It had to come sooner or later. One of the most violent and dramatic rivalries in anime history comes to an end. And what an ending at that. Char's Counterattack is every bit the sweeping, dramatic, heart-stopping epic that it sets out to be.

The story, like in any good Gundam, throws the viewer straight into the action. This film starts off with a battle waged in space and doesn't let up from there. Only a handful of the original cast return; Amuro and Char are of course in the center spotlight. Most of the supporting cast is taken up by newcomers, whom keep with Tomino's time-tempered theme of relationships forged in the heat of desperation and violence. Of course, what Gundam saga would be complete without some knuckles-bared, drag-down mecha battles to propel the story? Believe me, there is no shortage of pyrotechnics in this movie. Saegusa Shigeaki (Zeta Gundam) provides his orchestral skills once more to create a beautifully sweeping musical score befitting this epic finale. This is one of those movies that you can just sit back and feel every inch of emotional power blast through the speakers and screen to attack your senses. Every bit of opera that Gundam was and will be.

Of course, this movie does have the problem of being the "end" of a very long story. Although one can appreciate the scope of this movie without being a Gundam fan, it will be rather hard for someone who hasn't boned up on the three series preceding this film. People who don't know what a "newtype" is might find the movie a bit alienating. Characters make several references to events and people that appeared in Zeta, Double Zeta and Mobile Suit Gundam. It's also a good way to see how the characters from those series have changed and grown to this penultimate battle.

As an epic end to an already epic story, this film delivers the goods. Conducted with grace, Char's Counterattack is an entertaining and emotionally driven roller coaster. And this is a roller coaster that doesn't stop until you're satisfied.