technology, art, and writing

[miriam_e]

Watched Final Fantasy VII Advent Children last night while I ate dinner.

Amazing, amazing animation, modeling, and effects -- just brilliant! But one of the most bizarrely disorganised stories I've ever seen.

There are countless superb writers inhabiting the planet today. It is a pity that they didn't team up with one of them for a truly meaningful story. It is sad to see such brilliant work go for... for a confused children's tale... and not even a tale with an important message...

I look at the animation... the sheer mind-bending technical prowess! What marvels could have been accomplished! They could have made something that would people would cherish for decades to come, but instead...

That's what we do isn't it. We settle for something less.

Who do we cheat?

Ourselves.

Comments

[patchworkkid.livejournal.com]

Man, I hear that. I was so disappointed with that flick. I just sat there marvelling at the beauty and appalled at the waste.

That said, I have to utterly recant about Firefly. Just finished watching the whole series and really dug it. Can't wait to see Serenity. I really can't remember why it didn't work for me first time 'round.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Yes, I went over it again, drinking in the technology and utter beauty. So sad about the trashy story. They could have done so much with it.

Better see Serenity soon. Audience numbers have fallen off really fast so it is certain to get yanked soon. I'm going on Tuesday.

I can understand why you were initially skeptical. It looked like people in the USA thinking the wild west was the best thing since sliced bread and repackaging the past as the future.

But of course in the hands of Joss Whedon it is far more complex than that with the Chinese dominating human culture, no aliens, the organised "Star Trek" forces being the enemy, and all the amazing science fiction equipment the heroes have being presented as crappy low tech. Instead of the story being driven by special effects and action it is driven by personalities.

I love how Joss manages to turn things around nicely. For instance this nice exchange in Objects in Space...
      WASH: Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction!
      ZOE: You live in a spaceship, dear.

[metalhero.livejournal.com]

Great. Now I can't even watch the movie for fear that it will be just as bad as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

Thanks a bunch ;)

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

:)
No worries. Nice to do a little damage from time to time. heheheh

But seriously, do watch it. The technology is mind blowing. They have even better control of body animation and subtle facial expressions than they did in the previous movie. Don't worry about the story. The computer work is a harbinger of wonders to come.

The quality of the animation falls off a little toward the end, I think (but it still far in advance of anything else I've seen). I bet they were running up against deadlines.

On the story: I have a feeling that it was so muddled and terrible because it probably suffered from producer meddling. You know how everybody thinks they are a writer. I wonder if perhaps they started with a real story (there are hints that surface at times then disappear again), but it feels like somebody was tugging it in different directions. I can imagine the kind of thing:

"We need more fighting here."
"We need something cute here."
"Why don't we bring in a spaceship?"
"We need a super powerful demon-thing."
"But none of that makes sense in the story!"
"Look, who is paying for all this computing power? We are the chairmen of the board. What we want we get!"
"Yes sirs."

And the story gets reduced to incomprehensible rubble.

You absolutely must watch the final credits. There are two lots of credits at the end. The second lot is effectively a music video with credits superimposed, and it is gorgeous.

If you can't get ahold of the show then let me know and I'll send it to you.