Why so much hype?

Overrated and overhyped

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Excellent but underrated film

Char's Counterattack is soaked in melancholy, potent and elegant. It's large use of conversation and character development in between its action may turn off some, but it has enormous payoff when the third act rises. The score is just perfect and the animation fantastically crafted. Film's like this can rise or fall on their main cast yet not only are the lead protagonist Amuro Ray and his adversary Char Aznable throughly fleshed out but the movie is flooded with a vibrant supporting cast that you care about. The fact that its part of a larger canon will discourage a larger audience I'm sure, but even if a virgin viewer doesn't understand all the movie's subtleties its well worth the trip to experience.

The movie itself is great. It's based on the novel, Beltorchika's Children, with several major differences. I would've liked to have seen it more accurate to the novel. The biggest difference is that in the novel, Amuro's girlfriend was Beltorchika (the same girl from Zeta Gundam), and she was pregnant with Amuro's child. Unlike Chan, Beltorchika survived the novel. Bandai did not want Amuro having kids, especially out of wedlock, and they did not want Amuro married, because the fan-girls wouldn't like it. Aside from that, Amuro's Hi-Nu Gundam was also cut out, to save time. I don't know much about the rest of the differences, but I would still say this is a very good movie.The American release, however, is trash. There's no swearing at all, things are translated wrong ("ikimasu" does not translate to "let's do it!"), and "Sieg Zeon" is translated "Hail Zeon" in both the subs and the dub. With a cataclysmic war resulting in over a billion deaths in the original series and many many more in series following, it's nice to know Bandai will be there to save the day, making sure that nobody gets hurt, or at least in the American version. Blah.

This movie is what it is, a film sequel to 1980s Japanese mecha sci-fi shows, and as long as that it what you expect out of it, you will love it! It has everything you'd come to expect from Tomino's work; human drama, mecha action, and breathtaking visuals. I suggest watching at least Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Double Zeta Gundam before viewing this film, because the directors assume that you know the Universal Century plot line. If you are not into Japanese film yet, I suggest a simpler title before diving into gundam, but if you are a veteran otaku, this movie is well worth it, even if the DVD is a little on the expensive side!

The movie adaptation of "Char's Counterattack: Beltorchika's Children", follows the novel almost to the letter. There are only a few minor differences in both versions created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. 1-Amuro Ray is engaged to Beltorchika Irma (Chien Agi in the movie) who also appears in Z Gundam. 2-Some names differ from the movie: Gyunei Guss (Glab Gas in novel), Nanai Miguel (Mesuta Mesua in novel). 3-The origin of the psycoframe is different in the novel as from the movie. The rest of the movie is pretty much exactly like the novel. In the novel Amuro's girlfriend Beltorchika is expecting a baby and the baby plays an important part in the story. In the movie it's the psycoframe Chien Agi uses that is an important part of the story. There are more things explained clearly in the book and are missed in the movie.