Movies: Macross Plus - The Movie

Anime has never had a shortage of shows based on giant fighting robots, and one of the most persistent of the breed has been the "Macross" series. As with any franchise, there have been ups and downs in the Macross saga (including the awful Macross II movie). The high-water mark of Macross (and indeed, of the entire transforming robot genre) is probably "Macross Plus."

"Macross Plus" is sort of like "Top Gun," except Kenny Loggins has been replaced by Yoko Kanno, Tom Cruise has been replaced by Isamu Dyson, and the F-14s have been replaced by futuristic transforming fighters. Two rival test pilots square off against each other, both in the sky and for the affections of an old flame. Things get complicated when a super-powerful artificial intelligence starts to take over the world with hypnotic pop music.

The movie version of "Macross Plus" is a sterling illustration of the adage that less is more. While the original miniseries was composed of four separate 40 minute episodes, the movie combines all the episodes, adds or expands key scenes, and cuts a substantial amount of fat from the equation. What's left is a tighter narrative, more emotional high points, and a better ending (spoilers).