The best family films aren't only for the kids; they look like a kiddie package but pack enough of an adult punch to make everyone happy. It looks like Monsters vs. Aliens might be just that. It is, and I quote from the new goodie extravaganza over at USA Today, "a throwback to those B-movie glory days of the '50s when Martians invaded our backyards and rubber monsters stalked the Earth."This even includes specific references, such as the heroine Susan Murphy. She's a regular California girl who gets hit by a meteor and becomes 49' 11" tall (Attack of the 50-Foot Woman!), gets taken by the military, and renamed Ginormica. She's also being voiced by Reese Witherspoon. But that's not the only big name attached -- Rainn Wilson will handle the evil alien Gallaxhar, and Ginormica will be joined by Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. voiced by Hugh Laurie, jelly-like B.O.B. handled by Seth Rogen, and the half-ape/half-fish Missing Link voiced by Will Arnett. Plus, there's Kiefer Sutherland as the aptly-named Gen. W.R. Monger and Stephen Colbert as the "plays it on steroids" president. (Some of them you can spot in the pic on the right, which you can see full-size at USA Today.)
But there's also a twist in this. Since the feature will be the first CG movie shot in 3-D, rather than converted to it, it has an extra $15 mil added to its budget, which will find its way out of fans' wallets. The tickets will cost more, although the price hasn't been determined. Jeffrey Katzenberg is hoping we'll all pay for "a premium experience." This sounds cool and all, but paying more for this movie sounds silly, esp. if it ends up killing at the box office. What do you think about this monetary twist?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-11-2008 @ 10:47AM
Marcos Kirsch said...
> Since the feature will be the first CG movie shot in 3-D
I can picture this be just like the scenes at the beginning of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
CG movies are not shot. The characters are not people inside costumes, you know?
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3-11-2008 @ 11:23AM
Philpott said...
Not to be too particular but recently directors have be able to animate a virtual scene and then 'shoot' that scene in real time using real world hardware that acts as steadicams, jibs, and so forth. So in that sense, they are shooting it. They are opting for this method because it give the 'camera' a more natural look.
3-11-2008 @ 12:04PM
kevjohn said...
As long as it still costs less than a large supreme pizza I can't complain.
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3-11-2008 @ 12:29PM
Jan M said...
RE: Since the feature will be the first CG movie shot in 3-D:
Actually, the first CG feature to be produced entirely in 3-D is nWave Picture's "Fly Me To The Moon" opening in August and released by Summit. Directed by Ben Stassen - see details at www.flymetothemoon3d.com
The additional ticket price reflects the premium studios can currently ask for exhibiting in 3-D (not because it cost more to produce). See recent premium prices for Hanna Montana 3-D and U-2 3-D tickets.
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3-11-2008 @ 12:31PM
Joe said...
I guess I can take this off the list of movies I want to see. Mind you I never really wanted to see it. But now I know I never will I will wait for the DVD or Blu-Ray Version. Seeing I pay eight bucks to see a movie now and that is matinee I can only wonder what kind of price this would be?
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3-11-2008 @ 12:53PM
Rich Krehbiel said...
"Since the feature will be the first CG movie shot in 3-D, rather than converted to it," ...
CG movies aren't "shot" they're "rendered." And 3D CGI renderings are most certainly not new. They take twice as long to render since they're composing two images per frame instead of one, so until rendering got fast enough they weren't commercially practical. The oldest 3D all-CGI commercial movie I can think of is Disney's "Chicken Little." Then there was "Meet The Robinsons."
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3-11-2008 @ 7:03PM
Liam said...
I took my daughter to the Hannah Montana movie a few weeks back. Much to my surprise the ticket price was $20 bucks a pop! I asked the ticket lady, are you kidding? Where's the $6.50 matinee price? She said, "it's a concert movie". I just rolled my eyes and said, "two please".
It looks like the trend is already starting which is scary.
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