Decline of entertainment?

[MelissaY1]

Honestly, I felt the first Chipmunks movie was pretty good. The second one, I grow increasingly disappointed in myself for watching. I'd hate to say it, but Tim Hill (the one that destroyed MFS) did a better job... and there was no call for the "dutch oven" joke, the endless parade of commercials for "Meerkat Manor," and the above all pointless Nascar Mascot cameo.

But Marmaduke... Garfield, the Chipmunks... people under the age of 30 know of, and they both had successful cartoon series. Ask a kid what big dogs they can think of, they'll say Clifford... Scooby-Doo, maybe if they have the old VHS tapes lying around Beethoven. But NO ONE knows or cares who Marmaduke is.

Yeah it is odd they've picked Marmaduke as the next "thing" to expose to this generation of kids. I guess they figured they milked the Scooby-Doo franchise long enough between the two current films and the many straight to home video titles.

I haven't checked out the Chipmunks movie only because that was another big thing I was into as a kid and saw that CGI and wasn't sure about Jason Lee as Dave. Maybe one day I'll rent it, I don't know....

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah it is odd they've picked Marmaduke as the next "thing" to expose to this generation of kids. I guess they figured they milked the Scooby-Doo franchise long enough between the two current films and the many straight to home video titles.

Scooby-Doo is evergreen. Other than the fact he only survived on DTV movies in the 90's, he's had at least 1 TV show per decade... last decade he had 2. Even in the 80's he had at least 2. He even has a new one set to premiere officially the end of this month and a telefilm that aired months ago.

Marmaduke was the case of taking a generic movie (a talking dog "comedy") and slapping a brand name on it. And frankly, when you're getting a newspaper comic strip character no one has heard or cared about since the 70's, you KNOW they're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

[frogboy4]

They might as well make a Grape Ape movie if they're going for obscure marketable CG talking animal films with catchy advertising gimmicks (a big furry purple ape in absurd settings and placements). That's pretty much a blank slate to exploit in any way a studio would want without upsetting fans. That's my cynical choice for a branded studio picture. I mean, why not go all out like that instead of tarnish something more beloved?

 

[Drtooth]

They might as well make a Grape Ape movie if they're going for obscure marketable CG talking animal films with catchy advertising gimmicks (a big furry purple ape in absurd settings and placements). That's pretty much a blank slate to exploit in any way a studio would want without upsetting fans. That's my cynical choice for a branded studio picture. I mean, why not go all out like that instead of tarnish something more beloved?

Two things... Grape Ape... saw that cartoon, and it pretty much does nothing but restate my thoughts on 1970's cartoons. Yecch!

Talking animal movies will come and go, but 9 times out of 10 they WILL go for a talking dog picture. Grape Ape has a dog in it... but there's never a shortage of dog pee, dog poo, and dog butt sniffing jokes no matter how over used they become.

I still say Underdog should be stricken completely from the record books and someone should pull a Hulk on them and just make another movie the way the creator INTENDED it. A CGI cartoon anthropomorphic dog or something. maybe make the entire thing in CGI. A DTV cartoon... something to restart the franchise for fans.

Though, i fail to see Marmaduke as any beloved franchise. It isn't even all that great a comic anyway. If I'm going with one panel mischievous animal strips, I'm going with Heathcliff. An' he already HAD a movie.

 

[Yorick]

I only saw the 1st Chipmunks movie with Jason Lee - I also loved them as a kid, so I was afraid to try it. I had my expectations SO LOW, that it wound up being less horrible than I thought...but there were still so many things wrong with it. I can't say it was great. I really don't like them "updating" (read: disrespecting/absolutely destroying) childhood favorites. Regardless of my feelings though, (being it's not the end of the world - it's just entertainment) I just wish they'd respect their target audience more, and give them the quality they gave us!

Add the new Smurfs movie to this sad, sad list.

