Radd

Boxer, these are from some of the games that came out ages ago, before Macross II came out. I think some of the classic characters are in those games, too, so it wouldn't be all that long after Space War 1.

The VA-3 is ugly, sure, but I still think it's ugly in that cool and interesting sort of way. I don't want all my Valks to be sleek and shiney, that would get boring.

Eisner is stepping down...in 2006. Apparently he announced this to prevent the company from removing him sooner.

You know, there's a whole television series that explains why.

I actually rather liked Antz better than A Bug's Life. It's been so long I can't comment on the animation quality between the two. I imagine Pixar's movie had the better CG and animation, but for actual story and character I remember Antz being the better movie. Shrek was good, not as good as people make it out to be, but why are we talking about CG movies other companies made? We're talking about Disney. Disney has been getting worse and worse in the storytelling department over the years, and not just with their crappy direct to video movies. Aside from Lilo&Stitch and the Emperor's New Groove their big budget theatrical releases have been absolute trainwrecks. Hercules was painful, Pocahontas was wretched, Atlantis lowered the bar even further, and Treasure Planet was quite possibly the worst trash Disney has levelled against the movie going public. Then they have the audacity to blame you and me. Each and every one of us. We're the reason their movies have been bombing in the theatres. Why? Because we apparently hate 2D animation.

Nanashi had some excellent artwork and translated text about a lot of the videogame Macross mecha such as the Stampede and the Star Crusader.

I kinda have to agree with Keith. I mean, most artists like to move on, and try to improve upon the works of the past, but that does not mean they cringe every time they look back. I mean, didn't we have a thread a long time ago about favourite Valkyries, and someone like Graham or Egan say that apparently Kawamori's favourite Valkyrie was the VF-1 and his least favourite was the VF-17?

Yeah, that's from one of the old Antarctic Press Robotech comics.

But is there an Arcadia as well?

Not me. The VF-19P, the VF-17, the VA-3 (not pretty, but definitely interesting), the full armoured VF-11 all come from Macross 7, and I love 'em all.

It sounds to me, Jemstone, like we're agreeing. I think there must have been a miscommunication.

Actually, my biggest beef with the Macross II designs is that they are bland an uninspired, the complete opposite of innovative. The VF-2SS looks like a Brand X Valkyrie, and it's not alone in that description. Now, it is simply my opinion that they look bland, but that they're highly derivative of the SDF and DYRL? mecha is less debatable.

The Gamlin helmet shown isn't a drastic change at all. It's very reminiscent of Isamu's helmet from Macross Plus, wich itself is similar to the DYRL? helmet. A definite progression going on here. Also, while having and stating an opinion is one thing, I've been seeing a lot of blatant flame bait regarding Macross 7 from a couple members here. Didn't some of the moderators say they were going to bring the hammer down if they saw any of that?

That was not the point I was making... my point was lip synch, not "translation". I've seen far too much CG and know too much about how it was done to let that one slide. The Lip Synch in FF:SW was abysmal. The mouths not only barely moved at all, in many key scenes they did not even match the words being spoken. As Lynx said, the animation team on FF:SW totally bricked it. That is one of the core points where Pixar totally mops up is the range of their models and the skill of their animators. Just look how totally innane that "Bounding" short was but it was built, lit, animated and produced to top of the line standards... while the actual script and content was a tad bizzare it was top flight. Bwah? Um...read my statement again, and the rest of the posts I've made. I'm agreeing with you, and I was the one harshly critisizing the animation in FF. On the topic of Polar Express, another thing to consider is that the CG might be trying to look realistic...but the animation is very...not good. One might even say it's bad. Wretched is another adjective that comes to mind. I've seen plenty of stop motion animations that had more fluid motion. You can have realistic characters doing unrealistic things, if by that you mean bounding between buildings like a super hero, flying over a city, pulling off Elasticgirl powers, or running from the police with a broken arm wobbling around behind them, all things that just do not look "right" with a realistic character, but they will work IF they are well animated.

Definitely the DYRL? helmet, followed up by it's Macross Plus descendent sported by Isamu Dyson, at least in my opinion.

