We need more movies in space. Period! Well, we need more GOOD movies in space. Science fiction used to provide us with allegories to present day, glimpses of our distant future, cautionary warnings of technology gone wild. Now, science fiction serves as a vehicle for digital artists to improve their demo reels. Isn’t it ironic to wish for the good-old days of science fiction?
The head of DreamWorks Animation Jeffrey Katzenberg told ComingSoon that George Lucas is contemplating re-releasing all six Star Wars films in 3D. Apparently, he has the technology to build them faster, strong. Better? Hmmm…
I admit that I stood in line when the original trilogy was re-released with all its digital wiz bang special editioness in theaters (Han shot first dammit!). I thought the digital enhancements were fairly tasteful (well, except the Han thing. That still annoys me) and didn’t distract from the movie.
The thought of Jar-Jar Binks in 3D makes me vomit in my brain meats. But the thought of wearing nerdy polarized glasses in the theater makes me, um, unvomit in my brain meats. Episodes IV through VI could be very entertaining in 3D. Granted, it does suck quite a bit to pay higher ticket prices to see something you already have multiple versions of, but honestly, it’s better than remaking Star Wars all together, an evil trend that I fear is here to stay. I am somewhat cautiously optimistic on this one. 3D might be just the thing to get audiences back into theaters.
We’ve got Eric Banna as the tattooed Nero, Zoe Saldana as the alluring Uhura, Zachary Quinto as the emotionless Spock, and Chris Pine as the smarmy Kirk. I think Nero is a Romulan. No bumpy Next Gen ridges for them, but they have sweet face tattoos. The poster colors match the uniform colors. And they have this real retro feel which is quite striking. Still, I’m not a fan of covering old ground. Star Trek is about the promise of tomorrow and exploring the limits of our perceptions. Now it’s more than possible that JJ Abram’s interpretation will reflect that spirit. Hard to tell from just a few poster images.
So… why does he make them? Actually, before Transformers 2, I think his only other sequel was Bad Boys 2.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Michael Bay proclaimed his hatred of sequels when asked about Transformers 2.
When we were writing the script, I said to the writers, “I hate sequels that try to make it to the third movie. Pretend like we’re never having a third movie, so let’s go for broke on the second one. I hate those cliffhangers! Let’s just make this movie stand on its own.” I really feel this movie is not a forced sequel. I think the script is really good, and I think it’s got a lot of new stuff in it. There are a lot of rumors out there, but we’ve released a lot of fake stuff. We’ve done a really good job of keeping things secret.
I’m still not a fan of the first one, but I can respect Boom Boom Bay’s sentiments. Tell a complete story or don’t bother. Sequels that intentionally set up a third movie always feel incomplete. And some franchises should just end with two. Terminator, Karate Kid, Spider-Man, Batman would have all been fine without a third film.
For now I’m going to ignore the fact that Bay is also working on a Friday the 13th (WTF?) and just give him props for wanting to tell a complete story.
Okay, I know I’ve said that I’m not at all that interested in seeing the rise of the machines in the Terminator franchise. But I am easily swayed by splody trailers and Christian Bale. That and it sounds like they’re starting off a new timeline.
It’s set in 2018. That’s pretty damn close. Only ten more years before Skynet starts loosing its shit. We better start making hand held EMPs right quick.
Thanks to reader psyCheDeLIC_MADneSs for sending over this trailer for the Ghost Busters video game trailer and all I gotta say is, it’s about damn time gentlemen. It’s about damn time!
And now from our “What in the holy fuck are they thinking” file comes the news that Darren Aronofsky is in talks with MGM to direct a Robocop remake.
Okay, Audrey and I are the two out of the two people who actually really liked The Fountain. But to follow that up with a remake? And Robocop? ROBO FUCK COP? Are you fucking mental? What?!
AZM reader Bart Bacon sent over a shit ton of trailers for The Day the Earth Stood Still, Mutant Chronicles, Knowing, Bolt, Eagle Eye, and The Tale of Despereaux. So I thought I’d dump them all into one post and compose a haiku review for each. The captions for some of them don’t count. Oh, and please feel free to add your own.
The Day the Earth Said “Whoa”
Wooden Keanu
Looking bored just reading lines
Gort more convincing
People die, cities burn, but the Crow Soundtrack is forever.
Post apocalypse
Our world burns to fiery ash
Perlman saves us all
Predictions of doom
Hidden in scribbled numbers
Remember, math kills
Comedic hamster
Steals every scene in trailer
Who cares about dog
Golden boy Shia
Runs from telemarketer
Terrible bordom
Tiny fearless mouse
Hitting on Emma Watson
Chicks can’t resist sword
AZM ally Mike Dent sent me this trailer for an indy Tokusatsu film entitled G. Now I may not know Japanese, but I’m certain “G” stands for “GODDAMNGENIUS!” This looks like such fun.
