Colin McMahon

Then and Now: Beast Wars

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Colin McMahon

I know it’s been a while (health concerns are problematic) but I would like to break back into this website. To that end I was having a conversation not long ago with someone close to me. She remarked that she was out of current shows to watch and was looking into finding something new. I suggest a show called Beast Wars, an old program that I grew up with (1996-1999). I then wondered at the recommendation. Sure, I had loved the show as a kid but how does it hold up now? There are many things I enjoyed back then that I would not recommend to peers today. The question becomes: does Beast Wars hold up? Short answer: yeah. Longer answer:

For those who may not be familiar, Beast Wars (titled Beasties in its native Canada) was a computer-generated sequel to the 1984 show, Transformers. Yes, the same property that Michael Bay has been turning into crappy blockbusters for the past six years. While the first series dealt with the war between Autobots and Decepticons (two machine races who transformed into cars and planes respectively), Beast Wars dealt with a much smaller conflict set in future. This time we got Maximals and Predacons (pretty much Autobots and Decepticons) at war on a strange, Earth-like alien planet. Oh, and this time they turned into animals instead of cars: awesome.

So why am I recommending this show? Not for the animation, I’ll tell you that right now. While Beast Wars was ambitious in its day, the style has not held up (it’s been nearly twenty years). Here is some idea of what I’m talking about:

It’s not horrible but certain things (namely shadows) are lacking. Really the animators should be praised, it’s just old technology at this point.

Luckily the look got better as the show progressed. Seasons two and three show noticeable improvements over season one.

Anyway, the look isn’t why you should watch it, although it does have something to do with it. Let me explain why Beast Wars was made: to sell toys. That’s the honest answer. Same reason the first Transformers series began back in the 1980s. However, Transformers was traditionally animated and there was no budget increase when they wanted to bring in another transformer. The result: there are a lot of robots on that show. A privilege that Beast Wars did not enjoy. Another transformer meant another 3D model and that took a lot of money to animate. So Beast Wars was forced to have a much smaller cast and that turned out wonderful.

Why: because fewer characters meant stronger characters. They only had a few robots to work with so every character on that show was fully flushed out with motivations and traits. Everyone felt different and not because they turned into a different beastie but because they thought differently.

Every form of every Maximal who was in the series. It's not a huge cast but it is a strong one. — Every form of every Maximal who was in the series. It’s not a huge cast but it is a strong one.

Head writers Bob Forward and Larry G. DiTillio deserve most of the praise. They were given essentially full control of the show and created a tight-knit story with characters and consequences. Beast Wars blessedly has more plot than just Maximal=good and Predacon=bad. There is a complete story told throughout the three season arch that doesn’t leave much in the way of dangling plot threads.

Strong points include characters such as Megatron (the Predacon leader), Tarantulas (the Predacon mad scientist) and Dinobot (Maximal version of Hamlet). The alien plot line also provides an additional level of intrigue as well as a break from the Maximal-Predacon conflict. Episodes to check out: “Code of Hero” (best episode of the series), and “Transmutate”. Personally I’m also a big fan of the bizarre romance between Silverbolt and Blackarachnia.

Yeah they're both robots. Yeah one is the knight in shining armor while the other is a villainous back-stabbing widow. Yeah they're on opposite sides. It's still a better love story than Twilight. — Yeah they’re both robots. Yeah one is the knight in shining armor while the other is a villainous back-stabbing widow. Yeah they’re on opposite sides. It’s still a better love story than *Twilight*.

Season one is the weak point of the show. It looks better on re-watching but the consequence hasn’t entered the series yet. What do I mean by consequence: people die in this show. Don’t get used to your favorite character because odds are they are not going to survive the series. For an animated children’s show back in the 1990s, this was a crazy development.

Is it the best show ever made: not even close. Still there is enough in Beast Wars to make it a show worth watching. I recommend it to anyone out there looking for a fun story that doesn’t require a ton of thought. This show isn’t super serious (it’s about robots that turn into animals) but it does have a heart and more importantly, a brain.

In addition, I should mention the sequel series, Beast Machines. I’m not really going to talk about it – it is not nearly as well remembered as its predecessor, and for good reason. Also there are two sequel series that were produced solely in Japan (Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo) but approach those at your own risk.

Due to the show's success, Beast Wars has inspired a wealth of graphic novels and specials that have continued the story. Sadly there has still been no true successor in terms of a television show. — Due to the show’s success, *Beast Wars* has inspired a wealth of graphic novels and specials that have continued the story. Sadly there has still been no true successor in terms of a television show.

