The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 17 - Casting Call
So there's this not-very-good ROBOTECH movie "dream cast" list up at IGN -- you can see it here. I decided I could improve on it. Honestly, I think any ROBOTECH fan could improve on it, but I"m the one with the blog and the camera, so here's what I think. I had a hard time with Gloval. I think you might be able to do better. But the rest of them? I stand behind 'em 100%. I think they'd make for an excellent ROBOTECH movie cast. Take a look.
Labels: OH MY GOD THEY'RE MAKING A ROBOTECH MOVIE, Roboblog Chronicles
posted by Captain JLS at
00:26
11 Comments:
So how do you really feel about Halle Berry? Gloval is a hard one to get down. Too bad Edward James Olmos is already tied to Battlestar Galatica. I could so see him hitting his head on the door frame.
By
Unknown, at 13 September, 2007 07:02
Ten years ago, I would have picked Sean Connery as Captain Gloval. Too bad he now looks way too old for the part. And if he wouldn't come out of retirement for Indiana Jones, I don't think he would for Robotech. I guess I'll have to come up with another dream Gloval.
By
Admiral DMC McKeever, at 13 September, 2007 08:18
Oldie, but goodie...
This pic Razor and I drew up back in 2004 I believe. So yeah, some of the choices are a bit "dated" now. But what the hey... I thought I'd share it, again.
*laughing icon*
http://home.pacbell.net/lanza32/rtmtee.jpg
By
Michael Bradley Fanclub, at 13 September, 2007 08:42
Is there some unwritten rule that the ethnicities of the anime characters have to dictate the ethnicities of the actors who play them?
I'd prefer to see unknowns fill the roles, whether the characters they're playing come from the original animation or not. Cuts down on the baggage.
By
Roger, at 13 September, 2007 09:51
Roger: For most of the roles I'd say no, the ethnicity doesn't dictate (you HEARD my choice for Gloval, right?) but with Minmei the name strikes me as far too ethnic to fudge. Besides, who doesn't like cute Asian girls?
I honestly agree with you on the "cast of unknowns" thing -- I've been saying that for years -- but that's rather beside the point of this kind of thing. Only in the case of Minmei do I really think that's a big deal, and that's only because I think pulling the make-the-girl-a-star parallel with the whole "Miss Macross" thing within the storyline would be a perfect-for-this-project publicity stunt AND means of getting JUST the right person for the role.
Bryan: Edward James Olmos! There you go! Ugh. I knew I was missing someone who'd be good for Gloval. And hey, this is Battlestar's final season, so he WOULD be free. It's very much a "well duh, he's playing a similar role on TV" thing, but he really does look the part -- he'd just need to grow his Miami Vice moustache back and voila. (Probably didn't think of it because I don't watch Battlestar. *shrug*)
By
Captain JLS, at 13 September, 2007 11:18
Viv: Funny ... Evan was suggesting Matthew McConaughey for Fokker just the other day. Still not a bad lineup by any means, though I think Angelina Jolie today would be a bit out of their price range for as small a role as Miriya ...
By
Captain JLS, at 13 September, 2007 11:29
As I started to think about who I'd want to see as certain Robotech characters, I realized there is another factor to concider. Which characters will even be in the Robotech movie? Much like DYRL, I'm sure a lot of characters and plots will be left out so that the movie can tell a complete story in 2 hours. So thinking about that, and assuming that they will tell the entire Macross Saga story since there is no guarantee of a sequel, maybe we should discuss which characters and/or plots that we could do without and which are absolutely vital to Robotech.
By
Admiral DMC McKeever, at 13 September, 2007 23:00
Rick, Lisa, Minmei (the love triangle must endure), Roy (because the boy needs a mentor), Gloval (but only because the ship needs a captain -- he won't be a major character) ... Claudia would be there, but only in a minor way. Breetai and Exedore, naturally -- the honorable villain who switches sides when Dolza goes nuts and his loyal aide. Khyron can be the enemy ace, so as to maintain the whole "men & women separated" point about the aliens and not have to drag the women in (though "hot villainess" Miriya is something the producers would want). Dolza (the big bad). And Zor and the Masters in the prologue (because I think they really should do the opening "Genesis" scene with Zor seeding the planet, since they can here).
