Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated
sequel
to the 1985 Robotech television series
. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.
in the wake of the Second Robotech War, and after several interim attempts at relief that ended in failure, the combined fleet of the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) arrives in 2044 for a final showdown aimed at reclaiming the Earth. The events of the first half of The Shadow Chronicles tell the tale of this battle, overlapping with the events of the last episodes of the original Robotech series, 84 (Dark Finale) and 85 (Symphony of Light) but depicting the showdown from the vantage point of space rather than concentrating on the activities of the Earth-based resistance and REF ground forces.
From this vantage point, fans will recognize some familiar scenes, but details are added. The energy weapons of REF warships are shown to be synchro-cannons similar to the one showcased in Episode 83 (Reflex Point). The synchro-cannons, Protoculture-cloaking "shadow devices" used by the REF mecha, and untested doomsday Neutron-S missiles are all also revealed to have been gifted to the REF by the Haydonites
, a race encountered by the Expeditionary Force during the events that have transpired on the other side of the galaxy in the time since it first departed Earth decades earlier. We also meet Marcus Rush, brother of Scott Bernard's fiancee Marlene who died in the Mars Division offensive, and Maia Sterling, the "other sister of Max and Mirya" who years earlier greeted her sister Dana in a Protoculture induced vision seen in Episode 60 (Catastrophe) and now serves as Commander of the famous Skull Squadron.
The battle goes largely as we saw it depicted the first time, albeit in more detail: initial success by technologically advanced and heavily armed Robotech mecha quickly leads to realization that there are far more Invid—literally many millions—than the General Staff envisioned. While fighting rages in space and on Earth, the Invid simulagent Ariel
(who had joined Scott Bernard's resistance group and come to the Regess' hive complex of Reflex Point with her friends) pleads with the Regess to spare humanity and surrender Earth. General Reinhardt, temporarily in command of the fleet onboard SDF-4 Izumo pending arrival of Admiral Rick Hunter
and the SDF-3, begins to contemplate the implications of defeat and reflects on his orders that he is to destroy Earth with the Neutron-S missiles if it is the only alternative to an Invid victory. A subsequent series of events leads to Vince Grant and his ship the Icarus discovering the fate of the SDF-3 and returning with a damaged ship called the Deukalion and a warning from Admiral Hunter that the Neutron-S missiles must not be used. Alas, it is too late: Reinhardt has already given the order, and they cannot be recalled.
Fortunately for the people of Earth, the Regess has had a change of heart. As she watches the battle unfold and sees the Neutron-S missiles launched, the Regess is reminded of the endless ruin that has plagued her race. She speaks of the malignant spirit of the Robotech Masters, of the "Children of the Shadow," and of a conflict that will rage from generation to generation, none of which is what she wants. She therefore determines to leave, recalling all Invid to Reflex Point and turning the hive cluster itself into a phoenix of trascendant Protoculture energy on which the race abandons the Earth. These events mimic the final moments of Symphony of Light, but they clarify an important point: while the departing Invid vortex does disintegrate the threatening Neutron-S missiles, it spares the surviving ships of the depleted REF fleet.
The Icarus arrives at Moon Base ALUCE, where Louie Nichols (formerly of Dana Sterling's 15th Alpha Tactical Armored Corps and a veteran of the Second Robotech War, find the only surviving crew member of the Deukalion to be Janice Em
, an android that uses a holographic overlay to appear as a young woman. She reveals that she is a combination of Human and Haydonite technology, built as an emissary for the two races. Ariel, who demonstrates previously unseen powers to teleport herself to ALUCE from the surface of the Earth, informs Scott Bernard of her vision that the "Children of the Shadow" plan to attack the REF. Reinhardt and Grant watch the conversation on a monitor but draw the wrong conclusions: they suspect Scott of being a traitor and have him arrested for interrogation.
