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After years of waiting, the newest tale in the history of the Robotech universe has been released. Following a long and well-documented "cleansing" of the official timeline of the Robotech universe by franchise owner Harmony Gold and the announcement of a new series several years ago, fans have been waiting with baited breath for this animated feature to come to their homes and sadly, it appears the wait was not worth it. While The Shadow Chronicles cannot truly lay claim to being "Japanese animation" due to it's chief animation studio being DR Movie (a Korean company usually noted as an "in-betweener" for more affluent Japanese animation studios), it tries diligently to recreate the Japanese style which made Robotech a worldwide hit in the 1980s, albeit in a modern way. As a result, the animation is full of the big-eye/small-mouth style of character, and even contains some of the poses noted by Western directors as "ethnic gesture" normally associated with Japanese animation. The lead art director (who also holds the role of Director), Harmony Gold's Tommy Yune, lends his East-West fusion style of character design to the feature with great effect, and while casual fans of Japanese animation may be disappointed by the lack of flashiness in many cases, it is the modest semi-realism of the characters which best tell the tale of a semi-realistic speculative science fiction tale such as Robotech tells, and thus, the cel-style graphics are both appropriate and visually appealing. However, The Shadow Chronicles stumbles-over it's desire to match-up it's computer graphics with higher-budgeted animated programmes such as GONZO's Yukikaze and Last Exile and even WOWOW's Innocent Venus. Despite likely better intentions, the CG utilised by director Dong-Wook Lee never leaves the spot of initiation, and even in the epic battle sequences where thousands of ships, large and small, dot the skies of space, the mechanical bodies never move realistically. While the close-ups of such designs as the Shadow Alpha Fighter are impressive at times, the ultimate distraction is in seeing an entire attack group stand still while being fired-upon or a squadron of high-manuverability fighters move in perfect formation in the middle of a dogfight. As a result, the battle sequences which made the original Robotech a fan amongst mecha enthusiasts and action-loving children alike is lost in this new translation, compounding what problems are to follow in slower sequences. Sadly, where The Shadow Chronicles truly fails to deliver is the story. While the intent of the creators at Harmony Gold has repetitiously been noted as being to attract both new and old fans alike with this new feature, the decision results in a poorly-executed attempt whereupon not enough development is given to the new setting and characters to attract old fans to a new chapter of the franchise and re-capped information from past series is either too scant to do anything but interrupt the self-contained action or too matter-of-fact to avoid confusing newer viewers. While the inclusion of elements of the original series (such as Admiral Rick Hunter, the SDF-3, and Louie Nicols) will be a welcome sight to longtime fans, they serve as a weak backbone to a plot which, for all intents and purposes, appears to be centered around the young pilot, Marcus Rush. Unfortunately for his character, the torch is neither passed nor received, resulting in a confusing mix of old and new protagonists. (outofspace)Read full review
Calling all Robotech fans! The 80's Anime Classic that arguably began our's & all future Generation's love affair with "Anime" is back with a vengeance! After over 20 long years of waiting & numerous failed sequel attempts, Harmony Gold finally delivered on the promise they made 2 decades ago- to continue the epic Robotech Saga that captured the hearts & imaginations of fans all over the world. And believe me, the Robotech faithful will definetly be rewarded for their patience! DISCLAIMER: I'm obviously biased. I'm a huge Robotech fan, I own the entire original series, almost all 350+ comic books (See our ebay store for our doubles!), & I've seen & read every part of the story ever published, so naturally I'm going to love it. But let me explain why even a casual fan will fall in love with this great addition to the Robotech timeline! Firstly, the animation is superb. The character designs are simply beautiful. The mechanical designs are also top notch & very sleek, which is a miracle considering that this is an American made production. Many other animation studios have tried to imitate the Japanese style, and can almost never stack up. The new Shadow Alphas are particularly hard to take your eyes off. The use of CG is blended with the animation very well also. To sum it up, this is one of the best looking series I've seen in awhile. As for the story, it is a very well written plot that will leave you wanting more. Within mere minutes you will find yourself intrigued, hungry to get to the bottom of these new developments. Seriously, if this movie doesn't leave you begging for more, you must not have a pulse! To those who aren't familiar with the series, Robotech is known for it's fascinating plot and well written story. It has a little bit of every literary element to keep fans of every genre coming back for more; action & adventure, thought out character interaction & relationships, romance & love triangles, comedy & tradegy, drama & suspense, the list goes on & on! To those who are familiar with the World of Robotech, you won't be disappointed. The writers did an excellent job of incorporating characters from all 3 original series, so fans of each Saga won't feel shunned. The new characters are well designed, & feel quite fleshed out & well developed despite being just introduced to the story. The voice acting, which in English dubbed animes is notorious for being utterly horrible, is actually not bad at all. The VA's they hired did a great job playing their respective characters. Last but not least, the biggest plus of all: We get to see what happens to Rick Hunter and the SDF-3! 20 years of this cliffhanger & we finally get to see how the story unfolds! It's about time! Now, onto the only negative for this movie, & it's something I have to put out there, specially for those of you who have never seen the original series. This movie is a sequel, & thus if you're unfamiliar with the story, you won't have knowledge as to previous events & history, which is constantly referenced. Don't let this scare you away though, they do have a brief rehash to get you up to speed somewhat. I'm sure after watching this movie, you'd probably fall in love with the saga & pick up the old series anyway, so give it a chance! If you'd like to know how to start this series right, or learn more about the Robotech Universe, see my Robotech Guide now! I would recommend this movie & the entire Robotech Saga to any Sci-Fi or Anime fan out there!Read full review
With eager anticipation I opened my Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles: The Movie (2007, DVD)and loaded it into the player. As an ardent fan it did not dissapoint. It is an amalgamation of modern CGI and a modern dose of anime. I am aware that some are not happy about this but I found that it made for a refreshing change from the somewhat perfect CGI movies we have fed to us these days. The story line melds nicely with the third series of Robotech and made for an enjoyable viewing experience. What I really appreciated with the movie was the fact that it opens up a whole new world to the fan, but does not leave the viewer thinking that we have only seen half a movie or an incomplete story line. I liked the new characters, but felt that a little more time could have been spent on character development. The mecha as always was good but some new or even previous generation stuff would have been nice to see. The movement of the mecha seemed a little "stiff" and not as fluid as the episodes in the saga's. I would definately recommend the video, but if you are not familiar with robotech or a little rusty on the details, then do yourself a favour and watch the saga again or if time is an issue, the next generation and then watch the movie. Time for the next movie.......Read full review
While the disc looks a little beaten up it plays great.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
For any fan of the Robotech Trilogy, this is an awkward twist to an otherwise decent show. If you wanna see how the Invid finally get defeated by the human race then this movie will show you what finally happens. The Shadow Chronicles opens up the possibility of a new continuing saga for the Robotech series introducing a new alien race and creating new problems for humanity. It's a good movie to watch, the graphics have been greatly improved and the story line reminds me of the Wing Commander Movie. Overall it has the familiar feeling of something that has been done over and over again...
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