I wonder why the giant monster genre never really caught on here. We’ve got King Kong and now Cloverfield and that’s about it. Both did fairly well at the box office, but we’ve yet to see more giant States side monsters. Instead, we get those dumb fucks making Disaster Movie. I’d even settle for a few giant monster B movies. You know, someday, when I’m old and have amassed a redonkulous amount of wealth, I shall produce naught but giant monster movies!
This morning as I woke up, I seriously considered calling in sick to see Wall-E every single day of the week. Unfortunately, I came to my sense. But I seriously love this movie that much. I fully expect to see this multiple times in the theater to obsess over every little detail. Pixar has seriously taken movie making to a new high.
Characters
Wall-E is so freaking adorable. He’s such a hopeless romantic. He looks at everything with new eyes. Even the most mundane object that we might toss away is a new found treasure to Wall-E. On an Earth that is now covered completely with garbage, every day becomes an adventure in discovery. You can’t help but smile at such innocent wonder. And it makes Wall-E instantly lovable.
Eve is the uptown girl who doesn’t recognize the wonder that surrounds her. She’s not really aloof or snobby, just too busy to notice the little things that Wall-E sees. When he finally manages to get her attention, she begins to open her eyes to the world around her. Her laugh just lights up the screen.
The first half of the film is almost a silent movie, but you don’t really need dialog because the interactions between Wall-E and Eve are so real. The eyes of both characters are just so expressive and communicate so effectively. Getting a rusted box and a futuristic iPod to emote is no simple task, yet Pixar manages to make it look so natural and sincere. You’ll forget that they’re computer generated images and grow to love them as characters. Absolutely amazing.
Plot
Wall-E is a romantic comedy and accidental hero’s journey all in one. It’s true, you pretty much know how the romantic aspect will turn out from the previews. But Wall-E’s hero journey may surprise you. I love how everyone he interacts with begins to challenge their own perceptions of their surroundings. And it’s all deliciously by accident. Wall-E stays true to his character throughout. In a lot of similar films, some kind of deus ex machina comes in at the last second to imbue the hero with power overwhelming to defeat the enemy and save the day. Not here. Wall-E remains Wall-E til the end.
There’s also a fairly heavy environmental message that underlies the whole piece. Fortunately, Pixar doesn’t bash you in the head repeatedly to get the point across. Instead, they’re content to let the story, Wall-E and Eve to take center stage. But the message is clear. Take care of the Earth because it’s the only one we got. Kids will absolutely love the characters while us old folk can appreciate that added depth.
Visuals
This movie is absolutely gorgeous, certainly the best visuals Pixar has created to date. The environments are so immersive and photorealistic and the camera work has such a natural feel that you forget you’re watching something 100% computer generated. There are some live-action human sequences added in here and there. This is the first time that Pixar has used that technique, but it somehow works and didn’t jump me out of the film. Disbelief suspended completely.
The animation is brilliant. The robots have such personality all communicated through their movements. You can tell exactly what their thinking and feeling. You’ve never seen such emotion from bits of metal.
Sound
The soundtrack is so touching and at times very poignant. I teared up at a number of scenes where the pathos was expertly punctuated with the soundtrack. The soundscape of the world is just as powerful. Every little background sound, the whirls, the dings, the little rumblings, everything is so perfectly crafted to just suck you in. I found myself listening to the film as intently as I was watching.
Waaaal-EE
With Wall-E, Pixar demonstrates a mastery of film making that few real life studios have achieved. And though I fully expect Dark Knight and Hell Boy 2 to absolutely obliterate the summer box office, Wall-E will stay with and inspire me far after this summer movie season concludes. I will so cherish it for years to come. You must, must, MUST see it in theaters as soon as possible.
Mikey D sent along this trailer of Space Chimps which drops July 18. I love space. I love monkeys. I love Patrick Warburton. Sounds like win! I also love “Axel’s Theme” from Beverly Hills Cop which definitely shows my age.
Not expecting much from this one, but it looks like it’ll be a lot of fun. Vanguard Animation is a new name to me. They did Happily N’ever After and Valiant neither of which have I seen so I have no idea what to expect anyway. I’ll probably find my way to a theater when this hits.
Oh lookie, here’s “Axel’s Theme” on guitar! I love the last bit. This guy kicks ass.
Angry Zen Master features news and commentary on the latest movies, comics, Japanese live action shows, and what ever else makes me chuckle. If you’ve got a hot tip or a something fun you’d like to share, drop me a line.
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