MSG films

[Ark]

I'm considering buying the trilogy if I like Zeta.

I'm wondering though what the films are like.

Are they fairly decent or are they like the Rahxephon movie?

[Suiko Eiji]

They're a condensed and slightly altered version from the TV series. If you've not seen the TV series, they cover the highlights of the story and characters so one can move to the sequels.

Are they decent? Like, entertaining? Yeah, I like them. They're entertaining. They're pretty much a visually touched up TV series. They also have a few more touched up image songs that (I don't think) were in the TV series.

[Levon]

They also have a few more touched up image songs that (I don't think) were in the TV series.

I don't think so, I could be wrong though.


I prefer the music from the original movie tracks & TV series. The new remix was disapointing.


Did Japan release the movie trilogy on DVD with the original track?

[Suiko Eiji]

Err... what I said ended up coming up jumbled. There are image songs in the movie, as far as I can recall, that were not present in the TV series is what I meant.

I don't know about the Japanese DVD set having either an original score or a touched up score.

[Techrobo]

Their definitely worth grabbing if you like other UC series, OVAs, and movies. Its also worth seeing them simply because of their important role in the history of the mecha genra and anime as a whole.

[Sharp-kun]

Personally I find the movies to be, overall, superior to the TV series.

[Ark]

I guess what I was asking was are they films in their own right or are they just hour long recaps.

[Lord Timaeus]

It's been a long time since I saw the movies, and I barely even remember the scenes. I do remember I couldn't care much for many of the characters, though, since I barely got the chance to know them.

Perhaps if I could find all the volumes of the TV series, though, I might change my mind about the original MSG.

[Suiko Eiji]

I guess what I was asking was are they films in their own right or are they just hour long recaps.

Recaps of the entire TV series.

[CrossboneGundam]

Why would you watch Zeta first and then decide whether or not to watch the original? Zeta's significantly better if you know what happened in the original.

Recaps of the entire TV series.

Roughly half of the second movie is new material, and almost all of the third is new footage, and the story is significantly different from its TV equivalent. There was little focus on Newtypes in the series, and that was pretty much the entire focus of the third movie.

[Ark]

Why would you watch Zeta first and then decide whether or not to watch the original? Zeta's significantly better if you know what happened in the original.

Because it's supposed to be a classic.

I'm only planning on buying the films not the series.

[Suiko Eiji]

Definately, the MSG films, TV series, and Zeta TV are all classics.

When you say you don't plan on buying the films, do you mean the MSG film trilogy or Zeta film trilogy?

[CrossboneGundam]

Because it's supposed to be a classic.

I'm only planning on buying the films not the series.

That doesn't make sense. Mobile Suit Gundam is more of a classic (not to mention a watershed moment in mecha anime, that created an entire new genre,) than Zeta, and Zeta's a direct, chronological sequel to that.

Anyway, in your first post you said you'd consider buying the trilogy if Zeta was good, which is totally backwards logic. That's like saying you'll watch Star Wars after Empire Strikes Back, but only if Empire is good.

[Ark]

When you say you don't plan on buying the films, do you mean the MSG film trilogy or Zeta film trilogy?

I said I was planning on buying the MSG films.

I didn't know there was a Zeta trilogy.

[Sharp-kun]

Don't forget to buy the 0083 movie :D

[Suiko Eiji]

Yeah, a Zeta movie trilogy was done from 2005-06 and announced for eventual US release earlier this year, I believe. I've not watched through the films yet to see if they are any good/better/worse compared to the TV series, so milage may vary.

[Ark]

That doesn't make sense. Mobile Suit Gundam is more of a classic (not to mention a watershed moment in mecha anime, that created an entire new genre,) than Zeta, and Zeta's a direct, chronological sequel to that.

Anyway, in your first post you said you'd consider buying the trilogy if Zeta was good, which is totally backwards logic. That's like saying you'll watch Star Wars after Empire Strikes Back, but only if Empire is good.

I didn't buy Zeta I've borrowed it from a friend.I don't know anyone with MSG.

I think my point was I haven't really seen any Gundam series before.

