Codename: Robotech.

Zentraedi warships close in on the SDF-1 as the film opens.

Original Air Date: Mar. 1, 1985. Running Time: 74 minutes. Written by: Carl Macek. Directed by: Robert V. Barron.


THE PLOT:

As the converted alien battle fortress SDF-1 rests in the ocean, having returned to Earth after two years away, Capt. Gloval prepares a report on the events that led to this moment. He recounts how the alien ship crash landed on Earth. The discovery of the existence of aliens possessing vastly superior technology led to a focused worldwide effort to reconstruct the battle fortress for human use.

The Zentraedi reached Earth just as the SDF-1 finally became operational. Thanks to the Veritech fighters created from the alien "Robotech," the humans were able to hold the aliens off long enough for the battle fortress to take off. However, a desperate space fold resulted in not only the ship, but also the entirety of Macross City, being transported into deep space.

Gloval recounts how the ship began its return voyage. It would be a long journey - with the Zentraedi chasing them every step of the way!

Rick, Ben, and Lisa are taken prisoner by the Zentraedi!

CHARACTERS:

Codename: Robotech is a heavily abridged version of the first thirteen episodes of the series. As such, the characters are reduced to their most obvious traits. Capt. Gloval and Lt. Commander Lisa Hayes come across most strongly, not least because Gloval is the one preparing the report and a number of scenes are ones showing them on duty on the bridge of the SDF-1. Even with them, we see Lisa as a stern military commander, but we don't see her emotional side at all.

Rick, who is the hero of the series, almost comes across as a supporting character. Since most of the plot-establishing scenes in the early episodes were focused on either the bridge crew or the Zentraedi, many of his scenes are heavily condensed or removed entirely. He comes to the fore in the second half, and we get glimpses of his infatuation with Minmei and his early sniping with Lisa, but there's little indication of him being a character of any depth.

In short, the film fulfills its function of introducing the major characters, but they are only shown in the broadest of strokes.

The heroes engage in a fistfight with
the giant Zentraedi commander, Breetai.

INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Codename: Robotech makes a couple of misjudgments with regard to music, the biggest of these being the repetition of the same couple of tracks. I hope you like the main theme and the show's primary "battle score," because you are going to hear them a lot.

As I've noted in my episodic reviews, I don't think the Robotech theme works very well as incidental music. It's a superb '80s television theme, setting a tone that suits both this adaptation of Super Dimension Fortress Macross and the American audience that was Robotech's target. However, it's extremely bombastic, drawing attention to itself rather than supporting dramatic scenes. Magnify that issue exponentially here, where the theme is recycled seemingly once per Act, to a point that's somewhere between annoying and comical.


BACKGROUND:

Codename: Robotech was broadcast on March 1, 1985, the Friday before the first episode, Boobytrap, aired. The goal was to introduce the ongoing story and its complex mythology to an American after-school audience that would be made of kids not used to following complex ongoing narratives. The hope was to create a picture of the larger story to prepare them for watching it in single installments.

I think it's better viewed after the series. The first set of episodes are quite well-scripted overall and make a much better introduction to the narrative than this movie does. Still, on its own terms, Codename: Robotech is a decent abridgement of the "Macross Saga's" first Act.

Once it gets past a badly misjudged opening, at least...

Khyron disobeys orders while sneering.
So at least the film captures all of his nuances...

A MISJUDGED OPENING:

The goal may have been to clarify the series, but the 10-minute, context-free opening action sequence seems ready-made to confuse the heck out of series newcomers. Who are these people? Why are they so confident that the attacking aliens won't destroy the ship? What's this "pinpoint barrier" that they keep screaming about? Since nothing has been introduced, none of this means anything - It's just activity.

Not helping is some truly awful editing continuity. The sequence was pieced together from bits of multiple action scenes, and it shows. The SDF-1 transforms into robot mode to fight the Zentraedi. Then it's a ship again for a couple shots. Then it's a robot. Then it's a ship again. Macross offered plenty of action scenes with the ship in both modes, so it should have been possible to put this together with more consistency.

Once that sequence is done and the SDF-1 lands on Earth, things settle down, and then the film actually becomes enjoyable.

Rick battles the Zentraedi as the Miss Macross contest airs.

OTHER MUSINGS:

At its core, Codename: Robotech is basically a feature-length version of the clipshow, Gloval's Report, with the captain detailing the ship's long journey for his superiors. I wasn't a fan of that episode. Within the context of the ongoing series, I was basically watching a rerun of episodes I had just viewed, with the minimal new material adding almost nothing.

