I have written in an earlier post about the trailer for the new live-action Gatchaman (G-force) movie that I was hoping to catch it at next year’s Fantasia. Well, Christmas came early when the Fantasia Montreal 2013 schedule announced that the movie will be premiering at this year’s festival. And I mean a real, honest-to-goodness international premiere, weeks before the movie opens in Japan at the end of the month. There was one catch, though – we were planning to head back home in the morning before the screening. There are, however, no laws of time and space that can stop a fangirl on a mission. A quick Airbnb search secured a crash pad for an extra night, frequent flyer miles provided a ticket back home and it was goodbye Sporty Sis and Bro-in-Law and “Bird Go!” for yours truly. If you look closely at the picture above, you’ll see Bro-in-Law’s sad face in the background, he was a big G-force fan as well.
I was expecting people in cosplay and a sold-out show, but the Fantasia audience is pretty low key. The the movie is promoted under its original Japanese title Gatchaman, not G-force or Battle of the Planets as it is known to the international audiences, so many fans may not readily recognize it. The people who did somehow find the movie were a very appreciative bunch, though. When the five members of G-force were introduced during an action-packed opening sequence, there was spontaneous cheering all around.
I will refer to the characters using their Gatchaman names, but here is a quick summary for those who grew up on Battle of the Planets. When I saw the show in Poland, I believe that it was the American version because the names I remember were the English ones. Anyway, here they are in case you need a refresher:
G1 – Ken the Eagle (Gatchaman), Mark (Battle of the Planets), played by Matsuzaka Tori
Mark was my first fictional character crush. Now I find his boy scout attitude and obedience to the rules a bit boring.
G2 – Jo the Condor or George (Gatchaman), Jason (BotP), played by Ayano Gō
He’s the one that just wants to blow things up.
G3 – Jun the Swan (Gatchaman), Princess (BotP), played by Gōriki Ayame
I so wanted to be her when I was seven, not the least because she was Mark’s love interest.
G4 – Jinpei the Swallow (Gatchaman), Keyop (BotP), played by Hamada Tatsuomi
Jun’s little brother. Why did they bring this kid on the mission to save the Earth? Why does he outrank Ryu? In the movie he is a computer wiz which helps answer some of these questions.
G5 – Ryu the Owl (Gatchaman), Tiny (BotP), played by Suzuki Ryōhei
He usually drives the getaway car/spaceship and is very food motivated.
The cast was particularly good looking but they did not look much like the cartoon characters. They could have been styled closer to the originals, the way that Ace Attorney movie did with its actors. One exception was Dr. Nambu, who looked very much like he did in the cartoon. I really liked the helmets which were very high tech with the visors reminiscent of bird beaks. I wish that the capes retained some of the characteristic feathered look of the originals.
The movie covers the back story of how the Galactors came to invade the Earth and how the only people who can fight them are the Receptors (Gatchaman) who can harness the power of a bluish stone to break through a Galactor’s shield. The bromance between Ken and Jo serves as the focus of the story. We learn why Ken is such a stickler for the rules and why Jo just wants to blow everything up. The most enjoyable aspects of the film are the action sequences and the light-hearted camaraderie of the team. The way the spikey-wheeley Treader cuts through the city in the opening sequence is particularly terrifying, as is the four-headed mecha-turtle Galactor command ship. The Gatchaman ship, The God Phoenix, seemed a little cramped inside, but it did go into Firebird mode at the end to everyone’s delight. I know, big surprise, since in the cartoon it went into Firebird mode EVERY TIME!
4 sisters in japan 