2519 replies to this topic

[Harmsway]

This chap has taken it upon himself to modify the visuals of KINGDOM to remove it of the pearl-o-vision look entirely and bring it in line with the others in the franchise. Some nice results:

KOTCS Visuals Corrected

[Mister E]

This chap has taken it upon himself to modify the visuals of KINGDOM to remove it of the pearl-o-vision look entirely and bring it in line with the others in the franchise. Some nice results:

KOTCS Visuals Corrected

Huge props to this fellow. The film looks alot more natural, it doesn't have that washed out, artifical look.

[DamnCoffee]

OMG.



How revolting.

[Mister E]

OMG.



How revolting.

You lost me Mharkin. You mean the look of the scene or what's going on ?

[DamnCoffee]

Both.

[Safari Suit]

There's something a bit Lawnmower Man about that image. Possibly even Lawnmower Man 2.

[Mister E]

Both.

Ah okay.

So did anyone see the comparison video ? Again, frickin' awesome.

[DamnCoffee]

Oh, I haven't seen the video.

Care to supply a link?

[Mister E]

Oh, I haven't seen the video.

Care to supply a link?

It's right at the end of the comparison photos.

[marktmurphy]

Actually, I believe that a lot of stuff that people take to be CGI in the film really isn't. Have a watch of the documentaries; they even did the sword-fighting on the back of the cars for real.

And no, Raiders wasn't filmed in Egypt.

[Mister E]

Actually, I believe that a lot of stuff that people take to be CGI in the film really isn't. Have a watch of the documentaries; they even did the sword-fighting on the back of the cars for real.

And no, Raiders wasn't filmed in Egypt.

That is true. What causes the confusion is the washed out, unnatural digital look the film.

[Loomis]

I watched 'Crystal Skull' last night; wished I hadn't bought the two-disc edition. Somehow the movie went from being an "A-" the one time I saw it in the theater back in May to a "D+" last night. It went from being better than 'Temple of Doom' but not as good as 'Ark' or 'Last Crusade', to being the worst of the entire lot.


SPOILERS BELOW

Where to begin? I have no great problem with the idea of having Indy get caught up in a plot involving Russians and/or space aliens, but the scheme of the main baddie, Irina Spalko, to somehow harness the power of the aliens and be able to read minds and render the U.S. weak and powerless just doesn't cut it. It lacks a sense of urgency for the viewer.

The film reminds me of the Brosnan Bond films: short on travelogue and an excess of visual effects gimmicks. Somehow the jungle chase between the duck, the woodcutter, and the transport vehicles looked REEEEEEEEEALLY fake on dvd; it's now obvious that about half that footage was shot entirely on green screen and the ground actually digitally inserted; I'm not even talking about the scene where Spalko tries to push them over a cliff. I'm just talking about your average, run-of-the-mill driving through the jungle. There were a couple of frames where its absolutely clear that no tires actually touched dirt. Despite Spielberg and Lucas' assertions otherwise, the film is indeed overloaded with CGI effects.

The best action sequence in the movie, the only action sequence that had a shot at saving this movie, was the jungle transport chase, and it falls short in many areas. Whatever momentum the scene gets is lost by some obvious fakery. In fact, looking back on the film you realize how little of it appears to have been shot on location. Remember when Lost Ark was shot in Egypt? Or how 'Doom' was shot in Sri Lanka (subbing for India)? Or how 'Crusade' actually went to Venice, Utah, and Jordan for many of their action sequences? I can't find you one action sequence in this film that looks like it was filmed on location. In fact, I don't think the cast and crew even went to Peru. They did some work in Hawaii, and then it appears all the other set work was done in the studio and in the computer.

I didn't think much of Karen Allen's return one way or the other the first time I saw it, but now upon second viewing it's sad to see how little she has to do. And the chemistry is just not there. A reunion with Allen would've been great....20 years ago...25 years ago...but now it seems like a thread was sewn up that was never really left dangling. To me, the train already left this station on this relationship a long time ago, and it's painful to watch Ford and Allen try and make chemistry where none is present in the script. Neither performance is bad, but there's just nothing for her to do. She's immediately irrelevant in the script and never manages to be important for the rest of the film.

Too much talking and not enough action. I counted from the half hour mark to the 1 hour and 10 minute mark no action whatsoever. In fact, I think Ford and LaBeouf were in that Peruvian cave for a good 20 minutes of screen time, with Indiana going over every bit of the Crystal Skull legend, leaving no detail undiscussed.

When you look at the stunts from the previous three films, there wasn't a whole lot that stood out as completely impossible. But in this film, all semblance of logic is thrown to the wind. Indiana escapes a nuclear blast by hiding inside a refrigerator, which I can believe, but then the fridge gets blown miles away and hundreds of feet up into the air and back down onto the ground and Henry suffers not so much as a scratch or a contusion. Later the five of them go over not one, not two, but THREE waterfalls that would've killed or drowned Michael Phelps.

You know, I am just so ing tired of ing CGI explosions that I could slit someones wrists. The entire last 10 minutes of the movie is nothing but one cgi implosion/explosion after another. You don't believe for one second that the cast has dodged even the flimsiest of cardboard or Styrofoam boulders or bricks.

