HG and Robotech Debates

[Jasonc]

Hmmm, all the talk of smokescreens is making it quite hard to navigate, hahaha. Kevin's job has been to set up conventions that tell of no new big news, only create those smokescreens to keep people diverted from the hard facts. In going back to the year before Shadow Chronicles came out, Kevin had this big explanation of why they didn't have a distributor. The quote was more or less... "We want to seperate the wheat from the chaff, and the distributor we want is going to get Robotech to you." Basically, he then stated that it was all the distributor's fault because they wanted to shelf RTSC for a certain period of time, then possibly release it. That may have been all fine and dandy, but what he didn't tell you is the Alan Letz was trying so hard to work out a deal with the big distributor (forgot the name) with alterior motives. Alan worked off commission, so landing the huge distributor would've landed him big bucks, a position that creates a conflict of interests of sorts. Anyways, they simply forget to mention the part that they (HG) screwed up.

Kinda goes back to when Tommy threw the Waltrip's under the bus for the PTTSC comic flopping, or horny young Korean animators for the large boobs. Kinda like Mattel for Sentinels failing, and low budget on that crap they call Shadow Chronicles. Now, I'm not gonna say that it's all invalid, and that none of the other parties are at fault, but the focus is centered so much on the outside parties that HG should have a damn halo around their heads. Then, if you think about it, if it is the other parties' fault so much, perhaps HG shouldn't be in business, because they seem to pick the wrong company everytime to work with. Maybe they should just stick to the real bread and butter of real estate and foreign films, and get out of the wannabe "space opera" industry.

And on the LAM news, you gotta figure that TF3 or 4 will be out by the time RT LAM comes out. Does anyone think this will help or hinder the chances of this movie being successful at all? You have TF, a somewhat household brand name. Jeez, my mom knows the names of quite a few of them, and will be even moreso with more movies on the big screen. Then there's Robotech, the movie that is a copy of TF (as how parents and many people will see it the more time passes).

[VFTF1]

It's not gonna happen. Harmony Gold was also counting on riding the wave of "Holywood will now make anything into a movie as long as it came from the 80s."

That wave ended when the financial meltdown happened. The last movie to find its' way into the cinema based on that wave was GI JOE, which did not do well.

Harmony Gold missed the bus on this chance - for the simple reason that out of all the nostalgic 80s shows and comic book movies to be done, Robotech was at the bottom of the list for Holywood execs ANYWAYS.

Also - yes, NOW it seems Paramount is rolling out a new Transformers movie once a year - ROTF came out incredibily quickly. But the first movie took FOUR years to get off the ground despite a good economy, great brand recognition and the cooperation of the largest toy company on Earth, Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. It still took FOUR years.

Now think - Robotech was NOT a successful 80s cartoon like Transformers, it was NOT a successful 80s brand.

Robotech DOES come from the 80s cartoon rooster yes - but what is it's 80s track record? FAILURE.

Transformers, by contrast, had only one "failure" in the 80s - namely the 86 movie, which probably wasn't a financial failure because it didn't cost that much to make anyways, and video and later DVDs sales have been strong for TWO DECADES.

Tobey Maguire might have likely THOUGHT ABOUT securing Robotech because he wants profitable properties for HIS production company - and of course you go fishing looking for cheap stuff nobody wants in the hope that you can turn it into a winner.

But really - is there like a team at Warner Bros. dedicated to this movie ? Do we have a script writer, let alone a director yet?

I seriously think it's just a case of one guy with a name - Tobey Macguire - saying the word 'Robotech" in the context of "live action movie" and HG is just going to ride that forever.

It's not gonna be made. Nobody is gonna invest in it. It will do worse than Battle Field Earth.

Robotech has always been a failure because it's nothing more than a cheap rip off that makes no sense. As hard as it is to believe but - it is actually NOT EASY to make a very good story out of completely different anime put together - the story stops being coherent and inteligable and there is no pacing or thought. Rather, it's a race to the bottom as Macek had to figure out more and more crazy sounding reasons for why the things we see in Robotech happen.

I do admit I could be wrong - but I am willing to bet I'm right. I just can't imagine this ever happening.

The market isn't there anymore for 80s nostalgia and Robotech was an 80s failure.

People are NOT NOSTALGIC FOR 80s FAILURES.

People were nostalgic for the good stuff from the 80s.

Robotech was an 80s failure.