But as I said earlier, I seriously wouldn't do the whole war in one. It's just such a terrible idea. It means you don't have time to linger on so many cool elements throughout the storyline. It means the characters don't get room to shine. It means the arcs have to be truncated to all hell. No room to breathe. Put me in a room with Maguire and the Warners guys, and I'd give the biggest most impassioned speech about how this story needs the room that not even three hours can provide, even allowing so many changes and twists and turns to adapt the story into a movie.
By
Captain JLS, at 13 September, 2007 23:42
"Put me in a room with Maguire and the Warners guys, and I'd give the biggest most impassioned speech about how this story needs the room that not even three hours can provide, even allowing so many changes and twists and turns to adapt the story into a movie."
If I could, I would gladly put you in the room because I know you'd make sure they wouldn't screw it up.
Anyway, as much as I'd love to see the movie cover a smaller part of the Robotech universe, I'll have to see a script or at least hear a plot outline before I get my hopes up that it won't cover the whole Macross Saga. It just seems like, with what it costs to make 'epic' movies these days, they wouldn't want ot commit to a series of movies unless they knew it was a guaranteed mega-blockbuster. And for every Harry Potter or Simpsons movie, there is an Evan Almighty. I guess my feelings are 'hope for the best (multi-movie storyline), but expect the worst (one movie covering entire Macross Saga).
Oh, back to the characters and plots. What do you think about Kyle? He needlessly complicated things (Rick-Minmei-Kyle love triangle AND Rick-Lisa-Kyle psuedo-love triangle), but he was kind of important. Well, at times he was. He made Lisa doubt the military. Other times, he just....well, let's just say I liked him better in DYRL....where he wasn't in too much of it.
By
Admiral DMC McKeever, at 14 September, 2007 21:15
The only time Kyle was used effectively in the TV series was in the Reconstruction era, where he made real trouble for the military and had a set status quo by Minmei's side until their relationship falls apart. I think the problem was that they wanted to set him up as competition for Hikaru/Rick on both fronts of his love life, but on the Lisa end it was totally half-hearted and on the Minmei end ... well ... it never really came off to me that Minmei was looking at him that way. He certainly had her attention, but more because he's the guy who had the actual lengthy shared experience with Minmei as opposed to Rick's two weeks alone with her aboard the space fortress -- he had the genuine "childhood friend" thing. No wonder Rick gets jealous; he realizes he's the substitute object of Minmei's affection. His time with her just can't compete with Kyle's knowledge and experience alongside her.
If I were handling the character in the film reinterpretation, I'd make Kyle merely a childhood friend so that the romantic angle can be explored with Minmei more in depth without all the "cousin" snickers. I'd try and have him come off as genuinely charismatic, to make Lisa's goo-goo eyes make more sense, and I'd really give them some strong scenes together. He'd be best as a spoiler character for a second movie, a guy who comes in and just messes things up throughout Rick Hunter's life. And of course, while all this is going on, he loses Roy and (if he's set up in the first movie) Ben.
But in a single-movie-for-the-1st-Robotech-War world? Ditch Kyle. The love triangle's complicated enough without him. He's unnecessary. He'd just be fun to do in "Robotech II: The Ruin of Rick Hunter's World." (Which is basically the way I'd see the movie going if you did The Macross Saga as a single film trilogy unto itself.)
By
Captain JLS, at 15 September, 2007 01:04
A friend of mine thinks either Kurt Russell or Dennis Quaid should play Roy Fokker. Both those guys are a bit too old for the part. But with a little movie makeup, who knows?
By
Shawn, at 19 September, 2007 04:10
Post a Comment
<< Home