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Posted by tatsunokofan on 15-04-2014 at 01:13:
Gatchaman Movie Reviews
Hi all!
As I can see from some of the comments being made, copies of the subtitled Gatchaman movie are finally reaching the hands of fans here.
So, the question now is what did you think of the movie? We know what the Japanese audiences said, and what random reviewers from the North American screenings said, but forget about them. What's important is what you, as fans of Gatchaman, think of the film.
Did you like it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? What parts did you like? What parts annoyed you? What did you think of the way they handled the characters? Do you have a favorite moment from the film? Were there ways it have been improved? Let's hear your views!
James
Posted by Springie on 15-04-2014 at 04:57:
Where do I begin? Hmmmm... I'll give you my general thoughts...as I need to go back and rewatch it for details. Overall, I'd give the movie a 5 out of 10. It wasn't bad, but it didn't knock my socks off either.
The English subs were ok...enough to follow the plot, and a few of the translations were funny. I cannot understand why they said that Ken eats a hot dog every day! Lol...
Anyway, I wish they had followed more of the original plot and that they had included some of the original music ( in some form). I guess I'm just a purist. The costumes were ok and although I did miss the original look, I understand why they made it more armored.
I think they weakened Jun's character a bit by making her openly chase Ken. I actually liked Ryu 's portrayal...he was stronger and still the " gentle giant". I think he outshone Ken and George a bit.
At one point, I thought George reminded me of Michael Jackson..but I don't want to tell what part so I don't give spoilers. I didn't like the portrayal of George, either...he seemed more weak...and he definitely didn't seem like George ( Joe) to me.
Ken was completely emotionless. Very different from the angst ridden character of the original series.
I really liked Jinpei...he was adorable and I liked that they made him the "techy kid" ...
Have you seen it with English subtitles yet, James?
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Posted by ElectricWhite on 15-04-2014 at 17:34:
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It was a part of a joke -- a short time later we see Ken in a park about to eat a hot dog with what looks like two pounds of toppings on it. (How in the heck can a guy so trim eat like that every day?!?)
Like you, Springie, I'd like to watch the movie again to get details, but that comment of yours wouldn't stop bugging me until I said something!
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by Springie on 15-04-2014 at 22:15:
testing...it wont let me post
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Posted by Springie on 15-04-2014 at 23:18:
Hey- it's working again!
I saw that hot dog...but I guess the joke just went over my head. I was wondering why they didn't have him eat noodles, or pizza, or even a spaceburger...LOL! I guess I was overthinking it!
...but now I am picturing a hot dog mecha terrorizing the city...
...and speaking of mechs...I liked the Cataroller in the movie...
...and now I am thinking I may have undiagnosed ADD... *grin*
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Posted by ElectricWhite on 15-04-2014 at 23:36:
I noticed a few "jokelets" here and there...I guess they'd fall into the "It's a Japanese thing -- you just wouldn't understand" category.
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by Springie on 16-04-2014 at 02:19:
Yes, I agree! 
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Posted by tatsunokofan on 16-04-2014 at 02:41:
Hi all!
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Just last night, actually. Heather wanted to wait to first see the film with subtitles, so we sat down and watched it last night. While certainly not perfect English, they weren't too bad. Some minor things did bug me though, like the way they kept referring to Ken ad the "Captain," when the dialogue uses the word "Leader." Seeing Joe as George got tiresome too, but I understand where that came from. However, if you listen to the dialogue, he is called "Joe' throughout the film.
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I think seeing all the negative reviews from japan probably helped things a bit. Because of that, I went into the film with much lower expectations than I might have had otherwise. As a result, I wasn't really disappointed. Still, I'd have to agree with you that a 5 out of 10 is a fair assessment.
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And, just to confirm, that is actually what Jinpei says when Joe asks what Ken is like in his everyday life.
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The music was an area that disappointed me. I had bought the soundtrack when it came out, so I was familiar with the music, and hearing it in context didn't improve it much. The music makes extensive use of the same melody, just in different tempos. But it lacks any real expressive context. It doesn't so much enhance the scenes where it appears as it does simply accompany them. It's the same problem I have with the music from shows like Star trek the Next Generation, where the music is nothing more than sonic wallpaper. My question is whether is is the fault of the composer, or whether he was simply following the instructions of the director.
