NationStates Jolt Archive

Dear, sweet God, is this movie going to suck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_%28film%29).

I hope they come to their senses and never finish it, or if they do finish it, I hope the movie becomes the biggest critical and commercial flop ever.

The drink cough surup and this is all they could come up with? WTF?

Hollywood had brains???

Dear, sweet God, is this movie going to suck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_%28film%29).

I hope they come to their senses and never finish it, or if they do finish it, I hope the movie becomes the biggest critical and commercial flop ever.

personally, I can't think of a SWEETER series for this to happen to.
yes, I don't like DragonBall and all it's incarnations.

If a live-action Dungeons and Dragons didn't kill Hollywood, then neither will this. The unfortunate thing is that this will make absurd amounts of money, because people will be willing to pay to see it. It may suck, but it will sell seats. Are you planning on going to see it? :)

Hmm.... The series is f****** great, but I'm not sure that a live film is going to turn out so well....

If a live-action Dungeons and Dragons didn't kill Hollywood, then neither will this. The unfortunate thing is that this will make absurd amounts of money, because people will be willing to pay to see it. It may suck, but it will sell seats. Are you planning on going to see it? :)

Holy shitballs, I thought you'd died, possibly by accidentally hanging yourself with your underwear. On a doorknob. After a wild Yahtzee party.

With hermaphrodite hookers.

Holy shitballs, I thought you'd died, possibly by accidentally hanging yourself with your underwear. On a doorknob. After a wild Yahtzee party.

With hermaphrodite hookers.

You missed my return thread. It's still on the front page. Look harder.

Holy shitballs, I thought you'd died, possibly by accidentally hanging yourself with your underwear. On a doorknob. After a wild Yahtzee party.

With hermaphrodite hookers.

You have...quite an imagination, Pot. :p

I heard about this like 5 years ago, you guys are out of the loop. Anyway live action anime always fails. I'm not looking forward to the Akira remake. It takes place in "neo new york."

facepalm.jpg

It takes place in "neo new york."

Like the Cyberpocalypse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkley%2C_Shut_Up_and_Jam:_Gaiden)?

You have...quite an imagination, Pot. :p

That isn't imagination. He was just reliving last night.

This is going to be a CG Nightmare.

That isn't imagination. He was just reliving last night.

O.o

I'm not looking forward to the Akira remake. It takes place in "neo new york."

That's enough reason to assume it'll suck?

So tell me, what's a 'pure' source of ideas? Before the 20th century (and often well into it and beyond) playwrights often drew from the same pool, operas largely have been based on legends, mythology, and folk lore.

It's even argued that there really are just 36 stories. So what's a 'pure' source of an idea? Why, exactly, is it that something is only allowed to exist in one medium? What is the merit of such a limitation?

Well, at least its not nearly as bad as the currently discussed and potential The Hills movie.

That's enough reason to assume it'll suck?It's a Japanese movie that took place in Japan. If they change the location to America they're probably going to westernize everything which basically means they'll make it retarded.

It's a Japanese movie that took place in Japan. If they change the location to America they're probably going to westernize everything which basically means they'll make it retarded.

I didn't realise the words "westernize" and "retarded" were synonyms.

You learn something new everyday.

Live Action Anime Films are always grotesque failures. Always.

It's not as horrible as the live action Speed Racer movie that the Wachiowski brothers are making. Dear god, let that relic die.

Though I must say, I am looking forward to James Cameron's adaptation of Battle Angel, and the live action Evangelion movie that WETA is working on, if that ever gets off the ground.

I didn't realise the words "westernize" and "retarded" were synonyms.

You learn something new everyday.Well, can you think of any westernized adaptations of foreign movies that weren't retarded? There are some famous westerns based on japanese samurai movies, but it's arguable weather westerns are good or not.

In the past movie studios have often assumed Americans won't understand Japanese culture, because they think we're stupid. So, they make the movie stupid, because they think that's the kind of thing we stupid Americans like. That's why every live action adaptation of an anime that has been released so far has been a failure.

