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..Well I feel like I am in a minority on this site, but yes, Masters if done with the right story could be the best movie form ever.Quote:
Originally Posted by ehenyo
I think that Masters of the Universe should be taught in schools as ethics and story structure basics, over and above that Greek and Shakespear fluff they have been re-teaching for so long.
..but not likely what hollywood 'today' will make.:hmshift:
He is creating the 3D version.Quote:
Originally Posted by redsquadron
This is an excellent point. Masters of the Universe was not an artistic vision, it was a toyline, and a commercial product all the way. And this is the great and terrible thing about MOTU. There a lot of canons, especially in the vintage line. In a lot of ways, this made for great play and imagination, as you could adopt whatever theme you wanted, or simply create a new one. You weren't tied to one definitive storyline other than He-Man vs. Skeletor. The most recognizable canon is that of the Filmation series, which is a total cheesefest (I liked the cartoon growing up, but it is rather unrealistic). I think this is why Gary Goddard had a very hard time adapting MOTU to film back in the day. Whatever way they go with this film, many fans (who like one canon or another) will leave unhappy. I can appreciate the 1987 film more now, but back in the day, I was frustrated that Skeletor didn't look exactly like the cartoon/toy, Beast-Man looked like Grizzlor, and Man-At-Arms and Teela looked pretty bland. Then those terrible Skeletor robot guys. Don't get me started on Eternia looking like a desert. :sklol:Quote:
Originally Posted by StrikeoftheBeast
The only type of film I think MOTU could be a success with would be an animated kids adventure (just a long digital cartoon for the new generation), where you can include all the colorful characters like Orko. Of course, I don't think this would go over well with many of us, but I see the most marketability and $$$ there.
A live action film is just going to be ridiculous, because MOTU encompasses way too many canons and themes. It'll either be a mish-meshed story that satisfies no one, or a Hollywood re-imagining that will totally disrespect the great aspects of characters.
I hope I'm wrong! :hmgrin:
MOTU doesn’t really have that many canons, and what canons it does have all pretty much follow the same structure. Yes, because we’re all cynical adults now, we can see MOTU for what it was back in the day. But, I also thought the reason why we all still post on this website is because we can also see that MOTU is more than just a toy line (apparently)? It has a deep mythology and great archetypal characters. It’s prime for a live-action film. That is the reason why Hollywood hasn't left it alone for nigh on a decade.
Why would a live-action film be ridiculous, can I ask? That’s a pretty strong word. Yes, it would be ridiculous if some of the designs were lifted straight out of the cartoon, but let’s face it, that’s not going to happen. We’re not going to have characters running around, three quarters naked. There is nothing ridiculous about the story, characters or world, though. Nothing at all. In fact, the kind of narrative that MOTU has has been proven time and time again to go down quite well with audiences. The actual story a MOTU film would follow would more than likely be pretty simple.
It’s just a bit of a beef of mine. It’s a bit of an Internet cliché that some people who post on boards seem to spend all their time undermining and belittling what they’re supposedly fans of. Yeah, the Filmation series was just a selection of elongated toy commercials, but they were still good little stories packed with imagination and style.
Canons - toyline cardbacks and box-art (environments were unique), first mini-comics, middle mini-comics, later mini-comics, DC Comic series, Marvel Comics series, Filmation, Golden Books, UK Comics, New Adventures/Jetlag (don't tell me He-Man changed that much and grew a ponytail, lol), 1989 He-Man toyline, 200x/MYP, and now MOTUC. All are interwoven, so maybe I'm just getting the term canon mixed up, but anything that doesn't follow the same exact formula and background/history/information to me is a different canon. Like Scarlett in love with Duke in the cartoon, and Snake Eyes in the comic. Two different canons. MOTU has a ton of that, details that are out of continuity with other "official" MOTU media. Was Skeletor part of the Horde? Is the Horde on Etheria or Eternia, or both? It's not clear, and I think that's ok. I like that it's not clear, because it leaves it up to the imagination of each of us. But try to translate all that into a movie, not going to work for most of us. Yes, deep down, the story can be simplistic, He-Man vs. Skeletor, and that's what they'll ultimately have to focus on, but it's the details that will get fans excited or riled up. Now, new fans, it's a different ballgame. A new movie might be good for new fans, but it'll probably be a MOTU we current fans are not familiar with, and will probably not be to our tastes, just like the 1987 film. Again, I hope I'm wrong!Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
Ridiculous - Transformers trying to hide in a surburban backyard. G.I.JOE with the jetpacks down the road. Legolas surfing on an oliphant, and down the steps of the Hornburg. :sklol: That's how I would define it. Obviously, this is fantasy, but you got to be grounded in something realistic to make it believable.
