The Polar Express

Started by MacGuffin, June 02, 2004, 10:28:33 AM

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modage

nobody see this till after thanksgiving.  that is all.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Jeremy Blackman

MINOR SPOILERS

Quote from: Ghostboythe Christmas Spirit message is very heavy handed.
I completely agree. Tom Hanks was obnoxious, the music was obnoxious, the action/suspense cliches were obnoxious, but in the end, the Christmas Spirit Message is what really made me turn against this movie.

Quote from: Ghostboythe North Pole looks like some sort of corporate nightmare universe...it's strikingly off-putting.
I know... that was really creepy. Especially the rainbow-colored polution pouring out of smokestacks. And I was imagining the elves slaving away sweat-shop style. I also thought it was creepy when Santa dramatically whipped the raindeer.

And as a witness of the Northern Lights, let me put this myth to rest... they are not multi-colored.

modage

how did you expect to feel the christmas spirit in mid-november?
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Just Withnail

Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanAnd as a witness of the Northern Lights, let me put this myth to rest... they are not multi-colored.

Haha. Sorry man, but for someone who sees it pretty much every day this time of year, that's a funny quote.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: themodernage02how did you expect to feel the christmas spirit in mid-november?
Maybe the question is... how did this movie expect me to?

But really, what is this elusive "Christmas spirit" and why are we slaves to this season of prescribed emotions? Is it family and togetherness? Generosity and being thankful? Color and celebration? Why must these sentiments be etched into a calendar?

Maybe I have a problem with movies in general that try to capitalize on the "Christmas spirit." It's a ready-made atmosphere just sitting there prepared to be exploited by lazy movies (I guess they needed it though, because Tom Hanks is like the enemy of atmosphere in this movie). People say that Christmas and Santa and everything provoke the imagination and inspire people, but Christmas is the enemy of imagination. If the annual sameness of Christmas celebrations doesn't prove it, the yearly sludge of Christmas movies surely does. For God's sake, if Chris Columbus does it, nobody else should.

And that's really what this movie was, the tireless exploitation of two big boring cliches. The Christmas spirit and suspenseful train action.

OH MY GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE

And another thing... I'm sick of hearing that LOTR pioneered this technology. It was Final Fantasy.

Ghostboy

ACTUALLY, just to indulge my CG-dork side, it was around way before either of those, stretching all the way back to the Young Sherlock Holmes days (I won't get completely anal and reference the rotoscoping done for the early Disney pics like Snow White).

But LOTR pushed the boundaries of what it could do far more than Final Fantasy, which, if I remember correctly, didn't attempt to map facial expressions.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: GhostboyFinal Fantasy, which, if I remember correctly, didn't attempt to map facial expressions.
Are you sure? I thought it did.  :(

Anyway, the beginning of this movie with the kid's eyes really reminded me of Final Fantasy.

edit: I think you're right...

    The most difficult part of animating the face is of course, moving the lips so that they synchronise with the dialogue spoken by the voice talents.

    To do this, the animators watch video of the actors reading their dialogue and then move the lips of the digital character to match.

    However, this doesn't always work well.

    "A lot of times the director wants the digital character to have a different facial expression when delivering a piece of dialogue than the way that the voice talent originally acted out that piece of dialogue. For example, in one scene, Ming-Na delivers her dialogue in a very serious manner and director Hironobu Sakaguchi wanted Aki to deliver the lines with a sarcastic expression on her face. In this case, Ming-Na's video reference becomes useless and I end up having to look at my own face in the mirror as a reference!" said Sato.
    [/list:u]

    Thrindle

    I'm backing this up a bit... a little off topic
    Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanMaybe I have a problem with movies in general that try to capitalize on the "Christmas spirit." It's a ready-made atmosphere just sitting there prepared to be exploited by lazy movies (I guess they needed it though, because Tom Hanks is like the enemy of atmosphere in this movie). People say that Christmas and Santa and everything provoke the imagination and inspire people, but Christmas is the enemy of imagination. If the annual sameness of Christmas celebrations doesn't prove it, the yearly sludge of Christmas movies surely does. For God's sake, if Chris Columbus does it, nobody else should.
    Curiosity, what makes Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" so different?  (one of my all time favorite gooey, lovey, awesome movies).


    Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanOH MY GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE
    Yeah, but will my 3 year old niece enjoy the movie nonetheless?
    Classic.

    Jeremy Blackman

    Quote from: ThrindleCuriosity, what makes Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" so different?
    The difference is that I haven't seen that movie. So there you go.

    Quote from: ThrindleYeah, but will my 3 year old niece enjoy the movie nonetheless?
    If she enjoys violence and Christmas, then yes, definitely yes.

    cine

    Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanIf she enjoys violence and Christmas, then yes, definitely yes.
    Sweet, I'm so there.

    Myxo

    Let's see here.

    Which genius decided to release this movie while "The Incredibles" is out? I mean, if you spend $270 million dollars on a film, including marketing, why pick such an aweful time?

    Ravi

    Quote from: MyxomatosisLet's see here.

    Which genius decided to release this movie while "The Incredibles" is out? I mean, if you spend $270 million dollars on a film, including marketing, why pick such an aweful time?

    Should they have waited until March?

    modage

    Quote from: MyxomatosisWhich genius decided to release this movie while "The Incredibles" is out? I mean, if you spend $270 million dollars on a film, including marketing, why pick such an aweful time?
    here's my guess.  and its a couple reasons...

    number one: the past several years, the christmas films released early in november have gone onto make tons of money.  santa clause 2, nov 1st, elf nov 7th, the grinch nov 17th.  all massive hits.  this prompts studios to believe that A. people dont mind having christmas shoved down their throats as early as nov and B. releasing these so far in advance of christmas gives the opportunity for lots of repeat business.  there are only so many xmas movies every year, so when parents are out shopping and maybe need to drop off the kids or something, they can go see polar express again!  

    number two: the studio got freaked out about the technology being used.  the fact that the characters might come off as lifeless and the fact theyre spending a shitload of money to make and market this film.  and its not a sure thing like the incredibles, because it is a gooeyer more old fashioned (i'm assuming), not hip and whatever type of movie.  whether theres even a big enough audience that wants to see this type of movie is questionable?  so they're really counting on that repeat business and giving people as much time as possible before christmas to get around to seeing it.  

    however, it is my belief that christmas should not and cannot be endlessly stretched forward until it touches halloween.  a few years ago, when disney was releasing santa clause 2 (which was a massive, MASSIVE shit pile) on NOVEMBER FUCKING 1st, they decided to celebrate HALLOWEEN by running christmas specials all day/night. i love christmas, okay, i love it.  but nobody fucks with my halloween.  and that is downright horrible.  christmas can be a wonderful time if people werent so antsy to get started with it in october.
    Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

    grand theft sparrow

    Quote from: themodernage02nobody see this till after thanksgiving.  that is all.

    Are you on HSX too, mod?

    Jeremy Blackman

    Quote from: themodernage02christmas can be a wonderful time if people werent so antsy to get started with it in october.
    But Christmas is an industry... it makes sense to milk it. I think "people" would be fine with 12 days of Christmas.