Two thoughts I have about this film after watching it again last night:
The miniature sets in this film are
ridiculous. Every single time I watch it, something new stands out and last night it was how f*cking lushly detailed the countryside is when we see the tracking shot of the missiles racing towards Legion in the final battle. I'd never really paid attention to how intricately crafted that particular shot was, though I guess it's not surprising given how intricately crafted EVERYTHING ELSE is. Also, there's some really fantastic integration of effects with live action elements with a real minimum of composite work. I noticed the use of one of my favorite techniques last night, actually, where they use a whip pan to transition from live action to miniature footage while making it appear as though they were the same shot. Hnnngggg--
Two, I love all the characters in this film and I can't believe some people write them off. The scene in Honami's room is one of my favorite scenes in the entire trilogy.