Macross Plus - The Movie (2002, DVD)

In the late seventies and early eighties, when you were a kid - odds are that you watched Saturday morning cartoons or cartoons after school. If you were anything like me, you'd race home, plotting out the quickest route through Old Man Smither's hedge (and around his dog), over the backyard fence and right up to the couch (perhaps after grabbing some Kool-Aid from the fridge as you went). After your 13 channel, black and white tube monstrosity warmed up (plus a quick adjustment to the rabbit ears), you were set for the animation to wash over you and whisk you away to some far off land.

Odds are that you probably watched some Anime - not that it was called such back then. And depending on the year, more than likely you caught one of the Big Three shows from Japan: Speed Racer, Star Blazers or Robotech. While Speed more or less faded into collective memory (with occasional reruns on MTV in the early 90's) and the Star Blazers star has faded (despite efforts by the Japanese creative team to restart the series), Robotech has managed to endure and flourish, both here in the US and back in its native land of Japan.

Beyond the American localized Robotech (an amalgamation of three separate anime series: The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada), the series enjoyed success - books, comics, video games, and numerous sequals and spin offs. One of those spin offs is the subject of today's review: Macross Plus

Ah, Macross - a name that can only mean one thing: a love story, cool battle scenes, a helluva plot, deep character relationships, a Japanese Pop star singing songs that save the universe - and giant transforming robots that beat the hell out of each other. Macross Plus delivers the above and in spades.

Macross Plus is a four-episode OVA (Original Video Animation - meaning a direct to video release) set three decades after the Earth/Zentraedi war. The Earth Defense Force launches a project to develop brand new, state of the air Veritech (the giant transforming robots/fighter planes previously mentioned). Two pilots - the loose cannon Isamu Dyson and the Zentradi half-breed Guld Bowman, are selected to each test a new aircraft. However, there's history between the two that begin disrupting the tests.

Enter into this mess, Myung Fang Lone - childhood friend of the pilots before the three had a falling out. Now, as the producer of Intergalactic Super Rockstar Sharon Apple (an advanced AI holographic entitty), she returns home to the Planet Eden - only to get caught up in the ages old feud. Of course things go downhill as the rivalry threatens to shut down the program, Sharon gets an illegal (and unstable) IA upgrade, and the Earth Defense Force puts on a 30th anniversary concert at the wreck of the old SDF-1 Battleship. Cue the dogfights, J-pop songs and overdramatic melodrama turned up to eleven.

For only four parts (or one feature length movie, with about 20 minutes of new footage from the OAV series) director Shoji Kawamori manages to pack a heck of a lot in there! Drama! Action! Lots of Dogfights! Music Videos!

Despite being nearly 13 years on now, the animation really rocks. The production team went with a mix a blend of traditional ink and paint animation with 3D rendered models. Usually the effect is jarring and rather obvious - especially for the mid 90's - but somehow they make it look amazing! The animation is fluid and delightful. The action sequences - the dog fighting and so forth is some of the best work I've seen in a very long, long time.

I would of course be remiss in my duties if I did not give a tip of the hat to the soundtrack, done by the ever stunning Yoko Kanno. If you're at all aware of anume, then I'd lay money that you've probably heard her work. She did the score to Cowboy Bebop -and really, that s probably all I need to mention. She was also the composer for Vision of Escaflowne, Please Save My Earth and Turn-A Gundam, and has done the opening and closing themes for dozens of other series. And there's a reason she's had her hands all over those soundtracks - she's absolutely, positively hands down a remarkable composer.

Her work for Macross Plus - specifically Voices - blows me away every time I hear it. It's stunning, beautiful, and simply incredible. Myung's Theme/Voices is an exquisite piece of work, regardless of what language you listen to it in. The song from Sharon's last concert - Information High - is energetic and full of life, definitely not a song you want to listen to while driving lest you risk a speeding ticket. In fact, I haven't been this pumped about an anime soundtrack since Giant Robo.

THE VIDEO -
Having seen the VHS version, and loving my Laserdisc version to death, I can say with authority that the DVD version is the best presentation of Macross Plus I've ever had the pleasure to view. The video looks great! Sadly you cant turn off the subtitles, a move which may anger purists.

Also some caution must be used in purchasing the DVD version - the first pressing of volume two has some technical issues. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is actually a 4.1 mix. The center channel is missing throughout both discs. In addition, about 25 minutes into episode four, there is some serious subtitle mistiming, with the text appearing about 1.5 - 2 seconds before any dialogue is spoken. I understand that these problems have been cleared up for the second pressing, but some care should be taken if you get a copy on the used market.

THE EXTRAS -
For both the movie edition and the two OAV volumes, there's not a heck of a lot in the way of extras here. We get the Japanese production credits (which really should be mandatory, not an 'extra') the character bios, a handful of Macross Plus trailers, a photo gallery and some trailers for other Manga Studios releases.

MPAA RATING -
Being a direct to video release, there's no official rating. I would estimate that this would be a PG-13 release. There's some blood at the end (nothing too graphic), and Sharon likes to get naked now and again (but you don't see anything naughty).

THE LAST WORD -
Although this is a sequel/continuation of the Macross saga, the four parts (and movie) are a very much stand alone series. You could easily not see Robotech and still know what's going on. If you even remotely liked Top Gun, then you'll find pleasure in this series. If you hated Top Gun, try it out anyway - it's much better than that flick. If you hate anime in general, watch anyway. It very well may change your mind. It's that good.