16 replies to this topic

[taita cakes]

I started this kind of rant about how this is the true indication of how far the movie industry is slipping, indicated by the fact that movie execs still invest millions and millions in tired, stolen formulas, but promptly just gave up on it, you guys should know it by now.

What I came to do is tell you how terrible, and terribly stolen this film looks from the trailer alone.

http://www.apple.com...oomsday_lg.html

• Classic pandemic/epidemic situation, beaten to death by recent examples like 28 Days Later, I Am Legend, Outbreak and just every other movie of late.
• Containment/quarantine/division of cities like 28 WEEKS Later, I Am Legend and even District B-13. Also note the high tech command centres and level of surveillence ala 28 Weeks Later.
• At some stage they will have to randomly go into a hospital or house to find someones research or something. Generally for no apparent reason. This personalises the fighting and makes it scary blah blah blah, because otherwise nothing would really happen in the movie.
• You have the petite super heroine able to take down 'roid-filled muscle men with single blows ala Underworld, Blade Trinity
• Said heroine will probably spend more time posing in a tank top and lycra pants with gratuitous buttshots, like the trailer. The parallel? You guessed it, Transformers.
• There will be more product placement than nokia phones in a Pussy Cat Dolls film clip or just about every product seen in Transformers
• Don't even get me started on the... "THIS..IS.. SPARTA.. OUR CITY"..
• What kind of saves it is the use of cinematography, the blue hues of Underworld, the vast unpopulated spaces of 28 Days Later, The Day After Tomorrow and most recently I Am Legend, as well as the desolate urban underground, complete with the cyclone wire of the Dark Angel series.
• Probably most dissapointing is the Mad Max similarities.
  I don't know where in Scotland you're going to find desert marauders, but somehow this movie has done it.
  Note the thick metal armour and leathery goodness of the baddies on their gunships/cars you might compare to Mad Max 1/2/3 and Waterworld.
  With a chase scene reminiscent of the second movie, complete with ghetto blockade bus, I'll wear it, but when you steal from the third, and probably worst movie, Beyong the Thunderdome you know you're a bad person.
• Also, throw in roof-top Hajiis for good measure, like Black Hawk Down, Clear and Present Danger, The Kingdom and just about every hollywood movie about a country that doesn't speak English.

Some of you will probably disagree, or say some of these points were a bit of a stretch, but you can't argue...
Watching this movie you can't help but feel you've seen it all before.

Anyway, discuss.

[sam]

This does look very familiar. How ever I rather like this genre, assuming this movie doesn't get super shitty reviews, I'll probably see it. I'm come on, a half million dollar Bentley driving through a school bus! Who doesn't want to see that!

I do know what you mean about this. I feel the same way about most feel-good sports movies, dance movies, and the increasingly shitty spoof genre.

[jwasko]

Yeah, you're probably right about everything; however, it does look like a "thrilling action romp," or whatever the critics always say.

Plus, it's got a break-top revolver in it. Who cares about sports cars and buses? That revolver increases it's awesome level exponentially!

PS: I think it's a Webley, but I can't be sure.

Edited by jwasko, 01 February 2008 - 11:19 PM.

[taita cakes]

It's just this is the direction that movies are taking these days.

The amount of shit I've waded through to get to "American Gangster".

I'm still yet to watch "No Country for Old Men".

Apparently those two will be tight contenders for film of the year.

[Vimes]

Also the similarity between the people behind the
wall and the reevers in Firefly. Granted they aren't as
entirely inhuman as the reevers but still...



V

[sam]

"No Country for Old Men" is an excellent film, my personal pick for best picture.

Also "There Will Be Blood," not my favorite movie, but the acting and soundtrack (done by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead) are astounding.
I also liked The Orphange, the scariest movie I've seen in a long time.

Sorry to side track this thread, just thought I'd share some of my thoughts.

[CaptainSlug]

No, I'm pretty sure this is a The Last Man on Earth/The Wild One/Spartacus/The Andromeda Strain/Foxy Brown knockoff.
Hollywood lost its ability to recognize or value original ideas or quality writing more than 20 years ago.

PS: I think it's a Webley, but I can't be sure.

Yes that's a Webley .38 service revolver

[OfAllTheNerf]

Also the similarity between the people behind the
wall and the reevers in Firefly. Granted they aren't as
entirely inhuman as the reevers but still...



V

They don't look very "infected" to me. Unless the virus begins to discolor skin which looks strangely like tatoos.

Looks interesting, I mainly want to see it just to know what the infection actually does...

[VACC]

That was painful. Honestly, who lets the British make movies anymore?

[Spectre666]

That was painful. Honestly, who lets the British make movies anymore?

Hey! I thought Sunshine was pretty good.

On track: the movie does look like a 28 Days/Weeks Later, Resident Evil Apocalypse/Extinction, and Escape from New York remake (speaking of which, they are remaking, and it will be released in '09).

The point is, there is just no more originallity in the world. I saw The Eye remake yesterday, it was okay, but the original was, of course, better. Almost all of the movies recently have been rip offs, remakes, based off of books/games, or prequels/sequels. There have been a few exceptions, and some of the mentioned have turned out pretty good, but it's just a fact that we'll all have to live with. So stop bitchin' about it.

-Spec

P.S. The Ruins looks pretty good.

[Richomundo]

you're waging jihad on Hollywood?

[taita cakes]

you're waging jihad on Hollywood?

Lookout world.

[TAiLsChaser]

It's totally Resident Evil with renegade people (Mad Max-esque) instead of zombies.

[nerfsharpie6]

I tried to watch the trailer but it could not be found. But from what I've read about the opinions, its just another knockoff. I hate knockoffs, they don't tend to make a lot of money. I think the downfall of Holly Wood came about when the movie "BioDome" came out. Theres only so much Polly Shore I can take and that was the limit.

[sam]

I think the downfall of Holly Wood came about when the movie "BioDome" came out. Theres only so much Polly Shore I can take and that was the limit.

You take that back immediately! Biodome was, nay, is the peak comedic genius!

But, seriously, its Pauly Shore.

[Prometheus]

Goddammit, the apple link in the first post doesn't work.