In a short time, their mistake is made clear. When ALUCE loses contact with Space Station Liberty, Louie realizes that same signal jamming communications is one he saw on the Icarus when it went in search of the SDF-3. Grant takes the Icarus to the Station and takes Scott, Ariel, Louie, Janice and the Skull Squadron with him.
They arrive to find a situation out of control. Space Station Liberty is under heavy attack by unfamiliar alien craft, and it swiftly becomes clear that the seemingly wonderous "gifts" of the Haydonites were as much a part of an elaborate trap as they were an equalizer for the assault on Reflex Point. Synchro-cannons overload; shadow devices lock down control systems. Everywhere, the ships of the Expeditionary Force are reduced to targets, and within minutes of arrival, Louie has a shocking assessment of the losses: 89% of those ships that survived the fight over Reflex Point, implying losses into the tens of thousands. The Haydonites are the "Children of the Shadow."
Unable to restore communications, Grant cannot warn the remaining ships; they are left to fight a hopeless battle. Suspecting that Janice may be aligned with the Haydonites, Grant arrests her, while the Skull Squadron heads to Liberty in search of stockpiled mecha that may not have been upgraded with the trojan-horse Haydonite technology. Grant's ship follows; the Icarus is shadow-equipped and untrustworthy. Louie identifies a single earlier-generation Robotech vessel based on the Space Station, the colony ship Ark Angel, and Grant orders all personnel to evacuate to the ship. Meanwhile, the Skull Squadron pilots race to equip themselves with earlier-version Alpha fighters and engage the Haydonites to buy time while Louie works to get the reflex furnace of the Ark Angel operational. An encounter with Haydonite soldiers seeking to retrieve Janice reveals that the goal of the Haydonites is to retrieve the protoculture matrix onboard the SDF-3; before dying, one tells Grant that "all those who embrace protoculture are doomed."
Rehabilitated by the changing fortunes, Scott Bernard accompanies Vince in a ride on Cyclones through the Space Station, seeking out those few Neutron-S missiles that were not brought to bear in the earlier assault. They cannot move them, but they realize that if they can detonate one, they may be able to destroy the attacking alien force along with Space Station Liberty. Maia, Marcus, and the other Skull pilots continue to fight their desperate battle. In a moment before his own death, Marcus sees a while light and has a vision of his sister Marlene, who tells him that "it is not his time to die" and that she "will always be with him." Marcus wakes aboard the Ark Angel with Ariel by his side. The ship has just completed a space fold, escaping the blast of the Neutron-S missile that has destroyed the Haydonite fleet. Ariel reveals that she used her teleportation power to save him despite his hatred of the Invid; Marcus is left at a loss for words.
As the Ark Angel flies over Earth's surface, Reinhardt gives Grant his new orders: he and those onboard the Ark Angel must go in search of the SDF-3. Maia and Marcus console each other over the friends and family they have lost as well as those missing aboard the SDF-3. While Scott and Ariel share a kiss, Louie reassures a confused and uncertain Janice that "We will win", a sentiment that she picks up in ethereal song as the ship departs from Earth orbit.
, although it was the first and only animated film ever shown in this Arizonan festival's three-year history.
released Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles on DVD on February 6, 2007. A 2-disc collector's edition with additional features was announced by FUNimation at Anime Expo
2007 and released on DVD November 20, 2007. The Blu-ray version was released on September 4, 2008.
Madman Entertainment
in Australia
was the first international distributor to license and release Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. The film was released on Region 4 DVD on March 14, 2007.
Revelation Films
released the film in the United Kingdom
on July 23, 2007.
Guangdong Qianhe Audio & Video released the single-disc Standard Edition in the People's Republic of China
on August 20, 2007 and the 2-disc Collector's Edition on May 1, 2008.
elements being mixed into a number of the cues, particularly four of the tracks in the film, and one of the tracks on the soundtrack CD ("Dogfight"). Chase Masterson
sang the parts for her robotic character Janice. Melissa Kaplan, the lead singer of the band Universal Hall Pass
, vocalized some of the background music.
gave it an overall rating of C-, commenting that while the movie had good music, it suffered from mediocre animation, a cliché story and a host of forgettable characters. Slop Reilly of Ain't It Cool News
gave it a 1 out of 5 stars, citing a poor screenplay, weak character development and unnatural character design and animation.
