able to correctly deduce Hathaway's true identity with a minimum of information, leading to an intriguing game of cat and mouse. Both men seem to know what the other is thinking, but can't act on their intuitions in the moment, lest they lose the upper hand.
Gigi Andalucia is the dark horse element that bridges the gap between Hathaway Noa and Kenneth Sleg, adding the personal stakes of a sort of love triangle to their ongoing dance. With her long blonde hair (which is animated to perfection) and stunning beauty, she initially seems like she may be just a pretty face - but we quickly learn that there's something more to this character. Despite her bubbly and occasionally immature attitude, she shows signs that there's something much deeper going on behind her hypnotic, glassy eyes. Indeed Gigi herself implies that she's actually much less innocent than she lets on. We even get a sense that she may be a Newtype, or may possess some similar power (whether she herself is aware of it or not).
Though the character development in Hathaway is superb, there is a definitive dearth of mobile suits in this Mobile Suit Gundam film. There are only two mobile suit-based action sequences, both brief and both taking place at night in the dark. Though they're decent for what they are, I wanted more of a tentpole action set piece to make the movie really pop - the showdown between Hathaway and anti-Mafty pilot Lane Aim isn't quite it.
What we do get are two new mobile suits, the RX-105 Ξ (pronounced "k-see") Gundam piloted by Hathaway and the dragon-like RX-104FF Penelope which is deployed by Kenneth Sleg's Circe Unit. To be blunt, I am not a fan of either design - each is a jumbled mess of bulky, haphazard plates that look comically clumsy. Worse, since both have virtually identical color schemes and neither machine has a particularly distinguishable silhouette, it makes their nighttime clash later in the film virtually impossible to decipher.
Hathaway Noa, the son of legendary Earth Federation captain Bright Noa, is our titular star. He's certainly come a long way from his emotionally impulsive youth (as seen in Char's Counterattack). He's now cool, collected, calculating, competent, and extremely aloof - an interesting rubric, as he's also the secret leader of the anti-Earth Federation terrorist organization known as Mafty. It's occasionally questionable as to whether any emotion Hathaway does show is real or just an act to achieve his goals. However, there are instances in which his mask drops and he exhibits genuine grief, uncertainty, and joy. This intricate turmoil below an otherwise smooth surface makes for an extremely compelling and dynamic character.
I left the film hungry to know more about Hathaway and what makes him tick - almost to a fault, actually, as I still wasn't quite clear on what his motives were by the end. He seems to wish for all humans to leave earth - how murdering Earth Federation officials is supposed to accomplish this is not apparent, though. It also seems like he should in fact be aligned with the Earth Federation, who now employ roving teams of Man Hunters (mobile suit-armed deportation squads, last seen briefly in Char's Counterattack) to force people off-world. Does Hathaway actually care about the planet's people or does he just want to punish earth's leaders for their perceived decadence? If it's the former, how does murdering politicians (and occasionally civilians) help anyone, and how would the Earth Sphere's citizens be better off if they all lived in space colonies? These questions aren't answered, as this film is ultimately just the first of a three-part story. I was left uncertain as to whether these discrepancies were intentional or merely the result of sloppy writing. However, there are some hints that it's the former, as Hathaway is shown to be conflicted about his own actions - for instance a scene in which he is surprised by a cab driver who says he wants to stay on earth despite the government's corruption.
Hathaway's foil is Colonel Kenneth Sleg, newly appointed leader of the Mafty Annihilation Unit (aka "Circe Unit"). Sleg is a bit older than Hathaway and though he's more experienced, he lacks Hathaway's natural composure and coolness, instead resorting to a strained macho persona which doesn't seem to impress many people. Despite this "cool guy" attitude, Sleg is in fact an incredibly competent and sly officer and investigator, who is able to correctly deduce Hathaway's true identity with a minimum of information, leading to an intriguing game of cat and mouse. Both men seem to know what the other is thinking, but can't act on their intuitions in the moment, lest they lose the upper hand.
Gigi Andalucia is the dark horse element that bridges the gap between Hathaway Noa and Kenneth Sleg, adding the personal stakes of a sort of love triangle to their ongoing dance. With her long blonde hair (which is animated to perfection) and stunning beauty, she initially seems like she may be just a pretty face - but we quickly learn that there's something more to this character. Despite her bubbly and occasionally immature attitude, she shows signs that there's something much deeper going on behind her hypnotic, glassy eyes. Indeed Gigi herself implies that she's actually much less innocent than she lets on. We even get a sense that she may be a Newtype, or may possess some similar power (whether she herself is aware of it or not).
While Sleg (like most other men) is immediately enchanted by Gigi's looks and charm, Hathaway takes a longer time to warm up to her. It's clear that in many ways she reminds him of Quess Paraya (from back in Char's Counterattack) and he doesn't wish to become personally involved with another woman after his previous romance turned to disaster and tragedy. However, Gigi is nothing less than a human vortex who irresistibly draws Hathaway in, causing him to question what he thought he wanted.
Though the character development in Hathaway is superb, there is a definitive dearth of mobile suits in this Mobile Suit Gundam film. There are only two mobile suit-based action sequences, both brief and both taking place at night in the dark. Though they're decent for what they are, I wanted more of a tentpole action set piece to make the movie really pop - the showdown between Hathaway and anti-Mafty pilot Lane Aim isn't quite it.
What we do get are two new mobile suits, the RX-105 Ξ (pronounced "k-see") Gundam piloted by Hathaway and the dragon-like RX-104FF Penelope which is deployed by Kenneth Sleg's Circe Unit. To be blunt, I am not a fan of either design - each is a jumbled mess of bulky, haphazard plates that look comically clumsy. Worse, since both have virtually identical color schemes and neither machine has a particularly distinguishable silhouette, it makes their nighttime clash later in the film virtually impossible to decipher.
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| A chungus duo if I ever saw one |
I admit that I came out of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway not initially enjoying it. After a lot of consideration, though, I now feel like it has more going for it than I first thought. Despite the minimal amount of action and sometimes slow pacing, I found myself thinking back to the wonderful characters over and over, wondering what might be in store for them next. Taken as a standalone film, Hathaway is understandably a bit disappointing since it doesn't contain a fully satisfying narrative arc the way something like Fellowship of the Ring does (despite also being the first in a trilogy of stories). Hathaway does, however, do a ton of painstaking work setting up its characters, and I can only hope that this effort will pay off in the future installments, whenever they may arrive.
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