Pete

[azrael]

And on the LAM news, you gotta figure that TF3 or 4 will be out by the time RT LAM comes out. Does anyone think this will help or hinder the chances of this movie being successful at all? You have TF, a somewhat household brand name. Jeez, my mom knows the names of quite a few of them, and will be even moreso with more movies on the big screen. Then there's Robotech, the movie that is a copy of TF (as how parents and many people will see it the more time passes).

If they do get something out by 2011, when TF3 is coming out, WB will push the release date back or push forward (by an undetermined amount) to stay clear of TF3. Depending on various circumstances, it can mean a drop in revenue or a wise move. But it's hard to know since I'm not sure what's going to be out by then. If they decide to go up against, let's say something from the Twilight-series, that's going to be a bad move. But if they avoid the blockbusters and release it on its own, it can go both ways. It could be a hit or it could be a bore.

It's not gonna happen. Harmony Gold was also counting on riding the wave of "Holywood will now make anything into a movie as long as it came from the 80s."

That wave ended when the financial meltdown happened. The last movie to find its' way into the cinema based on that wave was GI JOE, which did not do well.

Harmony Gold missed the bus on this chance - for the simple reason that out of all the nostalgic 80s shows and comic book movies to be done, Robotech was at the bottom of the list for Holywood execs ANYWAYS.....*snip*

Never say never.

Tobey Maguire might have likely THOUGHT ABOUT securing Robotech because he wants profitable properties for HIS production company - and of course you go fishing looking for cheap stuff nobody wants in the hope that you can turn it into a winner.

And it's still possible to get a return investment out of it. Again, you can never be sure.

But really - is there like a team at Warner Bros. dedicated to this movie ? Do we have a script writer, let alone a director yet?

We've had 3 sets of writers. Some movies go through a number of screenplays before one is greenlight-ed.

It's not gonna be made. Nobody is gonna invest in it. It will do worse than Battle Field Earth.

Unfortunately we don't know that. If it's marketed well, then advertisers will come flocking to it.

Robotech has always been a failure because it's nothing more than a cheap rip off that makes no sense. As hard as it is to believe but - it is actually NOT EASY to make a very good story out of completely different anime put together - the story stops being coherent and inteligable and there is no pacing or thought. Rather, it's a race to the bottom as Macek had to figure out more and more crazy sounding reasons for why the things we see in Robotech happen.

Be wary of writers who can make sense of even nonsensical shows.

I do admit I could be wrong - but I am willing to bet I'm right. I just can't imagine this ever happening.

The market isn't there anymore for 80s nostalgia and Robotech was an 80s failure.

People are NOT NOSTALGIC FOR 80s FAILURES.

People were nostalgic for the good stuff from the 80s.

Robotech was an 80s failure.

Even crap can make money if marketed correctly.

[Marzan]

Even crap can make money if marketed correctly.

People will watch anything nowadays. Look at Twilight!!

[Keith]

It's impossible for wamzam to see what he saw. Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles clearly shows us there was no one but Aerial, the Invid Queen, & Scott Bernard, who is this Corg you speak of? There were only 3 characters in that show, now move on!

[VFTF1]

who is this Corg you speak of?

This:

http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/characte...acter.php?id=41

Pete

[VF5SS]

His name is Battler. Corg sounds like Torg from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

[VFTF1]

Whatever I just googled him is all. I have no clue where he shows up, if at all, in Shadow Chronicles - and truth be told, he looks so generic that he could arguably be one of a number of background characters in a dozen different cartoons of this ilk

Pete

[Freiflug88]

Well he must've gotten the footage from somewhere, because I know what I freaking saw: An unarmored Corg being blown to bits by a Cyclone mini-missle.

Wanzerfan, you say you say this Corg scene in an unedited showing of Robotech: The Untold Story in a theater in Houstan right? Well Mosepeda footage was never used and Scott blasted blasted Corg with missiles from a Beta. Megazone 23 footage on the other hand was used as we all know in the movie and it had armored and unarmored villans being blown to bits from exploding mini-missiles from transforming motorcyle mecha. Mystery solved.

That wave ended when the financial meltdown happened. The last movie to find its' way into the cinema based on that wave was GI JOE, which did not do well.