As a standalone film, the frame works much better. Thanks to having a couple of years' separation from my viewing of Macross, the action has sufficiently faded in my mind that I can enjoy re-watching the story in this form. Also, the feature-length running time provides breathing room for the flashback narrative. A number of small character interactions that Gloval's Report lacked time to include have been put back into Codename: Robotech, giving viewers a chance to form some level of attachment to the main characters.

Wisely, the editors have focused on just a few incidents from the first 13 episodes. Included are: the opening three-parter; the modular transformation and Lisa's Daedalus Attack, which are edited to be part of a single fight rather than two separate ones; the Miss Macross contest and Rick Hunter's encounter with the three Zentraedi spies; and the three-parter in which Rick, Lisa, and Ben are captured, with Max going to their rescue.

The biggest chunk of running time goes to the initial episodes. The heroes' capture and escape forms the movie's climax, and thus also gets a fair amount of screentime. Other incidents are represented by a couple of scenes each, and between Gloval's narration and (mostly) good editing choices, each bit that's included develops the characters or introduces a piece of information about the overall conflict. Given the restrictions of the running time, it's reasonably well done.

Inevitably, there are a few seams. There are minor continuity issues, such as Gloval reassuring Lisa that the ship's engines will work because they were build on Earth - a reassurance that feels odd, since a previous scene in which the SDF-1's original alien-built engines pulled free of the ship was removed. Khyron and Azonia receive a fair amount of focus in the in media res opener; Khyron is then barely featured in the rest of the movie, and Azonia is never seen again. Most glaringly, the scene in which Rick, Lisa, and Ben are brought before Lord Dolza has been cut for time, with Gloval narrating what happened and the regulars commenting on it.

Most of this could have been reduced or eliminated had the film simply opened with the ship on Earth and Gloval preparing his report. That would have allowed another ten minutes to include at least some of these scenes, notably the one with Dolza.

Capt. Gloval takes in the sunrise for the first time in two years.

OVERALL:

It's a shame about that misjudged opening, because Codename: Robotech is otherwise a decent presentation of Robotech's first 13 episodes. There's enough retained to introduce, or at least tease, many of the series' major themes and character dynamics, from the way Earth's popular culture confuses the Zentraedi to the character interactions among Rick, Lisa, and Minmei.

It's limited by being an abridgement - but it's pretty good for what it is, and it's much better than I expected it to be.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Next Movie: Robotech - The Movie

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1-32. Broken Heart.

Kamujin takes Minmay and Kaifun prisoner!

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Fortress Macross: May 29, 1983.
Written by: Hiroshi Ônogi. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Hiroshi Yoshida.

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 16, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Kamujin and his renegade Zentradi stage a raid on Minmay's latest concert, kidnapping her and Kaifun. Kamujin threatens to kill the two celebrities unless he is given a battleship. He's confident his terms will be met. After all, the new Earth government is fragile, and Minmay is a symbol for much of Earth's Zentradi population.

Hikaru and Misa are put in charge of a rescue mission, one that relies on Kamujin falling for a deception that Misa worries might be too obvious. Both are fully ready for the actual operation. However, Hikaru's desire to rescue Minmay and Misa's jealousy quickly create tension...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Khyron and his renegade Zentraedi stage a raid on Minmei's latest concert, kidnapping her and Kyle. Khyron threatens to kill the two celebrities unless he is given the ultimate prize: the SDF-1 itself!

Of course, there's zero chance that Admiral Gloval and the Earth government will agree to such a request. Instead, it's agreed to send Rick Hunter on "Operation Star Saver," with Lisa coordinating the mission. However, Lisa worries that Rick won't be able to maintain the objectivity needed to complete the operation...

Minmay defends Misa from Kaifun's anger.

CHARACTERS:

There is roughly a full galaxy of difference between the demand made by Kamujin in Macross and the one made by Khyron in Robotech. Kamujin makes a demand that he has reason to believe the humans will grant. Khyron's demand in crazy on the face of it, and I'm surprised that neither Azonia nor his lieutenant, Grel, point this out. Basically, Khyron is made to look stupid and unbalanced in comparison to his Macross counterpart.

The characterization of Lisa in Robotech also differs from that of Misa in the Macross original. Misa is fiercely jealous almost from the start of the mission, reacting badly every time Hikaru even mentions Minmay's name. Robotech's Lisa behaves more professionally. Sure, there's an element of jealousy in her reactions, particularly at the end, but most of her behavior is filtered through a concern that Rick won't be able to keep his perspective for the mission. Given that nothing in the episode pays this off (since it wasn't a factor in the original version's script), it's a strand that goes nowhere.

