SnoopyStyle It's 2044. The Robotech Expeditionary Force is fitted with new shadow technology provided by a secret alliance with isolationist Haydonites. They are aiming to retake Earth from the conquering Invids. Scott Bernard and his band of resistance on Earth have to take down Reflex Point to pave the way for the REF. Meanwhile Admiral Rick Hunter on the SDF-3 is delayed joining the offense after discovering a problem with the doomsday weapon Neutron-S missiles. All of this pales in comparison to the pending invasion by the Children of the Shadow who abhors any race that uses protoculture.This follows the 85 episode TV show. The characters are stiff. They had a humanity to them in the TV show but they are 2 dimensional cardboard cutouts in this movie. The animation is a blend of 2D and 3D CGI. The animation is fine for a kids TV show but not much more. The story is overflowing with plot rather than a story with relationships. It may work as a comic book but it lacks heart. This is interesting for fans of the TV show like me but nobody else.

sonnm1 My problem with Shadow Chronicles is where's the ending? It was touted as answering the question of what happened to Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 but we still don't know.I have no problem with the animation like other people seem to, though it does come off as being a little too slick. The film itself seems to be more of a prologue setting up the storyline for a series which has not eventuated.I agree with other reviewers on the feeling of being ripped off and not getting to see our old favorites from the Macross Saga. I know a few of the characters were killed off in the Sentinels novels. Why not finish off the Sentinels story arc? There's so much they can do with Robotech.

call_me-1 All in all I found that TSC was a fairly good production, nothing to rave about mind you but a nice effort non the less. As I watched the show the fan in me leaped for joy but the movie enthusiast in me cried. Dialog was clumsy and stilted in parts, character animation was OK with the 2D parts actually looking better then the 3D and the story was hurried. In the original series the mecha were fluid and moved as if they were alive, here the fighters looked... well like plain machines nothing special. There was no flair, no flash and the battle scenes were not inspiring.One of the best features in this rendition of classic Robotech was that the ships weren't made of paper as was often the case in the original trilogy. The use of actual formations for battle groups lent an aura of believability and helped to reinforce the idea that it was an actual military op instead of a bunch of high-tech barbarians hurtling towards each other. I actually appreciated the fact that the capital ships kept their distance and attacked from range rather then get in to the thick of it.Another aspect that I liked was how the characters of Bernard and Marlene/Ariel and developed. Scott is no longer the angry young man but more like a man who has seen enough death and wants no more of it. The hothead role is now passed on the Marcus Rush (org. Marlene's brother). The scene were the two meet up on the moon reminds me of the interactions between Rand/Lancer and Scott in the series but this time its Scott taking up the more rational less bigoted view.Though there is little mention of certain other characters from the series I don't think this a bad thing, too many old faces would have diluted the story even more with each hero jostling for screen time. However on the flip side i did feel that the REF was composed of only about a dozen pilots. The vast expanses of corridors seemed empty and lonely. A few added extra's would have certainly spruced up some scenes.By the end of it I felt that it would have probably been better approached a mini series instead of a feature. At least in that format the writers would have had more time to build up the characters and story. Somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that harmony gold were intentionally keeping the budget tight on this, probably not wanting to risk a huge amount of capital on reviving a long dormant franchise.So with that in mind, i give this flick a 7 star rating. A must see for fans, A fairly entertaining spiel otherwise.

stakenyf You know, I could babble in length about why I think this film is poor and not worth seeing unless you are a die-hard fan of the Robotech series, in which case you'll be greatly disappointed if you're expecting anything of the sort that got you hooked on the original series in the first place.The story is poor and unsatisfying for a long awaited continuation of the saga. The animation, both CG and conventional is rigid, cold and lifeless and sometimes looks downright amateur. The sound effects are lame. Does it have any good moments in it? Yeah, the opening score that borrows from the original Robotech series, but that is short lived. The rest is just a big expectation that never gets fulfilled, and then it's over. It's interesting to hear the creators of this film in the "making of" bonus feature talk passionately about how they strived to retain the feel of the original series and how proud they are. - People! Pardon me but you have failed miserably at that! Apparently this is supposed to be the beginning chapter of a new Robotech series. Well if that's the case, my advice would be to fire everybody that was involved in this project and hire others to do it.In the meantime, if you're hungry for Robotech, stick to Macross Plus or Macross Zero if you haven't seen them already. And if you have, watch 'em again.