The Good:
Part two of the Gurren Lagann movie adaptations, this film covers the final act of the first and all of the second cour of the TV production, in a similar fashion to the previous part, although it includes more film unique scenes, with a revamped final showdown (if it's even possible to ramp the ending up even further). Lagann-hen succeeds in reminding us of all the successes of its predecessor, with the unique ability to always being able to raise the stakes higher then they ever were. The story is mostly intact with slight alterations that result in no major deviations. We see the end result of Simon's coming of age, and watch as he becomes his own person, shaped by the unyielding belief of his Aniki. The core ideas of "kicking logic to the curb" and going beyond resonate succinctly, yet permeate the entire show to its core, making easily clear what TTGL has to say. It's said that 40% of the TTGL TV budget was spent in its last 5 episodes, and it really does show, with nearly frame-by-frame animation used in glorious excess when it matters most. The characters really make the show come alive, and those upset in the screen time reductions in side character cast in Gurren-hen will welcome the film exclusive scenes towards the end. The soundtrack is mostly similar to that of the TV series, with classic unforgettable songs seeing altered arrangements for new punches.
The Bad:
Lagann-hen works with just under two hours of run time, compared to the roughly three times that of the related TV material. Several events take place without enough time for the emotion to stick with us, and the whole production has a clear sense of urgency that it never manages to shake. New scenes do great work later in the film, but leading up to that point consists of nearly exclusive old footage, which still maintains the strength of the TV series but may disappoint hard core fans.
The Bottom Line:
If someone came to me with 4 hours left to live, I might recommend the pair of Gurren Lagann movies, because a tale like this is criminal to miss. To all others, however, you're much better off watching the original TV series, a definitive anime classic that will go down in history as a masterpiece.