 

[frogboy4]

I'm not sure how to feel about the Smurf movie. I hear it takes place in New York, it's modern day and that Neil Patrick Harris plays Johan, Hank Azaria plays Gargamel, Katy Perry plays Smurfette, Paul Reubens plays Jokey Smurf, Alan Cumming plays Gutsy Smurf and Jonathan Winters plays Papa Smurf. That's some mighty good casting. Who knows how they'll tie it into the Smurf legacy or how the completed Smurfs will look. The CGI can change right up until release and that's a year away. I hope the movie turns out good.

It's the friggin owl movie that makes me cranky any time I see the ads. I really, really thought Happy Feet was a mess of a film that didn't deserve a nomination, much less a win and they had top vocal talent too. It's the motion capture and technique of the penguins and owls that just is off-putting to me. Now, Disney's Tangled...that looks like it *could* be interesting. We'll see. I'm just tired of cynical CG movies, especially the ones with motion capture.

 

[Yorick]

I'm not sure how to feel about the Smurf movie. I hear it takes place in New York, it's modern day and that Neil Patrick Harris plays Johan, Hank Azaria plays Gargamel, Katy Perry plays Smurfette, Paul Reubens plays Jokey Smurf, Alan Cumming plays Gutsy Smurf and Jonathan Winters plays Papa Smurf. That's some mighty good casting. Who knows how they'll tie it into the Smurf legacy or how the completed Smurfs will look. The CGI can change right up until release and that's a year away. I hope the movie turns out good.

(Sorry, I know I'll repeat myself here from another thread on the Smurfs a little while back) I agree it's a great cast for the most part. I can't argue with that - especially Jonathan Winters! However, I think it's a sad state of affairs that all CGI studios insist on using the voices of movie folk who already make money as actors and actresses, and leave voice actors out in the cold. In the case of the Smurfs, I wish that they would have used all original voice actors who are still among the living. From what I read, they didn't even ask. All part of the decline of entertainment (or perhaps "human decency" is more apt.)...

One more thing on the excellent choice to have Jonathan Winters on board - I guess Grandpa Smurf isn't in this, or else they'd have him play him once again, and have someone else be Papa Smurf...

When you said Alan Cumming, I was thinking of Jim Cummings for a moment, who's Tigger's voice, originally done by Paul Winchell, who was originally Gargamel (and will always be for me)...I wonder how close Jim Cummings might have done Gargamel to Paul Winchell, though I know Gargamel's voice is quite different from Tigger's voice...

It's the friggin owl movie that makes me cranky any time I see the ads. I really, really thought Happy Feet was a mess of a film that didn't deserve a nomination, much less a win and they had top vocal talent too.

Though it had a nice moral, I think it was quite slow in parts, so I basically agree...plus the music wasn't usually my thing - but what else is new

 

[frogboy4]

(Sorry, I know I'll repeat myself here from another thread on the Smurfs a little while back) I agree it's a great cast for the most part. I can't argue with that - especially Jonathan Winters! However, I think it's a sad state of affairs that all CGI studios insist on using the voices of movie folk who already make money as actors and actresses, and leave voice actors out in the cold. In the case of the Smurfs, I wish that they would have used all original voice actors who are still among the living. From what I read, they didn't even ask. All part of the decline of entertainment (or perhaps "human decency" is more apt.)...

One more thing on the excellent choice to have Jonathan Winters on board - I guess Grandpa Smurf isn't in this, or else they'd have him play him once again, and have someone else be Papa Smurf...

When you said Alan Cumming, I was thinking of Jim Cummings for a moment, who's Tigger's voice, originally done by Paul Winchell, who was originally Gargamel (and will always be for me)...I wonder how close Jim Cummings might have done Gargamel to Paul Winchell, though I know Gargamel's voice is quite different from Tigger's voice...


Though it had a nice moral, I think it was quite slow in parts, so I basically agree...plus the music wasn't usually my thing - but what else is new

I understand the voice casting for these pictures. It is a specialty art form. Mainly, I like Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria playing iconic live action parts in the Smurf pic.

Happy Feet did have a good moral, but I just found most every minute excruciating to watch. The concept could have been executed so much better, but too many people are still willing not only to overlook, but reward the sloppy and the sub-par in the animation industry. There was nothing award-worthy about that film. A little bit about me – I love movies. I’ll see almost anything and even a mediocre movie is like Christmas to me. It takes a lot for me to dislike any picture the way I felt about Happy Feet. The owl movie just looks like more of the same. Who knows?