That's why every live action adaptation of an anime that has been released so far has been a failure.

Just for the record, how many have been released so far? I am not aware of any, though I am aware of a number that are in production or are about to be released.

In the past movie studios have often assumed Americans won't understand Japanese culture, because they think we're stupid.


Agreed. And all evidence says they're right.

So, they make the movie stupid, because they think that's the kind of thing we stupid Americans like. That's why every live action adaptation of an anime that has been released so far has been a failure.

A studio isn't making this movie. A writer and a director are.

And they love Akira.

I honestly cannot think of any anime to film movies, but this will probably have the curse of book to film movies....



more so sine the majority of the plot is power up by constipation...

Death Note. Theres one, but its the only one I know.

I didn't realise the words "westernize" and "retarded" were synonyms.

You learn something new everyday.

It's hard not to think such when you watch Gatchaman and Battle of the Planets side by side for comparison.

Death Note. Theres one, but its the only one I know.

wasn't that a japanese movie though? I thought we were talking american movies.

Well, early reports of this movie's script is as follows:

Que 45 minutes of screaming as each character's power builds. Finally an explosion, lasting the remain 45 minutes, occurs. End of movie.

I can't wait.

Just for the record, how many have been released so far? I am not aware of any, though I am aware of a number that are in production or are about to be released.Not very many. Aeon flux and maybe transformers are the only ones I can think of right now, but I think there have been a few more. Live action adaptations of anime is a trend in Japan now also.

wasn't that a japanese movie though? I thought we were talking american movies.

I really can't tell you. I've never seen the movie, several of my friends have, but I haven't. I just know that the anime and manga came before the movie.

Well, early reports of this movie's script is as follows:

Que 45 minutes of screaming as each character's power builds. Finally an explosion, lasting the remain 45 minutes, occurs. End of movie.

I can't wait.
I was going to say, a movie might improve Dragonball, since they only have 2 hours they might have to actually get on with the damn story instead of spending and entire episode watching some dude do a sit up...

Agreed. And all evidence says they're right.A lot of popular American movies have been non-stupid, and Americans don't always need to have other cultures watered down for them.
A studio isn't making this movie. A writer and a director are.That's a good point. And having Otomo as the producer is a good sign.

I was going to say, a movie might improve Dragonball, since they only have 2 hours they might have to actually get on with the damn story instead of spending and entire episode watching some dude do a sit up...

Dragon Ball worked a whole lot better as manga. The damn animation company stretched out the episodes so much so that they wouldn't over run Akira Toriyama's manga, which was still being written. Those ridiculous training sessions and power up animations usually only took up a frame or two in the manga.

A lot of popular American movies have been non-stupid

If you look at the biggest box office smashes, you'll see stupidity has beaten intelligence into the ground and is currently doing victory laps.

If you look at the biggest box office smashes, you'll see stupidity has beaten intelligence into the ground and is currently doing victory laps.

Probably since the majority go for entertainment not philosophical discussions.

I'm not looking forward to the Akira remake. It takes place in "neo new york."

Horrible idea.

Like the Cyberpocalypse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkley%2C_Shut_Up_and_Jam:_Gaiden)?

Awesome idea!

So tell me, what's a 'pure' source of ideas? Before the 20th century (and often well into it and beyond) playwrights often drew from the same pool, operas largely have been based on legends, mythology, and folk lore.

It's even argued that there really are just 36 stories. So what's a 'pure' source of an idea? Why, exactly, is it that something is only allowed to exist in one medium? What is the merit of such a limitation?

Excellent point. A good discussion of the number of possible plots: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001124.html

I vaugely remember a comment by on of the old Hollywood moguls to the effect that all movies boil down to "Cinderella" or "Snow White".

are some famous westerns based on japanese samurai movies, but it's arguable weather westerns are good or not.

??? You haven't seen the classics then.

