Forum - View topicREVIEW: Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles DVD
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2 Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABetterTimeandPlace Posts: 60 |
|
|||||||||||
Actually, people do point that out in reviews--I noticed that this site did just that for its review of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie.
It's the companies' own fault for promoting it as both an ending with closure, and a new fans' introduction. Look at their own paradoxical words: "The Robotech series also ended on a cliffhanger that left fans waiting for 20 years. FUNimation is very excited to be part of the team that will bring expectant fans the ending they have been waiting for in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles." http://www.robotech.com/ "Because 20 years had passed since the original airing of the Robotech series, we had to take into account that new viewers will have little or no knowledge of Robotech's back story. This "newbie-friendly" story kicks off with fantastic action and unfolds with dramatic storytelling that will engage all viewers." http://www.robotech.com/ If the companies have been telling people a movie is something that it isn't, isn't it a reviewer's obligation to tell people otherwise? |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Steve Berry Posts: 519 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
|
|||||||||||
In fact, just the opposite. I think when a person doesn't come right out and state their opinion, and that it is an opinion, that it comes off "watered down"-- it also makes an acute reader become aware that the writer is unaware of their own biases, that the writer is slightly unaware of themselves in relation to the topic at large. To me, coming out and saying what you think, and putting it in context is very important if you want to put it all on the table. To me, the point of writing is clarity-- clarity of thought, clarity of opinion, clarity re: depicting the general situation. Coming out and stating where you exactly stand, and letting a reader know where you stand, can be very liberating as a writer-- it allows you to not have to "sugar coat" anything, you don't have to worry about "steeping on toes." A reader knows where you're coming from. I obviously annoyed you with my post-- sorry for that, but I guess that's just the way it goes. I don't have issue with making statements that offend people, nor do I have issue with a reviewer doing so-- but in re: to clarity, and having viewers, and being exactly understood, telling exactly where you're coming from, being forthright and whatnot-- it just makes communication much easier.... that way you're not having to "decipher" someone's opinion from an editorial piece by reading between the lines and figuring out where their unstated biases lay, which was the one real critique I had of this otherwise well written review, as I said in my last post. I have nothing against differing opinions, offending people, or stepping on toes-- but if you're going to do it, particularly in a review, it's nice to atleast be clear about where you're coming from, so that I can form my own opinion of the movie and the review-- the review is a lens through which I see the unseen movie-- how can I appropriately use the lens, if I don't know what affects it's going to have on my view of the movie? Knowing the reviewer= knowing the lens= being able to better make ones own opinion of the movie. ****** To- ABetterTimeandPlace-- all your info is very legit and helpful. Thank you. That wasn't my impression of the title. I guess that info would have been helpful in the review in some way-- and perhaps the review said so, I don't remember. But it seems you are very right. I still think, though, my statements re: the writing of the review, bias, stating ones opinions clearly, etc etc, and whatnot still hold water very much. But you're very right in re: to all the details you posted. Thanks for spending the time clearing that up. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| ABetterTimeandPlace Posts: 60 |
|
|||||||||||
| The terms in the review were floral, but appropriate in context. Reading that "Carl Macek created this Frankenstein of a series" didn't seem inappropriate; Carl Macek himself admitted in an interview that the series was "cobbled together" under orders to merchandise a model kit line. Reading that it has a "bizarre mishmash of continuity" didn't seem inappropriate; Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Harmony Gold's own website made fun of the confusing franchise.
http://www.robotech.com/ http://www.robotech.com/ |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Steve Berry Posts: 519 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
|
|||||||||||
| Well, to each their own-- to me, using verbage like "frankenstein" and "cobbled together", "bizarre mish-mash of stories that barely fit together" (my italics), "mesh of stiched together storylines", and "stretched explanations" when you're just talking about the original Robotech series, and haven't even gotten to the details of the movie under review-- well, those sort of things seem to imply a sort of basic underlying bias to me that was never really stated as an opinion, but was presented, in general, as general factual consensus. It seems a bit of a stretch to me to say that there isn't a an obvious bias there.