I was shocked that How to Train Your Dragon was so good! Toy Story be darned, I’m pulling for Dragon so far for best animated pic. I feel there’s a lot of apathy over TS3 this time out. The brand, the quality and inflated 3D ticket prices insure that it will be a hit, but so many of my fan friends aren’t particularly stoked about it. The name Pixar almost determines a trophy next Oscar season no matter what.

By the way, it’s “Tangled” that I’m excited about. Has anyone seen the new ad? They’re showing more than before, yet it’s still a teaser with stock pop rock Pink music carpeting the clip. I hear the animation isn’t mere CG the way we’re used to seeing it, nor is it toon-shaded. It’s some sort of mixed media technique and I’m kind of digging it.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm not sure how to feel about the Smurf movie. I hear it takes place in New York, it's modern day and that Neil Patrick Harris plays Johan, Hank Azaria plays Gargamel, Katy Perry plays Smurfette, Paul Reubens plays Jokey Smurf, Alan Cumming plays Gutsy Smurf and Jonathan Winters plays Papa Smurf. That's some mighty good casting. Who knows how they'll tie it into the Smurf legacy or how the completed Smurfs will look. The CGI can change right up until release and that's a year away. I hope the movie turns out good.

As I said before, I'm absolutely furious at the direction they took because the Smurfing Chipmunk Movie was a surprise hit. modern day Belgium was bad enough... but Modern day new York? Do these smurfing idiots have any smurfing idea what the smurf the smurf's is smurfin' about? I'm sorry, but if Shrek continues to be a hit and How to train your dragon is a hit, I don't see why the Smurf they have to swap out the fictitious middle age fantasy with "Kids like seeing kids like them... only not fat and lazy" with a jaded and completely hypocritical "Just be yourself and kids will like you" message that no one in the business possibly believes. I don't care how strong the cast is, the movie is INSTANT FAIL with me... and I don't know if I should be angrier at Sony "We can't make a decent CGI movie to save our lives" pictures who absolutely ruined the concept, or Paramount that had an excellent idea for the movie and dropped it randomly for something else.

Really... Fail on all counts. I don't care how star studded the cast is, I was excited for this movie since it was first announced, and now my enthusiasm is completely killed. I don't even want to partake in any of the prehype Smurf marketing.

The point is, I want to see the Smurfs battle Gargamel. Not some loser kid whining about how she's Hollywood gorgeous and can't make any friends because she moved to a new school. That's crap. That's trite. it ONLY worked for the Fat Albert movie since Fat Albert was all about life lessons anyway... and I had a CRAP time moving, I WAS myself and made 0 friends when I was younger. But even without that, I just want to see a Smurfs movie. not some little whiney brat movie with smurfs in it.

Thanks for Nothing Sony! You are the WORST MOVIE STUDIO OF ALL TIME! You're poorly run and you have no Smurfing clue how to do anything. No wonder you screwed this franchise up at a chance to make another Chipmunks movie.

 

[Super Scooter]

I was shocked that How to Train Your Dragon was so good! Toy Story be darned, I’m pulling for Dragon so far for best animated pic. I feel there’s a lot of apathy over TS3 this time out. The brand, the quality and inflated 3D ticket prices insure that it will be a hit, but so many of my fan friends aren’t particularly stoked about it. The name Pixar almost determines a trophy next Oscar season no matter what.

By the way, it’s “Tangled” that I’m excited about. Has anyone seen the new ad? They’re showing more than before, yet it’s still a teaser with stock pop rock Pink music carpeting the clip. I hear the animation isn’t mere CG the way we’re used to seeing it, nor is it toon-shaded. It’s some sort of mixed media technique and I’m kind of digging it.

I loved How to Train Your Dragon. I was expecting so little from it, but it was better than anything Dreamworks Animation has ever produced.

As for Tangled, I'm really looking forward to hearing the songs. It's supposed to have sort of a '60s rock sound. As a fan of Ashman and Menken, I can't wait to hear what Alan Menken does for this one.