Finally, while both Kaifun and Kyle are unbearable as always, Kyle is portrayed more negatively. Kaifun makes a valid, if futile, attempt to reach the Zentradi holding him and Minmay captive; Kyle just insults them and seems surprised when that doesn't work. Kaifun complains that Misa's operation endangered him and Minmay. This makes him a jerk, since he's yelling at someone who saved his life... but not as much of a jerk as Kyle, who shamelessly lies about Rick's conduct.

Basically, take it as read that every character behaves more simplistically - not to mention stupidly - in Robotech.

Advantage: Macross.


NARRATION:

There's no in-episode narration in either version.

Advantage: None.

Debating Kamujin's demands. In Macross, this is
actually interesting. Not so much in Robotech.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Abandoned Weapons: The episode opens with Hikaru and Misa finding a missile base recently abandoned by the Zentradi rebels, with a large weapons cache left behind. In Macross, the weapons are real and their abandonment sets up that Kamujin's ammo suppply is limited - something that pays off at the end. In Robotech, the weapons are counterfeit, the whole operation amounting to the humans falling for Khyron's distraction while he kidnaps Minmei.

Demands for the Hostages: Kamujin demands a battleship, a request that might conceivably be granted given Minmay's importance to the Zentradi who haven't rebelled. By contrast, Khyron's demand for the SDF-1 is ludicrous, and Khyron and Azonia simply aren't (or, at least, shouldn't be) either stupid or deluded enough to think otherwise.

The Admiral Discusses Options: In Macross, Admiral Global observes that Kamujin's hostage taking is very human, and that it appears that the rebel Zentradi are learning from humanity in all the wrong ways. There's also some discussion about Minmay's celebrity and how it complicates matters, particularly given the fragility of the new Earth government. All of this has been removed from Robotech, to the point that I'm not even sure why any of the scene was retained. Gloval and the others still talk for a bit; they just no longer actually say anything.

Misa and Hikaru Argue: In Macross, it's extremely clear that the arguments between Misa and Hikaru are driven by her jealousy. She also worries about the plan, which counts on Kamujin falling for what she sees as a pretty obvious ploy. Hikaru argues that the only alternative is a violent assault that will almost certainly get the hostages killed. In Robotech, no "Plan B" seems to exist, with neither Rick nor Lisa showing any doubts about the main plan working. This, and Lisa's fretting about Rick keeping his perspective during the fight, has the effect of making him more responsible for the tension between them - a complete reversal.

Kaifun Tries to Persuade the Zentradi, While Kyle Just Antagonizes Them: Kaifun urges the Zentradi to let them go, reminding them of the power of culture that led them to defect in the first place. It doesn't work, but at least it feels like a real effort. Robotech's Kyle... um... yells at the Zentraedi, calling them "baboons" and "cowards." Yes, insult the giants who are bred for war, that should go well.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Robotech has one thing going for it: the music. As usual, the Robotech score boosts the action scenes to a degree that the Macross score doesn't. There's also a strong moment that sees Khyron responding to Kyle's jibes about the Zentraedi's lack of culture by demonstrating a kiss with Azonia. The scene in similar in context in both versions - but the Robotech version uses the series' "alien/eerie" music, which emphasizes the wrongness of this moment from the usual Zentraedi viewpoint.

Advantage: Robotech.

Kaifun and Lap Lamiz kiss. In an otherwise woeful 
Robotech, the music in this scene is very well applied.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

To be clear, I think this is a pretty weak episode in either version. The whole thing feels rushed, oddly paced, and strangely unfinished. Even so, the Robotech is not only worse - it's much worse. The Macross episode at least touches on potentially interesting elements: the fragile government, Minmay's symbolic importance to the Zentradi, Misa's jealousy. The script doesn't quite know what to do with these elements, but at least they exist. Robotech sands them down to almost nothing when it doesn't jettison them entirely, leaving nothing beyond a thin cartoon story about cartoon heroes foiling a cartoon villain for the umpteenth time.

Robotech has an ongoing problem with awkward dialogue. This episode's dialogue is particularly bad. Conversations are clunky and downright juvenile, from Lisa's childlike wail about how "it isn't fair" for Rick to be sent on every mission, to Gloval entirely unironically apologizing to Khyron for his rudeness while the latter is making his hostage demands. It's as if the American writers, not only rushed but conscious that this episode was a bad one anyway, just shrugged their shoulders and churned out a single draft before moving to the next one - which, come to think of it, may not be entirely unlikely!

Like children playing at war:
The renegade Zentradi on the rampage.