In the past movie studios have often assumed Americans won't understand Japanese culture, because they think we're stupid. So, they make the movie stupid, because they think that's the kind of thing we stupid Americans like. That's why every live action adaptation of an anime that has been released so far has been a failure.

This is true. Reference the title change of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. :(

If you look at the biggest box office smashes, you'll see stupidity has beaten intelligence into the ground and is currently doing victory laps.I don't know what the current box office smashes are, but I know that popular American movies can be stupid. I have to wonder what you're comparing them to though. Are French movies better? Bollywood movies? Korean movies?

The bad movies that do well in the box office are just fads anyway. No one watches The Titanic any more, or any of the Home Alone movies. The ones that last more than 20 years tend to be good movies, like the godfather, star wars, jurrasic park, bambi, ect. Sometimes there are bad movies that remain popular forever like it's a wonderful life, but that's the exception.

Probably since the majority go for entertainment not philosophical discussions.

A film has to be stupid to be entertaining?

A film has to be stupid to be entertaining?

no, but it doesn't have to discuss the meaning of life to be good either.

This is true. Reference the title change of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. :(That's just one word, and it's a pretty minor change. I'm actually impressed with how British the harry potter movies have been. There are very few kids movies that dare to give the main characters foreign accents. (Even if the movie clearly takes place in another country, and every background character has an accent, the main characters usually talk like Americans. Rataouille is a good example.)

Compare the Harry Potter movies to The Golden Compass movies. The people who did The Golden Compass removed the word God from the story, because they wanted to make the Americans happy. The result was they managed to make a children's fantasy movie that was well acted, with amazing special effects, based on a very popular franchise, during the height of the popularity of the children's fantasy genre, and it was also a commercial flop. People don't like incoherent plots.

It'll make over NINE THOOOOOOOOSAND dollars.

I don't know what the current box office smashes are, but I know that popular American movies can be stupid. I have to wonder what you're comparing them to though. Are French movies better? Bollywood movies? Korean movies?

The bad movies that do well in the box office are just fads anyway. No one watches The Titanic any more, or any of the Home Alone movies. The ones that last more than 20 years tend to be good movies, like the godfather, star wars, jurrasic park, bambi, ect. Sometimes there are bad movies that remain popular forever like it's a wonderful life, but that's the exception.

Well, Bambi is older than It's A Wonderful Life and It's A Wonderful Life went through a significant period of not being very popular at all but those are trivial quibbles, only important to the fim geek in me. Oh, and I've got to note that Jurassic Park is a fairly dumb movie.

But by and large, you're right. Time does hold films to a higher standard.

Here's the thing: Studios want Titanic. They want Titanic in a Titanic sauce with Titanic on the side, followed by Titanic and some Italian coffee. Studios care about people going to see their movie and buying some popcorn and they find that a stupid movie does that better than a smart one.

It'll make over NINE THOOOOOOOOSAND dollars.

You're a little late with that one.

no, but it doesn't have to discuss the meaning of life to be good either.

Not specifically the menaing of life, no. I would, however, argue that if smart films aren't considered entertaining then that is a sad reflection on the viewer.

Not specifically the menaing of life, no. I would, however, argue that if smart films aren't considered entertaining then that is a sad reflection on the viewer.

But there's the rub. what is a "smart" movie and what is a "dumb" one?

Yea, superhero, and movies like it, are moronic, but some pull the stupid off well at mocking how idiotic some movies were in scene or in the whole idea. with that view even a "stupid" movie could be argued to be "smart".


edit: have not seen, nor plan to, superhero.

Well, Bambi is older than It's A Wonderful Life and It's A Wonderful Life went through a significant period of not being very popular at all but those are trivial quibbles, only important to the fim geek in me. Oh, and I've got to note that Jurassic Park is a fairly dumb movie.

But by and large, you're right. Time does hold films to a higher standard.

