Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars Blu-ray Movie Review

The conclusion to the Gurren Lagann feature-film saga.

Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky are Stars explores the second-half of the Gurren Lagann anime series. The second installment in the film series, Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky brings more action, adventure, and sci-fi intrigue to the table. The feature has additional footage not included in the television series exploring the sci-fi universe.

Taking place years following the events of the first Gurren Lagann feature-film, Gurren Lagann: The Movie – Childhood's End, the story explores the later years of the characters as the epic adventure is brought to the forefront. Team Dai-Gurren is on a new quest – one involving the alien race known as Anti-Spirals. Nia and the others are swept up in to new obstacles. The journey comes to an exciting conclusion as an intergalactic battle ensues.

The second-film condenses the narrative significantly. There are a lot of moments from the second half of the season which seem overly truncated. The results are inconsistent as a result. Some of the best scenes seem to be cut down too much and that makes the second feature-film a little less engaging comparatively (with the first feature-film, Gurren Lagann: The Movie – Childhood's End, faring considerably better).

The second half of the Gurren Lagann film series.

One element of the feature film that remains enormously impressive throughout the experience is the breathtaking animation. The production was well mounted on numerous levels and the animators delivered a variety of stunning vistas. A powerhouse of animation that showcases the animators enormous talents, Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky are Stars is effective and engaging.

Helping to enhance the action-adventure, the score composed by Taku Iwasaki (Bungo Stray Dogs) remains a vital component of the production. The selections featured in the film are remarkable in many ways. The score cues help to expand the storytelling universe with aplomb vitality. A music backdrop that is essential to the experience.

Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky are Stars brings to the anime storyline to its epic conclusion. The direction by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Kill la Kill) isn't edited to perfection – as in Gurren Lagann: The Movie – Childhood's End – but it does cover some of the bases from the series. The cut seems a bit messy and less precise than the Gurren Lagann series. The series certainly excels further than the film and is more polished (with better storytelling cues). Even so, for a compilation feature-film, fans of the series will likely want to check it out and compare.

Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Aniplex, Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky are Stars is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The transfer is quite beautiful and altogether crisp. Colors are robust and serene. The transfer has nice detail and a high-quality encoding. The visuals astound.

Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of impressive lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound (with English subtitles) and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The clarity of the lossless audio is remarkable. The surround sound implementation is superb and provides the filmmaking with layers of compelling depth and separation.

Dialogue remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The surrounds are actively used and the music provides the rear speakers with impressive envelopment. The encoding is strong and capably handles the material.

Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Non-Credit Ending (HD, 5:05)

Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gurren Lagann: The Movie – The Lights in the Sky are Stars is a theatrical feature-film re-telling of the second half of the Gurren Lagann anime series. The film isn't as strong as the first film – with elements that are not essential to the cut – but the film still flows relatively well (even if it seems too condensed). The presentation is superb (with superb video-audio quality). Recommended.