I like the Filmation series, there were some great stories there (I'll never forget when Skeletor turned "good" during that Christmas Special, it was a laughable and touching moment), but overall, for me and my sister, as well as most kids of the 80's, it was simply a template for kids to set up their own stories when playing with the toys. Of anything, I think the Filmation series served as a Sesame Street, a way to entertain while teaching. In the case of the Filmation series, that was teaching children to make the right choices and such. I think that kind of thing could be done today in a kid's MOTU digital animation film, but not an action film.
http://msn.mess.be/data/media/378/frownages.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Eternian-King Paul
You really live in your own little world, don't you?
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Why Peter Jackson thought that would be cool, I'll never know ...Quote:
Originally Posted by The All American
Do you not think the education system is important or undeserving of Masters?
The 130-episode Filmation series isn't truly a series, in the sense of a run of chapters forming a coherent work. It is more of a mosaic of wildly different stories crafted by many different writers of very different stature, each in their own narrative style and tone, most of them with only the basic connection of being based around MotU mythology and having been animated in the same visual style by the same company. The series was broadcast every weekday instead of every weekend, which means episodes were produced in bulk and many mediocre scripts got the greenlight that probably would have been discarded had the run been more limited and selective. All too often for the casual viewer, those questionable filler episodes obscure the shine of the better ones. It wouldn't be difficult to trim it down to a more "normal-sized", say, 26-episode series by culling out the best of crop, and this way, despite the technical limitations of the animation work, one would end up with one very fine animated series that people would not be so quick to mock and deride.Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
I think that the Filmation series can't hold a candle to the classic playwrights on the subject of narrative structure. Replacing the greatest of dramaturges by a cartoon for children would be undermining the quality of the education system instead of improving it, in my honest opinion. I can see the morals be used on occasion in an ethics class, as a way of kicking off a discussion or illustrating a problem, but not as a stand-alone teaching instrument.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eternian-King Paul
I am always thrilled when I hear there might be a MOTU movie. But after reading this interview, it makes me quite nervous. Especially this:
We have all spent the last 30 years with an idea of what MOTU is. If you have a script going in completely the opposite direction, it's no longer MOTU. It reminds me of the recent Conan movie. While a passable sword/sorcery movie, it was not a Conan movie at all. When I look at it like that, I can enjoy the movie.Quote:
Where you think MOTU goes left, the script goes right and it was just very clear to me this was something very special.
I grew up being a fan of the original minicomic stories...prior to Prince Adam. They tended to be darker with darker humor. You didn't need the comic relief of Orko, Cringer and Prince Adam. If the new MOTU movie has any of these three characters, I fear it is going to be like Jar-Jar Binks all over again.
Being a child of the early 80's, I was a fan of MOTU, GI Joe and Transformers. The only saving grace for Transformers was Peter Cullen returning as Optimus Prime. That is what touched that nerve that brought it all back for me and many of us older fans. GI Joe unfortunately didn't have that and I believe that is why it has floundered. (Snake Eyes with lips...dear god!) I think the biggest thing that can bring us all into the moment when we all sit in the theaters to watch this is to start off with the Filmation opening...just the first three seconds of this No matter how the movie turns out, I believe these 3 seconds will take us all back to sitting in front of the tv as kids and not knowing what we were going to see, but still being excited for it!
Anyways, just my two-cents.
They are not concerned with who grew up with this stuff, at all.
They usualy make a 'trailer' that 'works' and 'hire' people to fill in the rest.
Michael Bay's comentary on Transformers seemed to amount to how many times the trailer was downloaded on youtube, instead of where on earth he or anyone came up with that crap.
..and GI Joe was one of the only movies in 10yrs that I asked the people I was with, if we could leave before it gets worst.
