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-   -   WTF is wrong with Dreamworks? (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/388712-wtf-wrong-dreamworks.html)

Jay G. 10-03-04 11:53 AM


Originally posted by scott shelton
A 49 million opening for SHARK TALE.

Nothing is wrong with Dreamworks.

But, as Mr. Salty said, boffo box office does not a good movie make.

Originally posted by NitroJMS
He emailed me once about a thread I started over the hypocrisy of Shrek 2, and how the first film rails on Disney and its marketing machine, yet Shrek 2 products were seemingly everywhere. I can't find the thread, but I thought it was funny that someone took the time out to actually email me directly over such a thing.
Was is this one?
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...readid=364463&

PixyJunket 10-03-04 12:01 PM

Ten years from now.. Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo will be considered classics.

Ten years from now.. Shrek what? Shark Tale who?

PixyJunket 10-03-04 12:05 PM

I'm also wondering if Dreamworks hires 11 year old girls to choose the music for their movies. I heard the new Car Wash which is supposed to be the grand centerpiece to Shark Tale and it was probably the most disgusting, vile piece of music my ears have been subject too in recent memory. Looking at some of their previous works, Smash Mouth? Living la Vida Loco? Ouch.

scott shelton 10-03-04 12:30 PM


Originally posted by Jay G.
But, as Mr. Salty said, boffo box office does not a good movie make.
Hey, that's great about Mr. Salty. But in the real world, money creates the illusion of quality. Not fair, sure. But true.

Get ready for SHARK TALE 2.

Don't want more SHREKs and SHARKs? Don't see them. That's the only message of quality you can send to the studios.

scott shelton 10-03-04 12:31 PM


Originally posted by PixyJunket
Ten years from now.. Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo will be considered classics.

Ten years from now.. Shrek what? Shark Tale who?

I disagree. Maybe not "classic" status (whatever that means), but they will still be around.

scott shelton 10-03-04 12:32 PM


Originally posted by PixyJunket
it was probably the most disgusting, vile piece of music my ears have been subject too in recent memory.
Wow, it's like you're describing Randy Newman's monotone music too!

fumanstan 10-03-04 12:41 PM


Originally posted by PixyJunket
Ten years from now.. Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo will be considered classics.

Ten years from now.. Shrek what? Shark Tale who?

Shrek is going to be remembered up there with the Pixar movies. I'd say 10 years from now the big green ogre would be just as recognizable as some of the characters from Pixar's films, if not more.

Now the other Dreamworks animated pictures...

NitroJMS 10-03-04 01:27 PM


Originally posted by Jay G.
But, as Mr. Salty said, boffo box office does not a good movie make.

Was is this one?
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...readid=364463&

That's the one. I couldn't find it for some reason.

Matthew Chmiel 10-03-04 01:57 PM


Wow, it's like you're describing Randy Newman's monotone music too!
Don't diss Randy Newman like that. Any man who comes out and publically insults the midget population is okay by me. ;)

Mr.Blonde510 10-03-04 02:32 PM

Ofcourse Shark Tales did good. Mommies, daddies, and little kiddies say oh look a movie by the people who made Shrek 2, ofcourse its gonna do good, will see how well it holds up next week.

Jericho 10-03-04 02:33 PM


Originally posted by Jay G.
Actually, caliing animation a genre is still misleading. It's not a genre, it's a medium. Genre refers to the type of story a film is trying to tell (comedy, mystery, thriller). You could theoretically tell any type of genre film in the animated medium.
Actually you are right about this. although most animated films these days tend to be comedic, there are plenty of adventure and drama in there as well. I chose to label animation a genre, since all animated films seem to be lumped together and judged differently than live action films.


Originally posted by Jay G.
The difference is that CGI animated films is such a relatively new medium that there have been only a handful of films released in the form so far, with only maybe one or two being crap, at least as far as popular opinion is concerned. So one or tow bad films in the medium at this point could actually majorly affect the general opinion of the medium as a whole at this point. Of course, I think the general opinion of CGI films is overinflated at this point anyway, and a bad films in any medium or genre is inevitable, so it's silly to blame Dreamworks for bringing expectations for CGI back down to earth, even if that is what they end up doing.
But I guess the question is, does the average movie-goer even care to differentiate between hand animation and CGI? Bad hand-animated movies haven't killed animation. It's still going strong. It's just that hand animation has been replaced by CGI due to convenience

scott shelton 10-03-04 02:56 PM


Originally posted by Matthew Chmiel
Don't diss Randy Newman like that. Any man who comes out and publically insults the midget population is okay by me. ;)
You've got a point. I take it back.

jaeufraser 10-03-04 03:49 PM

I'm sorry, but the problem with Dreamworks is that...they make movies you don't like, and Pixar does? How dare they?

