I normally wouldn't waste my breath, but while joking-around on eBay tonight, I noticed that, for reviews of "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" on DVD, there were no dissenting opinions regarding the feature. Why?--Probably because guys like me don't care about commenting but guys who support The Shadow Chronicles feel some undying urge to convince everyone to buy it.
As you might guess, I'm not exactly a big supporter. Most of my comments of The Shadow Chronicles are rather heated and angry. But because it's a review I figure a lot of people might get the chance to read, I had to be fair. I'm not sure exactly why I'm posting this here, but even for the fact that I ran out of room on eBay's text-limiter, here's the "reasonable" review of the feature by a guy who wants to explain why it sucks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A Disappointment To New and Old Fans Alike
By Khyron_Prime
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.
While The Shadow Chronicles does have its merits, it ultimately attempts to do too much in too short of a space of time. Characters lack the development necessary to gain the sympathies of the viewer, creating the problem of melodramatic sequences failing to garner the expected emotions due to a lack of real connection existing between the two. The enemy from the original series provides much of the plot for the initial sequences, but forces the new enemy, while well-placed, to truly be a plot factor for only half of the ninety-minute running time. These rudimentary story-based shortcomings, while necessary to most viewers of live-action features, can often be overcome with the benefit of beautiful animation, but Robotech's attractiveness has always been its story, characters, and drama, and in all of these categories, The Shadow Chronicles fails to live-up to both its prececessor but also the long lead-up and hype surrounding it's release.
In the end, only blind lovers of Robotech will truly enjoy The Shadow Chronicles. Veteran fans may appreciate the inclusion of earlier series' characters and plots, but will find themselves in a world which does not even attempt retain the same feel as the one they love. Likewise, new fans may appreciate the updated aesthetics, but will be so confused and disappointed by the lack of a solid base off of which to forge their attention. As a result, I cannot reccomend this feature to anyone save the collector of all things Robotech.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[END]
I pretty much ran out of space at the end of the fourth paragraph, thus preventing a proper conclusion to be posted on eBay. However, I'm interested in what you think: Did I hit all the major points?
Yours in the protoculture,
Khyron_Prime
Praise Haydon!
As you might guess, I'm not exactly a big supporter. Most of my comments of The Shadow Chronicles are rather heated and angry. But because it's a review I figure a lot of people might get the chance to read, I had to be fair. I'm not sure exactly why I'm posting this here, but even for the fact that I ran out of room on eBay's text-limiter, here's the "reasonable" review of the feature by a guy who wants to explain why it sucks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A Disappointment To New and Old Fans Alike
By Khyron_Prime
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.
While The Shadow Chronicles does have its merits, it ultimately attempts to do too much in too short of a space of time. Characters lack the development necessary to gain the sympathies of the viewer, creating the problem of melodramatic sequences failing to garner the expected emotions due to a lack of real connection existing between the two. The enemy from the original series provides much of the plot for the initial sequences, but forces the new enemy, while well-placed, to truly be a plot factor for only half of the ninety-minute running time. These rudimentary story-based shortcomings, while necessary to most viewers of live-action features, can often be overcome with the benefit of beautiful animation, but Robotech's attractiveness has always been its story, characters, and drama, and in all of these categories, The Shadow Chronicles fails to live-up to both its prececessor but also the long lead-up and hype surrounding it's release.
In the end, only blind lovers of Robotech will truly enjoy The Shadow Chronicles. Veteran fans may appreciate the inclusion of earlier series' characters and plots, but will find themselves in a world which does not even attempt retain the same feel as the one they love. Likewise, new fans may appreciate the updated aesthetics, but will be so confused and disappointed by the lack of a solid base off of which to forge their attention. As a result, I cannot reccomend this feature to anyone save the collector of all things Robotech.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[END]
I pretty much ran out of space at the end of the fourth paragraph, thus preventing a proper conclusion to be posted on eBay. However, I'm interested in what you think: Did I hit all the major points?
Yours in the protoculture,
Khyron_Prime
Praise Haydon!
---------------
The storm of Robotechnology burns forever in the heart of those who follow the path of Zor to the end of the circle.
---------------
The storm of Robotechnology burns forever in the heart of those who follow the path of Zor to the end of the circle.
---------------
