Kidou Senshi Z Gundam I: Hoshi wo Tsugu Mono

I must say, this movie was a great beginning for Zeta. Heir to the Stars does a decent job of setting up the new conflict with the Titans, who are supposed to be maintaining the Earth Federation, but very quickly show their colors to be just as corrupt and unpleasant as the previous Zeon forces. The AEUG uprising against them brings a darker political flavor to the series than the original had, and I'm thoroughly enjoying that direction greatly. Moreover, the new Gundam designs are wonderful. The Titans' transformable suits that can turn into jets are just cool, plain and simple, and they make the ... battle scenes feel much more hectic and frenetic than we had previously.

The characters are what really appealed to me, though. Kamille is such a different sort of main character from Amuro. He's hot-headed, a bit irresponsible, and blows his top at people willy-nilly. Still, there's a good heart hidden behind all that attitude, and he has tonnes of energy. Sincerely, it's nice to see a pilot who actually wants to fight, even if his temper gets him into all sorts of trouble. And then there's Char, or Quattro as we call him nowadays, and I'm quite liking where his story is going. Having him on the same side as the crew of the White Base still takes some getting used to, but it just feels natural. The mentor situation he's entering with Kamille is fitting well. Emma is another character who impresses. The manner in which she investigates the Titans, realizes just how corrupt they are, and betrays them in a matter of a few scenes makes her appear strong and authoritative, and I'm so glad she's with the AEUG now. Fa and Reccoa didn't have too much to do in this first film, but I suspect they will be important later. As for Jerid, he's actually quite a pathetic joke rival now since Kamille just goes on mopping him on the floor, but I have to give him credit where credit is due: he's obstinate, and at least that's fun to watch. And I also liked seeing that some of the old White Base crew members appeared, if only for cameos. It brings it all back around to the beginning and makes the leap to Zeta feel a lot less forced.

Production-wise, this movie is much better than the earlier ones. The animation is cleaner and more precise, making the combat a lot more fun to watch. The music and sound effects are also good and meet the tone, although there wasn't anything that stuck with me after the credits rolled. The voice acting is really good, and although it's kind of a disappointment that there isn't an English dub, I think the Japanese cast totally gets it. Overall, I really enjoyed Heir to the Stars. I gave it a 7/10 because while it isn’t mind-blowing, it’s a well-done continuation that introduces a great new cast, polishes up the presentation, and sets the stage for what feels like a bigger, darker story. I’m especially curious to see how Kamille grows as a pilot, how Char continues to evolve, and of course, how things will go once Amuro eventually steps back into the picture. Honestly, if the rest of the trilogy maintains this energy, I do believe I'm really going to enjoy the ride.

After seeing this I would have rather they just re-animated the whole damn thing because the scene that were re-animated were amazing if the whole thing was like that would have have enjoyed it so much more. But this isn't terrible BUT it wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't seen the OG Zeta, I would still tell them to go and watch the OG 50 episodes. I would how ever recommend this to someone who's seen Zeta back in the day and forgot the story this is a great way to refresh your memory.

DO NOT WATCH THIS, WATCH THE ANIME SERIES.

I was not going in with high hopes, as I was told this compilation trilogy is jarring and adds new animation to some parts but doesn't remaster the full thing, so it was going to be inconsistent. But it wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be, at least in this movie anyway. That being said a lot of the action sequences seemed rushed and it felt like they added even more camera shake effects (when there was already too much in the original). 80% of the action has your screen shaking and it is offputting ... to me.

I also wasn't prepared, for just how much is skipped. And this film skipped and cut A LOT. Kamilles' introduction is missing vital parts that cause Jerid's hatred for him. Fa, Captain Bright and Emma's introductions were also shortened, none for the better.

Kamille's parents have even less development and the death of his mother is extremely rushed. Which adds to his rivalry with Jerid being even less believable. The plot with his dad was completely changed to a much shorter version, which also makes his dad out to be even more evil than before. Removing this subplot also means Emma's character is basically skipped entirely. We miss out on her struggle and moral compass, on her going against orders and joining the AEUG.

The scene where Char's name is first mentioned to Kamille is also changed, less impactful and then cuts to characters going to get lunch.

The heaviest part of Zeta's first act is also removed. The one where they visit a colony that had been wiped out and see all the remains of the inhabitants. Instead, they show Emma a video of it on a laptop for 2 minutes. And then they move on.

The entire Jaburo arc is cut down to 20 minutes and so much is skipped I honestly don't know where to start. Not only does this miss out on giving Kamille and Char development, but it also gives us a weaker and shorter introduction for Amuro, Katz, Kai and Hayato.

Kamilles whole struggle as a character throughout the first quarter of the show is about whether he even wants to be a soldier or not and how he is hesitant to join the war, but in this, he proudly deems himself one to Fa and has no struggle at all, a complete change in character.

The music was okay but I have 0 other things to praise. The final sequence changes with Amuro and Char were neat, that's about it. There is no reason whatsoever to watch this recap movie, it is an inferior and far worse version of the original show.