Here's the thing: Studios want Titanic. They want Titanic in a Titanic sauce with Titanic on the side, followed by Titanic and some Italian coffee. Studios care about people going to see their movie and buying some popcorn and they find that a stupid movie does that better than a smart one.For a stupid movie to do well in the box office, it has to be too stupid to make anyone think about anything, because thoughts can offend or bore some people, but smart enough to actually make sense. It's easy to follow the plot of Titanic. A lot of westernized foreign movies don't really make sense. Things like DBZ and Akira already have a lot of nonsense their anime forms, so it would be easy for them to mess up the American adaptation by trying to make it relevant to American culture at the expense of a plot anybody cares about.

You're a little late with that one.

Cut me some slake - all the good threads get at least a couple of pages before I get to them.

But there's the rub. what is a "smart" movie and what is a "dumb" one?

Yea, superhero, and movies like it, are moronic, but some pull the stupid off well at mocking how idiotic some movies were in scene or in the whole idea. with that view even a "stupid" movie could be argued to be "smart".


edit: have not seen, nor plan to, superhero.A movie doesn't have to be philosophical to be smart. A smart movie is entertaining and it makes sense within the rules of the universe the movie has created. The characters have believable interactions with their environment, and the story moves along instead of dragging for a half hour on an exploding car chase scene. Every scene should add to the plot or character development somehow.

Cut me some slake - all the good threads get at least a couple of pages before I get to them.

*offers slice of slake*

*offers slice of slake*

Har har. :p

for the record: slack

Har har. :p

for the record: slack

But it is delicious slake and you must eat it. :p

Dear, sweet God, is this movie going to suck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_%28film%29).

I hope they come to their senses and never finish it, or if they do finish it, I hope the movie becomes the biggest critical and commercial flop ever.

The power of DB(Z) is that one wants to keep watching the next episode, even though some of the fights took months of real life time with a weekly broadcasting schedule.

I fail to see how they will put that "next time" feeling in a movie, unless they announce a few hundred sequels.

The power of DB(Z) is that one wants to keep watching the next episode, even though some of the fights took months of real life time with a weekly broadcasting schedule.

I fail to see how they will put that "next time" feeling in a movie, unless they announce a few hundred sequels.

Of course there's one thing that will kill any movie, no matter how brilliant the script is, or how good the source material might be:

"Directed by Uwe Boll"

Dear, sweet God, is this movie going to suck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_%28film%29).

I hope they come to their senses and never finish it, or if they do finish it, I hope the movie becomes the biggest critical and commercial flop ever.I don't know. Marsters is playing Piccolo; I may actually go and watch it.

I presume y'all never heard of Snakes On A Plane.

Speaking as a reader of the original manga and a fan of the DBZ anime (GT definitely excluded).

...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

*offers slice of slake*Pfft, slake is an actual word. The least you could have done is made you witticism relevant to one of the meanings of slake.

I bet they get the actual content to gasping in awe/filler ratio all wrong...


This is true. Reference the title change of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. :(

Or anything 4Kids has ever done.

"We take all the words out because kids don't want to read"
"We refer to foods as something that they're clearly not because it's less confusing"
"We show people not bleeding when they're stabbed because it sets a better example"

Well, early reports of this movie's script is as follows:

Que 45 minutes of screaming as each character's power builds. Finally an explosion, lasting the remain 45 minutes, occurs. End of movie.

I can't wait.

It's Dragon Ball, not Dragon Ball Z.

It's hard not to think such when you watch Gatchaman and Battle of the Planets side by side for comparison.

Ah, now that takes me back. I used to run home from elementary school to get to the TV in time to watch Battle of the Planets. When I came across the series at random while surfing cable at a house I was watching for vacationing friends (I don't have cable), I was startled to see how poor the quality of animation and dialogue was. I mean, I know I was only in 2nd and 3rd grade, but wow. And Keyop? Why didn't they just frag that little twerp?

