whoot Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I think the defining moment which impacted Pixar the most was the passing of Joe Ranft That definitely made a big impact as he was their best story person then, and having him around would have helped during a transition period for sure... But it sounds like Pixar also list quite a bit of homegrown talent in recent years, which cannot be replaced by bringing in new talent from elsewhere. Doing that changes the culture for sure... E.g. Keeping Doug Sweetland could have helped keep their humor strong, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayumanggi Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I guess this is kind of a drawback to the "blurb" system; people just read it and assume that it's the critic's complete opinion and that there is no unseen context that would make it more understandable. It's not supposed to be an abstract summary, just a piece of text provocative enough that it makes people want to click through and read the full review. What for? Website traffic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Well, yeah. That's why people want to have their reviews on RT. By just reading their blurbs you're not getting a complete picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayumanggi Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 That's so desperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Hey, it works. You wouldn't have known who "Schmoes" were if you didn't see their review on RT. But if you really want to understand their perspective, you'd have to actually read their review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayumanggi Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I have read all so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iEye Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 That definitely made a big impact as he was their best story person then, and having him around would have helped during a transition period for sure... But it sounds like Pixar also list quite a bit of homegrown talent in recent years, which cannot be replaced by bringing in new talent from elsewhere. Doing that changes the culture for sure... E.g. Keeping Doug Sweetland could have helped keep their humor strong, etc I really don't know much about Doug Sweetland and whether he has the qualities to nurture and/or motivate new talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Chris Stuckmann's review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoot Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I really don't know much about Doug Sweetland and whether he has the qualities to nurture and/or motivate new talent. I am just guessing here, but just basing it on him already getting to direct a short (their funniest one in terms of character acting IMO, which I would assume could help some of these scenes that we see in the trailers that seem like they're forcing the humor). And I just stopped guessing at Sweetland, but we can go further with guys like Romano, Blaas, and Brenda Chapman (who you know is leaving after brave is released)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sims Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I'm still holding out hope this can sneak above Cars' 74%. That would give me some more confidence for Pixar's future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I was actually hoping for the opposite of this to happen, but the more I think about the second and third acts, the less I like them. Perhaps I should explain (because we don't have a review thread yet): So, a giant crux of the movie, if you haven't already guessed it (I won't spoil it!), is being kept secret by the marketing campaign. I can understand why they did this, and I sort of admire them for not spoiling it, because just announcing what it is would reveal how the rest of the movie plays out. But I'm looking forward to when others see this movie, because I want to know if my opinions on this... um... character development... are all that sound. It definitely serves its point by the end of the film; as I described, Brave knows what it wants to set out and accomplish. But doesn't know how to fully pull it off, and I'm weary of some of the choices made late in the movie. And I'm only disappointed- even despite the Pixar connection- because I know what this movie could have been. The first act flows marvelously, displaying Pixar's trademark balance of humor and heart. There's even scenes (not just moments) in the second half of the movie that drive home what this movie is supposed to be about, and are really funny and entertaining to boot. What makes the strange story choices later in the movie so strange is that they become inherently difficult to relate the plot elements to the ultimate themes of the film. I know you guys won't like the sound of this analogy, but Super 8 becomes a comparison here. That film's strength lied in the kids and their movie and the Elie Fanning love subplot. The alien and alien plot didn't belong in the movie at all, but it unfortunately dominated the second half of the movie. Now, Brave isn't as bad, but not only was the second half of Brave not what I was expecting, it wasn't really what I was hoping for, either. Also, in case anyone was wondering, that Japanese trailer (which I loved) sort of completely lied. They literally change pieces of dialogue in the translation. Even the title of the movie in Japan- Merida and the Frightening Forrest- is kind of a lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Also, be very weary of RT reviews. Indiewire's review spoils the crux in question in the second paragraph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) This may end up being the film a lot of fans were hoping would be their first misstep: An ambitious original film that falters in its execution Edited June 18, 2012 by tribefan695 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lab276 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Interesting. I loved Super 8, so that may not be a problem for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Drew McWeeny's review http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/review-brave-takes-pixar-in-some-new-directions-by-embracing-some-old-forms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 This may end up being the film a lot of fans were hoping would be their first misstep: An ambitious original film that falters in its execution Yeah, I would take a misstep like this anyday over a movie designed to sell merchandise or the most unnecessary prequel ever. I just don't want all three of those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackO Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) I liked Super 8 but what I don't like is that every review is mentioning this twist. That is seriously bad for W.O.M. if the movie betrays people's expectations of what currently is on screen. I am very nervous about this. Especially, the way the summer has been going. Brave could die a quick death if indeed, that twist, is not well liked by the GA. Edited June 18, 2012 by JackO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lab276 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I liked Super 8 but what I don't like is that every review is mentioning this twist. That is seriously bad for W.O.M. if the movie betrays people's expectations of what currently is on screen. I am very nervous about this. Especially, the way the summer has been going. Brave could die a quick death if indeed, that twist, is not well liked by the GA. Super 8 had pretty good legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackO Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Super 8 had pretty good legs. True but this summer is much more feast or famine. Only movie with legs this summer not called Avengers is arguably Moonrise Kingdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 People knew there was an alien in Super 8. They didn't explicitly show it, but of course it was implied. People don't know what Brave is about to offer them. Which may or may not be a bad thing. Yes, many who get something big in a movie that wasn't implied in its advertisements do not respond well to them. But this isn't a very destructive twist or anything. I really don't know how people wil react to it. They play the twist mostly for laughs, at least off the bat, which personally annoyed me but the crowd I saw it with certainly didn't mind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
