26 replies to this topic

[kronsteens shin]

So you've been asked by Sam Mendes to source some really scary creatures for Bond to face in Skyfall. Fine, you think, I'll nip down and get a brace of Tarantula's from Dr Shatterhand's Really Dangerous Petshop ™...

But no, spiders don't cut the mustard, alligators are so 1973 and don't even get me started on the cliche that is the Pirahna (many pirahna fish have had to seek work in Hasselhof films just to make ends meat... er meet).

What Mr Mendes wants is a couple of Komodo Dragons. Now my question is CBNers, where did they get their dragons from? There are two currently residing at London Zoo, not far from Pinewood, but would they have moved them? Were these just animatronic? (in which case I have just forgiven the Bond effects team for the waterskiing fiasco in DAD).

Or is the truth stranger - that there may be Komodo Dragons out there who just like to appear in movies? Does Equity cover them? And how painful are their discussions with their agents?

I think we need to know...

Edited by kronsteens shin, 29 October 2012 - 10:07 AM.

[marktmurphy]

They were CGI. I believe the scorpion was too- my friends were more certain of that than I was.

[thecasinoroyale]

The dragons looked very CGI to me- the fact the first one turns its head to look at Bond as he enters the caisno was a cheeky giveaway.

And having them in close quarters to actors / stunt-men would be too dangerous, plus having 2 together would be pretty impressive on a film set.

Buit very well done though, have to say!

[kronsteens shin]

Thanks marktmurphy - a shame really, the thought of trying to get an autograph from one of them was a bit of a thrill....! But good CGI in Bond film - well worth celebrating. Cheers.

[L4YRCAKE]

First off, I haven't seen Skyfall yet, so don't tell me anything I don't want to know if you can help it...

...but I posted this video from the London Zoo months ago, listen to his handler talk about how the komodo was just in a feature film and they were going to combine him with cgi. I think there's a good chance this is our man.

He also appears to really enjoy being petted:

[JCRendle]

I think they may have scanned him into the computer, rather than having him on set. Also saves building them into the computers from scratch.

[Vauxhall]

Yes, I believe aspects were CGI, but the Komodo dragons at London Zoo were filmed in their habitat as templates for the movie, and then dropped into the scene.

[Simon]

They are very slow creatures though and while their bite is laced with acids akin to what normal animals have in their stomachs, they don't so much chase their prey as lie in wait, bite it, which then infuses the prey's bloodstream with an acid, then track the now dying animal until it falls over for the dragon's dinner.

Their stomach acids are even worse. Everything gets digested - bones, the lot.

I have been in the presence of these things while on Kommodo Island in Indonesia, the full length 3m fellas, and they are quite easy to walk away from.

[marktmurphy]

They can get a bit of a gallop on at times, though. A man could outrun them I expect but they're not slow:




They used to think their saliva was full of nasty bacteria which got you, didn't they? They've only fairly recently changed that to being something the komodos themselves produce.


Love their use in Skyfall. Bond's reaction to them is hilarious! And a little Live and Let Die wink in there too

[Shrublands]

Why the large, 'comic' font?

[kronsteens shin]

I'm just a fan of large comics!

(normal font from now on though )

[MkB]

Thing is, Komodo dragons look a bit like CGI even in real life

[kronsteens shin]

Very true - unreal looking creatures at best. Thanks to all of the posters, especially for the Steve Irwin and London Zoo clips - two sides of the same creatures. It looks like London Zoo's 'Rajah' may well have been an (albeit brief) star of Skyfall. Not sure that I'm going to try for an autograph ( a paw print?) anytime soon - rejection might just hurt too much!

[Simon]

They used to think their saliva was full of nasty bacteria which got you, didn't they? They've only fairly recently changed that to being something the komodos themselves produce.

Oh, was it bacteria?

Not that I saw this when on the island, but a TV programme showed a deer (I think) that got nipped and eventually died - must have figured it to be very fast acting bacteria for it to collapse so quickly. But I guess it makes more sense if it is something specific they produce to fell its prey.

[marktmurphy]

They used to think their saliva was full of nasty bacteria which got you, didn't they? They've only fairly recently changed that to being something the komodos themselves produce.

Oh, was it bacteria?

