I'm a huge fan of Gatchaman, going way back, so I was interested to see this film, based on the trailer. It's definitely not the original story. It's been tweaked quite a bit, although the basic elements are still there. The Earth has been attacked by an outside force, although here it is a virus that has altered part of the population, who are then destroying and subjugating the rest. Conventional weapons seem useless; but five young heroes lead the charge. The enemy, Galactor, is led by a mysterious being, known as Berg Katse. That's all still there; but the rest is decidedly different.
The Gatchaman team aren't so much the product of technology as they are the conduit for some kind of energy gem, which gives them their heightened abilities. However, only a select few can harness the power of the gems and only these gems an defeat Galctor's soldiers. It's gets more convoluted and the movies run time doesn't really sort things out well. It suffers from the same problem that the 1994 OVA series had, in that it is trying to cover the same ground as the 1972 TV series, which spanned 105 episodes. It gets rather confusing.
The look of the film is very much influenced by the redesigns from the OVA. The costumes and the Phoenix share pretty much that same look. Galactor and Berg Katse have been significantly altered. It's also rather darkly shot, during much of the action. This, coupled with quick edits, makes it hard to really follow the action.
The story is a mixed bag. The film starts out with some cryptic exposition, which raises more questions than it answers, then moves right into the action, with a Galctor assault on Tokyo and the International Science Organization, the parent body of the Gatchaman team. After that, we get more exposition and backstory, and a heavy focus on the emotional element of the story, the conflict between Ken and George, as well as the looming presence of Katse and Galactor. It seemingly takes forever to get to the climax. The structure isn't much different from the average TV episode, as they hit you with action, character drama, then an epic climax. Same thing here, though the drama seems protracted and never really seems to resolve itself. In many ways, the movie reminded me more of the Super Sentai shows that drew inspiration from Gatchaman, rather than the original series. The biggest change is the nature of Berg Katse. Without giving things away, it has elements of the original, but they are pieced together in a much different manner.
In the end, I thought it was a decent attempt, but felt disappointed. The story needed to be simplified so that it flowed better. The opening section is great; but the middle needed rewriting, paring the story down more. The climax has some good stuff, but it gets confused in sections. Things are left open for a sequel, so we will have to see if one arrives and if it can deliver a tighter story.
Fans of the series will be able to fill in some blanks on their own, though non-fans are likely to be left scratching their heads through most of the film. There are homages to the original; but it tries to be its own thing. It could be a lot worse; but it could also be a lot better. At best, it's an interesting experiment.
The Gatchaman team aren't so much the product of technology as they are the conduit for some kind of energy gem, which gives them their heightened abilities. However, only a select few can harness the power of the gems and only these gems an defeat Galctor's soldiers. It's gets more convoluted and the movies run time doesn't really sort things out well. It suffers from the same problem that the 1994 OVA series had, in that it is trying to cover the same ground as the 1972 TV series, which spanned 105 episodes. It gets rather confusing.
The look of the film is very much influenced by the redesigns from the OVA. The costumes and the Phoenix share pretty much that same look. Galactor and Berg Katse have been significantly altered. It's also rather darkly shot, during much of the action. This, coupled with quick edits, makes it hard to really follow the action.
The story is a mixed bag. The film starts out with some cryptic exposition, which raises more questions than it answers, then moves right into the action, with a Galctor assault on Tokyo and the International Science Organization, the parent body of the Gatchaman team. After that, we get more exposition and backstory, and a heavy focus on the emotional element of the story, the conflict between Ken and George, as well as the looming presence of Katse and Galactor. It seemingly takes forever to get to the climax. The structure isn't much different from the average TV episode, as they hit you with action, character drama, then an epic climax. Same thing here, though the drama seems protracted and never really seems to resolve itself. In many ways, the movie reminded me more of the Super Sentai shows that drew inspiration from Gatchaman, rather than the original series. The biggest change is the nature of Berg Katse. Without giving things away, it has elements of the original, but they are pieced together in a much different manner.
In the end, I thought it was a decent attempt, but felt disappointed. The story needed to be simplified so that it flowed better. The opening section is great; but the middle needed rewriting, paring the story down more. The climax has some good stuff, but it gets confused in sections. Things are left open for a sequel, so we will have to see if one arrives and if it can deliver a tighter story.
Fans of the series will be able to fill in some blanks on their own, though non-fans are likely to be left scratching their heads through most of the film. There are homages to the original; but it tries to be its own thing. It could be a lot worse; but it could also be a lot better. At best, it's an interesting experiment.