I know it's been a long while since I've posted on here and in a future post, I'll explain why. In the meantime, I want to write about an article I just read on IGN.
Awhile ago, there was talk of creating a movie franchise based off of the Uncharted video game series. The director attached to the movie at the time released the info that he was planning on seriously re-vamping the storyline. It would change so much that the only resemblance to the games it was supposed to be "based on" is the title of the movie. Fans went ballistic and caused so much pressure that the director dropped the project and the studio financing the Uncharted film re-thought their approach to the movie.
A few days ago, it looked like the same thing was about to start again, when Michael Bay released the info that he was taking a different angle on his latest project, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reboot. His angle: that the turtles were... wait for it.... ALIENS! And once again, the fans went ballistic!! However, instead of caving to the pressure, Michael Bay stayed true to form and exploded back to the fans with a resounding message:
CHILL THE F*** OUT!!!
From his point of view, the move to make the Turtles aliens works to correct some of the MAJOR story problems the concept of TMNT had from the get go. Any self respecting fan of TMNT (like myself) must admit that the story has its flaws.
Now, Bay is a fantastic movie maker, I love at least 75% of the films he's made. He's also a serious money maker for the Hollywood movie moguls. So, I can safely say that he knows what he's doing when making movies. And if he's trying to tell the TMNT story in a more plausible, realistic way, I say let him run with it! His expertise warrants at least some consideration and pause before trashing an idea that is so early in the creative process of the movie that it may not even make it into the final film. But, it is an interesting concept. Especially with what was said at the end. With the Turtles being aliens, you get to have MORE TURTLES!! You could have an entire PLANET of Turtles! And to be completely honest, is a provocative idea.
But what gets me is a deeper issue. People keep talking about how there are no new ideas in Hollywood. That the movie industry is all about "everything old is new again". Well, look at what happens when a director tries to introduce a new idea!! He gets lambasted by people who have no clue how that idea is going to present itself on screen!
I, myself, have been guilty of this:
When I heard that Tom Cruise was going to be cast as Lestat in "Interview With The Vampire", I was horrified. WRONG! Tom Cruise was a fantastic Lestat. In fact, he's the best one I've seen on film and I wish he would reprise the role.
When I heard that Heath Ledger was cast to play the Joker, I thought it was the end of Christopher Nolan's run on Batman. WRONG!!! Ledger brought an entirely new life and power to that role to the point that even people who hate the character loved the performance.
But the fact of the matter is, filmmakers know their craft, and really should be left to create movies as they see fit. There are tons of examples in movie history of great films being destroyed when the filmmakers were forced by either the studios or the fans to second guess or even remake their films. This is a travesty to the art of film-making and an insult to the creators themselves.
In the end, I agree with Bay's statement. We all need to chill out and let the man work. If you don't like the film, DON'T WATCH IT!!
