Recently FUNimation has released a 2 disc Collector's Edition of the film and while the supplemental features may be significantly more robust my impression of the movie itself have not improved. Shadow Chronicles remains a work by fans for fans if you're not part of that group you're simply not going to get it. Included is the original content of my review as it pertains to this release in parts.

Shadow Chronicles is a sequel feature that was produced in 2006 by Harmony Gold USA. The movie made its way around the anime and film circuit with varying degrees of praise and also found its way to theaters for limited showings. Fans I have spoken with were skeptical about the movie though there was a noticeable twinkle lingering in their eye. Does The Shadow Chronicles live up to the myriad of expectations? Unfortunately in this reviewer's opinion it doesn't even come close.

In so many ways this latest incarnation of Robotech is for diehard fans only. Newcomers and those of us who haven't seen the show for well over a decade will be lost right from the get-go. This is mainly due to the fact that Shadow Chronicles takes place right at the end of the original series; the final episode to be exact. Another facet of this films exclusivity involves how deeply steeped in the Robotech mythos it truly is.

While Admiral Rick Hunter is away playing in another part of the universe the forces poised near Earth are preparing for a final assault. The Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) launches from their base on the moon as they attempt to rid their home planet of the vile Invid. Armed with technology on loan from another alien race known as the Haydonites, or Children of the Shadows, humanity offers the Invid a resistance to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile on Earth, Scott Bernard is working to do what he can to help the REF but for the most part he's chilling with Ariel. Those familiar with the series will remember her as the humanoid Invid and here she plays the part of Scott's love interest. Due to her corrupt ways she tries to convince the Invid Regess that the two races can live together in harmony. Of course that's not going to happen because if it did The Shadow Chronicles would be over too easily.

As the conflict heats up humanity launches Neutron-S missiles towards the planet because gosh darn it all, if we can't have it nobody can. The Invid avoid the attack and in the process many plot twists come about; a few too many in fact. In so many ways Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles becomes a sloppily handled mess of plot holes and references to the original series. As I watched I became more confused as the story progressed and yet another twist towards the end helped to keep my interest at bay.

Maybe it was my lack of fluentness with the Robotech franchise or maybe it was a byproduct of poor scripting but I found myself lost while watching this film. There are so many references to the original series and other Robotech projects which really isn't a good thing. Unless you have watched the franchise in its entirety recently you're bound to be lost somewhere along the way. That fact makes Shadow Chronicles exclusive to diehard fans.

Fans craving an updated presentation for their beloved Robotech may or may not be disappointed with this release. Like most anime in this day and age, Harmony Gold attempted to blend CGI and animation to create a fresh looking show. The end result is really a mixed bag of quality.

I'm generally not a fan of this style of animation and for the most part the design of the show clashes. An Americanized anime shell accompanies somewhat limited animation range though there are times when the effect can be pleasing to the eyes. There was certainly an attempt made to give Shadow Chronicles the appearance of Robotech and I must say that it's appreciated. Aside from the sometimes sub-par animation the overall quality of this DVD is acceptable. I encountered a slight amount of aliasing from time to time but other than that it's pretty smooth sailing.

Since this was an American production there is no Japanese track to be found on this disc. English 5.1 and 2.0 are the only selections available and both are decent given their technical range. The stereo track is fairly lackluster with little presentation on the soundstage. The surround track offers a more immersive experience with some nice sound direction during action sequences but little else.

As far as the quality of the dubbing is concerned I have to say that I was less than impressed. Mark Hamill and Chase Masterson do a fine job though the rest of the voice cast doesn't cut the mustard. I think it had more to do with the direction because the dialogue is fine though the emotional range and interacting between characters it noticeably lacking. It's also worth mentioning that the talking animation in no way matches the dubbing.

The original release for Shadow Chronicles featured some very light bonus content. Though some of that content gets recycled here, thankfully there is much more meat available for fans to dig into.

On the lighter side of things there is a collection of trailers for the film and DVDs as well as a variety of art galleries with promotional and conceptual imagery. Five featurettes are included on the bonus DVD and they provide a lot of background information on the project. Up first is the Making of documentary that was packed onto the first release which featured some commentary from fans and discussion about the series. A new featurette about the music has been tossed on here though it's essentially an eight minute video montage. A two minute Anime Selects promotional video is available from when the film was announced.

Clocking in at just over eleven minutes is a podcast interview with Director Tommy Yune. Nothing major is revealed during this segment but fans that enjoyed the movie may dig the additional information about it. If you appreciate things that have been junked them you may like to look at what would have been Robotech 3000. This terrible looking 3D promotional video could have been disastrous for the franchise so thankfully it was cancelled early enough. Six deleted scenes are included here along with two alternative open and closing animations. Optional commentary is available for these deleted sequences. Available in the same menu is a collection of outtakes that, I'm sorry to say, aren't very funny.

Six Animatics with optional commentary are featured on the second disc and are interesting enough to check out. Essentially you're looking at some early line work and how it became the completed form in a few sequences. As far as what's actually included on the first disc with the film itself there are some FUNimation trailers and a commentary with Tommy Yune, Ford Riley, and Scott Glasgow. The three go into a fair amount of detail regarding the production of the film and have a good time discussing what they liked and what they didn't. It shed some light on various aspects of the movie but wasn't enough to sway my opinion.

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles had a lot of promise and there were many aspects of it that appealed to me. However, the fact that the film was essentially crafted for fans by fans leaves a lot of the details strictly for Robotech lovers to enjoy. The subtleties of the plot were lost on me and I just couldn't get into it at all. The Collector's Edition does feature a nice package with a great collection of bonus content that is a rarity for anime. If you enjoyed Shadow Chronicles then you'll want to pick this up for the bonus features. This release doesn't change the fact that the movie is almost exclusive to diehard fans but the additional content helps to cushion the blow. Recommended.

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