GoShogun: The Time Étranger (Video 1985)

GoShogun: The Time Étranger (Video 1985). 1h 30m | Not Rated

“u0026#39;Magical God of War Goshogunu0026#39; is one of the less well-known giant robot TV series for kids to have come out of Japan in the 1970u0026#39;s and 80u0026#39;s. Chances are youu0026#39;ve never heard of it, even if the series has been aired in an English dubbed, and probably heavily edited version called u0026#39;Macron 1u0026#39;. But the good news is that you donu0026#39;t need any familiarity with Goshogunu0026#39;s obscure roots to enjoy this spin-off film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow, animation from way back in 1985 with itu0026#39;s origin in an almost-unnoticed cheesy robot series may not sound very tempting at first, but give u0026#39;Goshogun: the time étrangeru0026#39; a chance, and youu0026#39;ll probably enjoy it quite a lot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story centers around French-born Remy, the only woman in the Goshogun team of heroes. We follow her through three distinct moments in her life when she came face-to-face with imminent death. As a little girl, she was trapped in a pit for several days, where she heard a voice telling her that she might as well give up, since she was fated to die there.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs a young adult, she and her friends get stranded in a strange Muslim desert town, where each member of the Goshogun team receives a prediction that they would die in the following days. Remy would be the first to die, with only two days to go until her death. And with no way out of the town, and the locals insisting that these announced deaths where the predetermined fate of the Goshogun team, from which they could not escape, the outlook isnu0026#39;t exactly rosy. And as an older woman, Remy gets into a car accident on the day of a long overdue reunion with her friends, and ends up seriously injured and in coma, with the doctor granting her only roughly two more days to live.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film jumps back and forth between these three time periods, with most of the screen time devoted to Remyu0026#39;s adventure in the spooky desert town. The non-chronological narrative seems a bit jumbled at first, but the film actually does a good job of telling all three different stories simultaneously as well as presenting their common theme of triumphing over despair and the refusal to abandon hope even in the face of impossible odds. These strong themes are carried out very well, and make the film really quite touching, as a whole.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe characters are a likeable bunch, with Remy being a very sympathetic heroine. Neither a helpless airhead, nor a rock-hard tough gal, sheu0026#39;s a very human character, and itu0026#39;s hard not to feel something for her efforts to keep struggling against the menaces. While sheu0026#39;s being threatened with physical demise all through the film, itu0026#39;s really her will to live, her hope for survival and her faith in her friends that are being tested. And it works well – a touching bond of friendship and mutual trust is evident between the Goshogun gang. And then there are some nice little personality touches from the other team members, such as Bundleu0026#39;s penchant for the sophisticated things in life, Killyu0026#39;s attempts at writing a novel and the big guy with green skin who wears a track suit with a penguin on it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe only real let-downs are the dated visuals who betray the filmu0026#39;s age. While it doesnu0026#39;t look bad overall (in fact, you can tell a decent amount of care was put into the visuals), and features some inspired images, Goshogun looks distinctly retro in itu0026#39;s character designs and animation quality. If you just happen to be a fan of early eighties retro anime youu0026#39;ll have no problem with this, but most viewers will be used to slicker-looking modern efforts, and may find the visual to be a turn-off.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThey shouldnu0026#39;t, though. If you can put the lack of superficial eye candy aside, the quality plot and character strength make for a rewarding viewing experience. The scenes of the Goshgun teamu0026#39;s battle against the dark forces in the desert town which form the meat of the film provide a good deal of suspense, gloominess, and action (Muslim zombies, spooky illusions and even a giant purple panther are out to get them) but the scenes of Remyu0026#39;s childhood and sick bed are equally important as they make the emotional impact that much stronger.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGoshogun definitely deserves a look for handling a daring story very well, providing strong characters, and telling a touching tale of hope and individual strength. The film has plenty of pleasant surprises in store for those whou0026#39;ll give it a chance in spite of itu0026#39;s age and obscurity.”