Let sleeping Gundams lie

Spoiler Alert.

I've been reading the MS Gundam novels by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was the mastermind behind the original anime. They are really what the compilation movies should have been. Even when I was watching the compilation movies, I often thought that there was a lot of filler and far too many robot models. Granted, even the creator of Gundam was forced to admit that his creation is "only a cartoon". I blame this on the voracious marketing and merchandising department.

I do not fault them for creating merchandising, after all it reinforces the rewards for creativity. However, the series was rolling out goofy models every third point of each movie and even had a chicken footed monstrosity with a cannon in it's crotch and verniers up its derrier:

The Big Zam was reported to have a walk-on role in "Orgazmo",
but that was left on the cutting room floor.

And let's not talk about the Gundam Hammer. There's really not much to say on that topic.

The first part "Awakening" keeps the mecha madness under control and smooths out the storyline. Instead of descending Earth-side, the action seamlessly plays out in space. This trajectory mercifully cuts out the scene where Char has an extended conversation with Garma, while was standing around in his briefs. Tomino also leaves the kids and Fraw Bo out of the action. By cutting down on the themes of youth and innocence that dominated the first compilation movie, the lean prose lets the focus fall on the Newtypes.

The book gets into the characters' minds and fleshes out the transcendental interactions between the Newtypes. In the compilation movie, the battle between Lala Sune and Amuro Ray was expressed in a Kubrick-esque trip. The book was able to tackle more directly and get into the characters' experience.[1] Tomino uses his third look (original series and compilation movies being 1st and 2nd) to create a far more grown-up work. I hope that volumes 2 & 3 play out as well.

The title of the post comes from the elated feeling that comes with imagining the space battles and suits. Since there was an anime, I tried to imagine the Gundams, Zakus, and the colonies in live action, drawing on B5, SF Channel's Dune, and all the other shows I've seen to construct it. While caught up in the massive constructs of Tomino's mind, I began to wonder: what if they made a movie-

I caught myself in time. No, no more calls for remakes, especially live action ones. I refuse. Much would probably be lost in translation. And I shudder to think about what Hollywood would do to the tragic relation of Lala Sune and Amuro Ray. In fact, I'd give her even odds on surviving. So no, I ax the idea of a movie or even a mini-series. I'll enjoy the book and let sleeping Gundams lie.

= = =

[1] A movie can express a mind meld, but it's harder. We have

1. the Kubrick trip, which leaves more of an impression rather than precision.
2. The characters can talk about it during the event or afterwards, but that creates a separation between the audience and the event that doesn't exist with the book.
3. The characters can also talk directly to the audience, but breaking the fourth wall also breaks with the rest of the work. That's a wrinkle that has to be managed.
4. alternately, words can appear on the screen a la End of Evangelion.
5. etc.

Likewise, a book has a more difficult time than a movie dealing with rapid jumps between characters and scenery. A picture is worth a thousand words all at once. Each jump in a written work expends sentences shifting the scene. I contend that each sentence, paragraph, and page has an impact that is affected by the overall length of the work. In a room full of talking people, being heard is that much more difficult.

Each medium has its own strength and weakness. Not every story works well as a movie.