Pete

GI JOE earned $300 million in theaters and even if NONE of the DVDs that was released on November 3rd sold the studios have already made a $130 Million profit because the movie cost $170 million to make. Despite the financial meltdown people are still spending money to be entertained. The real finacial issue is that Hollywood movie budgets are so bloated from relying on expensive celebrity talent and big name studios while movies like District 9 can be made for a mere $30 million. Halo was scrapped and Cowboy Bebop is getting a new less SFX intense script simply because both Hollywood adaptions were both estimated to cost about $500 million and the studios had the sense that it is just not practical to invest in a 500 million dollar movie regardless of the popularity of the franchise. I can't stress enough that regardless of the status of the economy, the 80s nostalgia wave, the Macross issue, or anything else Robotech will be just like any other Hollywood movie: it all boils down solely to how much the movie will cost and whose name(s) are attached to it.

[Keith]

This:

http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/characte...acter.php?id=41

Pete

Nah, you see it's funny because Shadow Chronicles retcons the end of Mospeada and removes all but the 3 characters I mentioned, therefore none of those others characters exist anymore in Robotech.

[BeyondTheGrave]

Yeah - but not in the way you might imagine - not in the fun way. No.

Instead, their job is to scour the internet for cheap porn from Honduras and Singapour, and then DUB over it.

They just do the dubs.

Pete

You sure its not the subs?

Imagine memo doing the subs to a porn.

[Wanzerfan]

Some did, but others still swore that the scene existed.

The only thing that exists in the animated series on that subject was the scene in Claudia Grant's quarters where there were three blood spots on the back of Roy Fokker (in the initial airings, there was a screenshot of it in Art 1; CN cut the freaking scene). It was in the novels where the flight crew discovered the blood in the cockpit.

[BeyondTheGrave]

Carl Macek is a time traveler from the year 1997 where Robotech has unified the world and created a semi advanced civilization.

He traveled back in time to the 1980's to progress human civilization. Upon arrival he found that his time travel device had been damaged beyond repair. Nonetheless he did not let this discourage him and proceeded to create an indoctrination education system cleverly disguised in the form of children's entertainment.

As time progressed Macek used the stories he had brought with from the future to create Robotech. The Templar's HG was originally slated to release three individual series but Macek had used his power to influence television network executives to create a system that required children's programing to have over 52 episodes. For he had calculate that 52 "lessons" are what were needed for the word of robotech to be spread.

Everything went according to plan . Years passed and the people wanted more. Nothing remained though and then he remembered that robotech was originally a book. He realized that something had to be done and soon. He captured writers and forced them to pen the word that came from his mouth. By then it was too late. Something new had appeared something he had no recollection of.The Assassin's Studio Nue had created Macross Plus. Hg became angry and exhausted almost all their resources to try and stop the world from embracing this new culture. Macek realized he had failed and that the time-line had been drastically changed by his travel through time. The world of 1997 would never be the same In one final hope he created rumors and false stories about scenes that never happened.

[MastaEgg]

I found an mp3 of the theme to the HG's old macross dub. I always thought that they used the Robotech theme for it, but I was wrong.

HORRIBLY WRONG.

[Gubaba]

The only thing that exists in the animated series on that subject was the scene in Claudia Grant's quarters where there were three blood spots on the back of Roy Fokker (in the initial airings, there was a screenshot of it in Art 1; CN cut the freaking scene). It was in the novels where the flight crew discovered the blood in the cockpit.

So, umm...did you find the page from Robotech Art 1, or no?

[Gubaba]

I found an mp3 of the theme to the HG's old macross dub. I always thought that they used the Robotech theme for it, but I was wrong.

HORRIBLY WRONG.

Heh. I have that VHS tape. It's awesome. They also play that same theme song over the ending sequence as well.

[Einherjar]

Nah, you see it's funny because Shadow Chronicles retcons the end of Mospeada and removes all but the 3 characters I mentioned, therefore none of those others characters exist anymore in Robotech.

Hell, anything created after the original series may not exist anymore. PTTSC was pandering to the folks who have now wasted money on the novels and comics thinking it would always be canon. It and Shadow Chronicles destroys the legacy of people like the Waltrip brothers and Jack McKinney.

[VFTF1]

The only thing that exists in the animated series on that subject was the scene in Claudia Grant's quarters where there were three blood spots on the back of Roy Fokker (in the initial airings, there was a screenshot of it in Art 1; CN cut the freaking scene). It was in the novels where the flight crew discovered the blood in the cockpit.