OTHER MUSINGS:

The overall role of the last two episodes has been to refocus the final arc around the threat posed by Kamujin. The last episode saw him achieving a victory and attracting yet more Zentradi to his cause. This episode sees him failing, but only after making a bold attempt that rattles the entire Earth government.

In terms of the arc, this is structurally sound. Each episode's plot is relatively self-contained, but together they advance the threat of the rebel Zentradi in preparation for the big finale.

Unfortunately, while the last episode was better than this one, both share similar problems. The stakes just don't feel as high as they need to, and the characters seem a lot less clever than they should be, certainly less clever than they have been in the past.

The further along this final arc goes, the clearer it becomes that it's not quite working. Which is a shame. From a conceptual standpoint, I love what the writers are trying to do. The end of the war is not the end of the story. Between cultural differences and ongoing dissatisfaction with postwar life, a successful peace keeps slipping further and further away. The ideas are all there, and they're very strong ideas. They just don't seem to be coming together properly. I've read reports that the epilogue was a last minute addition to Super Dimension Fortress Macross when the episode count was raised from 27 to 36. If that is the case, I'm afraid it shows.

There are good moments, at least in Macross. Kamujin's rebels ride into battle at the start of the episode, but they behave less like soldiers than like children playing at war. This demonstrates not only that the rebel Zentradi are giving into their warlike tendencies, but also that they've lost their previous military discipline. There's another small moment late in the episode, in which a human uses a flamethrower to light the cigarette of a Zentradi ally. This reminds us that most of the Zentradi have remained with the humans, and that peaceful coexistence remains possible.

I also like the observation that Kamujin's plan here is very human, albeit one that mirrors humanity's worst traits. This echoes in his kiss with Lap Lamiz and his riding into battle in a way that reminds his soldiers of a western movie he has been watching. It's not that he's immune to cultural influence; he's just being influenced in the wrong ways.

These moments aren't enough to save even the Macross version from falling below the series' usual standards. They do, however, show the same frustrating issue as the epilogue arc itself: interesting ideas are present, but they aren't being developed to their potential.

As for the Robotech version? It doesn't even have interesting ideas. The only thing that keeps the Robotech episode above a "1" is good handling of the action climax. In all other respects, it's woeful.


Overall Rating - Macross: 4/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 2/10.

Previous Episode: Satan's Dolls/Khyron's Revenge
Next Episode: A Rainy Night

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1-19. Burst Point/Bursting Point.

The Macross's experimental new barrier system goes awry...

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Burst Point

Original Air Date - Macross: Feb. 27, 1983.
Written by: Ken'ichi Matsuzaki. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro.

Robotech: Bursting Point

Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 28, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Capt. Global has managed to persuade the independent government in Ontario, Canada to accept the civilian refugees. The Macross flies to Canada, with a sense of relief among the bridge crew that something finally managed to go right.

Their relief doesn't last. Fed up with a command not to attack the humans, Kamujin finally directly violates orders, launching a full-scale attack. Normally, Lap Lamiz would send Milia to intercept him. But, her confidence shaken after her defeat by Max, Milia has requested to be made a miclone spy so that she can find the human who bested her!

As Kamujin's ships attack in force, Capt. Global orders the ship's experimental new barrier to be activated - with devastating consquences!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Capt. Gloval has managed to persuade the independent government in Ontario, Canada to accept the civilian refugees. The SDF-1 flies to Canada, with a sense of relief among the bridge crew that something finally managed to go right.

Their relief doesn't last. Fed up with a command not to attack the humans, Khyron violates orders again, this time on a grand scale. He launches a full-scale attack on the humans. Normally, Commander Azonia would send Miriya to stop him. But, her confidence shaken after her defeat by Max, Miriya has requested to be made a miclone spy so that she can find the human who bested her and destroy him!

As Khyron's ships attack in force, Capt. Gloval orders the ship's experimenal new barrier to be activated - with devastating consquences!

Kamujin openly violates orders for the first time.
In Robotech, Khyron violates orders for about the 78th time.

CHARACTERS:

The main difference, as usual, between the two versions is in the characerization of Kamujin vs. Khyron. In Macross, this is a significant moment for Kamujin. Until now, he has skirted orders and pushed the boundaries of orders, but he's never actually violated them. This makes his blatant disobedience all the more striking. It shows how much his frustration has built over the past year, to the point that he's finally openly going rogue. In Robotech,  this is merely the latest of myriad times that Khyron has ignored orders. "Khyron has disobeyed the commander again. It must be Wednesday."