On the positive side, Tasha Robinson of the Sci Fi Channel
's Sci Fi Weekly gave it a B, while Jeffrey Kauffman of DVDTalk recommended it.
said, "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has been doing good business at retail, and we are currently in production on the sequel." Later that same day, Yune mentioned that the sequel will be a feature movie. The title of the sequel has been revealed as Robotech: Shadow Rising, and the film was expected to be released within two years of the time of the announcement, earliest. However subsequent announcements in mid-2008 have made it clear that little-or-no progress has been made on the film, and it has been indefinitely postponed, pending developments with the live-action film.
It was later revealed that the two year estimate was a misunderstanding, by fans. While the two-year date was stated, by Yune, to be possible, it was never intended to be an actual release date. However, fans erroneously took it to be an actual release date. Subsequently, this caused a great deal of confusion within the Robotech fan base. Later, fans were further confused when another member of HG's staff stated the "animation was on hiatus." Many fans took that to mean the show had been postponed, when this was not the case. HG later corrected this misunderstandings by appearing on Space Station Liberty, a Talk Show Call In Live Pod Cast dedicated to Robotech. HG's staff explained the error with the "estimated release date". HG also explained that "hiatus" was an industry term meant to say that the animation was on hold while other parts of the production process caught up to it. In this case, scripting, story boarding, and other parts of the production process are continuing. However, as the animation has gotten ahead of the rest of production, the animators have nothing to animate until they get the next bit of the story from HG's staff writers. At this point in time, no firm release date has ever been given for "Robotech: The Shadow Rising," but an estimated release date was reported to be forth coming.
At Anime Expo 2009, Kevin McKeever and Yune confirmed that Robotech: Shadow Rising has been put off indefinitely since Warner Bros. Pictures is now actively developing a big-budget Robotech live-action feature film. Akiva Goldsman
(Starsky & Hutch
, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
, I Am Legend
), and Jason Netter (Wanted) have been hired as producers and Tobey Maguire
is also attached to the film. Several screenwriters, including Lawrence Kasdan
, Alfred Gough
, and Miles Millar
, have also joined the project. Details about the plot of the movie are still very limited, but conceptually, it will likely be a "re-imagining", rather than a story that is a direct sequel or prequel, or one that is set at some point within Robotechs established chronology.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1985 Robotech television series
Robotech (TV series)
Robotech is an 85-episode adaptation of three different anime television series made between 1982-1984 in Japan, the adaptation was aired in 1985. Within the combined and edited story, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific...
. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.
Plot
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is accessible to viewers who are not familiar with the Robotech universe, but because of the close interweaving of the TSC storyline with that of the original Robotech series, it may be difficult to fully appreciate all that is shown without prior knowledge. Those interested in a full background on the events in the Robotech universe may wish to refer to these sources:- Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: Prelude to the Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles is a five-part comic book mini-series written by Tommy Yune along with the Waltrip brothers, who were previously the art-and-writing team of the Robotech II: The Sentinels comic series. It was published under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint...
- Robotech Armed ForcesRobotech Armed ForcesThe Robotech Armed Forces are the fictional military force depicted in Robotech.After the events of The Macross Saga the Robotech Expeditionary Force is formed and leaves Earth to hunt for the Robotech Masters; returning during the 2030s and 2040s to battle the Invid.-Robotech Defense Force:...
- Robotech WarsRobotech WarsIn the fictional world of Robotech, the Robotech Wars are a series of four devastating wars that take place in the first half of the 21st century...