So, umm...did you find the page from Robotech Art 1, or no?

Answer to question:

In the SDFM TV series, in the episode where Roy Fokker dies, there is a scene where two technicians/flight crew LOOK into his cockpit. They GASP.

WE the audience are not shown what they find.

Most likely they found blood and bullet holes.

We can deduce this from the fact that later Roy is shown to have been shot.

But the audience is never shown any blood in his cockpit.

The End.

Pete

[Keith]

Carl Macek is a time traveler from the year 1997 where Robotech has unified the world and created a semi advanced civilization.

He traveled back in time to the 1980's to progress human civilization. Upon arrival he found that his time travel device had been damaged beyond repair. Nonetheless he did not let this discourage him and proceeded to create an indoctrination education system cleverly disguised in the form of children's entertainment.

As time progressed Macek used the stories he had brought with from the future to create Robotech. The Templar's HG was originally slated to release three individual series but Macek had used his power to influence television network executives to create a system that required children's programing to have over 52 episodes. For he had calculate that 52 "lessons" are what were needed for the word of robotech to be spread.

Everything went according to plan . Years passed and the people wanted more. Nothing remained though and then he remembered that robotech was originally a book. He realized that something had to be done and soon. He captured writers and forced them to pen the word that came from his mouth. By then it was too late. Something new had appeared something he had no recollection of.The Assassin's Studio Nue had created Macross Plus. Hg became angry and exhausted almost all their resources to try and stop the world from embracing this new culture. Macek realized he had failed and that the time-line had been drastically changed by his travel through time. The world of 1997 would never be the same In one final hope he created rumors and false stories about scenes that never happened.

Ah, but that's not the end of the story. Studio Nue prophesized the corruption to the timeline, and left Macek explicit instruction on how to repair the damage, in the form of "Super Dimension Century Orugss," assuming Macek would realize the only way to undo the damage done would be for the present & future Macek's to kill themselves.

Macek promptly ignored these instructions....

[taksraven]

Answer to question:

In the SDFM TV series, in the episode where Roy Fokker dies, there is a scene where two technicians/flight crew LOOK into his cockpit. They GASP.

I always assume that they found a brown stain on his seat from where he pooped his pants? Oh well.

Taksraven

[VFTF1]

Upon arrival he found that his time travel device had been damaged beyond repair.

That's what you get when you use primitive time travel devises that actually have to take an entire physical body through time, thereby creating all sorts of havoc.

Shows how much he knows.

The proper way to time travel is via data transfer - then you as you don't have to go anywhere - you just download future info from the future you, who also stays where they are, and hey presto - you have time traveled. Since you are in all possible times where you are - then you don't actually have to move from one to the other to be there, you just have to give yourself information from the future.

Unless, I guess, your goal is to live forever and therefore you keep time traveling to the future after you die, so that you could live - but that is another story, and a complex one.

The only good thing about time traveling in the standard way that Macek took, is that in order to go back to your own time, you need to go to bed with a hot upperclass girl with big boobs and a fine ass.

Pete

[Freiflug88]

That's what you get when you use primitive time travel devises that actually have to take an entire physical body through time, thereby creating all sorts of havoc.

Shows how much he knows.

The proper way to time travel is via data transfer - then you as you don't have to go anywhere - you just download future info from the future you, who also stays where they are, and hey presto - you have time traveled. Since you are in all possible times where you are - then you don't actually have to move from one to the other to be there, you just have to give yourself information from the future.

Pete

Someone contact the Daily Planet, VFTF1 is Vandal Savage!

[Einherjar]

Kinda goes back to when Tommy threw the Waltrip's under the bus for the PTTSC comic flopping, or horny young Korean animators for the large boobs. Kinda like Mattel for Sentinels failing, and low budget on that crap they call Shadow Chronicles. Now, I'm not gonna say that it's all invalid, and that none of the other parties are at fault, but the focus is centered so much on the outside parties that HG should have a damn halo around their heads. Then, if you think about it, if it is the other parties' fault so much, perhaps HG shouldn't be in business, because they seem to pick the wrong company everytime to work with. Maybe they should just stick to the real bread and butter of real estate and foreign films, and get out of the wannabe "space opera" industry.

Exactly, how can anyone still have confidence in this company when they screw up a lot?

[Seto Kaiba]

Exactly, how can anyone still have confidence in this company when they screw up a lot?