Why Aren't We Getting David Fincher's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Colin McMahon

The year: 1954, the movies: awesome. Seriously, so many of my favorite films came out in that year, it’s not even funny. While Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea may not make my top ten list, it was still one of my favorite movies to watch as a kid. Before I was old enough to appreciate the characters or the themes, I had the giant squid scene – and boy did I have fun with that.

I used to fast forward my VHS copy to just watch this scene. I think I saw the giant squid sequence at least 50 times before I ever watched the full movie.

Anyway, as time passed, I began to appreciate the more mature values of Richard Fleischer’s film. The bitter determination of Captain Nemo stuck out to me and I found a fascination with the character that encouraged me to read Verne’s novels (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and its quasi-sequel, Mysterious Island). Captain Nemo is still one of my favorite literary figures of all time. However, when I read the novel, one thing became clear to me: there are big differences between the page and the film treatment. Verne’s novel reads more like a fantastical scientific journal while the Walt Disney production is an action-adventure epic with anti nuclear war undertones. It makes sense, as with any good adaptation the film version was adapted to fit its time (things change between 1870 and 1954).

Still, that version was 70 years ago and I for one am ready to see Disney try again… too bad it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.

The original is a classic in its own right but time has taken it out of the public perception.

Well, scratch that. We’ll probably get one soon but I don’t know what kind of quality we can expect. After months of trying, an update came today that none other than David Fincher (Se7en, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fight Club, Alien 3 (can’t resist putting that one in there)) has left the project. As a movie fan, that sucks to hear.

Fincher is a filmmaker known for creating dark, moving atmosphere with smart scripts and talented actors... pretty good fit for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. — Fincher is a filmmaker known for creating dark, moving atmosphere with smart scripts and talented actors… pretty good fit for *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea*.

While I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of Fincher’s work – I personally would rate Se7en as one of the most overrated films I’ve ever seen – I cannot deny his ability. He’s just a good fit for the project, anyone familiar with the original source material would attest to that. There’s certain combinations that just sound like a good fit. Remember when Gore Verbinski (The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean) was going to do a Bioshock movie? Well, that was also a good fit that didn’t happen.

Anyway, the question then becomes: why? David Fincher is a critically successful director who produces commercial success. Even a big budget (and apparently he planned a big budget) shouldn’t frighten Disney away from the idea of a remake. It didn’t, it was a casting problem.

I know what you’re thinking: Nemo. Of course, the iconic character. One of the greatest creations ever given birth by the pen. Yes, who would play Nemo? Clearly Disney and Fincher must have had some debate over which way to go with the most important piece of the puzzle. Well, fact is they never got to Nemo. Couldn’t get past replacing this guy:

Ned Land marked the biggest change between the book and the original Disney movie. In the novel, he’s a fairly minor character who doesn’t make much of an splash (I’ll stop) on the plot. In the movie… well, he was Kirk Douglas. The fact that the casting of Ned Land was the first priority is telling. Clearly this remake intended to follow closer to the film original than to the book. This was not necessarily a bad thing.

Here’s what happened: initially David Fincher intended Brad Pitt to play the role. Again this fits as Pitt has a similar acting style to Douglas. However, Pitt wasn’t interested (for some reason or other) and the role went to both Daniel Craig and Matt Damon for consideration. While both were interested in the part, neither wanted to abandon their families for a 140 day shoot in Australia (the proposed location for the film). Good news about approaching veteran actors – they’re mostly good. Bad news – they mostly have families they don’t want to leave for long periods of time. So three great ideas for a replacement Ned Land, come and gone. Fincher decided to change tactics and proposed the much longer Channing Tatum for the role. Disney was… not on board with this.

Remember that big budget I mentioned? Well, David Fincher may be a good director name but Disney felt it needed a dynamite actor name to guarantee big box office money. They were fine with Pitt, Craig or Damon, but Tatum? In his (much shorter) career, he has not had the commercial success of the other three. So they said no and instead offered the idea of Chris Hemsworth (Thor) for the role. It was at this point that David Fincher left the project.

Personally I don't see much difference in acting ability between the two actors but Fincher evidently does. — Personally I don’t see much difference in acting ability between the two actors but Fincher evidently does.

