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Aint It Cool News review of LOTR

Venom06Venom06 Earthforce Officer
And it's not good. Though the guy could be a complete moron he sounds like someone familar with the show.

I will of course reserve judgement until I have seen the movie for myself.

Just a warning, AICN's server sucks so this may not load right away. Try refreshing.
[url="http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=10511"]http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=10511[/url]
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Comments

  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    hmm, can't get it loading.... very slow.

    ------------------
    'The future is all around us' G'kar
    'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

    Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]B5 site[/url].
  • ArikArik Galen's Apprentice
    Hmm... tried copy/pasting the review in here, but it's rather long.
    Follow the link and give it time, it'll load.
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    Got it. Hmmm, well he is entitled to his opinion. I will make mine up when I see it for myself.

    ------------------
    'The future is all around us' G'kar
    'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

    Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]B5 site[/url].
  • eamonmcaeamonmca Earthforce Officer
    Well, I sort of stopped following the B5 universe after "A call to arms". Its just something I do, I get out before the series can begin any sort of decline. I'd rather have only good memories of B5 shows, you know?

    I did it with alien after alien3. Its kind of hard to continue AFTER the main character dies.

    I did it with the starwars books, ending with the surrender of Imperial forces.

    The writers of SAAB did it, ending a very successful show after one series.

    Does this make any sense to anyone, or am I talking through an orifice other than my mouth?


    ----------------
    Oxymoron of the week:
    "The confused intellectual"
  • RubberEagleRubberEagle What's a rubber eagle used for, anyway?
    I'd say he's a militant Trekkie.. just look at his name...
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    How can he review it if it won't be coming out till January?

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Venom06Venom06 Earthforce Officer
    He's probably got the earliest finished version. A lot of times pilot tapes and movies get circulated behind the scenes inside the industry.

    With a show date in January they may have time for audience testing, and/or re-shoots, and/or special effects re-do.
  • Critics [i]always[/i] just give their own opinion. They hate the idea of independant thought. I shall wait until I've seen it before deciding whether or not I like it.
    I do respect other people opinion, but the majority of them present it without any evidence.
    %0

    ------------------
    I AM AWAKE AT 4AM TO THE TERRIFYING UNDENIABLE TRUTH THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THE MONSTER
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    I'm quite happy to ignore his opinion since it doesn't matter to me. I can make up my mind what my opinion about it is myself when I see it myself.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    [quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
    [b]I'm quite happy to ignore his opinion since it doesn't matter to me. I can make up my mind what my opinion about it is myself when I see it myself.

    [/b][/quote]

    Agreed. He probably just based it off of the trailer and made the rest up just for kicks. Lets just wait for the finished product and see for ourselves, shall we?

    ------------------
    [url="http://www.mdstudios.f2s.com/index.html"]Material Defender Studios[/url]
    [i]Fan Artwork[/i]
    [i]3dsmax tutorials coming soon![/i]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Damn good idea. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • shadow boxershadow boxer The Finger Painter & Master Ranter
    while we are critic bashing :

    I agree about the 'militant trekkie' deal

    And any critic who uses a nom-de-plume is either just a juvenile troll after a flame war or a coward. If you want to say something controvesial or stir up shite then stick your name on the bottom, otherwise keep your mouth shut and let those willing to stand by what they have to say, have the floor.

    Mind you, going on just the trailer myself, the overall impression it gave me was...

    Uno-episodis Lucasitis.... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    What's that in language for the everyday man ?

    It's the insidious disease a creative director gets when he/she did a freakin great job the first few times and is mortally afraid that he/she cant live up to the hype, his own expectations or the percieved expectations of his fans/audience.

    As a consequence they chuck absolutely everything into the pot trying to make it 'better' and like overcooking the roast... it spoils an otherwise beautiful dish...

    I hope I'm wrong and you guys can cook me up some crow... speaking of culinary metaphors.

    Why do I say this ?