Clearly there aren't many people left who still do... particularly on the investor side of things. Just look at how Harmony Gold put the brakes on Shadow Rising while they wait for Warner to improve the franchise's reputation so they can land more favorable sponsorship deals.

[VFTF1]

Just look at how Harmony Gold put the brakes on Shadow Rising while they wait for Warner to improve the franchise's reputation so they can land more favorable sponsorship deals.

Exactly - and this is a great example of their PR department at work - because they say it like it's a GOOD thing. Oh - we're waiting with Robotech Shadow Rising until Warner can get the ball rolling on the LAM...

But that would be like Hasbro saying:

"Well, we had this Transformers: Animated cartoon in development, but we decided to shelve it and wait for Paramount to improve the franchise's reputation in the hopes that we could then come back and bring Animated out with a stronger showing."

The problem is, Harmony Gold has now effectively reduced itself to being a PR department and a legal team that keeps sending out cease and decist memos.

That's nice - but if the strongest assets in your companies are your lawyers and spin doctors then your company is screwed.

Pete

Edited November 29, 2009 by VFTF1

[Bri]

That's nice - but if the strongest assets in your companies are your lawyers and spin doctors then your company is screwed.

Pete

Unless your core business is political consulting, then it's your bread and butter

[Seto Kaiba]

Exactly - and this is a great example of their PR department at work - because they say it like it's a GOOD thing. Oh - we're waiting with Robotech Shadow Rising until Warner can get the ball rolling on the LAM...

No, what's REALLY sad is that for them... it IS a good thing!

Due in large measure to Harmony Gold's hamhanded management and their monumental ineptitude when it comes to creating original material, the Robotech franchise's history over the past 25-odd years has been one long, slow, humiliating slide into oblivion. For them, being able to announce to the world that the fate of the franchise is no longer resting on their shoulders is GREAT news. They're probably giddy that they've handed control of a project that holds a slim promise of arresting or even reversing the franchise's death spiral over to someone who has at least a vague idea of what they're doing. I'm sure it didn't hurt the feelings of what's left of the fanbase either... they're thinking that the minor improvement in image quality will probably be worth the wait, and that the story's gonna suck no matter what since it's being written by Yun and Yune, so they might as well pick their battles.

The problem is, Harmony Gold has now effectively reduced itself to being a PR department and a legal team that keeps sending out cease and decist memos.

And y'know what... that's actually a distinct improvement from back when they used to pretend they actually knew how to create original material.

That's nice - but if the strongest assets in your companies are your lawyers and spin doctors then your company is screwed.

If your strongest assets are lawyers and spin doctors, you're probably an insurance company.

[VF5SS]

Here's Battler's death from Mospeada.

There's some green blood spurting out of the cockpit area.

[VFTF1]

You guys are way too pesimistic

Unless your core business is political consulting, then it's your bread and butter

No. Look at what happened to America. Gutted industrial base and culture of thrift, work and savings replaced by political consultants who keep repeating "it's ok, nothing to see here folks, everything is great, move along." Now they are a laughing stock and the country is in decline. It was the same with the Soviet Union. The end of a country always consists of the largest amount of very important people shouting at the top of their lungs that everything is great - and the only reason you can hear them shout is because all other forms of industry and profitable activity have fallen SILENT.

It's the same with companies, which after all operate in the same world and are subject to the same laws of nature as countries. When a company - like HG - produces NOTHING but repeated statements that they are producing SOMETHING or, after years of such statements produces Shadow Chronicles - it's already over.

And the louder they shout and the more important names they point to and the more they say "Warner" - the more over it is.

Remember - names and PR are great assets when there is an actual PRODUCT somewhere in there. Marketing is important when you have something to market.

Thus my prediction. If I am wrong and big, live-action Robotech Movie actually gets made and reaches theatres I will bow my head in shame and drink a shot of my own piss.

That's how confident I feel that this movie won't get made.

I mean - look at it from the point of view of the boys at Warner: they're sitting around mulling this over...and what? What are they going to do? All of the angles are already done. Transforming Robots? Transformers has that. Alien invasions? Does anybody remember what a flop War of the Worlds was? Once ID4 was done, that basically took care of that idea in movies. What is left? Well, chief, there's this interesting story about a civilization called the Protoculture and their biological human like weapons called Zendradi which launch an invasion and the love songs of...oh...what?...oh...legal problem...oh right...ok...ah...oh...ok - if we change that you say? The protoculture become a what? A flower? What? Huh? Make them fight for a flower? A magic flower that fuels space ships you say?...right...ok...uh....I....have a meeting...I'll see you later...