The modelling and texturing in the Final Fantasy movie were impressive in their realism, however, despite a few great moments of animation, overall those realistic (though also very bland) models were animated very poorly. It was strange to see an ultra realistic CG modelled character moving around like they walked off the set of a Thunderbirds tv episode. Anyways, I do not see the ultimate goal of CG to be mimicking reality to the utmost. I understand what you're trying to say, I simply have issues with the connotation of how you say it. Is the work of an artist that can draw absolute realism, but who cannot draw a good looking cartoon to save his life, any more impressive than someone who can create beautifully imaginative imagery even if that imagery is not all that realistic? It is a stylistic choice, but what I'm trying to say is that choice is not between "good" realistic art, and sub-par stylized art. They're booth good, and they both can be done impressively or unimpressively. It's simply the style they choose to go with. It still takes effort to create either, and I think many people don't realize that the amount of effort is not all that different. As for the lip synching in the FF movie, they were doing it to an english script. The movie was written and made in America, by Americans, for primarily an American release. A Japanese dub followed sometime after.

I can easily see how. Those minor changes make all the difference. It's like the differences between a Bandai 1/55th VF-1A head and a Yamato 1/60 VF-1A head. They're basically the same, sure.

'Lifelike' at least if you mean 'realistic' does not equal "good" CG. The Incredibles was very well animated, very fluid and lifelike in that the characters did not seem like puppets with jerky or awkward movements. The character designs and style of texture mapping worked very well with what they were going for. That said I cannot understand how anyone could think that the CG in the movie was "not very impressive". It's probably some of Pixar's best work to date, and Pixar does some of the most impressive CG in the industry.

I took it as a bittersweet ending, really. I mean, after AFOS is hit by the nukes, you can see the "cockpit" bubble where Sarah was. It's smashed in, brown, and looks to be devoid of life. I don't think she survived. If she is indeed alive, it's not as we know it. Shin's end and Sarah's ghostly appearance I see in the same sort of light, as a flowery way of killing him off.If he is alive, somewhere out there, I again don't think it would be our typical idea of living. The sad tone of the music at the end left me feeling this way about the ending, too. The world was saved, or at least obtained a temporary reprieve, but this end did not come without it's price. Grok?

I agree with you on the VF-1A heads. I hate the tv version, but the little differences they made to the movie version make the 1A head one of my favourites. My problem with the Soundforce heads is pretty obvious, it's simply my preference for the more utilitarian head designs. I actually like the VF-1S head the least of the VF-1 head designs (besides the tv version of the VF-1A head).

Saw this on Monday, then again on Thursday! Definitely the best film of the year, with Sky Captain as a good runner up. I absolutely adored the movie. Exellent characters, excellent voice acting, excellent animation, excellent plot. Seeing as how Disney has completely dropped traditional animation and plans to open a CG studio now that Pixar finally really is leaving them, and that there are rumours that Pixar would like to open a tradtional animation studio, I just do not see Disney keeping pace with them in the coming years. I'd also have to say that The Incredibles is most likely my favourite CG film to date. Shrek was alright. I liked Monsters Inc. quite a bit, even Ice Age was pleasantly suprising, but this movie was just absolutely wonderful in every way. I can't wait until it's out on DVD.

I'm all for the fin thing, but still, I'm not keen on any of the heads of the Soundforce Valkyries. Of course, my leanings are towards the more utilitarian designs. The VF-21/2, the VF-1A (DYRL? version), the VF-11 are some of my favourite head designs.

Strangely enough, I'm rather partial to the DYRL? VF-1A head design. Elegant in it's simplicity.

Actually, Legend of TSXer, there are still plenty of routes Kawamori could go with any new Macross series, OVA, or movie. A Space War I sidestory. Something that takes place during the SWI, but doesn't follow any of the original series's/movie's main characters. A couple of them could make cameos now and then, though. Something that takes place during the Megaroad era, following one of those fleets when the VF-4 was the Valkyrie of choice among pilots. Perhaps Max and Millia's Dancing Skulls squadron? A series that takes place during the civil war that served as the backdrop for VF-X2. Any sort of show in the Macross 7/VF-X2 time frame. The possibilities for a show post VF-X2 are pretty much endless. How about a show that feature remenants of the old Supervision Army? There were what? Thousands of fleets the size of Bodolza's? If nothing else a series could be based around a Megaroad or New Macross colony fleet coming across one or more of these. This idea could be combined with several of those already listed. A number of these ideas could be used to further explore and define the Protoculture. I really don't see how anyone could think that the options for a new Macross story are in any way limited. Though I will agree that I'd rather wait a long time for a quality Macross show, than to get a rehashed, cookie cutter Macross story every year or two that drives the franchise into the ground. I'd rather not have anything like Macross Wing or Macross Seed.

I wouldn't mind a Transformer based on the real Hummer, but these H2s and H3s are nothing but crap, and they look like they were designed by Fisher*Price.