I don't know what the current box office smashes are, but I know that popular American movies can be stupid. I have to wonder what you're comparing them to though. Are French movies better? Bollywood movies? Korean movies?

The bad movies that do well in the box office are just fads anyway. No one watches The Titanic any more, or any of the Home Alone movies. The ones that last more than 20 years tend to be good movies, like the godfather, star wars, jurrasic park, bambi, etc. Sometimes there are bad movies that remain popular forever like it's a wonderful life, but that's the exception.

I'll give you Bambi, even though I don't care for it and I don't see too many kids who've seen the film these days. But Yer-ass-lick Park?!? You're off your nut. That movie is just plain awful. I avoided the sequels like the plague and got so sick of the contrivance with Sam Neill's character not liking kids that I was hoping that Laura Dern would just pimp-slap the jackass. There's enough concept in the film, but no, they had to add some fake kid-phobia to humanize (by de-humanizing?) the protagonist. And the score is just revolting -- I let it go because Williams deserves the slack, but oy veh, it's saccharine.

For a stupid movie to do well in the box office, it has to be too stupid to make anyone think about anything, because thoughts can offend or bore some people, but smart enough to actually make sense. It's easy to follow the plot of Titanic. A lot of westernized foreign movies don't really make sense. Things like DBZ and Akira already have a lot of nonsense their anime forms, so it would be easy for them to mess up the American adaptation by trying to make it relevant to American culture at the expense of a plot anybody cares about.

Case in point, I defy anyone to tell me that the best film made about the Titanic is not A Night to Remember from 1958. It's British, first of all, and it involves NO INVENTED SUB-PLOTS. It lets the story compel itself. And yet, the piece of 1997 crap by James Cameron is what's going to go down in history as the "official film record" of the story. For the same reason, the film United 93 is INFINITELY better than Oliver Stone's World Trade Center. Get out of the story's way, avoid stunt casting and let the audience take the film in, don't shove it down our throats.

A movie doesn't have to be philosophical to be smart. A smart movie is entertaining and it makes sense within the rules of the universe the movie has created. The characters have believable interactions with their environment, and the story moves along instead of dragging for a half hour on an exploding car chase scene. Every scene should add to the plot or character development somehow.

Amen.

Of course I like to be entertained. Hell, I even like to see shit git blowed up real good, too! But if it's just explosions or sepcial effects for their own sake, you've lost the reason for making a film in the first place -- you've got a story to tell.

I think pretentiousness in the service of a "deep" film is just as bad as car chases for the sake of a loud soundtrack. In my opinion, the best films have managed to walk the line between art and entertainment. Thing is, some films are deliberately weighted to either side because the audience is, too. You can't make a film that everyone will like without question. However, I don't think Hollywood should be nearly as reactionary as it is in choosing which films get made based on the already-existing popularity of the source material unless they can pay proper homage to it.

Another case in point: I was fully prepared to loathe the first Brady Bunch film when it came out. But the writers knew that if they played that film straight and made it a faithful period piece, it would be terrible, dated and probably flop. Instead, the writers got tongue-and-cheek about the family and kept them in the 70s while the 90s went on around them. The result was a pleasant surprise. It's not one of my favorite films, but it was a hell of a lot better than it could have been.

I've heard about this for a while, but I never thought the project got underway.

I definitely never saw Chow-Yun Fat getting the role of Master Roshi, that's for sure. Might be worth seeing the film just to watch him try to pull off that character.

"We refer to foods as something that they're clearly not because it's less confusing"I remember in Pokemon they always ate rice balls and called them donuts. That drove me crazy.

I'll give you Bambi, even though I don't care for it and I don't see too many kids who've seen the film these days. But Yer-ass-lick Park?!? You're off your nut. That movie is just plain awful. I avoided the sequels like the plague and got so sick of the contrivance with Sam Neill's character not liking kids that I was hoping that Laura Dern would just pimp-slap the jackass. There's enough concept in the film, but no, they had to add some fake kid-phobia to humanize (by de-humanizing?) the protagonist. And the score is just revolting -- I let it go because Williams deserves the slack, but oy veh, it's saccharine.Well, maybe it's because it's one of the first movies I saw in theaters, but I liked it.