    I'm not sold on the VR-piloting thing, it didnt work in all the giant mecha anime were they used something similar and I just cant swallow the integration of the two vastly different morphologies, systems and methods of operations when it comes to a pilot's body and thier ship.

    All it leads me to is vigourous send up.... nasty Vorlonish beams coming out of her bazooms and perhaps from a male pilots thier groin... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    I'm also a devout and unabated 'tool-head' and the ship designs just don't 'pop my hood'. Granted you only see a few frames of each but hey... thats all there is to look @.

    On those two points alone I'm a bit dissapointed.

    Story of course, is king...

    but you dont get that from a 60 sec trailer so I'll bet its up to "Strazza's"* usual standard.
  • shadow boxershadow boxer The Finger Painter & Master Ranter
    * for those with any interest... to Aussify any name.... just add one of the somewhat invasive suffixes '-azza' or '-os' or '-onno'
    (the '-os' being drawn to sound like 'oss' as in Ross, and, just for completeness if your name ends with the same sound as one of these suffixes... like Ross [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] you end up with a double dose... Ross-oss and if you want a flourish roll the first set of r's )

    Hence Straczyinski becomes Strazza and for further example :

    Jack = Jazza
    Marc = Marcos
    Vasily = Vazza
    John = Johnno
    Rick = Rickos
    Randy = Razza ( hey who said it isn't unfortunate sometimes, my apologies Randy, I didn't invent this 'custom' [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
    Biggles = Bigos
    Steve = Stevoss
    Barry = Bazza
    Daryl = Dazza
    Martin = Martos
    Mervin = Mervos
    Craig = Craegos
    Justin = Jazza or Justos
    Tony = Tonos
    Michael/Mickey = Mikeos
    Geff = Geffo
    Peter/Pete = Petos
    Graham = Gramo (the corruption gets pretty bad for some poor sods.. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] )
    Dean = Deano

    Be careful when you use it, apply common sense, if it doesnt come off the tougue right after you add the suffix you've probably used the wrong one.

    I have no idea where it comes from, but some say atleast the '-os' is borrowed from the strong greek ties here in AU. Christos, and all the other -os greek names applied crudely to us ordinary WASP's.

    Basically us Aussies seem to like to 're-handle' you. My guess is it's unconciously designed to 'remove your hat' if you know what I mean. No Aussie like formality really, so laid back we don't even want to bother with your name... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    One other point, while I'm on this subject.

    The Aussie accent is a very zen thing.

    If you can say 'G'day' to any true blue aussie and they can't pick the difference, then you needn't bother with anything else. You have nothing else to learn, you have achieved the Aussie brand of enlightenment.

    I've yet to meet anyone who is not an Aussie that can say such a simple contracted word. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    Why I decided to add "Aussie culture 101" to the bottom of this post... My correspondence with John perhaps but really I have no idea...
    given recent events, celebrating our differences rather using them to divide us is a good idea I guess.
  • JamboJambo Scriptkiddie
    Here's what JMS said about it (have a look at the post by Jonathan Frain in rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated if parts of this dont make sense [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img])

    [quote]Originally posted by JMS:
    [b]>A not so ringing review has been posted for the upcoming movie. I'm hoping
    >the reviewer has a strong bias against B5. I unfortunately have a very
    >strong bias against Crusade.

    Let's see...a reviewer who goes under the handle Captain Christopher Pike (a
    classic Star Trek character), compares everything in B5 to Star Trek, and is
    subbing for another so-called reviewer called Herc who is a bigtime B5 hater
    from way back...AND he posts a negative "review" of B5: Rangers?

    I'm shocked...shocked, I tell you.

    Lemme give you a heads-up here...there is a qualitative difference between an
    actual reviewer and the kind of jumped up fanboy who posts a message on this
    kind of system specifically for the purpose of trashing something out of the
    usual fanboy feud shit we've seen over the last seven years. (And then, from
    what I've heard, pops on over to b5lr.com to get reactions because he wants to
    get his jollies.)

