Roughly corresponding to the episodes 31-43 of the first Gundam TV series, “Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space” is among the most dramatic parts of the story, in another epic space film.
Gundam III is screening October 23&27, as part of AX Cinema Nights
Continuing exactly from where the second movie finished, White Base launched off from Jaburo having changed the tide of the war on Earth, and now head towards space. The Earth Federation is starting to take new type humanoids more seriously, considering the successes White Base had, but eventually decide to use them as a decoy, in order for the Zeon Forces to go after them. In the meantime, the feud between Amuro and Char continues, despite the fact that the former seems to hold an advantage due to his Gundam. In the meantime, the presence of the New Types continues to complicate things, while a number of relationships among the protagonists come to the fore.
There are three aspects of the narrative that allow “Encounters in Space” to stand out, and neither has to do with the action actually, at least not directly. The first concerns the aforementioned interactions. Amuro and Char are in center, but the appearance of Lalah, a girl whom Amuro is drawn to but is soon revealed to be a New Type connected to Char, adds a new layer to the feud between the two. Furthermore, the relationship between Amuro and his father, which takes a rather dramatic path, allows Yoshiyuki Tomino to explore his character even more.
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The love triangle that is shaped between Ensign Mirai and her suitors, prosecutor Cameron, Captain Bright and Lieutenant Sleggar is quite intriguing, adding yet another level to the interconnections of the members of the crew. The connection between Char and Sayla, Char and the Zabi family, and Solomon’s family conclude the interpersonal intricacy here, which definitely reaches the borders of the social drama, in a definite trait of the title.
The second is the way politics are implemented throughout the movie, with the way various people of power exploit the ones below them, only to find themselves betrayed on occasion, creates an intricate web in the story that definitely adds to its contextual quality.
Lastly, and in an element that actually encompasses all the rest, the consequences of war are highlighted in the darkest colors, with the images of destruction and death being constant, and quite impactful. This last sense is heightened by the fact that many of the protagonists end up dead, adding more impact to the drama here, particularly since Tomino spends enough time to allow the viewer to get to know them before he kills them.
The above, however, do not mean that the action is placed in the background. On the contrary, the battles are many and quite lengthy on occasion, while one will definitely feel awe at the amount of detail in the presentation of the various mechas, with the drawing in that regard being of the highest level. The animation by Nippon Sunrise is equally great, both in the one-on-one battles (with mechas or without) and the more massive ones, while the movement of the characters during the non-action scenes is realistic. Occasionally, the title shows its age, but this more induces it with an appealing retro sense rather than detracting from it.
The conclusion of the first trilogy is a true epic, with “Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space” definitely having stood the test of time, particularly due to its contextual intricacy.