Listen, some people truly love the Dreamworks movies. I'm sure Shark Tale was liked by some, and I know many who just love the Shrek movies.

So, I just find it a little arrogant for people to be stomping around calling Dreamworks awful for making movies they don't like. Fine, you don't like them, but I'm failing to see your point. Many, MANY people do like these films, and I think many are quick to just assume that their opinion is right and everyone else is sheep. Yes, I know sometimes bad movies make big money, but sometimes...people just don't like popular movies. I'm not sure why people seem to get so angry about that.

Jay G. 10-03-04 07:05 PM


Originally posted by Jericho
But I guess the question is, does the average movie-goer even care to differentiate between hand animation and CGI? Bad hand-animated movies haven't killed animation. It's still going strong. It's just that hand animation has been replaced by CGI due to convenience
I don't know about the average movie-goer, but studios definately think that there isn't an audience for hand-drawn animation anymore. When they shut down their hand-drawn studios, both Disney and Dreamworks cited the poor box-office of recent 2D animated efforts. They never mentioned that CGI was more convenient, and considering that they had to build their CGI studios from scratch instead of continuing to use their existing hand-drawn studios, it's definately not initially more convenient.

When Disney has one of their completed hand-drawn shorts completely redone in CGI, it's not a question of convenience, but of them feeling hand-drawn animation no longer has any appeal.

Supermallet 10-03-04 10:45 PM


Originally posted by Jay G.
I don't know about the average movie-goer, but studios definately think that there isn't an audience for hand-drawn animation anymore. When they shut down their hand-drawn studios, both Disney and Dreamworks cited the poor box-office of recent 2D animated efforts.
We have a winner! The moviegoing public would rather see CGI movies right now. That's just the way of it. When Lilo and Stitch came out, I saw it opening day. I liked it to much I took my sister the next week. What did Disney do after that film? Cut the 2-D animation department, despite coming up with one of the most original and lovely animated films of the past decade.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Disney once Pixar moves on.

Giles 10-08-04 04:12 PM

Having just seen Shark Tale I have to say I was quite disappointed. The "follow the leader" atitude from Dreamworks to try and better themselves than Pixar realy falls on it's face here, The story is bland, dull and predictable, the humour is forced and is so geered to adult's that it all comes across as disjointed. A real bad sign is that at two thirds of the way through I looked at my watch, if I can't focus my attention of the film, it ultimately has failed.

On the other hand, I loved the trailer for Robots.

al_bundy 10-08-04 05:16 PM

i remember the hype when dreamworks SKG was first created. their first few films were pretty good.

now it's just another studio or whatever they are called

jaeufraser 10-08-04 10:18 PM


Originally posted by al_bundy
i remember the hype when dreamworks SKG was first created. their first few films were pretty good.

now it's just another studio or whatever they are called

The Peacemaker? Mousehunt? Naa, I'd say that they've actually gotten better over time.

Matthew Chmiel 10-09-04 02:31 AM

DreamWorks is a studio I either love the films they put out, or loathe their other films.

Hell, in the past years, the studio has put out:
- Almost Famous
- American Beauty
- Anchorman
- Antz
- A.I.
- Catch Me If You Can
- Chicken Run
- Galaxy Quest
- Minority Report
- Old School
- Road to Perdition
- Road Trip
- Saving Private Ryan
- Small Soldiers
- The Terminal

Then of course, you have:
- Biker Boyz
- Cat in the Hat (co-production with Universal)
- Envy
- Everlasting Piece
- Forces of Nature
- Gladiator
- The Haunting
- In Dreams
- The Love Letter
- Lucky Numbers (co-production with Paramount)
- The Peacemaker
- The Tuxedo

;)

Hokeyboy 10-09-04 01:50 PM

Wow, there's a pretty vociferous outcry against Dreamworks (I guess Dreamworks animation, really). I don't really understand it... you'd think with two big CGI powerhouses aiming to be the best in the biz, the ones truly benefitting would be us, the fans. Ah well.

Personally, I liked the first Shrek and loathed the second. Antz was pretty entertaining. A Shark's Tale was abysmal. However, I've loved every Pixar feature ever made. Dreamworks seems to focus on gags and spoofs, getting star talent for voicework, "hip and contemporary" humor (read: dated), pop-music soundtracks, and cutting-edge animation. Pixar is more about generating films with heart and an emotional core, more structured storylines, humor generated from characters and situations rather than from gags and pop-culture awareness, appropriate (rather than big-name) vocal actors, and cutting-edge animation.

For me it's no contest on who's better, but I'll be first in line for the next Dreamworks/PDI feature.

Matthew Chmiel 10-09-04 01:52 PM


For me it's no contest on who's better, but I'll be first in line for the next Dreamworks/PDI feature.
I'll be there because their next flick actually looks quite good. ;)


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