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//some backstory//
SSSS.Gridman is really important to me, being one of the first seasonal anime I discovered and watched on my own in 2018 (i.e. without a friend's recommendation) and ended up liking ALOT.

I was like 14 back then; for somebody who grew up watching transformers and power rangers this was like the dream show for me. The bombastic soundtrack, entertaining characters and the super interesting stuff which was happening with Akane made the anime leave an everlasting impact on my impressionable brain (even though I was too dumb to completely understand the last part on my own so I hard to resort to reading articles).
Fast ... forward 3 years, after watching alot of different types of shows and movies, I watched Dynazenon as it was airing; which at that time I found to to be even better than Gridman.

Now, before I could watch this movie I decided rewatch both Gridman and Dynazenon as I wanted to give it the sendoff it deserves. And this was unironically one of the best choices of my life, watching these shows and the movie have given me an unpredented appreciation for this frachise. I could now properly understand why Gridman's story of Akane's escapism impacted me so much. I could now see why watching people overcome their past regrets and move on in Dynazenon was so engaging for me.
Seeing these these two stories end on such a fulfilling note made me wonder how were they planning to incorparate a 'finale' movie.

In this time I aso read/watched some stuff regarding the original Hyper Agent Gridman show. So I could appreciate some elements more (like the 5,000 year old mummy episode mirroring dynazenon, final few episodes mirroring gridman and the stuff with Anosilus II).


//the actual review//
This movie primarily deals with Yuta's identity, which was one open plot point from the Gridman anime and it handles it really well. Its also extremely witty and meta in some sections (particularly the first half) when its discussing the relation of humans with the fictional worlds they love creating and exploring.
Watching the characters from both universes interact with each other was such a treat. Seeing them learn from their pasts and each others' and then finally get a deserving sendoff was gratifying.

The animation, both 3D and 2D is exhilirating (that one sequence of Yuta in the school hallway lives rent free in my head). Also the blending of live-action scenes led to some surreal sequences as well.
There is this one scene in the final battle where the OP is playing, which is already hype as you can imagine. But the it suddenly switches and I just lost my shit; unironically one of the most "HOLY SHIT" moments I've ever had watching something.

The finale was extremely sweet, and wraps up everything perfectly.
You just love to see it.


Thank You,
(Special Signature to Save a Soul) Gridman and
(Scarred Souls Shine like Stars) Dynazenon.
I will never forget this.
I hopefully understood what you were trying to tell. And even if I didn't, atleast I laughed.

Well, after months of watching UC gundam (im going through UC in chronologcal order), I finally reached this movie. And to say I was excited was an understatement. I was mostly going in blind but had some rough idea about what was about to happen.
(i've marked the SPOILER sections in this review)

This movie was truly an ethereal experience worth the wait, for someone who loves film and Gundam both.
Production wise, its a late 80s Sunrise film, ofcourse it looks and sounds beautiful. The way different colors of the warships, mobile suits and their lasers/missiles contrast with the cold blue/black isolation of space leaves a striking ... image. The portrayal of colonies brought the same wonder to me when I first saw them in Origin / 0079. All of this looks even better in motion.

During my first watch, honestly I was kind of lost with the plot as the last time I saw Char was at the end of Zeta when he was telling Kamille about how "the future generations" will be the ones to save humanity and progress them forwards. Now (4 years after that) he wants to drop the Axis on Earth so humanity can get a fresh start ? But as I continued watching the movie it all made sense to me.
Witnessing how the Earth Federation (the older generations) had failed Kamille (humanity) at the end of Zeta and their lack of incentive towards providing any sort of solution / opposition to Haman during ZZ definitely impacted Char and his way of viewing the world.

But more so than all this, at his mental lowest, in a childish desire (Lalah did say that Char was 'pure') he wanted to prove that he was better than Amuro. I believe that all of his actions post Zeta and in this movie were just a guise, under which he desired one last duel against Amuro, his fated rival who had rid Char of the first person who gave him hope for the future of humanity. He had finally decided to go out and wanted peace with his rival regarding what happened in 0079 with them and Lalah.

The more I think of him in this light, the more his actions make sense.
Amuro, on the other hand juxtaposes Char really well as I think he's the best he has ever been in this movie. Absolutely determined to stop the pending catastrophe along with Char no matter what.
Seeing how he developed from an unsure child who had no idea what/who to fight for, to a PTSD-strucken soldier who did want to fight ever again because of his experiences, to finally becoming the best version of himself and accepting the responsbility he holds; this journey has made him one of my favourite characters.
Char and Amuro were both deeply affected by the Lalah incident, but unlike Char, Amuro had other people he could turn to and hence the difference in how they turned out (ofcourse, in Zeta Char was at his 'best' and Amuro at his 'worst' but life is never constant).

Also the Nu Gundam and the Sazabi are amazing, both expressing their pilots' conditions flawlessly. Nu is like a knight, with an assymtreical design symbolising the imperfection of the humanity its fighting for (heck even those funnels worked against Amuro's will when he first used them against Gyunei).
The Sazabi is beastly looking (even more so in the manga ver: Nightingale) with an interesting thing to note being how this is the first mobile suit I've seen (so far) where the pilot sits in the head and not
in the chest; further highlighting Char's lack of heart.
The final battle between these two is more of a messy club brawl, with the desperation clearly exhibited in how pilots operate their mechs.


I'll now gush about my favourite scene in the movie.




// SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING // - Overview at the end




-- spoiler tag again, thanks for reading till here but please go watch this movie first--


The final scene of this movie is one of my favourite scenes to ever exist. With no solution to slow down a portion of the Axis falling towards the Earth, Amuro straight up decides to push it away using the Nu.
"I'm not as impatient as you are, I'm willing to wait for humanity to learn and grow."
As he says this, all the forces which were figthing (including Neo-Zeon) try to help him push the threat away. However, the stress is too much for their mass production suits to handle and they start burning/breaking. There is also another scene here which deeply affected me where a Jegan (federation suit) holds a Neo Zeon suit's hand to try prevent it from drifting away.

All of this really made me realize that when worst comes to worst. humanity can work (or atleast try to) together and accomplish some goddamn amazing things (which is applicable in real life as well!).

This action paired with the dialogue between Char and Amuro, which finally makes Amuro realize the reasons behind Char's actions and how they were more personal than just spacenoid movement for indepenence allows him to finally understand him and unlock high psycho-frame resonance and push the Axis away.

The entire final sequence is *chef's kiss*.





// SPOILERS END //


There are plenty of other moments in the movie which deserve praise but the ending really left its mark on me (and other people, seeing how widely discussed it is). Obviously the movie is not perfect, it starts like a "third act" and there are some scenes which still have me wondering their implications, but here's to hoping further rewatches change that.




All things included, this movie is amazing and worth your time, even as a standalone if you've never experienced UC Gundam never before because it makes you feel things (regardless of good or bad) and thats the most important thing.