June 25, 2010 : Cars 2 Sounds Even Worse Than Expected
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Pixar (although I haven’t formally declared this on Facebook); and it’s also no secret that I’m not a huge fan of sequels. That is to say, I don’t like sequels when they’re made simply to cash in on a franchise’s popularity. A great story can warrant a sequel; but more often than not, it’s better to leave things alone.
One of the reasons I respect Pixar (more so than say Dreamsworks) is that they tend to believe in the art of animation – rather than the business aspect of it. With Toy Story 3 now out, I’m fairly confident that the story will be decent. But honestly, I’d much rather see original material – especially considering the sequel heavy releases expected to come from Pixar over the next few years.
Speaking of which, the next Pixar movie to be released is Cars 2. Cars was by far my least favorite movie of theirs – and critics seemed to agree. I hated the premise, the story, the execution, the voice acting… everything. So news of a sequel being made felt like a kick square in the nuts. To make matters worse (yes, it gets worse), an interview with John Lasseter gave insight to the idea of making Cars 2:
When I was traveling around the world doing interviews for Cars, I just had the characters on the brain. I kept looking out thinking, ‘What would Mater do in this situation, you know?’
Yes… the thought process of making a sequel to this horribly disappointing movie was Mater – the most annoying character in the original movie (and quite possibly in all of Pixar’s pictures). And as a result, the story will have more Mater in it (ugh). In fact, one of the key story points will be:
Mater gets involved in a “Hitchcockian” case of mistaken identity, saves the life of a British secret agent called Finn McMissile (voiced by Jack Black), and becomes embroiled in a huge spy thriller.
If you’re anything like me, you plan on visiting a doctor over the next few days because you’re worried reading the above passage gave you cancer.
So to summarize: a horrible first movie combined with the death of several original cast members (Paul Newman, George Carlin, and Joe Ranft) doesn’t lead to shelving any sequel plans. Instead, it gives more screen time for an obnoxious character with a bizarrely inane premise and a new character with a British accent (shine your tires, gov-nah?).
I am getting more and more convinced that Cars 2 might be the first Pixar movie I won’t see.
posted by Pi Visuals at 2:45 pm
Tags: Pixar , Sequels0 Comments | Post a comment
February 12, 2009 : Bang!
A few days ago, I received a totally unexpected and awesome gift (thanks Moridin).
For those you unaware, it is Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. Spike is my favorite anime character, and Bebop is my favorite anime.
The figure is really sweet, and it got me thinking about the series. A running debate is whether or not Spike dies at the end of the series (it’s not really a spoiler, but sorry for ruining it for anybody). Theories run abound, but it is never stated explicitly either way. This includes Shinichiro Watanabe, the director.
Personally, I like to think Spike died. This might be the less popular view, but it serves best for the series. I am usually not a big fan of sequels (that will be for a later post); and even though sequels can be a great thing for certain franchises, it does not apply to Cowboy Bebop.
Bebop did a great job ending the series. There wasn’t definite finality with Spike, but there was closure with every character; and that is what makes a great story – whether the medium is anime, movie, or TV show. So while I might be in the minority, I say, “Rest In Peace, Spike Spiegel. You are a true hero. If you are alive… I will still watch you and love it.”
As a side note, I realized I was titling too many posts as questions. I figured the polar opposite would be a pertinent exclamation statement. Take that, expected masses!
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:08 pm
Tags: Anime , Cowboy Bebop , Sequels3 Comments | Post a comment