How do I say no to a Vikings and Aliens vs. Monsters movie (scratch that - *the* Vikings and Aliens vs. monsters movie), especially when it features Ron Perlman, John Hurt, and Jim Caviezel? And what's this? The monster lives under a lake? And it's - wait for it - it's a mom? And the alien Outlander (Jim Caviezel) has to ... hey, wait a minute, I read this book in the seventh grade!
That's right, folks, OUTLANDER is _Beowulf_. With spaceships. Friends, you can't screw this up.
And the people behind this movie didn't screw it up; not really. In fact, if you gave me fifty million dollars, some time, and some freedom, I couldn't make a Beowulf with Spaceships movie as good as OUTLANDER. If you gave me a decade or so to learn the craft, fifty million dollars, some time, and some freedom, however, I could probably make a Beowulf with Spaceships movie as good as OUTLANDER. This is a professional film: the script is tight, the photography pretty, the monster well-designed and realized, and the acting fine. But it's an average work by average professionals. It has no soul. Its story is too tight. Its sound design and score merely echo, not underline or expand. Its editing is so pedestrian that it seems like it came from a textbook. It's like some guy pitched "Vikings and Aliens vs. Monsters from the Public Domain," everyone got excited, and then they just sorta thought they could cruise by on the concept.
And they sorta do. I mean, really, y'know, it's fine. If you like monsters, aliens, Vikings, and epic poetry, it'll be right up your alley. But at the end of the day, it's no "Forth he fared at the fated moment, sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God."
3 comments:
Actually, we really only had about $38 mil. If we had actually had $50, we would have shot in New Zealand, used WETA fx and produced a film that sang. But in H'wood, you shoot with what you have.
Curse you, Google, for coming back with the wrong production budget!
After doing some additional reading last night, I see that you really did get screwed with your budget. Kudos for putting every dollar on the screen: Canada looked great, the monster looked great, the green screening was quite well done, and clearly you budgeted enough to hire solid actors who know their craft.
I don't know how much of my issues with the film are budget-related. Would another ten million dollars have reduced the level of weapon fetishism? Would it have given us characters that felt like organic human beings, rather than "sage ruler," "hothead," and such? Would it have created a score that expanded, rather than mirrored?
Perhaps it would have. As it stands, I think you've created a perfectly fine Vikings and Aliens vs. Monsters movie. I enjoyed it - I don't think I could do better. In fact, if this thing finds a home on cable, I can imagine a generation of adolescent boys worshiping it.
So even if I didn't love it, I still have warm feelings toward it. I mean, c'mon: Beowulf with Spaceships. And you didn't screw it up. If I were you, I'd be proud as hell.
Oh, and hey, thanks for writing!
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