[Levon]

It's been a long time since I saw the movies, and I barely even remember the scenes. I do remember I couldn't care much for many of the characters, though, since I barely got the chance to know them.

Perhaps if I could find all the volumes of the TV series, though, I might change my mind about the original MSG.

You do lose character development. Ryu for example, his death had more of an impact on me in the TV series because we got to know him much more.

Theres some good stuff you get to see in the TV series like M'Quve fighting Amuro in the Gyan durring the texas battle but in the third movie they cut him from the battle. You can't really notice when watching it, Amuro follows the Gyan to the Texas colony where he has traps & tries to destroy the Gundam, Char joins the battle in the Gelgoog. They fight together but M'Quve wants the Gundam for himself & fights the Gundam but then dies and when he blows up Char protects Lalah from the explosion. In the movie the explosion was change to be a bomb I believe. The whole battle was edited a lot, they even took scenes from when the Gyan was having his saber dual with the Gundam & made it look as if Char was doing it.

You also miss such things as the Challia Bull episode. Its not part of the main story so of course it could be cut but it did have some interesting stuff.Theres a good scene that shows Char talking about his views on Newtypes & human kind to Challia & a good conversation of Lalah & Char where Lalah tells Char that she will destroy the Gundam.

Or the Fedeation spy in one episode, I think the Odessa day episode. Which is where we find out where M'Quve was getting his intelligence about the White Base & Odessa day.

Theres also a scene of the Zabi's discussing what to do with Char after Garma's death.

Of course none of this is that big of deal, just small details besides the loss of character development.

I guess what I was asking was are they films in their own right or are they just hour long recaps.

I wouldn't say its a recap. It was edited very well into a movie trilogy & can be seen without having to see the TV series first.

[Suiko Eiji]

You do lose character development. Ryu for example, his death had more of an impact on me in the TV series because we got to know him much more.


[moan and groan]I never liked Ryu much to begin with[/moan and groan]

[Techrobo]

[moan and groan]I never liked Ryu much to begin with[/moan and groan]
C'mon, everybody likes Ryu. Hes like the Fat Albert of Gundam. Whats not to like?

EDIT: Idea for improvement of MSG TV Series English Dub - Have Bill Cosby do all the voices.

[Levon]

I don't see whats wrong with Ryu. He has a lot of honor.

[Suiko Eiji]

I don't see whats wrong with Ryu. He has a lot of honor.

I was first exposed to him via Super Robot Wars 3 and no matter what upgrades I did to him, he was still pretty lousy. Petty, I know.

I never meant to imply his death was trivial or poorly done, quite the opposite, but I just never liked him.

C'mon, everybody likes Ryu. Hes like the Fat Albert of Gundam. Whats not to like?

EDIT: Idea for improvement of MSG TV Series English Dub - Have Bill Cosby do all the voices.

You might be on to something...

"Mobile Suit Gundam is like New Coke... it'll be around forever heh heh heh"

[HitokiriShadow]

Yeah, a Zeta movie trilogy was done from 2005-06 and announced for eventual US release earlier this year, I believe. I've not watched through the films yet to see if they are any good/better/worse compared to the TV series, so milage may vary.

I haven't seen them myself, but it seems tha there are some significant differences in the last film like Camille not getting his brain fried

Considering that Zeta was longer than MSG and had less fillerish and easily removable material, I expect that it suffers from pacing issues more than the original MSG trilogy did.

[Ark]

I'm sorry if this has already been answered but am I right in thinking these films are only subtitled.

[Suiko Eiji]

I'm sorry if this has already been answered but am I right in thinking these films are only subtitled.

In 1999 the films were released in the US in both sub and dub formats on VHS. The dub version was admittedly horrible. Levon, the biggest dub fan I know, I'm pretty sure even he hates it. When it came time to port the films to DVD for "re-release", since it was mostly older fans who were really watching the old Gundam series, decided to drop the dub track entirely and release sub only DVDs.

So, short answer - yes, the R1 DVD are sub only.

[Levon]

The dub is the worse Gundam dub ever made. Yes, even much worse than SEED's which at least somewhat watchable.