Not that I saw this when on the island, but a V programme showed a deer (I think) that got nipped and eventually died - must have figured it to be very fast acting bacteria for it to collapse so quickly. But I guess it makes more sense if it is something specific they produce to fell its prey.

Yeah; they've always thought that it was something in their saliva, but I think you're right that they've changed that to acid (or was it even venom?) recently whereas before they thought they were just really filthy!

Oh yeah, here we go:
http://www.scientifi...-not-2009-05-18

[FOX MULDER]

I think they were a combination of real dragons and CGI. I thought they looked good. Obviously when Bond stepped on one to escape (a la LALD) it was CGI.

[Platapus94]

They were CGI. I believe the scorpion was too- my friends were more certain of that than I was.

The dragons and scorpion were both CGI, I can spot it a mile off but what about Silva's deformed face? Anyone know how they did that, CGI or otherwise?

[Simon]

However they produced a change in numbers of fingers that Craig licked in Casino Royale's shower scene with Green, so too happened with the teeth extraction scene.

Again referencing my tangential aspect of the Albert Hall screen, I was however close enough to notice all the pixely manipulation when he took his teeth out.

Actually, from a review point of view, Le Chiffre's bloody tear was a constant in the film Casino Royale; I wonder if somehow Silva's jaw problem could have been more of a constant in this film. Teeth out, teeth in and the token gesture of physical deformity was checked.

[L4YRCAKE]

I'm not entirely sure it's fair to ask this at this point, but can we at least give it the college try to watch the spoilers until the 9th, folks? Some of us here are still waiting to see Skyfall (and it isn't for lack of trying...)

[marktmurphy]

I'm not entirely sure it's fair to ask this at this point, but can we at least give it the college try to watch the spoilers until the 9th, folks? Some of us here are still waiting to see Skyfall (and it isn't for lack of trying...)

Sorry, but you really need to stay away from the section marked 'SPOILERS' now the film has been released.

[L4YRCAKE]

I'm not entirely sure it's fair to ask this at this point, but can we at least give it the college try to watch the spoilers until the 9th, folks? Some of us here are still waiting to see Skyfall (and it isn't for lack of trying...)

Sorry, but you really need to stay away from the section marked 'SPOILERS' now the film has been released.

You are totally correct, my bad; I did in fact wander into the spoilers section without realizing.

Months back I started the thread 'Does Bond fight a komodo dragon in Skyfall?' so this naturally caught my eye.

Carry on and I'll see you all back after November 9th.

[bonds_walther]

Now why wasn't the CGI on the bike chase as good as this then? Eh? Eh?

I thought this section was very well done.

[hilly]

I thought this was a great sequence.
And never mind Bond films self-referencing, what about John Logan? He wrote Gladiator, which features a fight in an arena containing a prowling tiger....

[stromberg]

For anyone who wants a paw print:

First off, I haven't seen Skyfall yet, so don't tell me anything I don't want to know if you can help it...

...but I posted this video from the London Zoo months ago, listen to his handler talk about how the komodo was just in a feature film and they were going to combine him with cgi. I think there's a good chance this is our man.

He also appears to really enjoy being petted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qWsASor6o

Yup: http://www.zsl.org/z...ll,1017,NS.html

[L4YRCAKE]

For anyone who wants a paw print:

First off, I haven't seen Skyfall yet, so don't tell me anything I don't want to know if you can help it...

...but I posted this video from the London Zoo months ago, listen to his handler talk about how the komodo was just in a feature film and they were going to combine him with cgi. I think there's a good chance this is our man.

He also appears to really enjoy being petted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qWsASor6o

Yup: http://www.zsl.org/z...ll,1017,NS.html

Ha! Well, finally I was right about something...

[The Shark]

For anyone who wants a paw print:

First off, I haven't seen Skyfall yet, so don't tell me anything I don't want to know if you can help it...

...but I posted this video from the London Zoo months ago, listen to his handler talk about how the komodo was just in a feature film and they were going to combine him with cgi. I think there's a good chance this is our man.

He also appears to really enjoy being petted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qWsASor6o

Yup: http://www.zsl.org/z...ll,1017,NS.html

Interestingly, Raja the Komodo dragon (like Craig's Bond) lost a lover a few years back.

http://news.bbc.co.u...don/3583440.stm

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.3dworldma...-komodo-dragon/