The BFG FILM Discussion

[mrbellamy 6,270]

The uncanny valley's still there, but it seems to be fading little by little as technology progresses. This is not anything close to as bad as Beowulf was.

 

 

Poster:

[Jay 37,249]

I wonder if that will be the poster used for the OST cover

[Romão 2,274]

I'm loving Rylance's voice and pronunciation

[Datameister 2,034]

1 hour ago, Romão said:

I'm loving Rylance's voice and pronunciation

 

Yeah the performance is spot-on, as is the overall look. Still, I'm thinking this film would have worked better as all CG, a la Tintin, rather than incorporating live action elements. Despite the valiant efforts of countless artists and innovators, truly photorealistic mocap humanoids remain just out of reach for the most part. So close, yet still sooooo far. The brain can adapt to and accept the slightly less-than-real look, but not when there are constant reminders of what real organisms actually look like onscreen.

 

Again, though, loving the performance for the titular role.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I don't know what to think. The effects as ET said are a catastrophe. 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

They should have made it completely animated like Tintin.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Seriously? So little faith in this?

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

The trailers don't inspire much faith.  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I wouldn't know, don't watch trailers of films I know i am gonna see

[JoeinAR 1,949]

On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9:40 AM, Matt C said:

Variety calls The BFG an "instant family classic".

 

http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-bfg-review-steven-spielberg-1201774476/

Variety used their b reviewer. 

6 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

I wouldn't know, don't watch trailers of films I know i am gonna see

You watched the Star Wars TFA trailers because we discussed them.

[Bespin 8,472]

The BFG (Le BGG Le Bon Gros Géant)

 

I just read a first Québécois review. It say this movie is really for a young audience and will not have the same intergenerational impact that E.T. got.

 

"Can we create the magic twice in 34 years of distance? Steven Spielberg seemed to believe it."

 

Ouch.

 

The French critics didn't seems to enjoy it either. "Very clumsy" esteem Le Monde, with a "weakling scenario" for Le Point and with a "dramatic stakes so thick as a crêpe paper" for Metronews. For Télérama, Spielberg hesitates simply between "supernatural and preciousness".

 

Of course, not a word about the music.

[mrbellamy 6,270]

7 minutes ago, Bespin said:

I just read a first Québécois review. It say this movie is really for a young audience and will not have the same intergenerational impact that E.T. got.

 

Yes that seems to be very much the consensus, even by people who loved it.

 

I will go because I always enjoy Spielberg's approach even though it's been awhile since he was truly firing on all cylinders as a storyteller. His visual fluidity is still pretty much unrivaled and you're always guaranteed to get one of the best scores of the year and some incredibly well-designed shots and sequences. Worth the price of admission and a couple hours.

[Tom 4,631]

I said this in the other BFG thread and I will repeat it here: "critics" who are in any way dismissive of a kid's movie for the reason it is not as good as ET are borderline insane or at least culpably inconsistent.  Do they say the same of every other non-Spielberg movie, including Pixar and other?  Of course not, even though those movies also have failed to have the impact ET did. 

 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It has that same shitty digital backlot look that has plagued a lot of recent Disney films. Other examples being Tim Burton's POS Alice in Wonderland movie and Sam Raimi's POS Oz movie.

[Will 2,215]

 

 

First TV spot. Like the trailers, there is NOT any Williams music. This spot's not nearly as good as the trailers because it has a cheesy voice-over.

[nightscape94 965]

At this point I want to hear the OST without hearing another note of the score in commercials.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

The film is going to have uncanny valley.

 

If it was all CGI, i think it wouldnt. Tintin has some great shots of quasi-real people.The giant has a very photoreal face and eyes, but the mix with real people, you have something to compare to, so you can see the difference.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

How presumptious!

 

 

Did people have uncanny valley issues with Gollum?

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Gollum is uncanny valley 100% in LOTR. He does not even resemble the hobbit he should be... And facial motion capture was not so advanced. He does not interact with the enviroment, etc, etc. Very early 2000s overall.

 

 

[Wojo 2,453]

But is Gollum described by Tolkien as a hobbit or more of a slimy scrawny fish creature to be pitied? I don't recall learning he had ever been a hobbit until deep into one of the TLOTR books when Gandalf recants his life story to somebody. A few hundred years of Ring magic is supposed to do terrible things. 

 

If PJ was half the director as George Lucas, he'd update his TLOTR movies with updated special effects and more stuff going on in each frame and better Gollum and more humor yes lots more humor and farting and dewbacks.  

[Quintus 5,399]

On 17/05/2016 at 5:27 AM, Nick Tatopoulos's Beret said:

It has that same shitty digital backlot look that has plagued a lot of recent Disney films. Other examples being Tim Burton's POS Alice in Wonderland movie and Sam Raimi's POS Oz movie.

 

And The Hobbit. I fucking despise this look, it is the creeping rot of modern blockbuster cinema. 

 

9 hours ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Gollum is uncanny valley 100% in LOTR. He does not even resemble the hobbit he should be... And facial motion capture was not so advanced. He does not interact with the enviroment, etc, etc. Very early 2000s overall.

 

 

 

Really? A decade later I still consider Gollum to be the greatest CG character achievement in film. By far. Serkis' creation is iconic. How many other CG leads can you you say that about?

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Jar Jar?

[Quintus 5,399]

Case rested. 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Jar Jar has become iconic in his own way.