Part One
13 years after the conquest of Earth by the InvidInvid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
in the wake of the Second Robotech War, and after several interim attempts at relief that ended in failure, the combined fleet of the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) arrives in 2044 for a final showdown aimed at reclaiming the Earth. The events of the first half of The Shadow Chronicles tell the tale of this battle, overlapping with the events of the last episodes of the original Robotech series, 84 (Dark Finale) and 85 (Symphony of Light) but depicting the showdown from the vantage point of space rather than concentrating on the activities of the Earth-based resistance and REF ground forces.
From this vantage point, fans will recognize some familiar scenes, but details are added. The energy weapons of REF warships are shown to be synchro-cannons similar to the one showcased in Episode 83 (Reflex Point). The synchro-cannons, Protoculture-cloaking "shadow devices" used by the REF mecha, and untested doomsday Neutron-S missiles are all also revealed to have been gifted to the REF by the Haydonites
Haydonites
The Haydonites are a fictional, highly advanced cybernetic race that appears in Robotech and made their first appearance in the comic Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles. They are also seen the subsequent movie, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles...
, a race encountered by the Expeditionary Force during the events that have transpired on the other side of the galaxy in the time since it first departed Earth decades earlier. We also meet Marcus Rush, brother of Scott Bernard's fiancee Marlene who died in the Mars Division offensive, and Maia Sterling, the "other sister of Max and Mirya" who years earlier greeted her sister Dana in a Protoculture induced vision seen in Episode 60 (Catastrophe) and now serves as Commander of the famous Skull Squadron.
The battle goes largely as we saw it depicted the first time, albeit in more detail: initial success by technologically advanced and heavily armed Robotech mecha quickly leads to realization that there are far more Invid—literally many millions—than the General Staff envisioned. While fighting rages in space and on Earth, the Invid simulagent Ariel
Ariel (Robotech)
Ariel is a fictional character from the third Robotech chapter The New Generation and Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles...
(who had joined Scott Bernard's resistance group and come to the Regess' hive complex of Reflex Point with her friends) pleads with the Regess to spare humanity and surrender Earth. General Reinhardt, temporarily in command of the fleet onboard SDF-4 Izumo pending arrival of Admiral Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus...
and the SDF-3, begins to contemplate the implications of defeat and reflects on his orders that he is to destroy Earth with the Neutron-S missiles if it is the only alternative to an Invid victory. A subsequent series of events leads to Vince Grant and his ship the Icarus discovering the fate of the SDF-3 and returning with a damaged ship called the Deukalion and a warning from Admiral Hunter that the Neutron-S missiles must not be used. Alas, it is too late: Reinhardt has already given the order, and they cannot be recalled.
Fortunately for the people of Earth, the Regess has had a change of heart. As she watches the battle unfold and sees the Neutron-S missiles launched, the Regess is reminded of the endless ruin that has plagued her race. She speaks of the malignant spirit of the Robotech Masters, of the "Children of the Shadow," and of a conflict that will rage from generation to generation, none of which is what she wants. She therefore determines to leave, recalling all Invid to Reflex Point and turning the hive cluster itself into a phoenix of trascendant Protoculture energy on which the race abandons the Earth. These events mimic the final moments of Symphony of Light, but they clarify an important point: while the departing Invid vortex does disintegrate the threatening Neutron-S missiles, it spares the surviving ships of the depleted REF fleet.
Part Two
In the wake of its "victory" over the Invid, the Expeditionary Force is in no position to celebrate, much less attempt to restore security to Earth. Most of its remaining ships withdraw to Space Station Liberty for repairs. We learn that the fleet has sufficient Protoculture for perhaps as little as one year of continued full-scope operations.The Icarus arrives at Moon Base ALUCE, where Louie Nichols (formerly of Dana Sterling's 15th Alpha Tactical Armored Corps and a veteran of the Second Robotech War, find the only surviving crew member of the Deukalion to be Janice Em
Janice Em
Janice Em—an acronym alias for Junctioned Articifial Neuro-Intigrated Cybernetic Entity M1—is a fictional android from the universe of Robotech...
