Robotech Is Back!

(This blog post was previously published on Yahoo!)

Well, I haven't posted anything since my politically incorrect Christmas Day entry. That's becuase once again, things have kicked into high gear. I'm happy to say that busy season is progressing quite well, we've done better than we've ever done on the banks and their returns. We've still got some kinks to work out, but having staff under me that are capable of doing the work has really helped out. I did pass the one part of the CPA exam that I took, so I'm psyched about that. It was the shot in the arm that I needed.

There are a few things that happen every busy season that brighten up everyone's life. For me, it's the start of the F1 and IRL seasons, sometimes a movie or two. Last year, it was V For Vendetta, but the most anticipated movie in a long while has been Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

How do I explain this? It's like being a Star Wars fan, growing up with the original trilogy, but having to wait 6 years longer for a follow-up. The difference with Robotech is that before the Shadow Chronicles came out, there was plenty of filler-comics and novels. We had the Sentinels comics to bridge the gap between the destruction of the SDF-2 in the Macross Saga to Dana Sterling's graduation in the first Masters episode. And thanks to Jack McKinney, we had End of the Circle, which wrapped up the whole series. We thought we know what happened to the SDF-3, Admiral Hunter & Co. We discovered the secrets of Robotechnology, and whether we liked it or not, we had an ending that gave us closure.

We were wrong.

Ever since Robotech.com was started in 2001, we've discovered that the McKinney novels are no longer canon. I equate this to finding out that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny are a massive conspiracy by parents to make you behave. I wasn't exactly happy with the End of the Circle, but I accepted it. I loved the Sentinels comics, because I was there from the start (I got into Robotech after it went off the air). Even with these preconceived notions about what a sequel should be like, I remained open-minded. Last year, Robotech.com previewed a trailer of the Shadow Chronicles that gave me goosebumps. I was very excited-I think it's the most played video on my iPod.

On Tuesday, it was finally released on DVD. Some lucky fans who live in larger cities got to see it on the big screen. It wasn't even close to Norfolk-not even DC, Baltimore, or Philly got it. I watched it last night, I had to brave Wal-Mart to get a copy, so that shows how dedicated I am!

2044 AD-The movie opens with two Alpha fighters on a patrol over Earth. They're stationed at Moon Base Aluce, which has become a rally point in the Third Robotech War against the Invid. As the pilots converse, we discover one of them is Marcus Rush, sister to Marlene Rush, the late fiancee of Scott Bernard. Marcus enlightens us about the ill-fated attempt of the REF to take Reflex Point, the battle in which his sister and maybe even Scott himself were killed. Marcus doesn't know that Scott is still alive and had led the resistance against the Invid. He carried with him a hologram locket, similar to the one that Marlene gave Scott. Seeing that gave me goosebumps. Marcus and his wingman, Alex Romero, return to Moon Base Aluce, to be briefed by General Reinhardt about the impending offensive on Reflex Point. Reinhardt has been in contact with Admiral Rick Hunter, who is just about to fold back to Earth and join the assault. General Reinhardt informs his pilots that should their offensive be turned back, the REF will have no choice but to use the new Neutron missile brought back from their mission.
There is much dissent about this move, but Reinhardt makes it clear that the Invid must go at all costs.

At this point, we're "re-introduced" to Vince Grant. Vince Grant is the brother of Claudia Grant from the Macross Saga, who along with the rest of the SDF-1 crew, was killed in Khyron's suicide run in the final episode of the Macross Saga. Vince is also Bowie Grant's father. Captain of the REF ship Icarus, Grant has returned to join the fight against the Invid. The two officer have a brief videoconference with Admiral Hunter. Rick's hair is completely white, and he has a small scar on the right side of his face. The conversation doesn't last long, as the signal breaks up and it appears that the SDF-3 has been attacked, but Reinhardt receives his marching orders: Don't wait for the SDF-3. Grant is distraught; he wants to help fight the Invid, but he feels an overwhelming duty to find and assist Admiral Hunter. After pleading with Reinhardt, he gets permission to take the Icarus on a rescue mission, under the condition that only his crew can know the mission. With Masters veteran Louis Nichols in tow, Grant takes off in search of his old friend.

Alex and Marcus head out to their Alpha fighters. Marcus is intrigued by a pretty female pilot, but doesn't have the nerve to speak to her, except to say that the skull on her flight suit looks good on her. He immediately regrets it, as she digs at him by saying, "Maybe one day, you'll be good enough to have one of these." Thoroughly embarrassed now, Marcus straps himself in to being the assault.

As the fleet makes its way toward Earth, Invid sensor arrays detect their activity. Not since the first episode of New Generation have we seen so many clamships racing up towards space. The battle that ensues is magnificently rendered. Imagine a battle scene from Star Wars, but only animated, and you can grasp how beautiful it is.

As the Alpha fighters break through the atmosphere and being to attack Reflex Point, an old hero emerges. Scott Bernard sees his former love, Ariel, heading back into the hive. Landing his Alpha, he talks with her. She feel she must intercede with the Regis to end the conflict. She pleads with the Regis, who leaves Earth, not because she understands Ariel's take, but because she notices that this new REF force employs Shadow technology, a science used by an enemy who drove the Invid from Optera many generations ago. The Regis leaves Ariel with a warning: staying with the humans will only bring destruction from the Children of the Shadow. Ariel doesn't know (nor does Scott ) what exactly this means, but the Invid flee Earth. Though the cost to the REF has been high, Earth is free. Alex and Marcus cannot help but feel as if something is wrong. There is not much celebration.

After the battle, Alex and Marcus discover that the pretty young female pilot is half-Zentraedi, and her name is Maya Sterling. She is the third daughter of Max and Miriya Sterling (Dana being the first, and Aurora being the second), and we discover a little more about the Shadow technology from Janice Em, an android partially created by the Haydonites, who assisted the REF in their fight against the Masters and the Invid after the First Robotech War. Louie Nichols, the nerd that he is, is very interested in what Janice can tell him about the Haydonites and their technology.

Meanwhile, Grant and the Icarus have found the SDF-3. It was attacked and never able to conduct a space fold. It is dangerously close to a black hole, and the Icarus attempts to maneuver close enough to envelop the SDF-3 is its fold sphere. As the Icarus begins fold operations, she is attacked by an unknown enemy. Grant to forced to abandon his old friend for the sake of warning the fleet of this new enemy. He suffers a broken leg, but this doesn't compare to the hell he is enduring for abandoning Rick. Vince has realized what has gone wrong. The REF have been double crossed into using the Shadow technology of the Haydonites, who want nothing more that to monopolize the use of Robotechnology and protoculture throughout the universe. Now that the Invid are gone, the REF must defend Earth against the Haydonites.

Overall, I give the movie a 3.75 out of 4. The animation is fantastic, the voice actors are great, and there are so many elements of the original series that make you smile. Especially Janice singing the Minmei song in the bar. The music, especially the new version of the main theme, will give you goosebumps. The lack of original series characters brings the plot down. We have no Lisa, no Max, no Miriya, no Minmei, no Dana, no Bowie. Where is Rand? Rook? Lunk? We don't really find out what happened to Rick and the SDF-3. While the ship was close to the black hole, Vince harbors a hope that somehow they survived. And the fight with the Haydonites is far from over. I'm hoping that the Shadow Chronicles is the first in a series of DVDs that revives the Robotech franchise. From what I saw and heard on the documentary blurb, I think I'm right.