    This is not a review. It's not even close to a review, and this kind of crap
    is what totally destroys and has destroyed any hope of legitimacy that aicn
    has, which is why just about everybody in the business now totally writes them
    off. It started off as a news site, now it's a fanboy site with clearly
    distinguished biases.

    They don't like that I say this? Tough. It's my review of their performance.


    Look, how about we actually *see* the thing? I think it may be one of the best
    things B5 we've ever done. WB had NO NOTES on the thing. SFC had ONE note, to
    make one word (entil'zha) a bit louder because it's kind of a plot point. Both
    places referred to it as stunning and beautiful and maybe our best work to
    date.

    So for some cretin as this to come out and try to torpedo something out of the
    same crap feud that's been out there for seven years, and for people like you
    to actually *fall* for this crap and post things like....

    >If this telefilm tanks, I'd honestly be open to the idea of someone else
    >taking over the universe from Joe.

    ...demonstrates a degree of credulity bordering on the mind-boggling.

    This happens every time we do anything B5 related, it happened every season of
    the show ("We've seen scripts for season three and it's going to be just
    action, no more character stuff") and you'd think sooner or later people would
    learn not to fall for the okeydoke especially when a piece like this is SO
    obviously a plant by someone with an anti-B5 bias (a prior aicn review that
    slipped in, from someone WITHOUT any B5 bias, LOVED the film and this was
    before the EFX were even in the damned thing).

    Jesus, Jonathan, get a grip and use a little critical thinking once in a
    while....

    jms

    (jmsatb5@aol.com)
    (all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
    permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
    and don't send me story ideas)[/b][/quote]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Yeah that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    [quote]Originally posted by shadow boxer:
    [b]And any critic who uses a nom-de-plume is either just a juvenile troll after a flame war or a coward. If you want to say something controvesial or stir up shite then stick your name on the bottom, otherwise keep your mouth shut and let those willing to stand by what they have to say, have the floor.[/b][/quote]

    *Points to posts about single world govenment in another topic*
    *Points to the words "shadow boxer" just to the left of the quoted post*
    *Points to quoted section of aforementioned post*
    *Cycles finger around those three points while grinning maniacly, waiting for someone else to see that little bit of irony*
  • shadow boxershadow boxer The Finger Painter & Master Ranter
    David,

    I live at :

    24 Seventh Street
    Gawler 5118

    My phone numbers are : +61 8522 6058
    Mobile ( cell ) : +61 85 222 169
    Work : +61 8340 8888 fax 8340 8877

    my email is : craegs@yahoo.com or shadowsavateur@yahoo.com.au

    my ICQ number is : 8258548
    my handle on Yahoo Messenger is : Shadowboxer

    If you want to put a small ad in the local paper then the classifieds number is +61 131 841

    and I'm coming to the US around christmas... I'll meet you half way if you like... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    :P:P:P:P:P:P
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Yeesh, yeesh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I think that's a bit of overkill, I was just pointing out something I thought was funny. Just a joke, didn't need to know that much. Don't worry, no harm done.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    I noticed a boo-boo in the "review". Notice he says something about 'the hand' going after Sheridan? I just watched that particular episode. Sheridan [b]IS[/b] "the hand" according to Kosh.

    Something tells me that this review is full of BS.

    ------------------
    [url="http://www.mdstudios.f2s.com/index.html"]Material Defender Studios[/url]
    [i]Fan Artwork[/i]
    [i]3dsmax tutorials coming soon![/i]
  • Alec MAlec M Award Winning Poster
    Yes, this review is full of BS. Personally I agree completely with what JMS has said. Wait until you all see the show for yourselves and make up your minds at that point.

    Regarding the VFX. I think anyone who's taken a good look at the trailer can tell that they don't seem "fan rendered" as Christopher Pike put it. Everyone did an excellent job and I'm sure they're some of the best B5 VFX ever, and certainly better or at least more interesting than "Enterprise" (alert: personal opinion).

    It's a great show, and I think most people are really going to like it.