You obviously consider the reviewers opinions to be true and factual. I think they're more the product of a specific point of view. Perhaps there isn't much more to say about that-- except that if you want to convince people of your point of view, and have them listen to you as clearly as they can, it's often to your benefit to bring your "biases" or opinions out on the table, so they know where you're coming from. That sort of tactic tends to defuse them as "tools" to be used against you when people disagree with you, as you are already allowing them be recognized. Perhaps you don't care about stuff like that-- but to me, the review had a lot of very good points to make, and when a fan of the show reads it, and feels that it's a review that has a hidden bias, they tend to shut off. If you defuse the bias issues, and instead are up front about them, as a writer you're bound to have more readers pay attention to you and listen to your opinion-- to me atleast. As such, the advice seemed worthwhile. Of course, it's only advice, so it can be taken or left. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| ABetterTimeandPlace Posts: 60 |
|
|||||||||||
| Uh, Carl Macek called it "cobbled together." Those are his own words. He said it was done to promote a model kit line. Harmony Gold's own website makes fun of how confusingly its products fit together. (Look at that half-serious flowchart Harmony Gold put on its website.) If the producers themselves admit these points, is it an issue? | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Steve Berry Posts: 519 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
|
|||||||||||
You're very interested in debating this point. 
I, however, am not. I was more interested in the writing process. Therefore, I concede to your greater knowledge. You're right-- the reviewer was right, and it was obviously a very well written review with no issues. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| relak Posts: 10 |
|
|||||||||||
actually, i didn't even know a comic existed until my friend, who watched the movie before me, recommended me to read the comic before watching the movie. And i seem to have gone off my main point too. My main point being that the review seems to fling unecessary flak at theis movie just becos it is Robotech. And why i point that out is cos i've seen this before. people who have watched Robotech and loved it to the core suddenly hated it when they discovered its history. Many too wont even give this movie a chance saying stuff like "i wont watch a movie based on a series that never was" or something like that. The characters, though looking the same as in the originals, are not the same. THe characterisations are different. Example, Roy Fokker in Macross is supposed to be like a drunk previously. In Robotech he is a certified war hero from the start. Even the origins of th 3 alien species are different than in the originals. The origns of the SDF-1 is different. And in Robotech it is NOT called "macross". etc |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| ABetterTimeandPlace Posts: 60 |
|
|||||||||||
I'm more amused at how a negative review of a nostalgic yet flawed work will bring fans out of the woodwork to criticize the review. Their criticisms only highlight the same fans' scant knowledge of the release itself, of the producers' misleading PR, and of the wider anime industry in general. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| ABetterTimeandPlace Posts: 60 |
|
|||||||||||
The problem remains. Even fans who have seen every episode of Robotech admit they need a $17.50 comic series (bought by less than 10,000 people) to understand this movie. That's not a self-cohesive movie.
Should a movie, Robotech or not, with average or lower characterization, plotting, and animation get higher than a C grade?
Give Anime News Network and the other critics a little credit--they did watch the movie, and in most cases, spent eight bucks or more. Criticizing a valid review for misinformed reasons is just as much a kneejerk reaction as the ones you've described.
Again, that's because Robotech was partially rewritten, with flaws. It's not "completely new" or "totally different." It's only partially different.
He drinks, yes. But so does he and many other characters in Macross and Robotech. He's no more "a drunk" in the original Macross series than he is in Robotech. He was always a certified war hero in Macross. That line in Robotech about his kill count in the last war comes from a similar line in Macross.
Someone forgot to erase the huge "SDF-1 MACROSS" writing onscreen. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
gary leeman Posts: 70 Location: The Big Apple |
|
|||||||||||
That would be one interesting show... |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Anime Castle
Robert's Anime Corner Store
AAA Anime Distribution
Big Bad Toy Store