[Incanus 5,713]

1 minute ago, Not Mr. Big said:

Jar Jar has become iconic in his own way.

Immortalized by hatred and disdain. How wonderful!

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Just now, Incanus said:

Immortalized by hatred and disdain. How wonderful!

It could be argued that Jar Jar is more iconic than Gollum.  What other characters (in recent movies at least) have triggered such a strong negative reaction?

[Incanus 5,713]

Just now, Not Mr. Big said:

It could be argued that Jar Jar is more iconic than Gollum.  What other characters (in recent movies at least) have triggered such a strong negative reaction?

A true testament to the wild imagination of George Lucas.

[Wojo 2,453]

1 hour ago, Incanus said:

Immortalized by hatred and disdain. How wonderful!

 

Hatred and disdain. Hmm. 

 

After sixteen years or so, Jar Jar had his own baseball jersey day. Say the same for Gollum. 

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/02/29/165758954/altoona-curve-to-wear-jar-jar-binks-jerseys

 

[Incanus 5,713]

33 minutes ago, Woji said:

 

Hatred and disdain. Hmm. 

 

After sixteen years or so, Jar Jar had his own baseball jersey day. Say the same for Gollum. 

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/02/29/165758954/altoona-curve-to-wear-jar-jar-binks-jerseys

 

That is sad. I am so sorry.

[Quintus 5,399]

An ironic icon, like Kim Kardashian and yes, George Lucas. 

[Romão 2,274]

6 hours ago, Lonnegan said:

 

And The Hobbit. I fucking despise this look, it is the creeping rot of modern blockbuster cinema. 

 

 

Really? A decade later I still consider Gollum to be the greatest CG character achievement in film. By far. Serkis' creation is iconic. How many other CG leads can you you say that about?

 

Davy Jones. I'd say that up to this point, he was the only character that had me fooled. While watching the movie, I thought only the tentacles were CGI

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Far less interesting character then Gollum though. That's the point. I totally bought him as a dramatic character, from a real acting performance. Not just a CGI creation.

[Romão 2,274]

I merely talking about the CGI here. But Gollum, as good as he is, is starting to show its age a bit. He did look his best in the first Hobbit, I thought

[Quintus 5,399]

28 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Far less interesting character then Gollum though. 

 

The depiction isn't exactly 'iconic', either. Very realistic effects work, but do people really remember remember him? 

 

26 minutes ago, Romão said:

I merely talking about the CGI here. But Gollum, as good as he is, is starting to show its age a bit. 

 

I haven't seen The Lord of the Rings for at least five years, but that does sound reasonable. 

[Tom 4,631]

17 hours ago, Luke Skywalker said:

The film is going to have uncanny valley.

 

If it was all CGI, i think it wouldnt. Tintin has some great shots of quasi-real people.The giant has a very photoreal face and eyes, but the mix with real people, you have something to compare to, so you can see the difference.

my guess is that no more than 2% of the intended audience of this movie will think this is a problem. 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I wish I had even a smidgen of excitement for this movie but I do not. Spielberg has not interested me lately. Bridge of Spies was 2 hours of boredom and revisionist history. 

[Quintus 5,399]

I agree, BFG ain't on my radar. Bridge of Spies though I will definitely see. 

[publicist 4,643]

I was actually suprised by the mild Cannes reception. It probably is more enjoyable than i right now think it is/could be.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm guessing Lee will end up taking his kids to see it, since it appears to be a children's film.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I will use you as a guide to my decision to see this or not.

[Tom 4,631]

17 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

I'm guessing Lee will end up taking his kids to see it, since it appears to be a children's film.

Why the word "appears?"  The movie is unequivocally a children's film.  The book is a children's book and the movie is pitched to the same audience. 

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yet people will bash it because of "uncanny valley". Even though that's not something that's ever an issue with children.

[Quintus 5,399]

I wonder if BFG will be as faithful to the Dahl style as The Witches was. Again another originally lukewarm reception for what went on to become a very effective and underrated scary movie for kids. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

They made some changes to the story and characters, but yeah, they got the tone just right!

[Quintus 5,399]

It had an almost Pythonesque touch of Brit idiosyncrasy, that one. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It was on TV here about a year or two ago. Its still very potent.

 

The Happy Ending is against Dahl's sensibilities, but otherwise its outstanding 

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

10 hours ago, Lonnegan said:

 

And The Hobbit. I fucking despise this look, it is the creeping rot of modern blockbuster cinema. 

 

 

Really? A decade later I still consider Gollum to be the greatest CG character achievement in film. By far. Serkis' creation is iconic. How many other CG leads can you you say that about?

Great performance, yes. but the CGI has aged alot to be called the greatest CG achievement.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

In the context of the era it was made from it was absolutely groundbreaking.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Perhaps, but so was Toy Story and it's visuals look very primitive now.

 

[Quintus 5,399]

22 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Great performance, yes. but the CGI has aged alot to be called the greatest CG achievement.

 

 

 

Up until 2003 I certainly considered it to be the benchmark, absolutely. King Kong was just as impressive if not as memorable, later on. His CG star quickly faded. CG Gollum on the other hand has secured his place in the annals of cinema history in the same way Harry Potter, Gandalf and Chewbacca have. People generally don't make the CG versus human distinction when thinking about those iconic characters. That's the achievement right there. Did Davy Jones manage that? Not by a long shot.