, an android that uses a holographic overlay to appear as a young woman. She reveals that she is a combination of Human and Haydonite technology, built as an emissary for the two races. Ariel, who demonstrates previously unseen powers to teleport herself to ALUCE from the surface of the Earth, informs Scott Bernard of her vision that the "Children of the Shadow" plan to attack the REF. Reinhardt and Grant watch the conversation on a monitor but draw the wrong conclusions: they suspect Scott of being a traitor and have him arrested for interrogation.
In a short time, their mistake is made clear. When ALUCE loses contact with Space Station Liberty, Louie realizes that same signal jamming communications is one he saw on the Icarus when it went in search of the SDF-3. Grant takes the Icarus to the Station and takes Scott, Ariel, Louie, Janice and the Skull Squadron with him.
They arrive to find a situation out of control. Space Station Liberty is under heavy attack by unfamiliar alien craft, and it swiftly becomes clear that the seemingly wonderous "gifts" of the Haydonites were as much a part of an elaborate trap as they were an equalizer for the assault on Reflex Point. Synchro-cannons overload; shadow devices lock down control systems. Everywhere, the ships of the Expeditionary Force are reduced to targets, and within minutes of arrival, Louie has a shocking assessment of the losses: 89% of those ships that survived the fight over Reflex Point, implying losses into the tens of thousands. The Haydonites are the "Children of the Shadow."
Unable to restore communications, Grant cannot warn the remaining ships; they are left to fight a hopeless battle. Suspecting that Janice may be aligned with the Haydonites, Grant arrests her, while the Skull Squadron heads to Liberty in search of stockpiled mecha that may not have been upgraded with the trojan-horse Haydonite technology. Grant's ship follows; the Icarus is shadow-equipped and untrustworthy. Louie identifies a single earlier-generation Robotech vessel based on the Space Station, the colony ship Ark Angel, and Grant orders all personnel to evacuate to the ship. Meanwhile, the Skull Squadron pilots race to equip themselves with earlier-version Alpha fighters and engage the Haydonites to buy time while Louie works to get the reflex furnace of the Ark Angel operational. An encounter with Haydonite soldiers seeking to retrieve Janice reveals that the goal of the Haydonites is to retrieve the protoculture matrix onboard the SDF-3; before dying, one tells Grant that "all those who embrace protoculture are doomed."
Rehabilitated by the changing fortunes, Scott Bernard accompanies Vince in a ride on Cyclones through the Space Station, seeking out those few Neutron-S missiles that were not brought to bear in the earlier assault. They cannot move them, but they realize that if they can detonate one, they may be able to destroy the attacking alien force along with Space Station Liberty. Maia, Marcus, and the other Skull pilots continue to fight their desperate battle. In a moment before his own death, Marcus sees a while light and has a vision of his sister Marlene, who tells him that "it is not his time to die" and that she "will always be with him." Marcus wakes aboard the Ark Angel with Ariel by his side. The ship has just completed a space fold, escaping the blast of the Neutron-S missile that has destroyed the Haydonite fleet. Ariel reveals that she used her teleportation power to save him despite his hatred of the Invid; Marcus is left at a loss for words.
As the Ark Angel flies over Earth's surface, Reinhardt gives Grant his new orders: he and those onboard the Ark Angel must go in search of the SDF-3. Maia and Marcus console each other over the friends and family they have lost as well as those missing aboard the SDF-3. While Scott and Ariel share a kiss, Louie reassures a confused and uncertain Janice that "We will win", a sentiment that she picks up in ethereal song as the ship departs from Earth orbit.
