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ADV Films presents

Robotech #10: The Masters: The Final Solution (1985)

"This entire predicament is much, much worse than I could have ever expected."- Eli Leonard

Stars: Greg Snow, Reba West, Jonathan Alexander, Drew Thomas
Other Stars: Deanna Morris, Thomas Wyner, Brittany Harlow, Donn Warner, Alex Roberts, Tony Oliver, A. Gregory, Noel McGrath, Sandra Snow
Director: Robert Barron, Ippei Kuri

Manufacturer: IFPI
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (Mild animated violence)
Run Time: 02h:21m:08s
Release Date: 2001-12-11
Genre: anime

Style
Grade
Substance
Grade
Image Transfer
Grade
Audio Transfer
Grade
Extras
Grade
B BC+C D

 

DVD Review

With the six episodes included on this tenth Robotech disc, the second story arc, The Masters, comes to its conclusion, as the conflict between the triumvirate Robotech Masters and Earth reaches the breaking point. Episodes 55 to 60 are included here, with Dana in Wonderland, Crisis Point, Daydreamer, Final Nightmare, The Invid Connection and as expected with another major segment of the series coming to a close, the final episode ends in Catastrophe.

After infiltrating the Robotech Master's flagship in the previous episode, Dana and the members of the 15th Squadron were caught by surprise as their enemies regained control over Zor Prime, who they thought was their friend. Fleeing his attack, the team ends up deep within the ship, and begin to discover the true nature of their adversaries' existence. As Dana makes her way among the aliens, her emotional presence begins affecting the Robotech clones, causing more instability in a society where free will is forbidden. Despite their attempts, the squadron finds themselves captured by the Robotech Masters, and their destiny is not planned to be a pleasant one.

Elsewhere on the ship Musica tries to explain her feelings for Bowie Grant to her sisters, who are worried about her increasingly unstable disposition. Zor Prime is also being hunted, as his exposure to human emotions has also derailed his stability, and the Robotech Masters wish to alleviate the problem by reprogramming him. When Zor learns of his true mission on Earth, his resentment solidifies his drive to overcome the Robotech Masters, even if doing so means an end to his former civilization.

Meanwhile Commander Leonard continues his ruthless plans to destroy the Robotech Masters at any cost, including the lives of General Rolf Emerson and his attack fleet, who are the last line of defense between the Robotech Masters and Earth. Despite incredible odds, it is an all or nothing battle, with the fate of the entire human race hanging in the balance.

The relationships between the principle characters are resolved, though some of the pairings that were established earlier on seem to have just been brushed aside. These last six episodes are a bit of a roller-coaster ride from this perspective, as Zor's intentions keep Dana wondering what is really going on with him. Bowie and Musica get more air time, as the two musicians are drawn together by the cosmic forces, and Nova Satori's strict adherence to military protocol is put to the test as well.

Where the last disc focused primarily on the relationship aspects, here we also get down to the nitty gritty of the final conflicts between Earth's forces and the Robotech threat. The Robotech clone society is more fully explained, and we learn more about the urgency of the Masters to gain control over Earth's protoculture stores. More attention is also being paid to the next menace Earth will have to face, as the Invid presence is amplified through the storytelling, though won't make its appearance until we enter the last segment of Robotech. Later, the New Generation battles against an even deadlier force in the concluding 24 episodes, based on the original Mospedia anime series, though aside from the setup, no attempt has been made to integrate the artwork into the Southern Cross portion of the show. Expect more action, and the inevitable outcome as the fate of our characters unfolds.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B

 

Image Transfer

 One
Aspect Ratio1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratioyes
Anamorphicno


Image Transfer Review: Video quality for disc 10 of Robotech is pretty consistent with its predecessors, and throughout the disc. Colors continue to be somewhat muted, though there is less random color shifting. The presence of digital looking grain is still apparent, though not overwhelming, as are a few signs of age in the masters, with some specking and scratches on rare occasions. Black levels are okay for the most part, but tend towards weak. If you've been watching up until now, there are no real surprises.

Image Transfer Grade: C+
 

Audio Transfer

 LanguageRemote Access
MonoEnglishno


Audio Transfer Review: Audio continues to be of average quality, with a fair amount of sibilance and limited frequency range. Dialogue is easy to discern, but does suffer from some edginess. This won't win any awards for fidelity, but it is serviceable, and in line with what we've gotten on past discs in the series.

Audio Transfer Grade:

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 30 cues and remote access
6 Other Trailer(s) featuring Dia-Guard, Princess Nine, Dirty Pair Flash, Those Who Hunt Elves, Orphen, Legend of Crystania
Packaging: Scanavo
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extras Review: Besides the chapter selections, trailers are the only extras here. The boxset version contains all the good stuff. Included this round are Dia-Guard, Princess Nine,Orphen, Those Who Hunt Elves,Legend of Crystania, and Dirty Pair Flash.

Extras Grade: D
 

Final Comments

Closing out the Southern Cross portion of the show, the tenth installment in the Robotech collection continues the saga of Earth's fight against the Robotech Masters. This leg of the story concludes with another massive battle campaign, setting the stage for The New Generation. Video and audio source quality continue to be servicable but not exceptional, and as is the case with the entire series, the boxed editions offer the only real extras on separate discs.

Jeff Ulmer 2001-12-20