In other threads, Hikaru is dealing with the aftermath of Roy's death. When he inherits Roy's fighter, he comments on the irony: Roy, who was killed despite never once being shot down, is gone; Hikaru, who is still alive despite being shot down repeatedly, has taken his place. Max and Kakizaki invite him to town to cheer him up - though Kakizaki mainly cheers himself up by ordering an enormous steak platter that he plans to eat all by himself (alas, he only gets a single bite before being called to duty).

Meanwhile, Minmay's cousin hijacks a press conference to demand an immediate end to the war. Which is all very well and good, but an end to hostilities requires agreement from both sides. Otherwise, "making peace" amounts to unconditional surrender, while hoping the Zentradi will be satisfied with merely enslaving the humans rather than breaking out their copy of To Serve Man.

In short, Kaifun/Kyle isn't just a jerk. He's a moron, too.

Advantage: Macross.

Minmay calls Hikaru at the worst possible time.

MINMAY'S PHONE CALL:

This episode sees Hikaru taking a call from Minmay... and, for the first time ever, having absolutely no interest in it. This is a development I would normally cheer, and the scene in which it occurs is wonderfully staged and highly effective: She cheerfully blathers to him on the phone, totally oblivious to his emotional state, until he finally just hangs up.

It's a great scene. But I do feel a need to defend Minmay. Yes, at this moment, her bubbly attitude feels to Hikaru as if tiny knives are scraping across his skin. However, that's to do with his own emotional state. Minmay has no reason to believe that anything is wrong. In any other circumstance, he would be delighted that she called him. She just happened to pick the exact wrong moment on the exact wrong day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm never going to like the character of Minmay. But in this instance, she does absolutely nothing wrong - and that's true in both versions of the episode.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Both episodes' narrators provide only the standard recap before getting out of the way of the plot. The Robotech narrator needs to try this more often.

Advantage: None.

Claudia remembers and grieves for Roy -
but most of this is cut from Robotech.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Claudia's Grief Gets Trimmed for Time: Macross intercuts Hikaru and Claudia, both remembering Roy and silently grieving for him. Robotech cuts the shots of Claudia to almost nothing, de-emphasizing her grief in favor of Rick's, even though her loss was arguably the greater.

Awkward Dialogue: For whatever reason, Robotech's early scenes feature a lot of dialogue that just sounds... off. Capt. Gloval overexplains himself on the bridge. Rick's conversation with Lisa is punctuated by a few too many clichés. Neither of these is a new problem for the show. In this episode, though, it's particularly noticeable, whether because the early part is so character focused or simply because there's too much awkward dialogue in a short space of time. Thankfully, this improves as the show goes on, but it bears note just the same.

Misa Chews Out Hikaru, while Lisa Agrees with Rick: During the battle, Macross's Hikaru complains that if the attack continues, then they'll all be wiped out. Misa (quite rightly) reprimands him, snapping that Roy never would have made such a statement during a battle. Robotech's Lisa just blandly agrees that the situation looks bad.

The Captain's Phone Call: The end of the battle is followed by the Canadian authorities contacting the ship. In Macross, Capt. Global declines the call, already anticipating the bad news. In Robotech, Gloval starts to take the call on the bridge, then has it routed to his quarters.

Advantage: Macross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Macross gets points for giving Minmay another pretty good new song, while Robotech's Minmei continues to have a total repertoire of three pieces ranging from mediocre to ear-stabbing. However, the second half of the episode is extremely action heavy. An action emphasis tends to favor Robotech's more energetic score, and the Robotech cues are particularly well used here.

Advantage: Robotech.

Max and Kakizaki try to cheer Hikaru up.
Their down time gets interrupted, of course.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

This is another episode in which both versions are substantially the same, and it's a very good installment in either version. However, while changes are few, they are consistently for the worse, and Robotech's dialogue is noticeably clunky, leaving Macross with just a bit more emotional weight.


OTHER MUSINGS:

It's no surprise that the captain fails in his goal of resettling the civilians... but there are surprises in exactly how that failure occurs. Meanwhile, the character material is pitched at a surprisingly adult level, even in the ostensibly more kid-friendly Robotech.

Much of the first half is taken up by the grief shared by Hikaru and Claudia. I was struck by the shots in the Macross episode that showed them both in the same café, mere feet apart, both looking out the window and thinking of Roy. They never speak, but those first shots visually connect them even as the context does. Then Misa arrives, sees both of them, and decides to talk to Hikaru - again, showing their growing relationship without having to spell it out.

The Robotech version loses a point for awkward dialogue and for changes that I think weaken the effectiveness of certain moments. It's still very good - but it's definitely the lesser of the two versions.


Overall Rating - Macross: 9/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Pineapple Salad/Farewell Big Brother
Next Episode: Paradise Lost

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