No, what's REALLY sad is that for them... it IS a good thing!

Due in large measure to Harmony Gold's hamhanded management and their monumental ineptitude when it comes to creating original material, the Robotech franchise's history over the past 25-odd years has been one long, slow, humiliating slide into oblivion. For them, being able to announce to the world that the fate of the franchise is no longer resting on their shoulders is GREAT news. They're probably giddy that they've handed control of a project that holds a slim promise of arresting or even reversing the franchise's death spiral over to someone who has at least a vague idea of what they're doing. I'm sure it didn't hurt the feelings of what's left of the fanbase either... they're thinking that the minor improvement in image quality will probably be worth the wait, and that the story's gonna suck no matter what since it's being written by Yun and Yune, so they might as well pick their battles.

The slim chances are always the ones that are most damnable. I will admit that HG has one valuable asset: Namely they have nothing to lose. It's not like they have a beloved amazing franchise to screw up (nod to Hasbro). It's not like they have legions of fans to apease - they don't. It's not like they have anything except the one dangerous weapon a company could have nothing to lose.

As in - why not? Why not try?

Agreed. But I just can't fathom this movie getting the green light. There's like a zillion more worthwhile projects.

Hell - if Warner Brothers realy has money to throw around on a Robotech movie, then they might as well just send it to me or throw it into a bonfire.

Not one iota of proof that this movie is being written. So what if somebody wrote a script - scripts get written all the time. People write scripts to practice writing scripts.

Besides - look at Robotech 3000 and even TSC - all HG Robotech productions have been plagued with the attempt to do something rotten and unworkable: Namely take the love of Macross and use that to get people to love a completely DIFFERENT franchise that has nothing to do with Macross - amongst other reasons because HG DOES want to avoid legal troubles with Copy Right/IP if by chance RT ever shot to the top slots.

But it doesn't work. It can't. It won't.

I mean - it would take a fricking miracle. Look at how many companies are going bankrupt. The world is coming apart, people are spending less, everybody's in the red.

And in this climate - Warner Brothers is going to invest serious money into a looser cartoon bootleg from 1984 and turn it into a stupendous hit about Transforming robots in the same year that people will be yawning at the concept with TF3 comes rolling into the theatres?

Please. That's not going to happen.

Is it?

Pete

[Einherjar]

Thus my prediction. If I am wrong and big, live-action Robotech Movie actually gets made and reaches theatres I will bow my head in shame and drink a shot of my own piss.

That's how confident I feel that this movie won't get made.

You don't need to go that far. Made or not made, the whole thing is still going to be a huge expense for someone. They're going to spend millions to potentially embarrass themselves and make everyone realize what we've already known for years about Robotech. And HG, it's hard to tell if they're going to last long enough to see the movie get made anyway. They and their supporters will just keep on smiling as things gets worse.

[taksraven]

Here's Battler's death from Mospeada.

There's some green blood spurting out of the cockpit area.

Yeah, I think its one of the more graphic and unpleasant deaths seen in anime. Normally we would just see a unit explode I think, but with this one, with green muck going everywhere, eeeeewwwwwwwwww.

[RDClip]

VFTF1, i think you should look on the bright side of the LAM.

If it gets made, the screenwriters and moviemakers will most likely change the story so dramatically that people will no loner associate RT with Macross. VF-1 design : gone; SDF-1 desgn : gone; Protoculture (probably) : gone.

So i'd bet the story will be: Big ship crashes, bad guy aliens want to get ship back and attack (booby trap will be removed from story), good guy humans fight back with transforming robots.

I'm not sure if they will incorporate the power of music or culture shock. I doubt it since making the Zents not evil and just misguided seems too complicated for a TF-type movie.

[taksraven]

VFTF1, i think you should look on the bright side of the LAM.

If it gets made, the screenwriters and moviemakers will most likely change the story so dramatically that people will no loner associate RT with Macross. VF-1 design : gone; SDF-1 desgn : gone; Protoculture (probably) : gone.

So i'd bet the story will be: Big ship crashes, bad guy aliens want to get ship back and attack (booby trap will be removed from story), good guy humans fight back with transforming robots.