I also dislike how smart lead characters in movies always have to be flawed. You can't show a successful smart man in a movie who doesn't have an obvious personality flaw, or he's considered "inhuman."

The movie was really about the dinosaurs though, not the people. The graphics were way ahead of their time, and the movie still looks better than most modern monster movies.

Amen.

Of course I like to be entertained. Hell, I even like to see shit git blowed up real good, too! But if it's just explosions or sepcial effects for their own sake, you've lost the reason for making a film in the first place -- you've got a story to tell.

I think pretentiousness in the service of a "deep" film is just as bad as car chases for the sake of a loud soundtrack. In my opinion, the best films ahve managed to walk the line between art and entertainment. Thing is, some films are deliberately weighted to either side because the audience is, too. You can't make a film that everyone will like without question. However, I don't think Hollywood should be nearly as reactionary as it is in choosing which films get made based on the already-existing popularity of the source material unless they can pay proper homage to it.I agree completely. The line between art and entertainment is pretty arbitrary anyway.

Yeah, I gave up on Hollywood after Van Helsing.

Yeah, I gave up on Hollywood after Van Helsing.
I actually rather liked that movie...
OK, it was stupid, but it was still a fun watch imo

Well, maybe it's because it's one of the first movies I saw in theaters, but I liked it.

I also dislike how smart lead characters in movies always have to be flawed. You can't show a successful smart man in a movie who doesn't have an obvious personality flaw, or he's considered "inhuman."

The movie was really about the dinosaurs though, not the people. The graphics were way ahead of their time, and the movie still looks better than most modern monster movies.

The book was good, the movie on the other hand...

Heh, at least Chi-Chi's portrayed by a fairly attractive actress, eh?

Heh, at least Chi-Chi's portrayed by a fairly attractive actress, eh?

A former Real World cast member.

I remember in Pokemon they always ate rice balls and called them donuts. That drove me crazy.

Well, maybe it's because it's one of the first movies I saw in theaters, but I liked it.

I also dislike how smart lead characters in movies always have to be flawed. You can't show a successful smart man in a movie who doesn't have an obvious personality flaw, or he's considered "inhuman."

The movie was really about the dinosaurs though, not the people. The graphics were way ahead of their time, and the movie still looks better than most modern monster movies.

I agree completely. The line between art and entertainment is pretty arbitrary anyway.

Agreed -- but it only goes to show another Hollywood trope: spend enough money on effects and you don't have to pay good writers. Witness Transformers, Independence Day, and the like.

Heh, at least Chi-Chi's portrayed by a fairly attractive actress, eh?

Emmy Rossum? Sweet hotness.

Horrible idea. [Akira re-make]
Seconded.

Why remove the story from the place where it has most impact: Japan? It’s about an post-apocalyptic society, for Eris’ sake. Taking it away from the only post-apocalyptic/post-nuclear society on Earth is just fucking stupid. Almost as disenheartening as finding out the Weinsteins are producing a Seven Samurai remake.

Anyone up for remaking Citizen Kane with Shia LaBeouf in the titular role?

*cries*

Agreed -- but it only goes to show another Hollywood trope: spend enough money on effects and you don't have to pay good writers. Witness Transformers, Independence Day, and the like.

I actually kind of liked Transformers. It was a lot better than the old TV show, and a actually kind of a decent movie. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either.

Pfft, slake is an actual word. The least you could have done is made you witticism relevant to one of the meanings of slake.

It's official, everone is against me. :(






:p

Transformers was a good action flick. The plotline wasn't epic, but it wasn't stupid - it did the job.

The plotline wasn’t epic, but it wasn’t stupid.
Um... the Transformers using Ebay?

The film was a sweltering amassment of bovine excrement.