646f9e108c Re-edited version of a Japanese TV serial combined with a direct-to-video anime, released in the U.S. as a feature. In 1999 an alien spaceship crashed onto the earth. Hidden on board were the secrets of a unique science known as Robotechnology. Databanks found in the ship were transferred to the Earth Robotech Computer Complex. In 2009, an alien search party arrived from hyper-space to reclaim their lost databank. The united Earth Government was forced into an Inter Galactic war. Earth forces were able to win the first battle……but at a great cost. The planet was virtually destroyed. New population centres grew out of the ashes….. It is now 2027, a second armada sent by the aliens is nearing earth, they have come to recapture the secrets of their lost technology and then destroy the Earth. I've been a fan of the original Robotech TV series since it first aired on KBHK channel 44 in the Bay Area back in the spring of 1985 when I was a little girl.Watched it all the time after school. Back when I saw an ad for a Robotech:The Movie in a comicbook ad in 1987 I was really excited but unfortunately it never got released. <br/><br/>Fast forward 27 years later to this year 2014. Thanks to an invention called Youtube,I finally get to see this film today! So after watching it just now, I feel I really need to write a review…<br/><br/>To be honest,I have mixed feelings. <br/><br/>Huge laughable plot holes and major continuity problems….<br/><br/>How the hell can you explain the Robotech Masters and the Megazone 23 animation/characters exist in the same universe?!?!? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! I just didn't find that very believable… First of all they are completely two different character designs!!!!!!!!!! Might as well splice footage of Southern Cross with Akira and call that a movie. I found it funny how they tried to explain they were in the same universe by just mentioning the character Eve throughout the two obvious different animated universes of Southern Cross and Megazone 23. I found that kinda cheap actually. It's like if someone spliced both scenes from The Smurfs with say The Gobots,and had the scene with The Gobots mention Gargamel or Smurfette and have that as an excuse that they both exist in the same universe. You never get to see these obviously two different animated universes interact with each other either which makes the plot even more unbelievable. The Southern Cross stock footage is edited in rather shoddily. They never fully explain what happens to the Robotech Masters. So all of a sudden they just vanish? LOL And why the Robotech Masters? They're lame!!! Why couldn't they have not used say The Invid instead?? (The Invid are much cooler antagonists).. A movie where the hero and antagonist never really meet face to face is rather awkward. Was Mark Landry even aware of the Robotech Masters? What's the point???? In the original TV series this faux pas was excusable since the three different series happened decades apart from each other. Yet here they attempt to splice two completely different animated series together at the same time,in the same feature,and try to pass it off as a single story. Not only that the colours in the cel paintings are obviously totally different. <br/><br/>Secondly, the soundtrack could be a little better. I am a big fan of the original 1985 Robotech TV series soundtrack(I even air the music on my own radio show broadcasting in Canada),but their blatant use of it for the film version is rather too much imo.In some scenes it works,but not for the entire movie! Made me feel I was watching an hour long made for TV movie than an actual film that's supposed to be released in theatres. Was the budget that low that they couldn't hire more music groups,writers to write an actual movie soundtrack? Comparing it to real classic anime soundtracks like Bubblegum Crisis or even Tranformers:The Movie, which had original music that rocked,it just falls a little short. Here in Robotech:The Movie,the music isn't all bad,like I said I love the TV series soundtrack,but I felt the soundtrack would've been better if they used some more rocking type original songs and derived less from the TV show. The original songs are very corny 80's dance music. I love that style but kinda boring if that's the only style. A little more diversity in the soundtrack would've been cool.Some heavy metal songs would've been nice.I've heard better anime soundtracks than this like Project A-Ko,Akira,and Bubblegum Crisis. I like Three Dog Night but heard better output from them also.<br/><br/>Now I've actually met Carl Macek (R.I.P.) in person a few times at anime conventions back in the 90's. He was a very kind man. But now I can see why he didn't release this. Although had it been released back in the 80's I'm sure I would've watched it regardless. I think my impression would've been different then,but still not as good as some 80's anime classics like Urusei Yatsura Only You….<br/><br/>As far as the positives, it is somewhat entertaining. I did sit through it til the end,but gotta admit during some parts I felt like I was gonna fall asleep. I can see on a certain level why some people like this,but compare it to more classic anime films like Akira and it's not that good. I think it would've been better without the silly subplot with the Robotech Masters. It actually isn't a bad dub of Megazone 23,but the adding of the Southern Cross scenes felt really awkward to me. However that does give it a Turkish Star Wars feel to it. Splicing different films and music that really don't belong together,but supposed to tell the same story is kinda funny. I guess this is a really good b-movie if you put it in that perspective.<br/><br/>Is it better than Macross:Do You Remember Love? from 1984 though??<br/><br/>I think it's slightly more entertaining(in a so bad it's good b-movie kinda way) ,but the continuity in the Macross movie is more genuine(although I've always found it redundant that the Macross movie is just a condensation of the TV series,making it kinda boring). I definitely will watch it more than the Macross movie. Also compared to the English dub of the Macross movie (i.e.,Clash of the Bionoids) however it is far way better. <br/><br/>Another positive…I also did feel it was tons better than Robotech II:The Sentinels,which I've always thought sucked really bad!!!!!!!!!<br/><br/>Overall this movie is indeed bad lol,but it's a "so bad it's good" type laughable b-movie. Good for 80's nostalgia and for die-hard Robotech fans only. When I was a kid, and HUGE fan of the Robotech series, I kept hearing a promise of a Robotech Movie. Because I didn't live in Texas, I never got that chance.<br/><br/>The film was screened in one city in Texas, tested poorly, and never heard from again. Later, Robotech's creator, Carl Macek, denounced the film in his writing and interviews, saying he'd wish everyone would just forget it ever happened. But, I wanted to judge for myself.<br/><br/>They released a comic book adaptation of the film in 1996 which was honestly quite bad, and it wasn't enough to quench my appetite. I even found a copy of Megazone 23, the film in which this is edited from, but I still wanted to see the actual movie.<br/><br/>This has only been released on video Europe and after paying 30 pounds (around 50 dollars) I finally got my hands on it. My friend was able to dub it for me from the Euro format to the US format, but unfortunately it was transerred without any color. Oh well, at least I got to see it.<br/><br/>And, I can tell you that everything you've heard is true. The movie is filled with inconsistencies, bad dialogue, bad storylines, you name it. It should have never been made.<br/><br/>The only thing that bothers me is that had this film been readily available, I might have seen it once and dismissed it. But just because it's SO hard to find (it pops up on online auctions about two or three times a year) I felt compelled to hunt it down.<br/><br/>A good comparison would be the "Star Wars Holiday Special." You want to see that one last chapter of a series you love, yet the payoff is not worth the hunt.
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