I'm not sure if they will incorporate the power of music or culture shock. I doubt it since making the Zents not evil and just misguided seems too complicated for a TF-type movie.

Yeah. I think that when you look at how much the TF LAM had in common with its original TV series (ie, nothing), I think it should mean that if the RT LAM follows the same model (and it will), there will be little left of Macross and the other shows it was based on.

Taksraven

[VFTF1]

I've thought about this "positive" side you speak of and on the face of it - it is positive. I mean - the less "Robotech" is associated with Macross - the better I guess.

But I don't see what you're talking about happening for the simple reason that HG and 'Robotech' are not necessary for Warner to make a movie about a big ship that crashes, bad big aliens that want ot get it back and good guy humans fighting back with transforming robots. That generic concept is....well - generic. If someone wanted to make it - what's stopping them? Why do they need to work with HG?

The ONLY reason that Robotech and HG got a looksee from Warner is that - improbable as the final movie is - someone at Warner, or Tobey Macguire himself or someone at his production company IS a Robotech fan - plane and simple. And I mean a hardcore Robotech fan who would post in the "Hardcore Robotechnology" section of Robotech.com.

That much I am willing to believe - and this person or this small group of people must be competent in their work, have worked on some movies or around some succesful movies and therefore generally have the ears of others at Warner who at least give them a fair hearing - and they pitched Robotech timing it with the popularity of Transformers - a time when bigwigs at Warners would be most apt to consider it.

They made it sound compelling - that is to say, just like Transformers: it's a cartoon from the 80s, it has transforming robots, but no studio has the property yet - let's get it! Warner people heard "transforming robots, 80s cartoon" and this translated in their minds as "make money off of nostalgia boom, all these comic book-based movies and 80s cartoon based movies, get in on the action."

But then somebody on their legal staff realized what a crapshot of a legal mess it was, and somebody else who has some knowledge about what properties are hot and which aren't discovered that Robotech was likely the least watched, least syndicated, least memorable cartoon of the 80s - which it was. They also discovered that it was the only one of the "top" cartoons of that time that was actually a bootleg created from seperate anime that had nothing to do with eachother. And that there were some books published.

And then they discovered that there was just one transforming airplane type.

And somebody at marketing said "how can that compete as viable merchandise? Just one transforming airplane? What - are we going to just have one toy on the shelves? That's stupid."

And then someone else said: "No no - we'll also have toys of other stuff; tanks and warships and space ships and soldiers..."

And then someone else said: "Well - wait the tanks and soldiers are like GI Joe - that market is cornered."

And another fellow said: "And one transforming airplane competing against several different transforming robots from Hasbro?"

And then someone else said: "No no! It'll be like the Terminator 4 toy line - they had a little bit of everything thrown in...

And another dude said: "Meeting adjourned."

And to the extent that anybody at Warner is today sitting there thinking about this - they are loosing hope because no matter what angle you approach this work from there is only ONE way to make it good:

That is to take what Shoji Kawamori made and put that into a movie. Take a young girl with a great singing voice and create a cinderella story with humor a love triangle and the alien robots and everything else mixed in.

And that is Macross.

Strip Macross and leave only generic big ship, big aliens, pow pow airplanes turn into robots and the things if a failure. Mass audiences will see it as a silly attempt at ripping off GI Joe, Transformers and ID4 - a mix and mash of no significance. It'll be like Pearl Harbor only without the history, with transforming airplanes and aliens instead of Zeros. That's the BEST it could expect to be.

That's why I just don't see it happening.

Even in the generic form that you're talking about... it'll put people to sleep.

Pete

[RDClip]

Oh you have too much faith that only good original movies make money in the box office. Many bad, generic, boring movies have made huge gross profits.

Really though i think WB bought the rights to RT so they could make your run-of-the-mill summer sci-fi movie, but have a little history to back it up. Even if RT doesn't have any mainstream recognition, they could market the hell out of it and create a belief that it was one of the ground breaking cartoons of the 80's(since their primary market will be kids that weren't alive then)

That being said, i too doubt it will get made. Look at the Evangelion live action movie. That has to be one of the hottest franchises for American anime fans, but the movie is still in development hell. (and i heard about that movie like 6 years ago) The same probably goes for many other anime LAM.

It all kinda depends if they can make an anime movie boom like they did with comic book movies.