Cast
- Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
as Vince Grant - Eddie FriersonEddie FriersonEdward Davies "Eddie" Frierson is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards, and Eric Frierson Edward Davies "Eddie" Frierson (born November 22, 1959) is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards,...
as Louie Nichols - Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
as Commander Darryl Taylor, Wolf Squadron Leader; Haydonite leader - Alexandra KenworthyAlexandra KenworthyAlexandra Kenworthy is an American voice actress. She is married to fellow voice actor Marc Snegoff and have two sons Her son, voice actor Gregory Snegoff and stuntman Tony Snegoff.-Filmography:*3×3 Eyes - Pai*Lensman - Lens...
as The Regis - Yuri LowenthalYuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
as Marcus Rush - Melanie MacQueen as Marlene Rush
- Chase MastersonChase MastersonChase Masterson, born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an American actress and singer.-Career:...
as Janice - Edie MirmanEdie MirmanEdith S. "Edie" Mirman is an American voice actress best known for the voice of Fujiko Mine from Tales of the Wolf, and also for both Miriya Parina Sterling and Nova Satori from Robotech. She is also the voice of Teryx in Dinosaucers and Gatomon and Angewomon in the Digimon series. She is credited...
as Maia Sterling - Iona MorrisIona MorrisIona Marie Morris is daughter to actor Greg Morris and older sister to actor Phil Morris. She is primarily an American voice actress but has also performed numerous times on television in speaking roles. She was the original voice of Storm in the X-Men and Spider-Man animated series...
as Jean Grant - Tony OliverTony OliverRafael Antonio Olivier , better known as Tony Oliver, is an American voice actor best known for voicing Rick Hunter from Robotech and Arsène Lupin III from Lupin The 3rd...
as Admiral HunterRick HunterRick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus... - Arthur Santiago as Alex Romero
- Gregory SnegoffGregory SnegoffGregory Snegoff is an American voice actor, writer and dialogue director who frequently works on English anime-dubs, known for providing the voice of Scott Bernard in Robotech, Taki Renzaburo in Wicked City and Master Roshi in Dragon Ball . He is also known by the names Greg Snegoff, Gregory Snow,...
as Scott BernardScott BernardScott Bernard is a fictional character from the third Robotech Series: The New Generation. He is a young man, who is somewhat reluctant but a leader at best. He is a skilled pilot and was set to marry the woman he loved Marlene Rush. However, Marlene is killed in the battle with the Invid... - Michael SorichMichael SorichMichael John Sorich is an American voice actor who is also a screen actor, writer, director and voice director.- Biography :...
as Sparks - Kari WahlgrenKari WahlgrenKari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
as ArielAriel (Robotech)Ariel is a fictional character from the third Robotech chapter The New Generation and Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles... - Dan WorenDan WorenDaniel E. Woren is an American voice actor who is also known as Jackson Daniels, Warren Daniels, Dan Warren, Daniel Woren, and Dan Worren...
as General Reinhardt
Theatrical
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles premiered at the Cannes Film Market on May 22, 2006 in the Grey One Theatre to an audience of distribution representatives. A number of independent film festivals screened the film during the summer and fall. It was awarded Best Animated Sci-Fi Feature at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film FestivalInternational Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival
International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival is a film festival dedicated to the genres of horror and science fiction that is held annually in Tempe, Arizona, United States...
, although it was the first and only animated film ever shown in this Arizonan festival's three-year history.
Home video
Harmony Gold and Funimation EntertainmentFunimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
released Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles on DVD on February 6, 2007. A 2-disc collector's edition with additional features was announced by FUNimation at Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
2007 and released on DVD November 20, 2007. The Blu-ray version was released on September 4, 2008.
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was the first international distributor to license and release Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. The film was released on Region 4 DVD on March 14, 2007.
Revelation Films
Revelation Films
Revelation Films is a British distributor of entertainment programmes on DVD.It was perhaps most well known as the company through which as of November 2006, the American anime company FUNimation Entertainment has launched its titles in the United Kingdom on region 2 DVD...
released the film in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on July 23, 2007.
Guangdong Qianhe Audio & Video released the single-disc Standard Edition in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
on August 20, 2007 and the 2-disc Collector's Edition on May 1, 2008.
