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Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles Movie (Two-disc Collector's Edition) | 
| Directors: Tommy Yune, Dong-wook Lee
Actors: Mark Hamill, Chase Masterson, Yuri Lowenthal
Studio: Funimation
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy Used: $14.29
You Save: $15.69 (52%)
New (32) Used (10) from $14.29
Rating:  136 reviews
Sales Rank: 49357
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Ntsc, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 180 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: 7096
UPC: 704400070969
EAN: 0704400070969
ASIN: B000WE5I10
Theatrical Release Date: January 5, 2007
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Excellent condition. Fast shipping.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
"Anime fandom wouldn't be where it is today without Robotech". -- Anime InsiderRobotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the latest exciting chapter of the Robotech saga. A heroic cast of returning characters led by Scott Bernard and Vince Grant fight to end a decades-long struggle against an enigmatic alien race known as the Invid. However the mysterious disappearance of the legendary Admiral Hunter will unfold in a treacherous mystery that could tear apart our young heroes and threaten their very survival!2 Disc Collectors Edition Contains the full-length Robotech Shadow Chronicles Movie and 90 minutes of extras:8 Deleted Scenes including Alternate Opening and Closing6 Storyboard Animatics5 Features Including the "Birth of a Sequel" Documentary and Robotech 3000 PromoDirector Commentary TrackTrailersGalleriesOutakesSystem Requirements:Run Time: 180 minutes Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM UPC: 704400070969
Amazon.com
Created for the 20th anniversary of the popular Robotech continuity, The Shadow Chronicles Movie picks up where 85-episode series ended. In 2044 A.D., humanity is at war with the alien Invid, who occupy most of the Earth. The Invid ruler takes her people to "a higher plane" to escape the Children of the Shadows, aliens dedicated to the destruction of any race that possesses Protoculture. (Illogically, they fear the power of Protoculture, but they can destroy its users.) New characters and ones from the original series battle the Children of Shadows until a cliffhanger ending that makes it clear a sequel must be in production. Although it helped to create the audience for anime in America, the original Robotech was an anomaly: a Japanese show that never aired in Japan. Producers at Harmony Gold edited together the unrelated series Super Dimension Fortress: Macross, Genesis Climber Mospeada, and Super-dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross. The Shadow Chronicles Movie is also an anomaly: an "anime" feature made primarily in the U.S. and Korea. Although they've added lots of flashy CG effects to the space battles, the film lacks the qualities that made the series a hit. Like Star Wars, Robotech used an interstellar conflict as a backdrop for a tale about friendship, romance, and heroism. The filmmakers spend the first half-hour of Shadow Chronicles filling in background material for new viewers; the rest is so packed with exposition and action, there's no time to get to know the characters--or care about them. The movie will appeal primarily to fans of the series and its manifestations in games, toys, novels, etc. (Rated TV PG, suitable for ages 12 and older: violence, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 131 more reviews...
 Pay Attention to the Central Message Here February 17, 2007
Michael D. Mallinger (Woodbridge, VA USA)
43 out of 55 found this review helpful
"The Shadow Chronicles" represents a strong effort by Frank Agrama and Tommy Yune to carry on the Robotech legacy. Since Robotech was such an extraordinary series, expectations for this film were very high. Many people who own the DVDs, comic books, and Jack McKinney novels consider Robotech to be one of their favorite shows, if not their favorite show, of all time. Given that the fans are so loyal, dedicated, and passionate, it is understandable that some of them would be disappointed if this film didn't turn out to be as spectacular as the series. But "The Shadow Chronicles" is a step in the right direction.
The outstanding characters and plot-twists made Robotech extraordinarily compelling during the 1980s. Watching the characters change and evolve as the series unfolded is what set Robotech apart from just about every other animated series (or any television series, period) at the time. In fact, very few science fiction shows since have offered the audience anywhere near the breadth and depth of the human experience as Robotech. Throw in the path-breaking themes lying just beneath the surface like bi-racial relationships, a positive view of women in the military, and a meaningful role for the United Nations in bringing people together, and the show had all of the elements necessary to remind viewers of the adversity they face in their daily lives and what it takes to be successful in this world.
This film is an effort to distill those elements into a brief, 88 minute thumbnail. On the first viewing, "The Shadow Chronicles," its characters, and dialogue seem to fall flat. In fact, many hardcore fans may have visions of "The Phantom Menace" while watching it for the first time. However, with subsequent viewings, it becomes apparent that Ariel's evolution as a person (err, Invid) is the film's central message. Her transformation from the timid and delirious alien into the moral compass of the REF effectively captures the spirit that made the series so extraordinary to watch.
Many viewers won't notice this during their initial viewing because the film has a lot of material crammed into such a short time slot. There are a lot of things going on, and it can be difficult to determine where the various characters are (Earth orbit, the deep space base, or near the SDF-3) during any given scene. Combine this with the radical departure from the vision of the Haydonites set out during "The Sentinels," and the film can be downright confusing for hardcore fans to follow the first time around.
However, as full-length feature DVDs become the future of Robotech, "The Shadow Chronicles" is a step in the right direction. At its core, the film keeps the most important elements of the Robotech legacy intact. Viewers may complain about the appearance of the characters, video-game-like battle animation, the music, or the absence of some key characters from the series, but these issues are trivial in the long run. The departure from the story line of "The Sentinels," is a larger problem since the consistency among the series, comic books, novels, and role-playing game was such an important part of what made Robotech successful. But this problem, too, can be overcome in time.
Is "The Shadow Chronicles" a good film? Clearly. Is it a great film? That's debatable. But it is obvious from watching it that Agrama and Yune have a great film in them. Robotech is very much alive, and fans should look forward to what Harmony Gold has to offer in the future.
 Robotech SC December 19, 2006
Brian J. Mcafee (Tucson, AZ)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
Continues the story of Robotech picking up exactly where the last episode of the TV series ended. If you haven't watched it in a while, I highly recommend watching the last three episodes prior to watching the new movie. Takes many elements of the "Sentinels" plot as well as elements from the McKinney novels, but doesn't follow them very closely (that's a good thing). I was very pleased with the movie. It does have the feel of a "pilot", but really, that's exactly what it is. It introduces a host of new characters, and has several returning characters from the original series and "Sentinels". Almost the entire original voice cast return for this movie. New voices include Mark Hamill and Chase Masterson. The Invid are there, of course, but it also introduces a mysterious new enemy. Don't look for a strong conclusion at the end. This wasn't really designed to be a stand alone product. If all goes well, we'll see more Robotech: Shadow Chronicles in the future.
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