I think you're wrong....I think he's trying to make a good movie. One that people would actually watch and something that will lead to a franchise and a lot of money.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eternian-King Paul
He's won't be happy until his storyboards are used. Luckily there's more chance of the world ending this December.Quote:
Originally Posted by He-Dad
LOL!!!! I will say it for him. "Whats wrong w/ the Story Boards?". No hard feelings Paul, just having a little fun.Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
Really? a bit dramatic aren't we? I mean in 1988, when they announced Tim Burton's batman, all the general public could think of was Adam West's Batman, then they hire Michael Keaton, the comic community cried foul and KNEW it was going to be campy, because it's starring MR. Mom. but what happened? it was overall regarded as fantastic and it solidified the Dark Knight in the mainstream, to the point that the general public scoffed at Joel Schumacher's camping up the series. Why is it impossible to do for He-Man? sure he's remembered mostly for filmation. Why are people so afraid of them trying something new? you guys are happy witht he brand remaining stagnant and getting no exposure.Quote:
Originally Posted by StrikeoftheBeast
Sure the risk exists that they will get it wrong, but there is the chance they will get it right too.
And sure the origins of the property wasn't a grand artistic vision, but it was fleshed out by some people who genuinely loved it and poured a lot of artistic vision into it. you can feel it at times throughout the brand. unlike the Transformers origin that was frankenstein a toyline from other toylines.
I read them....fan fiction should never be used. Leave movies to the professionals :hmgrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
Just not my cup of tea. More Heavy Metal meets Dawson's Creek then MOTU to me. The highschool stuff and bad 80's soundtrack were a bit off putting to me and the whole thing seemed a little ADD. It's fine as a very very rough draft but needs major rewrites. Hopefully the movie they are ACTUALLY making is a lot more faithful to the mythos, way more cohesive and polished, and is something that would actually revitalize the franchise and make butt loads of money for years to come! I have a feeling that's what Mr. Chu is aiming for as well! I really think he can do it if he doesn't think too outside the box. We've seen some amazing barbarian/fantasy/alien world movies in the past few years and with how demanding MOTU fans are they need to up the bar and keep the trend going.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick.Jeep
Haha!! I wanted to say post of the year but if we do all die on Dec 21st than it will only be post of most of the year. You still get credit! I read King Pauls post and I just keep on moving. He is a great source of entertainment though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
Agreed. I was trying to come up with a worthy reply to StrikeoftheBeast's highly melancholic post, but you've done it better. A lot of people on this site are better off forgetting about Filmation for this film, because it’s likely going to be something very different. As long as the spirit and heart of MOTU is very much there, I can't really ask for anything else. I just want a fun sci-fi and fantasy film that adheres to the spirit of and respects MOTU, but at the same time isn’t afraid to do its own thing. This new film is more than likely going to also act as a re-launch for the entire MOTU brand. I could be wrong, but I think that's ultimately what Mattel are going for. It’s not really for the old fans, but rather a new generation. A lot of people on this site, I believe, would actually rather a time machine and travel back to 1985 than for MOTU to actually be given a new lease of life. MOTU isn’t the Bible. If the film is rubbish, then so be it, but I would rather have a new film to be given the chance to see whether its rubbish or not, than for MOTU to just be nothing more than what it is now.Quote:
Originally Posted by krosfyah
Exactly. and whatever the origins of MOTU are, why does that stop them from having a grand artistic vision now? A lot of us fans have that kind of vision with MOTU, and yes hollywood can and does make a lot of fluff, but they can also make great movies too. Even if those movies are just vehicles to sell other product, some of them are still great and I will GLADLY buy the product of a great product. no need to fear consumerist agendas, just hope that the final products are up to your standards, and if they aren't, there is always next time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
Sure MOTU isn't a huge brand at the moment for mattel, but it was and it's spawned their most successful online only brand that's lasted nearly 5 years. Mattel knows MOTU is a gold mine, if they fail they will try again, SOMEwhere down the line. Knowing mattel though it will be a long way down that line. But also that is why this movie and so forth IS important, Mattel needs to grab a new audience so that when they try again they have kids that grew up with these characters arguing online about how it should be brought back again. :)
another tweet from jon chu :hmlol:
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http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A6vwxKXCcAAzSMP.jpg:large
I have high hopes for Jon Chu and his imagination.