Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14924 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-11-28
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 160 minutes

Amazon.com
Despite its title, Macross II: The Movie is not a feature but the six-part 1992 OAV without the title sequences. One of several sequels to Superdimensional Fortress Macross (known in the U.S. as a component series of Robotech), Macross II is set 80 years after the initial adventure. For decades, alien invaders have been kept from Earth by holograms of teen-age singers performing pop songs. Then the Marduk, who controls their Zentraedi warriors with the songs of "emulators," appear. The nature of the Marduk threat is discovered by brash journalist Hibiki Kanzaki and ace mecha pilot Silvie Gena, who form an odd romantic triangle with the emulator Ishtar. Fans of the Macross continuity tend to love or hate Macross II with little middle ground. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and older; contains violence, minor profanity. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Macross Plus at its best
An original OVA release, Macross Plus was the first Macross project to make heavy use of computer graphics, blended perfectly with a great storyline and a remarkable musical score by Yoko Kanno. Produced by Shigeru Watanabe and directed by legendary director and mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori, responsible for the original Valkyrie design back in 1982, it was a instant classic when released, both on US and Japan.

But there was something missing, and sometimes, there was too much going on, many would complain on how Isamu didn't died on so many accidents or the martial court that had nothing to do with anything (of course there was a reason for it, but in the end, it just ended up serving as a filler rather than useful, as nothing got changed after it).

Then came one of those Macross special events, where they released both a Macross 7 movie and a movie version of the OVA series that everybody loved. What everybody wasn't ready is that the movie version would be much better thant the original release.

Now the question: why? First, running on 4 episodes of 45 minutes, you got about 3 hours of story, and the movie runs for almost 2 hours, so you know that they cut a lot of fat on this one (and three end-credits of time). Also, they went all the trouble to make new scenes for this release, scenes that surely add more depth to the story, most specifically at two points at the ending (one of them is the ending itself, that's really quick on the OVA release).

If you are a serious Macross fan, you deserve yourself a copy of this DVD, even if you already have the OVA release. If you are being cautious on your budget, then you can get only one disc with the whole Macross Plus experience. Anyway, you're going to be pleased with this disc.

Great OVA, but Manga Video has to step it up
The best Macross since the original. Kawamori can do no wrong(*cough*Arjuna*hack*). This is probably the best non-epic story he's ever told. And the animation is some of the best, if not the best, I've seen outside of a feature film(even after 11 years). What I can't understand is why Manga Video has not added anything to the DVD for this great anime, yet this is the "10th Anniversary Edition". The original Ghost in the Shell release by Manga Video had few extras and no 5.1 surround track in Japanese. Their new GitS 10th aniversary release had many more extras and a great new 5.1 surround track in japanese. Why hasn't Macross Plus seen this kind of treatment? Apparently they just threw both volumes of the OVA into a box, cut a few bucks off the original price and called it a special anniverary edition. I already own the original DVD releases of this show and would have eagerly forked over another $40 to get them in full japanese language surround. C'Mon Manga Video, you've had 10 years to improve the DVD's for this show. What's the deal?

A sub-par DVD for the Movie Edition
I've heard good things about the movie edition for Macross Plus for a while. How it's better then the 4 part OVA. I've never gotten to see it until now, and IMO it isn't better. It feels a little choppy in the pacing department. The new music for the montages wasn't as good as the music they had in the OVA. I don't like that the battle scene with the VF-11B Thunderbolt and the board meeting talking about the YF-19 and YF-21 tests were cut but I like what they did with the rest. The ending is worth (at the very least renting) the Movie Edition of Macross Plus.

My biggest problem is with the picture. The video for the DVD releases for the OVA looks great. But for the movie it looks like a VHS tape. It's not like another company released the movie edition. I know it was put out for the Macross fans but it doesn't mean the video has to look as bad is it does, esp. when the OVA looked so good. I don't think it can be blamed on source material. What is up with the video quality? No one is going to be using this as a demo disc.

My next problem is with the Subtitles. From what I've read there never was an English dub recorded for the Movie Edition and of course to do it for the dvd would cost more money (and I have a feeling it wouldn't be that inspired anyway). I'm fine with it only being in Japanese. What I do hate is burnt in subtitles. Why oh why? It looks tacky and makes the video quality look a little worst. Again, they were going for the VHS look I guess. The audio does sound good though.

The extras are a laugh. The character bio's would have been better if a fan of the the series wrote them, the photo gallery isn't that great and the rest of the extras are just commericals for Manga. But I guess that's what is to be expected as they are pretty much the same (if not the same, but I don't feel like checking) extras for the OVA dvds. Still, Macross is pretty big and it would have been nice to see at least an interview with the director.

Overall I can't recommend this disc. There is no excuse for the bad video and the burnt in subtitles. They must have ported the movie from a VHS tape and re-mixed the sound. If you like Macross I'd recommend picking up the OVA. If you are a Macross region 1 dvd completist then you'll pick this up no matter what, just like me.