Music
The musical score was composed by Scott Glasgow, and was recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. However, budgetary issues resulted in synthesizedSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
elements being mixed into a number of the cues, particularly four of the tracks in the film, and one of the tracks on the soundtrack CD ("Dogfight"). Chase Masterson
Chase Masterson
Chase Masterson, born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an American actress and singer.-Career:...
sang the parts for her robotic character Janice. Melissa Kaplan, the lead singer of the band Universal Hall Pass
Universal Hall Pass
Universal Hall Pass is a one-person band based in Los Angeles, California which was first formed in 2001 by Melissa Kaplan, formerly of Splashdown.Universal Hall Pass' first full-length album, Mercury, was released in 2004, featuring eleven songs...
, vocalized some of the background music.
Reception
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has received mixed reception from fans and critics. Justin Sevakis of the Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
gave it an overall rating of C-, commenting that while the movie had good music, it suffered from mediocre animation, a cliché story and a host of forgettable characters. Slop Reilly of Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
gave it a 1 out of 5 stars, citing a poor screenplay, weak character development and unnatural character design and animation.
On the positive side, Tasha Robinson of the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
's Sci Fi Weekly gave it a B, while Jeffrey Kauffman of DVDTalk recommended it.
Sequel
On February 27, 2007 at the New York Comic Con, Shadow Chronicles director Tommy YuneTommy Yune
Tommy Yune is a Korean comic book author who became known for his manga-style work on Speed Racer, which was followed by a comic industry revival of classic anime shows such as Transformers, Battle of the Planets and Robotech...
said, "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has been doing good business at retail, and we are currently in production on the sequel." Later that same day, Yune mentioned that the sequel will be a feature movie. The title of the sequel has been revealed as Robotech: Shadow Rising, and the film was expected to be released within two years of the time of the announcement, earliest. However subsequent announcements in mid-2008 have made it clear that little-or-no progress has been made on the film, and it has been indefinitely postponed, pending developments with the live-action film.
It was later revealed that the two year estimate was a misunderstanding, by fans. While the two-year date was stated, by Yune, to be possible, it was never intended to be an actual release date. However, fans erroneously took it to be an actual release date. Subsequently, this caused a great deal of confusion within the Robotech fan base. Later, fans were further confused when another member of HG's staff stated the "animation was on hiatus." Many fans took that to mean the show had been postponed, when this was not the case. HG later corrected this misunderstandings by appearing on Space Station Liberty, a Talk Show Call In Live Pod Cast dedicated to Robotech. HG's staff explained the error with the "estimated release date". HG also explained that "hiatus" was an industry term meant to say that the animation was on hold while other parts of the production process caught up to it. In this case, scripting, story boarding, and other parts of the production process are continuing. However, as the animation has gotten ahead of the rest of production, the animators have nothing to animate until they get the next bit of the story from HG's staff writers. At this point in time, no firm release date has ever been given for "Robotech: The Shadow Rising," but an estimated release date was reported to be forth coming.
At Anime Expo 2009, Kevin McKeever and Yune confirmed that Robotech: Shadow Rising has been put off indefinitely since Warner Bros. Pictures is now actively developing a big-budget Robotech live-action feature film. Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
(Starsky & Hutch
Starsky & Hutch (film)
Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
, I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
), and Jason Netter (Wanted) have been hired as producers and Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
is also attached to the film. Several screenwriters, including Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Edward "Larry" Kasdan is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Kasdan was born in Miami, Florida, the son of Sylvia Sarah , an employment counselor, and Clarence Norman Kasdan, who managed retail electronics stores.His Brother is the writer/producer Mark...
, Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough III is an American screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Gough graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School and The Catholic University of America...
, and Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
, have also joined the project. Details about the plot of the movie are still very limited, but conceptually, it will likely be a "re-imagining", rather than a story that is a direct sequel or prequel, or one that is set at some point within Robotechs established chronology.
External links
- Robotech.com - Harmony Gold's official Robotech website.
- Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles at Animanga Wiki - includes detailed plot over view and Continuity overview.