There is no real action sequence involving Jones fighting a guy underneath a real airplane as gasoline leaks from a nearby tanker. There is no real boat chase through the canals of Venice, no real tank chase through the Jordanian desert, no mine car chase through the underground tunnels of India. Everything about this film looks fake.

And while I initially didn't greet the movie with the skepticism some in the fan community did, I now start to see their point, and I look forward to viewing the South Park episode from last week that shows Lucas and Spielberg hunting Indiana Jones down and raping him, because that's about how I feel about Spielberg and Lucas right now. Lucas sold his soul long ago, and now Spielberg has sold his. This film, while mildly interesting, was nowhere near good enough to justify the 19 year wait. We ALL KNOW whose fault that was. But the sheer fact that Lucas and Spielberg are talking about yet another Ford-starring Indy film tells me they've learned nothing from their mistakes. I think these two guys have seriously lost their storytelling ways.

I will no longer put up with this crap from these two. I only watched the SW prequels because they had Star Wars in the title, but I have refused to watch the new animated Clone Wars tv series. And I will refuse to watch anymore Indiana Jones movies. I'm just so over these two guys. I'm finished with all of their product. I expected this sort of anti-consumer attitude from Lucas, but Spielberg used to actually be a director of note and vision. Now he's a whore who apparently can't stand up to George and tell him his instincts suck.

Totally agreed with all of that.

[marktmurphy]

Well I don't disagree that Skull should have had more location filming, but it wasn't just a back lot. I don't think your facts are straight enough.

And no, the aeroplane in Raiders wasn't real either. And the Temple mine cart chase wasn't too real-looking from where I'm sitting.

[Mister E]

And no, the aeroplane in Raiders wasn't real either. And the Temple mine cart chase wasn't too real-looking from where I'm sitting.

I honestly don't care how "real" it looks, it's how fun it looks. CGI can't do that in live action or animation. Give me models, stunt men, and well designed stages. CGI can't beat any of that.

[marktmurphy]

Why were you complaining about how fake it looks, then? The mine car chase looks fake but you were holding it up as superior to the 'fake looking' action bits of Skull. Make your mind up.
How can a special effect or stunt look specifically 'fun', pray? What does that actually mean?

And there's plenty of models, stunt men and stages in Skull. Watch it again, have a proper think about what you're trying to say, and come back again later.

[Mister E]

Why were you complaining about how fake it looks, then? The mine car chase looks fake but you were holding it up as superior to the 'fake looking' action bits of Skull. Make your mind up.
How can a special effect or stunt look specifically 'fun', pray? What does that actually mean?

I wasn't really complaining about how "fake" it looks. Movies aren't about making things look "realistic". If I want things to look "realistic", I'll go outside. CGI and digital effects takes the humanity out of film making. Models, stunt men, animatronics, have that organic element that is nessecary.

And there's plenty of models, stunt men and stages in Skull. Watch it again, have a proper think about what you're trying to say, and come back again later.

I saw stunt men and stages of course but not many models. Also what did not help was the crappy cinematography which did alot to hurt the film.

[Shot Your Bolt]

There an actual sense of danger when its real stunts. Real people jumping out of real cars, real cars flying into real helicopters, real Bond skiing off a cliff and opening his Union Jack parachute. James Bond stuntman falls from a cliff with his bungee cord? Awesome. CGI Halle Berry falls from a cliff? The complete opposite of awesome.

Also, I agree with the guy who had a complete 180 on Kingdom's qulity. I kinda hate it now >_>

Watched the opening of Temple of Doom earlier. I know this is gonna be controversial, but Temple of Doom opening > Any of the 21 Bond openings. Spielberg at his finest and most magical, really.

[Mister E]

Watched the opening of Temple of Doom earlier. I know this is gonna be controversial, but Temple of Doom opening > Any of the 21 Bond openings. Spielberg at his finest and most magical, really.

But Bond films weren't paying homage to old Zegfeild musicals from the 30's. You really can't make the comparison.

[Shot Your Bolt]

Watched the opening of Temple of Doom earlier. I know this is gonna be controversial, but Temple of Doom opening > Any of the 21 Bond openings. Spielberg at his finest and most magical, really.

But Bond films weren't paying homage to old Zegfeild musicals from the 30's. You really can't make the comparison.

I mean after the musical intro, with Harrison Ford walking in like Sean Connery in Goldfinger.

[Mister E]

I mean after the musical intro, with Harrison Ford walking in like Sean Connery in Goldfinger.

Well you aren't being very specific. Do you mean just his walking in or the whole thing with the diamond ?

[Harmsway]

Actually, I believe that a lot of stuff that people take to be CGI in the film really isn't. Have a watch of the documentaries; they even did the sword-fighting on the back of the cars for real.

Quite so.

A lot of the criticisms about "not enough location shooting" and "too many CGI stunts" are unfounded. Looking at the docs on the DVD demonstrates that a lot of the stuff that I took to be CGI was in fact very real. Kaminski's cinematography just makes some stuff look like CGI, even though it isn't.