So that’s it. Forget Nemo, the studio couldn’t even agree on a Ned Land. This marks yet another dismal chapter in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remake development. Oh yeah, Disney’s been trying to make this film for a while. Several directors have been either rumored (Sam Raimi) or attached (McG… thank god that one didn’t happen) to the project. Will 20,000 Leagues ever see the light of day? Of course, there is money to be made. However, it might not be good. Films that exist for long stretches in the dubbed “developmental hell” stage of production rarely turn out to be gems (other films on the list include The Wolfman, Prometheus and Alien vs Predator).

Regardless, the film will one day see the light of day. Who knows, Fincher may even return to the project in the future (unlikely but possible). But whether it is Fincher or (shudder) McG, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is too good a story to remain dead in the water for long.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Celebrating Giant Bomb in Memorium to Ryan Davis

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Colin McMahon

For those out there who read this blog, you’ve no doubt noticed that there are certain other internet sites that I reference more than others. Giant Bomb is one such favorite that I like to mention (find the site here ). Of all the video game review sites out there, Giant Bomb is my personal favorite. The Quick Look feature allows for a level of gameplay understanding not found on other critical gaming sites. I’ve picked today to celebrate the genius that is Giant Bomb, yet recently was the saddest day in the web site’s short history. We mourn the loss of co-creator, Ryan Davis.

The friendly face of Giant Bomb. May he rest in peace. 1979-2013

I am saddened that I never had the opportunity to meet Ryan or to speak with him. To understand the man we will look back at Giant Bomb’s history; at its creation and the principles that the site stood for. Yes, I video game review site can have principles. In 2007, the world of video game critics was kind of a joke. As I have mentioned before: AAA games were pretty much guaranteed a good review. Gamespot.com was one such site where the AAA found a certain unfair favor.

Enter Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. Not one of the worst games ever made but by no means good, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men was your typical bargain bin fodder. A game that comes out and goes from sixty dollars to twenty dollars in a matter of months. However, this game was made by Eidos Interactive, a large video game developer who paid Gamespot a lot of money to advertise on their site. Imagine how red their faces must have been when video game critic, Jeff Gerstmann, delivered the negative review.

In short: both Gamespot and Eidos were displeased with the review and Jeff Gerstmann found himself out of the job. However, he did not vanish quietly into the night. The firing of Gerstmann triggered what would become known as “the Gamespot Exodus” wherein multiple individuals abruptly resigned the company at the same time. Among these were Alex Navarro, Brad Shoemaker, Vinny Caravella and Ryan Davis. This team of men would go on to create Giant Bomb.

A unique genesis to make a unique site, Giant Bomb was the breath of fresh air in a market that was too heavily controlled by fixed critical reception. To this day, I still trust Giant Bomb more than any other site. Places like IGN and Gametrailers are good for their quick reviews, except that video games aren’t over quickly. They are a continued experience.

The Quick Look, Giant Bomb’s iconic feature, provides that extra level of analysis. Also it is incredibly funny to watch grown men play Kinect.

If I may, there is one example that showcases how important a site like Giant Bomb is for the consumer. Remember Resident Evil 6? A lot of people (including me) were really wondering about that game when it came out. Resident Evil 4 stands as one of the greatest games of recent memory while Resident Evil 5 was… not so much. So which game would 6 be: more of 4 or more of 5? I’m a big fan of the series and was ready to fork over sixty dollars if the new one was up to snuff. I looked on Gametrailers and saw this. Doesn’t look too bad right? Not “game of the year” but not bad. I was getting ready to go out an buy it. Then I watched the Giant Bomb Quick Look. I am so glad I watched that before wasting my money.

Giant Bomb also has a tendency to cover many of the smaller, frankly more interesting indie releases out there. Products that other websites are slow to get to, Giant Bomb does in a hurry. Yeah, they’re indie and there’s less money involved but honestly, a lot of those smaller games coming out on Steam look a lot more fun to play right now than the AAA titles; and I base a large portion of that statement off of my experiences watching Giant Bomb.

As the audience, you can’t help but trust them. They don’t come off as paid critics but rather as passionate individuals doing what they love and luckily making a living while doing it. That is their charm and Ryan Davis encapsulated that as an individual. He came off as nothing but a nice guy whose charm earned him the benefit of many close relationships in the industry.

Giant Bomb will continue and hopefully maintain their unique flavor of critique. Yet Ryan will be missed. I’m going to take this moment so give a few examples of just how many people Ryan touched with his passion and sincerity.

IGN.

And finally, the last and most fitting tribute: Giant Bomb.

Greatness comes from humble beginnings that seized opportunity.

On a side note I would like to apologize for my unscheduled absence over the past two weeks. However, my unexpected vacation is now over and regular posting should resume. So… yay that.