Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles: The Movie (DVD, 2007, Uncut)

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!