    ------------------
    [url="http://slade__tek.tripod.com/"]Alec McClymont, 3D Artist[/url]
    3D Artist - GVFX

    We live for the one. We die for the one.
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    Hear hear!!! You show em JMS!!!

    ------------------
    'The future is all around us' G'kar
    'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

    Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]B5 site[/url].
  • Venom06Venom06 Earthforce Officer
    Remember though, the whole point of a review is to try and help people decide if they want to waste hours of their life watching something. I imagine everyone here believes that nothing of B5 is a waste of time so a review is pointless for us.

    If everyone watched everything just to decide what they thought about it themselves, every movie would have outstanding Neilson numbers or box office take.

    Now I'm not saying that I agree with this guys review, but it colors my opinion such that I may tape the movie and do something else.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    Hey, Slade! I think we deserve a sneak peek, no? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    Also: Television can do both magical and craptastic things to images. So can signal quality [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] Now, If this reveiwer was maybe watching it on a 10" set, then perhaps that's where the "Fan Rendered" quality came from [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Or a low resolution trailer from Scifi...

    Slade: Did you get it in? You know... the thing...

    Venom06: Reviews are used to help people decide if they want to watch/buy/use something. That's why they need to be impartial. Does this one sound very impartial to you?

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Venom06Venom06 Earthforce Officer
    No, definitely not impartial. In an ideal situation we'd be an impartial audience, but we're not.

    Like I said, this isn't going to stop me from watching it, especially not 5 months before it's to be shown. But I'm on alert and IF it gets a poor review around release time I'll probably just tape it and watch it when I have time and not make special exceptions to watch.

    In any case, I'm still looking forward to new B5.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    We may not be an impartial audience but we don't count, since most of us will watch it no matter what. It's the people who haven't seen B5 before who will be caught by this review, thinking that it is a genuine review when really it is just some guys opinion.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • FaylornFaylorn Elite Ranger
    I don't think the "impartial" review really exists. Everyone has a way of seeing things because of the influences that made them what they are today. Just take game reviews and gamers in general: most aren't too critical of a game's uniqueness as long several components are innovative. Take StarCraft. The first game to truly represent three alien factions, relative to one another, however still borrowing a lot of it's basic attributes from other RTSs. For me innovation and realism (to a certain extent) is paramount so I have to dissect every comment made by the reviewer to see how it pertains to me. For example, I won't be buying Emperor Battle For Dune any time soon even though it was heralded as being unique in its having borrowed conventions from others in the genre. I will, however, be getting Op: Flashpoint, perhaps...

    ------------------
    "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time. But teach a man to BE a fish, and he can eat himself."
    --Dennis Miller, Dennis Miller Live

    [This message has been edited by Faylorn (edited 10-22-2001).]
  • Alec MAlec M Award Winning Poster
    Biggles: Sorry, but no I didn't get it in. Hopefully there will be another chance, and I'll be sure to do it then. We'll see what happens.

    ------------------
    [url="http://slade__tek.tripod.com/"]Alec McClymont, 3D Artist[/url]
    3D Artist - GVFX

    We live for the one. We die for the one.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Hope is all we have. I'm sure you'll get it in soon enough. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    There may not be any such thing as an impartial review, but there certainly are such things as nearly-impartial reviews. And that is what all reviews that people will rely on should be.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Lord RefaLord Refa Creepy, but in a good way
    "And, for serious B5 junkies, it's never explained whether this "The Hand" is the same "The Hand" referenced in the Sheridan/Ivonova dream of the original series, or is in any way related to "The Hand" which ran around trying to kill Michael Caine in a 1981 feature film (the only hand really needed here is the one which should be slapping Joe). . "


    Goddamn that line still makes me laugh. :P

    ------------------
    "Are you a god fearing man, senator? It's such an strange phrase. I've always though of god as a teacher... as a bringer of light, wisdom and understanding. You see, i think what you really are afraid of is me. Me and my kind, the Brotherhood of Mutants. Oh, it's not so suprising really, mankind has always feared what it doesnt understand. Well, dont fear god senator, and certainly dont fear me... not anymore."
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