The Case for Creativity

In case you haven't noticed, 2010 is turning out to be one of the worst years for movies. Ever. The theater has become packed with both sequels and remakes of our favorite movies, and a heavy emphasis has been put on 3D. While this may sound like a terrific idea, both moviemakers and movie-goers are suffering, and I've been asking myself why for a while now. This is what I've concluded.
First off, why is it that so many movies this year have been sequels, remakes, or based off of familiar books or TV shows? The biggest reason: Movie-makers. Don't be fooled about producers' desire to creat "movie magic". These folks want to cash in. Most writers are too scared (or too stupid) to attempt to create something that hasn't been proven successful  in some form of media already. To them, it's not a question of "What movie can we make that people will like?" It's a question of "What do people like that we can make into a movie?" But why should they do otherwise? Very rarely do we say a sequel is better than the original, but we see the movie anyways in hopes that it will be. Producers cash in on our desire to see where a story goes, even if it's in the wrong direction.
The second reason for the recent lapse in originality is something more sinister: the economy. As of this writing, it's Summertime, the season when studios release their biggest blockbusters in an attempt to make the most of people on vacation. Yet some films based on founded successes (Robin Hood, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, The A-Team) are still underperforming at the box office, losing out due to audiences who are unsure of the movie's quality and opting instead for the safer waters of sequels and remakes (Iron Man 2, Sex and the City 2, Karate Kid). This certainly doesn't sit well with moviemakers, because if the movie can't succeed where it matters to them most, what's the point in trying new things?
Easily the most frustrating part of movies this year is Hollywood's gluttony for 3D. If we are truly living in the age of 3D, something has to be done to prevent it's corruption of movies. The fact of the matter is that 3D is giving both moviemakers and movie-goers the wrong impression of a movie's quality. Some movies (Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans) have received either mixed or unfavorable reviews with critics, but have been smash hits at the box office for one reason: they're in 3D, which is more expensive, more immersive (supposedly) and something new for people to check out. Because the focus shifts to making a movie more eye-popping, its overall value suffers. It's all in the pursuit of cashing in on the world's current Avatar craze (more on that movie in a moment). How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3 are great examples of how a 3D movie can be successful at the box office without losing its wit and heart. If anything, a movie should be conceived as a two-dimensional film first and then equipped with 3D.
So what can be done about the staleness of today's movies? The best advice anyone can give is just take a chance. The best example of the proverbial "shot in the dark" is 2009's District 9. It starred first-time actor Sharlto Copley and unknown director Neill Blomkamp. It was based only on a short film which Copley and Blomkamp created, and it's only claim-to-fame was that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson produced it. By today's moviemaking standards, it shouldn't have worked. Yet the film grossed over 200 million dollars worldwide (six times its budget of $30 million), garnered praise from critics, and was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. District 9 proved that an orignial story and a lot of effort can outshine a sequel starring well-known actors battling transforming robots while speaking dialogue seemingly written by a 10 year-old.
Now, the final question: what about Avatar? The biggest movie of all time was filmed for 3D and had a plot as old and familiar as stories go. What people seem to forget is the exhausting amount of work that director James Cameron put into the look and feel of the world he created. He had to imagine an entire planet, its biology, and its backstory. Coupled with special effects never seen before, Avatar should be commended for its ambition, if not for its story. If anything, the movie showed us that moviemakers don't have to reinvent the wheel to make a great movie. They just have to put the time and effort in to not just grab the bar, but to raise it.
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E3 2010 Day 2

Once again, more highlights from the conferences, which consisted of Nintendo and Sony.

Nintendo: Welcome back, old friend. Nintendo ripped back to life with HUGE announcements, nearly all of them for the hardcore gamer about to sell thier Wii away. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was unveiled, and apart from techinical difficulties, it looks brilliant. Followed by a Mario Sports game and Golden Sun DS, it looked like the excitement had ended. That's when Nintendo kicked it into high gear, unveiling a reimagening of the N64 Classic: Goldeneye 007, exclusively for Wii, as well as Epic Mickey, a new Kirby game, Metroid: Other M, AND a new Donkey Kong game. Tie in the new 3DS (complete with an analog stick!), which will feature a new Kid Icarus game as well as remakes of classics ranging from Mario Kart to Metal Gear Solid 3 to the incredible, unfathomable Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (WOW!!!!), and The Big N wins the day, wins the publisher battle, and wins the WHOLE DAMN E3. Period.

