The Robotech series has always been considered a strange hybrid (in fact, during the 1980s, the company Harmony Gold licensed and edited together three unrelated anime series, creating one long TV show called Robotech). The Shadow Chronicles is the first original Robotech video production, narratively overlapping with the end of the TV series. Featuring Korean animation and a mostly new vocal cast (including Star Wars' Mark Hamill and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Chase Masterson), the story features both old characters and fresh faces as it follows the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF), which is coordinating with the few remaining human rebels on Earth to make a final push to oust the alien Invid. After the REF take heavy casualties, the outcome looks grim, but then the Invid suddenly leave en masse, destroying the humans' secret weapon in the process. Turns out, the Invid are fleeing an even larger threat, the mysterious Children of Shadow. The Shadow Chronicles is a typical Robotech mélange of giant space battles, mecha (piloted robots) combat, and romance, hampered by clumsy dialogue and brusque storytelling. Rated TV-PG and presented in English only, this double-disc “collector's edition” features a director's commentary track, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, a music video, and more. Those looking to round out their existing Robotech collections should definitely consider adding; for others, this is strictly optional. Aud: P. (L. Martincik)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles—2-Disc Collector's Edition
(2006) 2 discs. 88 min. DVD: $39.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-0634-0. Volume 23, Issue 2
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles—2-Disc Collector's Edition
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