Robotech: The Movie (1986)

Re-edited version of a Japanese TV serial combined with a direct-to-video anime, released in the U.S. as a feature.

Directors:

Noboru Ishiguro (as Ishiguro Noburo), Carl Macek

Writers:

Carl Macek (story), Ardwight Chamberlain (screenplay)

Stars:

Kerrigan Mahan, Iona Morris, Diane Michelle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kerrigan Mahan	...	Mark Landry / Tech / Additional Voices (voice) (as Ryan O'Flannigan)
Iona Morris	...	Becky Michaels (voice) (as Brittany Harlowe)
Diane Michelle	...	Eve (voice) (as Muriel Fargo)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Anchor / Col. B.D. Andrews / Additional Voices (voice) (as Greg Snow)
Michael McConnohie	...	Rider / Additional Voices (voice) (as Jeffrey Platt)
Greg Finley	...	Gen. Anatole Leonard / Additional Voices (voice) (as Guy Garrett)
Tom Wyner	...	Roger / Additional Voices (voice) (as Abe Lasser)
Robert V. Barron	...	Prof. Embry (voice) (as Merle Pearson)
Edie Mirman	...	Kelly Stevens (voice) (as Penny Sweet)
Wendee Lee	...	Stacy Embry (voice) (as Wendee Swan)
Tony Clay	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Wayne Anthony)
Clifton Wells	...	Tech / Additional Voices (voice) (as Spike Niblick)
Bruce Winant	...	Blue / Bud / Rider / Soldiers / Additional Voices (voice) (as Bruce Nielson)
Doug Lee	...	Master / PA / Additional Voices (voice) (as Ike Medlick)
Dan Woren	...	Lt. Todd Harris (voice) (as Ton Warner)

Storyline

In 1999 an alien spaceship crashed onto the earth. Hidden on board were the secrets of a unique science known as Robotechnology. Databanks found in the ship were transferred to the Earth Robotech Computer Complex. In 2009, an alien search party arrived from hyper-space to reclaim their lost databank. The united Earth Government was forced into an Inter Galactic war. Earth forces were able to win the first battle......but at a great cost. The planet was virtually destroyed. New population centres grew out of the ashes..... It is now 2027, a second armada sent by the aliens is nearing earth, they have come to recapture the secrets of their lost technology and then destroy the Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

coca cola can | handgun | television | plan | sand | 

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Taglines:

The adventure never stops in this full length animated feature

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Music | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 1999 and 2027.

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Goofs

During the exposition phase in the opening Star Wars style text scroll, the word "Technology" is divided and hyphenated due to the entire word not fitting at the end of the line ("Technol-" on the former line and "ogy" on the next). This is not considered proper form and in the Star Wars scrolls, the words are simply spaced apart appropriately so that each line is uniform in length, avoiding the necessity to divide any words at the margin. In typeset terminology, this is called the "Justified alignment". Also, the word "technology" is more properly divided as "Techo-logy".

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Quotes

Mark Landry: I bet she'd be a lot happier if she could drive by itself!
Becky Franklin: C'mon, Mark, be a sport.
Mark Landry: I cant even believe I let you people talk me into this stupid thing, this bike doesn't even belong to me.
Mark Landry: You're behaving like you stole it.
Mark Landry: I didn't, but to some people, that might not matter very much.
Becky Franklin: What do you mean? What people, what's the story behind this machine? Where'ed it come from?
Mark Landry: Forget it.
Becky Franklin: Listen, Mark if you've gotten yourself into some kind of trouble and you needed help, tell me about it.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits go up the screen like the old Star Wars opening credits.

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Alternate Versions

A short 30-minute version was released on DVD in 2011 as 'Robotech: The Untold Story', omitting footage for which the license to Megazone 23 had expired.

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Connections

Followed by Robotech: Invasion (2004)

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Soundtracks

Call On Me
Performed by Joanne Harris
Composed by Steve Wittmack

User Reviews

Finally got to see it!

When I was a kid, and HUGE fan of the Robotech series, I kept hearing a promise of a Robotech Movie. Because I didn't live in Texas, I never got that chance.

The film was screened in one city in Texas, tested poorly, and never heard from again. Later, Robotech's creator, Carl Macek, denounced the film in his writing and interviews, saying he'd wish everyone would just forget it ever happened. But, I wanted to judge for myself.

They released a comic book adaptation of the film in 1996 which was honestly quite bad, and it wasn't enough to quench my appetite. I even found a copy of Megazone 23, the film in which this is edited from, but I still wanted to see the actual movie.

This has only been released on video Europe and after paying 30 pounds (around 50 dollars) I finally got my hands on it. My friend was able to dub it for me from the Euro format to the US format, but unfortunately it was transerred without any color. Oh well, at least I got to see it.

And, I can tell you that everything you've heard is true. The movie is filled with inconsistencies, bad dialogue, bad storylines, you name it. It should have never been made.

The only thing that bothers me is that had this film been readily available, I might have seen it once and dismissed it. But just because it's SO hard to find (it pops up on online auctions about two or three times a year) I felt compelled to hunt it down.

A good comparison would be the "Star Wars Holiday Special." You want to see that one last chapter of a series you love, yet the payoff is not worth the hunt.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

8 January 1987 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Robotech: The Untold Story

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTMIC Studios, Anime International Company (AIC), Big West

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1