Trigun: Badlands Rumble

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is a patchwork of scenarios from the main series, portrayed in the trademark (or overused, as some might say) story progression of the Trigun franchise. While trying to appeal to the Trigun aesthetic they completely miss the mark about what Trigun was really about. SPOILERS AHEAD! Story: Admittedly, I don't hate when a story is predictable. Sometimes it's nice to get riled up over expecting something to happen, then being satisfied when it finally happens. What really makes me mad, though, is when the writers pull something out of their ass so astronomically bullshitted (Main cast getting all sad over a VERY important character "dying") and expecting us as the audience to buy in. Furthermore, I can tell that the writers tried to make the movie feel like it was important by trying to say that it had an impact on Vash as a person, by tying in some moral about "casting dice" and accepting whatever decisions you've done in the past. However, by the end of the movie I could tell that this lesson did not help in any way to contradict Vash's extremely flawed pacifist ideology. In fact, it fueled it, which is the exact opposite of the message the original show was trying to deliver. The movie reuses old gags from the series which were used to introduce who the characters were, but it was extremely lazily done. My examples: Vash playing with the local kids to show "he's not such a bad guy." Milly getting hit on, and then dropping her huge gun, scaring the guys trying to hit on her. Wolfwood getting stranded somewhere in the desert to portray him initially as a klutz. Art: The art was above average, and the smoothness was especially impressive. However the professionalism didn't allow for the spunky facial expressions that the series allowed, but it's a fair trade-off for me. This movie also featured a good amount of CGI. This is the GOOD kind of CGI, and it was never intrusive at all while delivering a lot of visual information. Sound: Good, some scenes have no music which I felt was a loss but it must have been silent for a reason... right? Characters: ALL of the characters were really done dirty here. Vash is characterized in the show as: a really nice dude, who beats the bad guys without killing anyone. However, here is a man who keeps following a woman around after she almost just got assaulted by a bunch of men, figuring out her name without her permission by peeking at the inn roster, and giving her rashes by touching her hand and face after she told him she had an allergy. It's very upsetting to say the least. They try to pawn it off as endearing, but it's really not. Every other character is a cookie cutter archetype of the role they are supposed to fulfill and the person they are in the original series. You'll find out if you watch the movie. The interactions between characters, however, is what really broke it for me. These characters should have history with each other (assuming Badlands Rumble occurs sometime in the duration of the original Trigun series), and treat each other in specific ways. However, in Badlands Rumble they simply acknowledge each others' existence while repeating some of their catchphrase lines. Enjoyment/Overall: This movie was enjoyable. Even when knowing entirely what to expect, or expecting something and being disappointed by how it's been executed, it was enjoyable. If you've seen the original story, just expect a lot of Deja Vu.

If one loves the original series, Trigun, he or she will love Badlands Rumble, There is comedy throughout, great action, great characters, and nice music. The animation is slick as ever, and even though the story isn't very compelling, the characters like Vash and Wolfwood make the movie what it is.

Trigun Badlands Rumble is best enjoyed, in my opinion, following episode 10 of Trigun. It sits very comfortably in terms of tone and where the story is. With this in mind, the movie is completely stand alone, it is not necessary in the slightest to watch this while watching Trigun. That doesn't take away from the fact that this movie was incredibly enjoyable and fun. From hilarity, to high tension, to badass-ery, this movie cements itself as one hell of a good time. The characters exclusive to this movie were very compelling, and I genuinely was invested in where the story would lead them. I did see the twist coming a mile away, but I still nonetheless enjoyed the story they were trying to tell. This movie also completely sold me on the cast of Trigun which makes this a very important piece in Trigun for me personally. I believe it elevates specifically Wolfwood and Vash as true companions and sells their dynamic flawlessly. Super fun movie, highly recommend to Trigun watchers.

If you're here for a deep plot or a masterpiece, just pass on this. It's just some good ol' Trigun fun, reminisce of the early Trigun episodes. Good if you just want to see more of Vash's shenanigans. The animation is nice, I do enjoy the HD quality. Sound design is nice but nothing special. Don't expect anything big. Good fun movie. It is of my opinion this movie takes place outside of canon as it doesn't fit anywhere onto the original timeline especially with the characters that cameo and a couple of things that Vash does. TL;DR Generic plot, like the first Trigun episodes Watch if you want to see more Vash Don't watch if you want substance or lore