Half a month of Robotech & Macross links.
The pics have got nothing to do with the links; I'm just in a Masters kind of mood. It's probably that I'm on a "Holy crap, Palladium knocked that Macross book out of the park -- can't wait for the Masters book!" high ...
I just finally cracked open my copy of the Macross Saga Sourcebook today. A couple of opinions on it can be found here (from a self-described "tamed" Macross purist), and here (from my old pal Tolarin; if you've checked the comments for my post on Lonely Soldier Boy II, you may have already read this). Both reviews bring some interesting insight to bear.
Me, I think I need another couple of days to digest the book. Lots of interesting revisions, retcons, and rewrites throughout.
From the end of last month: a ToonZone review of the Shadow Chronicles Blu-Ray disc. Mind you, if you've seen one review of Shadow Chronicles, you've seen 'em all ...
Unless you've been internet-deprived all day long, you've probably heard from one of a dozen or more sources that Warner Bros. ROBOTECH film has picked up some new screenwriters, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who you may be familiar with as the long-standing showrunners for the WB (later CW) TV series Smallville. Kind of a step down from Lawrence "two-thirds of the original Star Wars trilogy and the first/best Indiana Jones movie" Kasdan, if you ask me. (Tip of the hat to fellow Roboblog World Headquarters resident Evan Cass, who e-mailed me the news this morning.)
Anime News Network reported last week that Kadokawa plans on launching an all-Macross, all-the-time magazine in January. These are the same folks who've been cranking out an all-Gundam, all-the-time manga anthology, Gundam Ace, since 2001. The article was unclear whether or not this would be a manga anthology as well, though heaven knows it'll probably have at least one monthly manga serial.
Meanwhile Bandai has decided to hitch their wagon to umpteen nifty Macross Frontier toys. (Though I gotta say, not a fan of the green one. Really don't care for the head. Also, FAST packs as a store-exclusive? Poor Frontier collectors. I weep for them.)
And finally ... the green Tomahawk, it is so pretty. Once again, shame I don't have any f***ing money!!! ARGH!!!
Me, I think I need another couple of days to digest the book. Lots of interesting revisions, retcons, and rewrites throughout.
Labels: Blu-Ray, Destroids, I wish I had the money right now, import toys, Lazy linkage, Macross, Macross F, OH MY GOD THEY'RE MAKING A ROBOTECH MOVIE, review, RPG, Yamato
posted by Captain JLS at
21:33
7 Comments:
Speaking of spiffy looking... I've NEVER seen that image of older Dana Sterling until now. That's pretty damn cool looking!
I'm really excited about Palladium's new Robotech series... I jokingly explain to my friends on the USS George Washington about how its a perfect role playing game for us to run... "So you guys are on an aircraft carrier in the distant future of 2009..."
All in all, they are doing a pretty good job. Some folks have given them flak for lack of starships and information and such... but if you compare THIS Macross Saga book to the OLD Macross Saga book... the new book is so much more playable. You have several starships in at least some detail on both sides. Remember how in the old edition, you didn't even get all the Zentraedi mecha and ANY starships until the Zentraedi sourcebook.
This book's gone about detailing Zentraedi RCCs (Like how to create your own Overlords and Warlords), all the mecha, two starships... they give the UEDF (RDF) three starships, a bazillion fighters and variants, and the classes to support them. All in all, I think Palladium did a pretty good job assembling MOST of what you need to play the game.
The only thing really lacking was a setting guide... there is nothing on notable locations after the holocaust, a real difinitive timeline, or such... (That, and the Pinpoint/Omni Barrier. What the heck? That one really gets me.) Not a big deal for Robotech fans... a bit more for people picking the books up from the get go with little to no experience in the Robotech universe. (I think the old books did a little better on that one...)
Robotech Movie stuffs: I know you're no legalman, but perhaps you've got a better idea then me. Can they use the designs of the SDF-1, the Zentraedi, and the Valkyrie Veritechs? The video games and comics make me want to say that shouldn't be a problem... I'd imagine that the Veritech Valkyrie might get a slightly more up to date look. (Personally, I imagine the F-18 Super Hornets being a WONDERFUL plane to retain that VF-1 look while being a bit more up to date... it would also avoid Starscream's movie look.) I just want my dream of seeing a Hollywood-calibur SDF-1 flying over Ontario as Zentraedi starships descend to attack it.
I can dream, right?
By
Unknown, at 18 November, 2008 02:32
Too bad the script has to start over - I wonder if Lawrence Kasdan turned in a stinker? Maybe it was creative differences, who the hell knows?
If what I heard was true, that WB does indeed not want HG to come out with the Shadow Rising until the Live Action Movie is released, then it's gonna be a loooooong time until we see it.
Can you believe its been 4 years since RSC started production, nearly 3 since its been completed, and almost 2 since its been released?
By
Darkwater, at 18 November, 2008 15:46
Tolarin: Totally stumbled across that Dana by accident while I was looking for screengrabs to fill up the post. I'd never seen it either.
Yeah, y'know, I like to think that if I'd gotten to skim through a text file of this book like I did the Shadow Chronicles book, I would have caught the barrier omission. But I s'pose they intend to remedy that in the big Robotech ships book in '09. You're a smart guy, I know you can probably come up with some DIY barrier rules until then, right?
On the movie front, um, have you read what's happened with Voltron? Check this out and tell me it's not just a WEE bit worrying as far as Robotech is concerned, esp. considering the Macross Big West/Tatsunoko kerfluffle:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-18/lawsuit-launched-over-proposed-live-action-voltron-film
Darkwater: My money's on creative differences. C'mon, they went from Mr. "I wrote some of the more enduring blockbusters of the 1980's" to "We ran Smallville." THAT, boys & girls, is a giant blinking sign that someone wanted a major change in direction.
My hope is that Team HG is quietly putting Shadow Rising together, at a more deliberate pace, but still getting it done so they can roll it out behind the movie, maybe during the theatrical rollout, or maybe alongside the DVD release. Do I really think they're doing that? No. But like Tolarin, I dare to dream.
The funny thing is, even two years on, on some level I still can't believe Shadow Chronicles happened. I wake up, look at my DVD shelf, and I'm still kind of surprised it's there. It is still kind of amazing to me that HG got its act together enough to crank something new out, and rolled it out in the form it was intended for.
But at the same time, wow, how time flies, which I assume was more your point. ^_^
By
Captain JLS, at 19 November, 2008 00:28
The problem with films is that is so tough to gauge how the movie's going to end up based on the writers, because there's so much other input from other sources that can have a positive or negative effect.
I heard that Mario Puzo's original Superman script was terrible and that it was Richard Donner who made it what it was. On the flipside I saw an interview with Sam Hamm regarding the Batman movie and he mentioned having nothing to do with Vicky Vale entering the Batcave or the Joker killing Bruce Wayne's parents.
I've also heard the original script for Good Will Hunting by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck was terrible, and re-written so many times until the point where it was good, but they got credit because of WGA rules.
But, all we can tell right now is that for whatever reason the script had to start over again.
By
Darkwater, at 19 November, 2008 13:13
I just hope Shadow Chronicles doesn't become what Sentinels was for me in my youth...
but, I can't help but feel excited that Robotech's still got life beatig in its veins. (For now.)
Now if only HG would get me my console game of the Sentinels that I dream of... I really dream alot, don't I?
By
Unknown, at 19 November, 2008 19:33
Recent postings on MySpace notwithstanding, it's good to hear from you again, CaptainJLS. :D
By
SailorCallie, at 19 November, 2008 20:20
I'll loan you money if you really want it that bad.
By
Yours Truly, at 20 November, 2008 13:20
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