While I didn't expect them to use any of Bob Sakuma's scores in the film, I had hoped that the music would utilize some of Mr. Sakuma's melodies. At the very least, the Gatchaman theme should have been used at least once.
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I agree with you on Jun. The portrayal of her attraction to Ken was one of the juvenile aspects that Japanese fans complained about, and I agree that it was waaaay overblown.
I liked the interplay between Jinpei and Ryu, and the "Gorilla" and "Monkey" nicknames were clever.
Ken came across to me as rather stiff. Not stoic or keeping a professional distance, which is what I think he was trying for, but rather he seemed like he was disinterested in being in the film.
Joe tended to go from one extreme to another. From emotionless to overacting in 0.2 seconds.
The effects were okay. A step above what we see in modern tokusatsu shows, but hardly feature film quality. When there are effects that look dodgey on a small TV, i can only imagine how awful they'd have looked on a movie theater screen.
As has been pointed out by others, the fight scene at the beginning of the film is a real highlight. However, I was bothered by the scene where they use the whips to stop Caterroller. I'm okay with the beams being strong enough to hold the mecha back for a while, but I can't accept that Ken, Ryu, and Jinpei are strong enough, or anchored enough, to do the same. It should have rolled right through, taking the trio of heroes with it. That was another example of them being too much like a typical tokusatsu show instead of being a serious, adult film.
I wasn't a big fan of their God Phoenix. The ship was too OAV inspired, and not enough like the real God Phoenix. The cockpit looked like little more than a greenscreen closet. How were they supposed to get in there? And when they all exited the ship to get inside Turtle King, what happened to the God Phoenix? Last we see, it looked like it was going to just nosedive into Turtle King's shell.
I did get a chuckle out of all the Tatsunoko items inside the store Ken goes into during the fight, like the Ken and Hurricane Polymer banks and the set of Yujin figures. And the name Jinpei gave Ken when he modified the ID so Ken could get into the party was wonderful!
So, a mixed bag. Not perfect, by any means, but not completely awful either. Yep, a 5 out of 10 is just about right.
James
Posted by Springie on 16-04-2014 at 04:31:
You've made some excellent points! I found " George" to be bothersome, too...and it was nice to hear them say what sounded like " Joe" to me.
I, too, noticed those dodgy special effects...and I hated those underlings for Galactor...the one with the plastic ponytails drove me nuts! It really made me feel like I was watching an old episode of Power Rangers.
I agree...The little Tatsunoko " Easter eggs" were a hoot!
Yeah, that God Phoenix...seemed more like Wonder Woman's invisible jet! I missed the layout of the original...I don't quite understand why they didn't make it more like the bridge of a ship...budget issues, maybe?
Re:the Cataroller scene...I agree...it would have made more sense ( maybe ) if they had anchored those blue beams somehow instead of holding them. I need to go back and look, but didn't Jinpei lose his grip at one point, regain it, and land sideways on the side of the building? Does he have suction cups in those boots? Lol...not sure if I remembered that right.
Oh, and the individual vehicles would have been fabulous...it's a shame they didn't have them.
I just wish the fans could get a hold of this property...
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Posted by tatsunokofan on 16-04-2014 at 05:57:
Hi all!
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You heard correctly. They call him "Joe."
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Hah! Wonder Woman's invisible plane was exactly what heather and I compared it to! I assume that they figured they didn't need a full control room set because it wasn't needed for this film. However, what they came up with was hardly a substitute. Everyone was crammed into one small space with no ability to move around and really interact. It was like watching Star Trek with the Enterprise's bridge being shoved into the space of a hatchback.
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Jinpei gets pulled over the edge of what he's standing on, but somehow hie isn't pulled off. Ryu loses his footing and lands on the side of another building, bracing himself there.
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Well, they could have been fabulous. Since they weren't even designed, we'll never know what they might have looked like.
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Maybe someday.
