Review of Mobile Suit Gundam I

Seeing Mobile Suit Gundam I was an interesting experience, particularly since it was the first movie remake of the original 1979 series. The movie sums up the first 13 episodes into one story, relating to Amuro Ray, a teenage civilian who becomes the pilot of the RX-78-2 Gundam by chance after a Zeon attack on his colony. Along with the White Base crew, he confronts the chaos of war, learning about duty, determination, and the heavy burden of being drafted into a war so much older than he is. The movie is capable of establishing the Universal Century, the Earth Federation vs. Zeon conflict, andthe internal conflict of each character, and although there were some moments that happened a little too quickly because the movie is so short, it was still holding me through to the end.

The animation is quite possibly one of the standout features of the movie, and it's incredible that it was accomplished so early in the 1980s. The designs of the mechas are snappy, battles are kinetic, and levels are incredibly detailed for the era. Moves can be stiff from a contemporary perspective, but the graphics still transfer gravity and vigor into action sequences. The music is extremely period-accurate, harmonizing in tone and providing emotional hooks when necessary, albeit not being memorable. Having watched the film, I was drawn into the ferocity of the battles and the general universe of the narrative and appreciated the way visuals and sounds blend to make war tangible.

The ensemble of characters is really stellar. Most of the members of the White Base are teenagers, and their inexperience can be infuriating sometimes, but it is believable considering they were more or less dragged into a war they never wanted. Amuro's growth from an unwilling pilot to one who becomes aware of his duties is exciting, and the dynamics between the crew provide depth and realism. Some surprises were entirely unforeseen, most notably how characters react when under pressure, and some that were infuriating because they were so naive, but that made their progression all the more pleasing. All in all, I gave Mobile Suit Gundam I a 7/10, liking the strong animation, the grounded character moments, and the engaging story, with the primary criticism that the music was somewhat old-fashioned and some of the immaturity of some of the characters was occasionally distracting. The film had me eager to see the rest of the trilogy and see how the story and characters continue to develop.