And while I'll agree that the action is much loonier than it was in the earlier installments, let's face it... TEMPLE OF DOOM had its share of "impossible" moments, including that life raft moment and then the mine cart leap from one track to another, and even LAST CRUSADE had that plane-through-the-tunnel scene.

[Shot Your Bolt]

What I mean is I love the whole scene.

Indiana Jones, the cocky sardonic adventure from Raiders, comes in, discusses the deal, and deflects Lao Che's tricks like Ford was doing a screen test for the next Bond film.

Lao Che's calm and collected voice gives him a sense of intelligence and menace, and even when Indiana Jones appears to have the upper hand, he holds strong to his plan. In the span of three minutes he states his wants, uses his abilities to get the things he desires, and even when Indy escapes, its in a plane that Lao Che himself owns. He could have easily carried this movie himself; to have him as simply the opening villain is fantastic.

Short Round is the best sidekick ever. He's cute, he's funny, and in a way he's like the little kid in the audience staring in amazement at what was going on.

Willie Scott is dim-witted, yes, but its a brillant move by the series creators. While Marion was smart, a drinker, and a kick woman all-around, Willie is dumb, superficial, and is way more comfortable with tons of make-up on and men clamoring for her at night clubs. To see her taken out of her environment and be thrown into one of Indy's crazy adventures was a genius move IMO.

Spielberg and co. create this an array of action-packed thrills like a set of domino being knocked over; calculated controlled chaos. Its inventive and fun, but it never feels like overkill or an assault on the senses. And when you think its over(when Indy and co get on the plane), its not as they dive out of an airplane in an inflatable raft and ride out on the rapids.

John Williams is incredible. 'Nuff said.

I think I can just keep ranting about why I love Temple of Doom, but I think you get the idea

[Harmsway]

I'll watch the extras on the second disc and see what they say about location filming, but at this point I'm not apt to believe much of what Lucas or Spielberg have to say anymore.

You don't have to take Spielberg/Lucas' word for it. You'll see the footage of them filming most of it for real.

This wasn't a story that needed 19 years to develop.

Sure. The large reason it took that long is that for a while, they didn't take the idea of INDY IV seriously, and it took Spielberg and Ford a number of years to accept an alien-centric storyline.

[Mister E]

Willie Scott is dim-witted, yes, but its a brillant move by the series creators. While Marion was smart, a drinker, and a kick woman all-around, Willie is dumb, superficial, and is way more comfortable with tons of make-up on and men clamoring for her at night clubs. To see her taken out of her environment and be thrown into one of Indy's crazy adventures was a genius move IMO.

I thought she was pretty annoying and I wish Indy just left in her in the plane to die. Temple of Doom stops working for me when they enter the palace, it's better then LAST CRUSADE but not by too much.

[Shot Your Bolt]

No, its that George Lucas had this idea of what Indy IV just HAD to be. There are pictures of the nuked fridge and the rocket sled dating back to 1993. He had all these ty ingredients and then handed it to a some chefs(writers) and said "Here, cook something great". Then he gets upset at guys like Frank Darobount when it tastes like crap. No Lucas, you give us this strict skeleton of what the film has to be. is is , even when Spielberg is directing it.

[Mister E]

No, its that George Lucas had this idea of what Indy IV just HAD to be. There are pictures of the nuked fridge and the rocket sled dating back to 1993. He had all these ty ingredients and then handed it to a some chefs(writers) and said "Here, cook something great". Then he gets upset at guys like Frank Darobount when it tastes like crap. No Lucas, you give us this strict skeleton of what the film has to be. is is , even when Spielberg is directing it.

Calm down buddy !

[Shot Your Bolt]

Willie Scott is dim-witted, yes, but its a brillant move by the series creators. While Marion was smart, a drinker, and a kick woman all-around, Willie is dumb, superficial, and is way more comfortable with tons of make-up on and men clamoring for her at night clubs. To see her taken out of her environment and be thrown into one of Indy's crazy adventures was a genius move IMO.

I thought she was pretty annoying and I wish Indy just left in her in the plane to die. Temple of Doom stops working for me when they enter the palace, it's better then LAST CRUSADE but not by too much.

Really? When they get to the palace is when its starting getting great IMO.

Also, The Last Crusade is my second favorite movie EVER. Just had to throw that out there.

[Mister E]

Really? When they get to the palace is when its starting getting great IMO.

I actually like the atmosphere more then the actual content.

Also, The Last Crusade is my second favorite movie EVER. Just had to throw that out there.

I used to like it alot but now I find it pretty much crap. Everyone is made into a bufoon at one point or another, even Indy. It's Raiders but it sucks.

[Harmsway]

No, its that George Lucas had this idea of what Indy IV just HAD to be. There are pictures of the nuked fridge and the rocket sled dating back to 1993.

Good thing, too. The Doomtown scene and rocket sled are great ideas (at any rate, the "nuked the fridge" scene was actually Spielberg's, and he's been looking to get it into a film since it was dropped from BACK TO THE FUTURE).

[Shot Your Bolt]

I used to like it alot but now I find it pretty much crap. Everyone is made into a buffoon at one point or another, even Indy. It's Raiders but it sucks.

sad face