Ridley Scott's Prometheus

[Thanas]

Troy, on its own, is an excellent movie, especially the Director's cut. I cannot fault it really if it is viewed without taking the background into consideration.

[Sarevok]

Troy, on its own, is an excellent movie, especially the Director's cut. I cannot fault it really if it is viewed without taking the background into consideration.

Ah.

I never saw the directors cut. So it really improves on the theatrical version as immensely as Kingdom of Heavens directors cut did ?

[Thanas]

Not as immensely, but still a lot. A lot of actions are much better explained.

[TOSDOC]

If you think that Troy was in any way faithful to how ancient people felt about their times, then sorry, you are mistaken.

I'm not attempting to suggest such, I'm only approaching the film as a 21st century person trying to identify with an ancient such as Achilles, trying to find a common ageless human condition, such as the finiteness of human life and how to immortalize oneself in history if this is all there is.

Troy was not Ridley Scott.

It most certainly was not. I got caught up in the Prometheus thread and my mind slipped. My bad.

How does that work if you have gods directly fighting on the front lines?

Through differences in their portrayal. I thought Liam Neeson as Zeus was both overdressed and over the top, but ineffectual, and I can't picture a movie of the Illiad with Greek gods wearing golden plate armor so bright the camera was fuzzy around the edges, wailing away at myrmidons in another dumb action flick. I pictured the gods on the front line in the Illiad more in the vein of Gandalf saving Faramir from the Nazgul in Jackson's Return of the King, seemingly mortal alongside the other actors but with a divine edge against the opposition.

Are you saying dropping the mythological elements was acceptable because it made Troy more historically accurate ? Troy, of all movies historically accurate ?

Nice try, but I never said "historically accurate". I found it was just a different way to tell the story, and that can be refreshing sometimes until someone finally realizes that the original work is just as interesting and would sell tickets as well as Brad Pitt in a loincloth (or naked ass) no matter the script.

I'll have to get a hold of the Director's Cut now too.

[Thanas]

If you think that Troy was in any way faithful to how ancient people felt about their times, then sorry, you are mistaken.

I'm not attempting to suggest such, I'm only approaching the film as a 21st century person trying to identify with an ancient such as Achilles, trying to find a common ageless human condition, such as the finiteness of human life and how to immortalize oneself in history if this is all there is.

...and you think a movie made from the same perspective is going to help you in that?

Through differences in their portrayal. I thought Liam Neeson as Zeus was both overdressed and over the top, but ineffectual, and I can't picture a movie of the Illiad with Greek gods wearing golden plate armor so bright the camera was fuzzy around the edges, wailing away at myrmidons in another dumb action flick. I pictured the gods on the front line in the Illiad more in the vein of Gandalf saving Faramir from the Nazgul in Jackson's Return of the King, seemingly mortal alongside the other actors but with a divine edge against the opposition.

Tough luck though that this is not the same as in the Illiad. Look, I am not trying to be overly aggressive here, I really am not, but if you think it can be done the same way as LotR does, then you should really, really look at the source material.

[TOSDOC]

...and you think a movie made from the same perspective is going to help you in that?

Nope, but unfortunately we can't have Achilles appear here in LA alive and well, hand him a cup of coffee and a movie chair, and list him in the movie credits as Visual and Creative Consultant.

I'm not sure it's possible to identify with a real person from so long ago. A movie IS more entertaining and engaging if you find something in it you can identify with.

Tough luck though that this is not the same as in the Illiad. Look, I am not trying to be overly aggressive here, I really am not, but if you think it can be done the same way as LotR does, then you should really, really look at the source material.

Agreed, I think the last time I read it was as a sophomore. I'll take another look. Thanas, maybe this is what I'm getting at: how would you picture the greek gods of the Iliad if you were given worthy actors, a bluescreen, and a shitload of money? Is what comes to mind Olivier in a toga with a laser lightshow behind him, Neeson with gold platemail and a fuzzy lens, or (fill in the blank). When Apollo is dishing out the plague, would you rather see him literally sitting on a rock with his bow and arrows, or just greek soldiers suddenly dropping as if struck by an invisible hammer?

[Thanas]

...and you think a movie made from the same perspective is going to help you in that?

Nope, but unfortunately we can't have Achilles appear here in LA alive and well, hand him a cup of coffee and a movie chair, and list him in the movie credits as Visual and Creative Consultant.

I'm not sure it's possible to identify with a real person from so long ago. A movie IS more entertaining and engaging if you find something in it you can identify with.

Yeah, but they will never get him right without a lot of work, which sadly Troy did not do. Instead, they tried to reform Achilles into something likable.

Agreed, I think the last time I read it was as a sophomore. I'll take another look. Thanas, maybe this is what I'm getting at: how would you picture the greek gods of the Iliad if you were given worthy actors, a bluescreen, and a shitload of money? Is what comes to mind Olivier in a toga with a laser lightshow behind him, Neeson with gold platemail and a fuzzy lens, or (fill in the blank). When Apollo is dishing out the plague, would you rather see him literally sitting on a rock with his bow and arrows, or just greek soldiers suddenly dropping as if struck by an invisible hammer?

I would do a sort of have two perspectives - the greek gods perspective who definitely should look better than what that abomination of a show (Xena) did to them. I have no trouble showing Olympus according to the greek iconography of that time. And I also have no problem if Apollo is shooting arrows, if Aphrodite is literally carrying Aeneas from the field, if you have things like Ares getting wounded on the battlefield in the text, then you have to show the gods. There is just no other way.

And besides, if we focus on the whole epos with its sidestories, how else are you going to explain how the walls of Troy were built, the contest of the goddesses etc.

[NecronLord]

This comes as a relief. Ridley Scott's daft ideas about the aliens being a Space Jockey biological weapon (not substantiated by the ideas of the original film's writers) will not be making it into this movie. Therefore I might watch it. Especially if it has Gieger still.

[Sarevok]

This comes as a relief. Ridley Scott's daft ideas about the aliens being a Space Jockey biological weapon (not substantiated by the ideas of the original film's writers) will not be making it into this movie. Therefore I might watch it. Especially if it has Gieger still.

That is a relief indeed. Xenomorphs as a biological weapon of war is extremely illogical. They are very terrible in that role.

On the other hand xenomorphs still don't make any sense as a naturally evolved life. I prefer the idea the xenomorphs were created by Predators as a challenging prey to hunt.

[Galvatron]

I'd prefer that they cease polluting the Alien franchise with anything related to the Predators.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I'd prefer that they cease polluting the Alien franchise with anything related to the Predators.

Yeah. The Alien vs. Predator sidetrack was typical versus fan fiction material, not something suitable for a professionally made film. If we must have that kind of versus stuff, then at least give as Predator vs. Terminator