Directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, “Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island” is an adaptation of the 15th episode of the original, 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series, presented in a 108 minutes edition.
In Theaters in the U.S. on September 27 and 28; and in Canada on September 29 and October 1
After enduring a defensive battle in Jaburo, the Earth Federation Forces plan to launch an operation to capture Odessa, the headquarters of Zeon's Earth Attack Force. Amuro and the White Base head to Belfast to resupply before the mission. Before that happens, though,Bright Noa, now promoted to Lieutenant Commander, receives new orders; to head to an uninhabited island known as the “Island of No Return” to wipe out stragglers that seem to be hiding there, as two GMs and the Gunperry transporting them were destroyed a short time before in the area.
As ordered, Bright passes the island and dispatches Amuro Ray's RX-78-02 Gundam, Kai Shiden's RX-77-02 Guncannon with Job John and Hayato Kobayashi using the Gunperry and remaining at a landing base for them. Their forces are split though, and Amuro ends up fighting the aforementioned Zaku, losing the Gundam in the battle. Eventually, he regains his senses in a house in the island, where a number of kids are living in, along with a man named Cucuruz Doan, who is soon revealed to be the pilot of the Zaku, as much as the carer of the children. Amuro tries to find his Gundam, but his interaction with the “family” on the island soon affects him significantly. Meanwhile, both the leadership of the Earth Federation and Zeon turn their interest towards the island, with their forces headed towards the location, and the fight being inevitable.
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko directs a film that unfolds in three levels. The background one concerns the politicians and military leadership of the two opposing factions, and the pressure they put on the soldiers on the field, essentially pushing them to do things they do not want to. Bright Noa is on the verge of crumbling under this pressure, occasionally lashing out to subordinates he definitely loves, while Doan has chosen a completely different path, of leaving the army and trying to atone for his past by taking care of the group of children. The consequences, however, are also visible on him, and are mostly presented through his former comrades, some of which truly hate him for leaving.
His interaction with the children, for whom he is essentially a father figure, provides the second level here, as we watch a rather adorable relationship, which even Amuro finds impossible to avoid after a point. His transformation, actually, is one of the best aspects of the narrative, as we watch him gradually also becoming part of the family, and struggling with his duty towards his comrades.
The third level concerns, of course, the action, which here comprises not only of mecha battles, but also ones among spaceships and even one-on-ones between the protagonists, in a variety that definitely benefits this aspect. The animation by Sunrise finds its apogee in the mecha battles, and particularly the rather lengthy sequence in the end, where the intense action is combined with much drama, in a series of impressive scenes. The movement of the mechas and the rest of the war machines is impressive, with this part being the most entertaining in the film, but also benefiting the most by the build-up that led to these scenes.
Some lack of tension does exist on occasion, with the middle part moving towards a children's movie path, while a certain knowledge of the background of the story would definitely benefit viewers. At the same time, though, there are enough elements here to overcome these issues, with the film ending up being one that can also be watched by more mature audiences.
Lastly, the character design by Tsukasa Kotobuki, Atsushi Tamura and Yasuhiko himself is quite good, staying both close to the original but also making the drawing more contemporary, something that also applies to the coloring here.
Although a title that, in theory, addresses Gundam aficionados, “Cucuruz Doan's Island” is quite appealing on its own, offering much entertainment to even the “ignorant” viewer, and that is where its true value lies.
