45 replies to this topic

[MustrumRidcully]

GumbyC2C, on 30 June 2013 - 07:01 AM, said:

For a Battletech movie, how are you going to get non BT fans to understand the politics, technology, and history of where the story is set? A big budget Hollywood production has to have mass appeal. I just don't see BT having that.

I don't think it's necessary to show all of this complexity to get a good movie that can appeal to masses as well as fans.

You can limit the conflict to two parties, maybe a third that turns out be manipulating events between the two parties, and only provide a token mention by name. Stuff like that can also be {Noble MechWarrior} easter eggs (Did you see that destroyed Battlemech in that scene - it clearly had Liao-colors - the scene on the unnamed planet probably was on hastenichtgesehen, a planet that used to have a Liao presence before Steiner took it in the 2nd succession war! Oh, and did you see the kill markings on the protagonists mech? One of them was clearly a Mauler...).

[Elyam]

Never, never - never worry about catering the 'the general audience'. A true rendition of the primary BT novels in a high-quality production would be epically successful. Condensed screenplays for the Warrior trilogy have always stood as the best chance for a film blockbuster. While many players prefer the approach taken in the Grey Death series, Warrior would ultimately carry better due to its massive scope and alternating points of view between the subplots. There is absolutely no doubt to that. Grey Death would do better as a prequel that becomes much more personal once jaws have been dropped and interest maximized with Warrior. Show them the big scope, then pull back after for the close-ups of GDL and the Dragoons. Then leap ahead to Lethal heritage for another blockbuster trilogy covering the whole scope of the Clan return; followed by the close-up into Pryde's life and view on the other side.

But never ever worry about the masses when it comes to consideration of the scope being too complex. Done well, it isn't. Marketing can help greatly with it. Reminders throughout each movie can keep perspective anchored.

And to risk a conceit - give me resources equal to those used for Pacific Rim and the licenses to BT and I'll change motion picture history

[xengk]

I still think BT would better suited as a TV series on the same level as Babylon 5.
Each season will cover 1 or 2 decade, with the destruction on Clan Smoke Jaguar as final season.

Quote

More in line like Babylon 5, with each season focusing on events in a decade(instead of a year).
I think start of the 31st Century will be ideal.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Timeline

We got easily identifiable good guy(Hanse Davion), bad guy(Maximilian Liao), Big Bad Corporation(ComStar Jolly Rogers), a civil war for the audience.
Season 1 end with Hanse Davion become first prince of FedSun.

About 4 or 5 season later, we get Clan invasion.

[MavRCK]

Word on street after preview audiences saw this movie is that Pacific Rim is awesome. If I was IGP - PGI, I'd try to capitalize on PR's release and hopeful success.

[Stijnovic]

I think a strange futuristic setting with complex politics of Battletech can appeal to the masses (think for instance about Star Wars). If anything, I think it strengthens the movie!

And already we have some succesful large productions featering "mechs": District 9, The Matrix, Alien, Avatar.

So yes, let someone make a big budget high quality Battletech movie!

[Maximilian]

the best mech in a movie i;ve seen was in Alien...

[Elyam]

I agree on the B5 TV approach as well, but as supplemental to the movie blockbuster approach.

[xengk]

Elyam, on 03 July 2013 - 10:07 AM, said:

I agree on the B5 TV approach as well, but as supplemental to the movie blockbuster approach.

B5 TV also release major event as feature length movie too.
BT TV probably can do the same thing, but I have no idea what would be a good event to feature.

On the theater release movie, Im thinking maybe a 3 or 4 part movie on Wolf's Dragoon saga.
Work well to introduce viewer to each of the Successor States and major characters.
Cast dragoons as hardlucked good guys and then pull a M. Shyamalan Night in the last movie revealing them as Clanners. I can imagine the rage on movie forum now...

[Tibs]

Steelgrave, on 29 June 2013 - 03:14 PM, said:

Witness the horror of the late 80's.

im going see pacific rim. Abd i remember wacthing that moive i am old )

[dal10]

i liked pacific rim, and robot jox for that matter.

[Dexter Herbivore]

Elyam, on 01 July 2013 - 02:22 PM, said:

And to risk a conceit - give me resources equal to those used for Pacific Rim and the licenses to BT and I'll change motion picture history

Most expensive failure from a first time director in movie history?

[Dominatrix420]

Saw it Friday night, just go. It rocks. The battles are EPIC! Much better movie than I anticipated.

Robot Jox was horrid. This is something altogether different. It does not compare to Transformers. The Mecha don't Transform and they are piloted, plus we don't have to put up with swinging robot balls, and idiotic racist robots,or childish humor.The Jeagers and Kaiju are filmed brilliantly, and there is a sense of size, scale, and weight to them.

Just go see it. It will entertain you.

[dal10]

i just hate how the fancy new model has missiles, while the less fancy old model has a fancy plasma cannon. which apparently uses clips.

[Ramien]

Saw it Thursday. Enjoyed it immensely. It did a good job of balancing colossal breaches of the laws of physics and biology with sheer awesomeness and some actual character development.

[dal10]

Ramien, on 13 July 2013 - 07:16 PM, said:

Saw it Thursday. Enjoyed it immensely. It did a good job of balancing colossal breaches of the laws of physics and biology with sheer awesomeness and some actual character development.

the biggest law of physics breaker i saw was the fact the metal didn't buckle when punching things.

[Thundercles]

My only real issues with the movie...

Spoiler

1.) The "why didn't you use the sword earlier in the fight" question
2.) Lack of combined sword+rocket punch. C'mon, how could one NOT do that if one had the ability?

[Loc Nar]

One word: Epic.

[BlackWidow]

Elyam, on 28 June 2013 - 10:48 AM, said:

Nonononono. Pacific Rim is a non-starter, a complete pile of idiocy, throwing away a chance to make a great mecha movie with such a budget. No support. A Battletech movie stands a far greater chance of occurring if we make sure to never give dung like this the time of day.

Troll much?

[BlackWidow]

GREATEST. MOVIE. EVER.

For me personally. Now, if I was general audience or a professional critic writing for general consumption, B+, A- at best. Only because of thin character expose.

But that is not what this movie is about. I've been waiting for this movie for almost 40 years. Since the first time I saw Battle of the Planets (GATCHEMAN)

It had so many nods to Anime and Robot movies of the past, GLadOS from Portal is in there. The music during Charlie Day's excursion in downtown Hong Kong sounds like it was pulled straight out of Big Trouble in Little China.

The first 10 minutes of the movie..when Gypsy Danger crew is getting suited up and the robot is being brought to life, I actually wept like a teenage girl at a Beatles concert. It was such a wonderful emotional experience for me to finally see all my past anime/movie loves culminate in that scene, I was literally overcome with joy.

Sad. Yes. Awesome...you bet.

Edited by BlackWidow, 15 July 2013 - 11:47 AM.

[Ramien]

dal10, on 13 July 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

the biggest law of physics breaker i saw was the fact the metal didn't buckle when punching things.

Meh, the metal could have been skeletally reinforced to be able to throw a punch and not buckle (it's what they were designed for, after all). The shear forces from getting punched across a city, or that poor ship that got used as a sword, on the other hand, or the general ignoring of the square/cube law...

All sacrificed in the name of utter awesome.