Sony: Believe it, Sony is the real deal. Sony is slowly gnawing off the legs of the high horse upon which Microsoft sits. With big, EXCLUSIVE titles, Sony bumped it up with Killzone 3, Infamous 2, Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet 2 and a brand new Twisted Metal game, as well as exclusive deals with some big EA games like Dead Space 2. Move was shown off briefly, and it looks and is priced terrific, with a spellcasting game Sorcery and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011. Made we want to actually buy a sports game. Too bad can't use Move controller as penis for secret lovers during game though. Sad. Kevin Butler also hilariously took the stage, but even he couldn't top the unbelievable: PORTAL 2 ON PS3. Let me repeat that, just so you know it's real: PORTAL 2 ON PS3!!! IMO, it's a good move. I could give a shit about exclusives, and Valve's doing the smart thing here. This conference made me want to buy both a PS3 and a Move in one fell swoop. Well done, Sony, well done.

Check back tomorrow for my wrap-up, where I name the winners and losers of E3. It's gonna be sooooooooo damn ZANY!!! ALSO, VOTE IN THE POLL AND COMMENT! :D

E3 2010 Day 1

It's a bit late, but here are some of the highlights from the first day of E3, which consisted of conferences from Microsoft, EA and Ubisoft. If you want a more detailed analysis, click here.

Microsoft: The Big Green focused was too much on Project Natal, which has now been named Kinect. Worse, it focused mainly on games that were for casual gamers, who usually don't tune in to E3 anyway. My personal favorite of the Kinect was an unnamed Star Wars title, which used Kinect in lightsabers, Force powers, and deflecting blasters. But the hardcore games are where it's at: Halo: Reach (space combat!), Gears of War 3 (lambent Beserkers!), and Call of Duty: Black Ops (Helicopter piloting!) were given the golden treatment, but the winner by far is Metal Gear Solid: Rising. The concept: Use Raiden's sword to cut through anything (buildings included) from any angle. The game looked fast-paced, strategic, and gory as all Hell. I can't wait for this one. Finally, a new, sleeker Xbox 360 was unveiled. The design is pretty wonky, but it apparently runs cooler, quieter, and faster, all for 299$, and it ships out this week.

EA: EA had a strong show, with revivals like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Medal of Honor, which resembles more of a faster-paced Battlefield than Modern Warfare. Plus sequels like Dead Space 2 and Crysis 2 were gorgeous to look at and anticpated to boot. The new FPS Bulletstorm was also shown off, and apart from being "gore-geous", it features a great premise: kill the bad guys in the most creative way possible, showing off a laser leash that can fling enemies, super kicks that send baddies flying, and environments dying for destruction. Finally, Bioware concluded the show with Star Wars: The Old Republic, and a trailer that blew everyone away. Ladies and gentleman, the WoW-Killer has arrived.

Ubisoft: Another strong show, Ubisoft employed MC Joel McHale to host again, and it turned out great; he was hilarious and entertaining. But the games are where it's at, remember? Child of Eden, a Kinect arcade-esque title that reminded me of Geometry Wars looks very cool and trippy. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood stole the show, showing off an awesome battle scene and setting up an anticipated sequel comparable to Uncharted 2. Shaun White's Skateboarding looks, dare I say it, "dope", showing off a more cartoony/arcade skateboarding game complete with zany abilities like in the similar Snowboarding game. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier looks much faster-paced and easier to control than previous versions I've seen, with awesome new weapons and gadgetry. A new Rayman game was shown off, and the first thing you notice is its beautiful design and "Castle Crashers" type humor. Finally, dancers from "Michael Jackson's: This is It" ended the show dancing to the "Beat It" music video, introducing a new Michael Jackson related game. Fingers crossed for an FPS! :D

That's all for today, check back tomorrow for more news. Be sure to comment and vote in the poll (on Tuesday!)!!!!

E3 2010 Predictions

It's finally here. The biggest gaming conference in the world will kick off Monday when Microsoft takes the stage to begin E3. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is so big, in fact, that I did something different to honor this great event. Be sure to comment on each conference when you get here. Enjoy!