A few more thoughts about a couple of scenes in the movie. In the scene where "Iriya" is escaping, Joe finds him in a huge empty room. What on earth is that room for? I think we'd all kill to have that kind of storage space just waiting to be used! And where is Ken during the entire confrontation with Joe? We see him rushing to join Joe, but he must have been taking the scenic route to get there.
And during the final battle at the end of the film, when a staggery Ken is found by Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu, Ken takes off on his own. Really? The guy can barely walk, yet Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu all decide to head off to dig the God Phoenix out of the crater it must have dug in the hull of Turtle King rather than sending at least one of them along with Ken to make sure he doesn't, oh, I don't know, pass out while he's hunting for Joe. Seriously?
Okay, these are knitpicky points, but they sure stuck in my mind as I watched the film!
James
Posted by ChrisW on 16-04-2014 at 06:11:
I haven't seen it yet but I'm reading with a lot of interest. 
Even if fans got ahold of it, that doesn't guarantee it'd be good. Need talented fans with vision.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by Transmute Jun on 16-04-2014 at 19:43:
I'm reading with interest as well, but still haven't received my English subtitle version, so I can't comment more than I already have!
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Posted by Springie on 16-04-2014 at 21:34:
Good point...the vehicles *could* have been fabulous...but they could also have treated them like they did the God Phoenix, so maybe I should be thankful, huh? *grin*
Yeah, that whole Joe vs. "Iriya" scene was strange...that's the scene where I tthink Joe looks like Michael Jackson...I half expected him to grab his crotch and start singing, "Because I'm bad, I'm bad...you know it..." I, too, wondered where the heck Ken was (maybe he stopped for a hot dog on the way- LOL)...
I really want to go back now and rewatch...if I can get another moment to myself soon, I will. I'd also love to try and make a few screenshots to show everyone here some of what we are talking about!
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:12:
Guess what? I had some time tonight to watch again and make some screenshots... 
I'll include some to show what James and I are talking about and a few more, too...
One of the big jokes is about Jun's cooking, but it seems to come in during the strangest moments! (I'm guessing maybe it's a cultural thing...or a translation thing...but she mentions it seemingly out of the blue/context with the situation many times.)
Jun has just told Ken that she believes her parents are alive and are captives of Galactor, he says he will save them, and then she gets all excited and this happens:
Later on, there is a "teasing session" between Jinpei, Ryu and George and Jun...
Jinpei says:
and Joe explains that Naomi (Joe's fiancee) is the reason Jun was rejected...
Even later in the movie, toward the end, Jun tells Ken:
Take that any way you like...just kidding...what she means is that she is not going to evacuate...she wants to stick it out until the very end...I think...
...but then she adds this to her very profound speech...
They all share a laugh about her cooking...then, it's back to business...LOL
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:18:
James and I mentioned some fun Tatsunoko "Easter Eggs"...here they are:
and Doronjo! j/k...it's Katse...but she sure looks like Doronjo...
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:21:
And I guess it's good that Ken likes hot dogs...because Jun can't cook...
Here's his infamous hot dog!
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:25:
James and I mentioned the Cataroller scene, where they hold the massive mech back with blue whips intertwined...but the mech should have easily rolled away, taking them with it! That's ok, "G-Force" can just steady themselves on the side of the building...
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:30:
Awww...Jun doesn't like the new uniforms, I guess...
Joe's channeling his inner Michael Jackson...
Go! Go! Power Rangers!
Wonder Woman is wondering why they stole her Invisible Jet...
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:37:
Ok, so here's some of the Jun/ Ken wackiness...she is coming on TOO STRONG...and Ken could care less...it's really sad.
Jun and Ken are going undercover to find Iriya at a masquerade ball...
Ken ignores her...he is getting annoyed...and by the time they get in, he wants to leave her. He says:
She persists...asking him about Iriya and Naomi...
Ken leaves:
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Posted by Springie on 17-04-2014 at 05:40:
Joe overhears via radio? He reassures Jun and tells her that Naomi is engaged to him and that Ken supports their relationship...so Jun feels hopeful once more...
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