FILMS: Robotech To Come To The Big Screen?

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TOP: A video with the Robotech animated series intro.

Hi All,

Last week, I was out of town at training and read about a forthcoming Robotech movie from several sources: TMP, Marc Vezina's blog, Yahoo News, among other sources. I didn't have the time to Blog about it then, but I do now. Being that I'm a major Robotech / Macross fan, I'm excited about the possibility of a Robotech movie... even if Hollywood does it. Here's an excerpt from the Yahoo News article:

TOP: Robotech, THE serial sci-fi cartoon of the 1980s!

...After a lengthy negotiation, Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up feature rights to "Robotech," a 1980s Japanese cartoon series with giant robots known as mechas. Maguire is eyeing the lead role, and will serve as a producer.

"We are very excited to bring 'Robotech' to the big screen," Maguire said. "There is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film."

A sprawling sci-fi epic, "Robotech" takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

The $686 million worldwide box office success of "Transformers" has inspired other studios to assemble giant robot movies. Last month, Fox-based Regency picked up 1980s Japanese anime series "Voltron."

- Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

In a few word, Robotech has been a major cultural icon... it could be argued that the animated series Robotech and the feature film Akira almost singlehandedly established Japanese animation or anime in the American consciousness. I know that as a younger person, my friends and I religiously watched Robotech... sometimes several times a day if we could. And it wasn't just young people who enjoyed it, I remember a number of adults, some of them "very mature" (...meaning old!) adults who enjoyed the series right alongside us.

Robotech ran in three major series representing different chronological periods in the Robotech universe:

1. Macross
(Humans first encounter aliens and alien technology culminating in an epic final battle.)
2. Southern Cross
(The human survivors of the final battle reorganize and continue the battle in a war-torn Earth.)
3. Mospedia
(In an apocalyptic war-torn Earth, the survivors of the conflict discover new truths about the aliens and, of course, save the PLANET!)

It was tough to say which one was the best because we liked them all. What I can definitively say is that all three Robotech series were tremendously popular and inspired many animated offshoots and games. The incredibly popular Battledroids game, which later morphed into Battletech became a fond part of my gaming experience in the 1980s and is still doing well today... even after Battletech's parent company, FASA, went out of business. I was a major Battletech junkie and even played in a Palladium Robotech RPG campaign that lasted nearly a year....

Now, about the upcoming movie, I'm excited but also apprehensive. Hollywood can screw up any good story if you give them a chance and I see Robotech as no less vulnerable a license. I sure hope they don't try to cram all three story lines into one film. Tobey Maguire as a director, actor or producer hasn't been very inspiring in my opinion, but as one TMP poster mentioned, Rick Hunter (the Robotech lead character), has always been a "tool" so it's hard to imagine that Maguire couldn't play a "tool" well. Maguire did a fine job of "wussify-ing" Spiderman. The "Transformers" movie wasn't bad... I enjoyed quite a bit of it. I'm not sure about "Voltron," but I hope they don't decide to try to bring the "Thundercats" to the big screen. I could deal with "Star Blazers" though and we already know that "Speed Racer" is impending... Now, if only they could resurrect some of the old "big hair" bands without denaturing them...

TOP: The third Robotech series, Mospedia, was a fan favorite.

Here are a few helpful links as is my wont:

Yahoo News article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070907/people_nm/maguire_dc;_ylt=ApX8Kzac9.mef8gvMhJUh6txFb8C

Marc Vezina's awesome mecha and gaming blog:

http://www.vectorsphere.com/weblog/archives/005573.html

A Wikipedia article about EVERYTHING Robotech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech

And lastly, I have to show this awesome costume, which a Flickr photo album user, Varjohaltia, kindly let me share here on the 'ol blog. It's an actual Robotech Cyclone armor costume worn at DragonCon 2007. Every geek should be jealous of that piece of art!

TOP: Robotech Cyclone battle armor in motorcycle mode...

...from the animated series.

TOP: A truly superb Robotech Cyclone battle armor costume...

...in mecha mode and in REALITY!

Here's a link to the rest of Varjohaltia's awesome DragonCon 2007 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/varjohaltia/1332318469/

And most of the Robotech animated series is now available on DVD for those who are interested. I'm planning to eventually acquire a copy... And I loved the Robotech: Battlecry video game on my nephew's video game console. Go Robotech!

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).