Did you see the Watchmen and Terminator trailers? – Trailers!

[Jonathan Capps]

Watchmen!
I think it looks great for now, and I’m willing to let the bombast of this trailer go as I know it’s needed. The only thing that I’m a bit cross about is that it seems Manhattan is completely CG. Surely with physical make up like Thing and Hellboy kicking around, just making a man blue shouldn’t be so hard?

The trailer almost seems like a checklist designed to reassure fans that they’re fitting in pretty much everything from the book. I’m really interested to see if any details of [main antagonist here]’s plan are changed. I hope not, because having a more conventional threat would really take away from the horrific weirdness of what happens in the book. Also, to keep it how it is, there’s a great deal of back story that needs communication about The Island, which I can’t see there being much time for. We’ll see, anyway!

Terminator!
Never had high hopes for this (McG is so completely rubbish and I didn’t get on with SCC) but this looks entertaining enough. The crushed skull motif and the way the music kicks in is enough for me to see this trailer as a success. If nothing else, Christian Bale will make things better, but I do worry how they’re going to capture that old mystery and thrill from the original films when it’s all set in the FUTURE and this great, mysterious, unseen war is suddenly… well, being seen.

Topic

[ChrisM]

Watchmen-

It’s been a while since I read the GN. I’m not sure I like it as much as Moore’s other works, but I might pick it up again, have another read. That trailer looks very good though. (Not sure about the girl crashing through the wall concerning the nature of the characters, but I might have seen that wrong.)

As for CGI, I agree that if you can do a decent job with prosthetics then that’s best. However with Manhattan, I think CGI is probably the way to go. If I remember correctly he is made entirely of energy isn’t he? Still, I guess there is no reason they can’t have a physical man in a suit when he is solid like. (I wrote ‘hard’ but realize that could be misread…) but what with the glow and computer effects require for that anyway, I can understand why they’d just do him entirely CG.

Terminator-

Very much looking forward to this film. I wasn’t over taken by that trailer, although it certainly isn’t bad. One thing I thought interesting though:

SPOILERS for trailer and current films ahead:

“This isn’t the future my mother warned be about.”

I was wondering if it would be like a prequel to the other films, or the result of the changes to the time-line instigated by the films, primarily the sequels.

Anyway the quote above seems to answer that question.

I’m not sure about the blurb I’ve read concerning the T600 though. (They’re 8 feet with mini-guns apparently.) Seems an interesting design, but it seems to contradict the whole infiltration nature of the machines as described by Reese in The Terminator. Again, I guess that could just be put down to changes in the timeline since that film.

[Jonathan Capps]

You know, Chris, you make a good argument for CG Manhattan. Maybe if he wasn’t so *obviously* I’d be less annoyed, but then by all account these arn’t the final effects (certain things like Jon’s disintegration and subsequent reforming will be much more graphic as the film is going to be R-rated) so I’ll reserve judgement.

As for T4, interestingly AICN is reporting that the T-800 has been recast! Nice idea, I think, but it’s only going to further my view that these Salvation films are completely separate from the rest, continuity wise. I’ll enjoy them, but like SCC, I’m not having them even slightly sully the first two films.

[Pete Part Three]

And the award for the most unwelcome sequel goes to…Terminator 4!

Actually, Terminator Salvation has the unique trait of being both a sequel and a prequel. Perhaps Christian Bale saw something in the script that will redeem this, but with McG being the camera, I don’t have my hopes high. And the teaser isn’t changing that.

[Dave]

>Actually, Terminator Salvation has the unique trait of being both a sequel and a prequel

I suppose you could argue that the last three 70’s Planet of the Apes films fulfilled both functions

[Zombie Jim Undead]

I actually really like the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Better than Terminator 3 (which I also thought was OK).

As for the T-600s being 8 foot and not being suitably stealthy…never though Arnie was a particularly inconspicuous infiltration device!

[Dave]

>Actually, Terminator Salvation has the unique trait of being both a sequel and a prequel

Not to harp on about it too much, but Leonard Nimoy’s involvement in the new Star Trek presumably makes it both as well

[Pete Part Three]

OK SHUT UP

[pfm]

Of course, T4 has the continuing problem of how John Connor can still exist how he is after all the fucking up of the timeline that has happened. If the date of the war changed due to the events of T2 how could Kyle Reese go back in time to save and impregnate Sarah? If you don’t think about it too much it won’t really matter, I suppose.

I really like how they’ve cast a new guy as the Arnold T-800 model. If he has shades on he could pass for Arnold anyway. The guy’s Austrian even! Maybe they could use Arnold’s voice?

[Zombie Jim Undead]

Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey…

[ChrisM]

As for the T-600s being 8 foot and not being suitably stealthy?never though Arnie was a particularly inconspicuous infiltration device!

8 foot is a big difference though, but you do make a good point. Much as I liked him in the role, I think it would be interesting to sidestep into the parallel universe where Lance Henricksen got the role.

Of course, T4 has the continuing problem of how John Connor can still exist how he is after all the fucking up of the timeline that has happened. If the date of the war changed due to the events of T2 how could Kyle Reese go back in time to save and impregnate Sarah?

I don’t think time-travel in the Terminator films works on that principles. I.e. future events can change the past, and the timeline can change preventing those future events…. but that wouldn’t cancel out the past. I.e. it’s not the same rules as the Back to the Future films.

Ok, thats confusing, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

As for the T800 being recast, I’ve read that the T800s won’t appear in T4, that the recast was just speculation (although I’ve read those comments too, so I know where you’re coming from.) No doubt they’ll appear in the later films though. I’ve got no problem with other actors playing the T800, in fact I’d like to see them. I figured there would be other models anyway, that only the 101s look like Arnold. (Otherwise he’d be an even more rubbish infiltrator.)

I liked the Sarah Connor Chronicles too. Plot holes aside, it was an interesting take on the idea. I wish there wasn’t such a disparity in the way Cameron acts in the pilot compared to the rest, although it’s been explained by ‘programming reaction to different circumstances’, but it doesn’t quit mesh. Summmer Glau doesn’t do a bad robot though.

[pfm]

> I think it would be interesting to sidestep into the parallel universe where Lance Henricksen got the role.

They basically did that in the end though with the T-1000 in T2. With Robert Patrick.

> Summmer Glau doesn?t do a bad robot though.

I would do the bad robot with her… I mean, I think I literally would do anything for this girl. I’d even start using deodorant.

[Zombie Jim Undead]

> I wish there wasn?t such a disparity in the way Cameron acts in the pilot compared to the rest, although it?s been explained by ?programming reaction to different circumstances?

That pissed me off too…but yeah, I suppose you could assume that her initial ability to blend in was part of a programme which was abandoned immediately when the shit hits the fan.

Suppose her going back to high school with John wasn’t part of the plan…so further “blending in” programming wasn’t created.

[Author]

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