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SUMMARY

It is the Universal Century year 0093.

It has been 14 years since the fall of Zeon during the one year war. However, peace has yet to be obtained. Char Aznable, believed dead after the battle with the Titans, has reappeared and is now leading the forces of Neo Zeon. Still angry at the mistreatment of the space colonies by the Earth government, he has decided that it is time for humanity to leave their world. To further this goal, he drops the asteroid 5th luna on the Federation HQ at Lhasa, Tibet.

Aumro Rey, the only pilot able to defeat Char, has enlisted with the defense force Londo Bell. Their mission is to patrol the colonies for any sign of rebellion. Unfortunately, the colonies are sympathetic to Char and hinder their investigations.

Just as soon as things start to heat up, Neo Zeon makes an overture for peace. Not sure what is going on, Londo Bell starts their own investigation. What they discover will bring the Federation to their knees.

Now Aumro is the only thing that can stop, Char's Counterattack!

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: Good video quality for this premiere release. Looking much better than their Japanese VHS or LD release, the colors are richer and fuller. With animation this beautiful, you want a great transfer.

AUDIO: This DVD has 4 tracks. The English 5.1 is the best of the 4, with a rich, full sound, and plenty of surround sound. The Japanese 5.1 is also very good, but it is higher pitched than the English track. The English 2.0 sounds good, but is quieter in volume, and not as full bodied as the 5.1. I can't really tell the difference between the Japanese 2.0 and the Japanese 5.1.

EDITS: An overlay at the very beginning and the addition of English credits at the end of the film are the only edits.

EXTRAS: The original theatrical trailer, a "model music video" and a filmography are the extras. Sorry, no photo gallery.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Char's Counterattack is one of Yoshiuki Tomino finest movies. Unlike some of his other works, he manages to balance the drama with awesome mecha combat sequences. With him as the creator, writer, and director, his love for Gundam really shows.

ACTING: I love the Japanese cast, especially Ikeda Shuichi. There is no one else who can play Char. His voice is perfect blend of a charming personality that conceals a seething anger. His arrogance shows in every word that comes from his lips.

The rest of the Japanese cast is excellent. Each plays their part to max.

The English cast is decent. Unfortunately, we don't really know who plays what part, so it is hard for us to mention who we liked or disliked. Overall, this is no where near as bad as their "Gundam Wing" dub.

FAN SERVICE: None. No bouncing breasts, no real panty shots, no sex. Those who have seen every aspect of the Gundam series (Gundam, Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam, War in the Pocket, and Stardust Memories) will catch several of their favorite characters making brief cameo's.

CONCLUSION

This is it. This is the end of the war between Char and Amruo and boy, is it a doozy. This is almost two hours of non stop mecha combat. While the soap opera theatrics are still there, the battles more than make up for it.

The seeds of this battle were sown 14 years ago, during the One Year War. The Zeon government was working with Lalah, a girl with "Newtype" ability. Her psychic powers enabled her to use a new weapon called the Psycom. Her abilities also caused her to form a mental connection with both Char and Amuro. During a fight, Lalah attempts to intervene, and is killed by Amuro. Char never forgave the young man and vowed to make Amuro suffer.

Despite a brief alliance, the two of them are back on opposing sides. The wounds run deep between the two, and Char has no compulsion about making the entire world suffer for Amuro's action. Amuro is also on a simple mission, to stop Char, no matter what.

Much like the original series, there is plenty of drama. Romantic entanglements, hidden secrets, and familial conflict that were staples of the TV series are back with a vengeance. Some of it is a little annoying, (like anything involving the spoiled Quess), but it does add to the motivations of the characters. To add to the drama, characters are introduced, and as soon as you start to care for them, they get killed off. Be prepared to have your heart strings pulled.

Although you don't need knowledge of the long and convoluted history of Gundam, it does help. Fortunately there is some exposition, but unless you read the accompanying information booklet, some of it wont make sense.

The animation is fantastic. The mecha designs are beautiful and the battles are awesome. I have yet to see any robot series match the intensity of these fights. The motion is fluid, and there is never a dull moment.

With such a great movie, and such a build up about its release, the actual DVD is weak. Despite its great looking picture, the lack of extras is disappointing. I do give them credit, Bandai does not try to palm it off as a "Special Edition".

Mobil Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is an awesome animated film. With its grand drama, lightning quick, beautiful animation, and great acting, you can't go wrong with this film.

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