I've just watched the computer-animated (CGI) film Over the Hedge.
1: The story and writing is... good. Not awesome, but entertaining and often very funny.
2: The voice acting is fantastic.
3: The action sequences are awesome and funny.
4: The visuals... are out of this world. Or maybe that should be "into this world", for the amazing thing, apart from the sheer amount of detail, is how photographic they are. You might not notice because the story is engrossing, but if you watch it a second time (the commentary track is good), take note of the light. They have very deliberately made the light look like the real world, including making sun-drenched details in the background be almost washed out (as in the picture above), and big blocks of things in the shade, etc. The light coming through semi-translucent objects like the turtle's shell is gorgeous.
The way they use "tele lenses" and "wide angle lenses" (of course it is all data in a computer, but they can program everything to simulate the real world, including camera positions and what lenses to use...) is amazing. The space is so convincing.
Of course this is a comedy aimed at the family market. (Read: basically for children, but we hope the adults will enjoy it too.) But the amazing progress of talent, skill, and technology displayed here make me very optimistic about future CGI films for adults, like SF and fantasy. It is getting very hard to imagine what can't be done any more, given a good budget. (And the budget necessary shrinks every years as hardware and software progresses.)
Actually I think that the main reason almost all the CGI films so far have been family films is that the big problem is making really convincing humans. The humans are getting very good, but they still look a bit like dolls. Not the best thing for a serious film. But it'll get there.
But then they can always mix live-action with CGI. And it is often being done very well. But we need imagination. One thing we almost never see, not even in written science fiction, is weird alien creatures... but intelligent and benevolent, not monsters. One of the few writers who do it is Iain M. Banks. I would love to see one of his books as a big budget SF movie.
15 comments:
I agree with all you say. The Incredibles rocked.
But it is still sort of based on a childrens' market.
... It is a testimony to how powerful the CGI-film production is these days that I had not even *heard* of Happy Feet. I'll rent it.
...the big problem is making really convincing humans
These must have been God's words when he started to build the universe some 14 billion years ago.
Well said, Eolake! Though out of context, it definitely hits the point.
Monsieur Beep / Gen
These must have been God's words when he started to build the universe some 14 billion years ago.
LMAO! Try 6000 years ago :)
That was truly funny. Ah.....humans....smiles.
Thanks, Gen.
(How was it out of context, though?)
Damn, here I thought I'd found a subject people could mix religion into.
eolake said...
Damn, here I thought I'd found a subject people could mix religion into.
:) Think I'll watch this one eolake because of your thumbs up on it.
Thanks
Kristen Lovve
eolake said...
I agree with all you say. The Incredibles rocked.
But it is still sort of based on a childrens' market.
That's okay Mr Stobblehouse, often we all need to escape the drama of real life. This may be a great film. I've heard some good things about it.
... I meant "could not mix religion into", of course. :)
I think you can mix religion in to the course, as long as you do it in moderation.
"The humans are getting very good, but they still look a bit like dolls."
Final Fantasy : The spirits within had very nicely rendered humans (and awesome killer ghosts, too!). The only thing was, they felt a bit "cold", lacking a few details in the emotions department. But it was a pioneering movie in CGI.
Happy Feet is definitely a visual prowess. And I like how they mixed realistic penguin aspect with the look and feel of human clothing.
"Damn, here I thought I'd found a subject people could not mix religion into."
Not with the topic of animation. The cartoon series "Superbook" was about "The" Book, which magically transports children into biblical episodes like a time machine. The Prince of Egypt was a superb movie about the romanticized legend of Moses, classic animation but with modern technology and great results. (Loved that part where living hieroglyphs tell the story!)
Some Disney animators were even hired for a similar Saudi project, to make a feature-long cartoon on the Prophet's life. But they had to redo parts of it. Classic tradition, which was followed, prohibits visual depiction of the Prophet. But this, apparently, applied as well to his direct relatives. So, since one uncle of Muhammad appeared on screen, they reworked all his scenes to make him too in the sole form of an off-screen light and voice. [Chiite tradition differs : they'll represent the Prophet without hesitation.]
But is it religion that gets mixed into animation here, or the other way round? (The chicken or the egg? Why did the egg cross the sea by walking on water, if it had no legs?) ;-)
ttl said...
"I think you can mix religion in to the course, as long as you do it in moderation."
Gasp! DON'T SAY THAT WORD!!! Geez, have you forgotten all the bickering last time Eolake used "moderation" on this blog? Let's stick to computerized cartoons already. (Please? Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top? Yes, and chocolate fudge too if you like! Just give me back my 'toons.)
Moderation is a good thing. If you don't overdo it.
:-D
Good one.
Gasp! DON'T SAY THAT WORD!!! Geez, have you forgotten all the bickering last time Eolake used "moderation" on this blog? Let's stick to computerized cartoons already. (Please? Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top? Yes, and chocolate fudge too if you like!
I agree with my beloved jester Pascal. Let not the "moderation chains" gag our freedom of speech :) We are grateful that Sire Stobblehouse has revoked that awful dragon beast.
Fondly,
King Zod
Alas, good Sire, it takes a beast to frighten off another beast. Namely, the ugly grimacing face of Hate. But I believe the dark epic is finished.
So, time to feast and poetize again among friends and good people. :-)
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