Things that grind your gears

Discussion regarding the entirety of the franchise in a general (meta) sense, including such aspects as: production, trends, merchandise, fan culture, and more.
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ABED
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ABED » Sun Jul 02, 2017 7:16 am

I don't see the heart to that movie at all. It's a pale imitation, much in the same way Superman Returns was. Being essentially a remake rips the heart right out of it. That's what happens when you look too much to the past instead of pushing characters and stories forward. Battle of Gods was different, whereas RoF was cashing in on nostalgia.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ekrolo2 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 7:24 am

The Force Awakens has a soul the same way I have an infinite amount of money to spend. It is to the Original Trilogy what a lot of post-Dragon Ball Shonen is to well, Dragon Ball: an aggressively hollow knock off that doesn't get the inspirations behind the thing it's copying NOR does it inject a love of other stuff into these existing stories & tropes.

If Lucas made the OT because he liked Samurai movies, Flash Gordon and smashed all that shit together, Abrams was "Oh! I like the Star Wars movies by George Lucas!" and that is the prologue, beginning, middle, end, epilog, sequel, prequel, reboot,.... of the entire creative process behind it. He liked generic Star Wars, so he made more generic Star Wars.

Despite having the appeal of an Al-Qaeda hostage video, Rogue One at least had SOME genuine creative drive buried underneath the piles of bad acting, aggressive reshoots and massive script alterations to where I can say someone with a genuine interest in doing something new with SW was at one point involved with the project. Force Awakens has none of that.
When someone tells you, "Don't present your opinion as fact," what they're actually saying is, "Don't present your opinion with any conviction. Because I don't like your opinion, and I want to be able to dismiss it as easily as possible." Don't fall for it.

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ABED » Sun Jul 02, 2017 7:32 am

It's interesting you bring up the influences on Star Wars. When I first saw and read about DB as a young kid, I knew nothing about Toriyama's influences and was blown away by how unique and quirky it was. Even after discovering where many of his ideas came from, it takes nothing away from his creativity because he took those influences and made something that is his own to where you can say "That's so Toriyama". It grinds my gears when artists of any sort see something they enjoyed and just want to make it again.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Happiness is climate, not weather.

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ekrolo2 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 7:38 am

ABED wrote:It's interesting you bring up the influences on Star Wars. When I first saw and read about DB as a young kid, I knew nothing about Toriyama's influences and was blown away by how unique and quirky it was. Even after discovering where many of his ideas came from, it takes nothing away from his creativity because he took those influences and made something that is his own to where you can say "That's so Toriyama". It grinds my gears when artists of any sort see something they enjoyed and just want to make it again.
That's why I remain conceptually a fan of Rogue One, the people behind it liked Star Wars but were also big fans of stuff like Black Hawk Down and they wanted to channel their love of the latter into the former to make something interesting.

It's probably why Super blows major chunks now, nobody behind it is trying to bring their love of other stuff into the franchise to spice things up, much like TFA, it's just "We like this thing we're working on!" and that's the extent of the thought process behind it.
When someone tells you, "Don't present your opinion as fact," what they're actually saying is, "Don't present your opinion with any conviction. Because I don't like your opinion, and I want to be able to dismiss it as easily as possible." Don't fall for it.

How the Black Arc Should End (by Lightbing!):

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by 8000 Saiyan » Sun Jul 02, 2017 7:46 am

ABED wrote:I don't see the heart to that movie at all. It's a pale imitation, much in the same way Superman Returns was. Being essentially a remake rips the heart right out of it. That's what happens when you look too much to the past instead of pushing characters and stories forward. Battle of Gods was different, whereas RoF was cashing in on nostalgia.
I had more fun with The Force Awakens than Superman Returns, which bored me to death. I mean, stalking Lois Lane although she's already engaged to another man? Really, Supes? The only good things about it are the special effects and the fact that they didn't kill Jimmy Olsen. Routh and Bosworth are blander than Cavill and Adams. No chemistry whatsoever.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Soppa Saia People » Sun Jul 02, 2017 11:12 am

ABED wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote:
Snakeway Skywalker wrote:People who completely hate Super and anything produced post-Z. It's like Original trilogy era Star Wars fans complaining that Disney or George Lucas in the 2000s ruined their childhood.
To be fair, the prequels are legit terrible. The Force Awakens isn't amazing, but it did what it needed too do, and for the most part, well made. Plus most hardcore OT fans liked it for the most part. Prequel fans are more likely to dislike it, in my experience.
Anyway, complaining about Super isn't dumb, if someone dislikes something, they can dislike it. But saying Super runied Dragon Ball, or your childhood is just flat out dumb.
The only thing TFA needed to be was be successful, which even the prequels were. Say what you will about them, but at least the prequels didn't just remake the first movie.

The [blank] ruined my childhood argument is asinine. Your childhood is still intact.
To be fair, The Force Awakens had better characters, humor, writing, action, and was just better than all of the Prequels. And even if TFA had a weak story, that doesn't make the prequels story any better. There still terrible movies, with a boring story, awful acting, stupid characters, shitty humor, and bad action. The best thing about it are the Lego games.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Jinzoningen MULE » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:07 pm

Soppa Saia People wrote:The best thing about it are the Lego games.
If there's one thing everyone can unite on, it's that Lego's are still totally cool and no we're not too old for them.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ekrolo2 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:16 pm

Soppa Saia People wrote:
ABED wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote: To be fair, the prequels are legit terrible. The Force Awakens isn't amazing, but it did what it needed too do, and for the most part, well made. Plus most hardcore OT fans liked it for the most part. Prequel fans are more likely to dislike it, in my experience.
Anyway, complaining about Super isn't dumb, if someone dislikes something, they can dislike it. But saying Super runied Dragon Ball, or your childhood is just flat out dumb.
The only thing TFA needed to be was be successful, which even the prequels were. Say what you will about them, but at least the prequels didn't just remake the first movie.

The [blank] ruined my childhood argument is asinine. Your childhood is still intact.
To be fair, The Force Awakens had better characters, humor, writing, action, and was just better than all of the Prequels. And even if TFA had a weak story, that doesn't make the prequels story any better. There still terrible movies, with a boring story, awful acting, stupid characters, shitty humor, and bad action. The best thing about it are the Lego games.
Duel of Fates on its own is better then anything TFA or Rogue One have done.
When someone tells you, "Don't present your opinion as fact," what they're actually saying is, "Don't present your opinion with any conviction. Because I don't like your opinion, and I want to be able to dismiss it as easily as possible." Don't fall for it.

How the Black Arc Should End (by Lightbing!):

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Kanassa
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Kanassa » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:22 pm

I don't see a lot of heart in a sequel that sets out to make all the previous movies in-universe accomplishments worthless. I don't see the depth in such empty characters that put the very concept of the force through a grinder (It was stupid when some writers did it in the EU, it was stupid when Rey did it and it's even more stupid when that blind asshole in Rouge One does it), hiding behind every shot that has the director yelling at the audience "HEY, DON'T YA SEE!? THIS WAS IN THOSE OTHER FILMS YOU LIKED!"... At least Thrawn is still canon.

The prequels were shit. But I had a lot of fun watching them.
When Super apparently shoves Goku down our throats:

Kanassa wrote:
FoolsGil wrote:I hope Mark is dead. But chances are the dragonballs will bring his stupid ass back. :D
- FoolsGil, Out of Context, 2017

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Kanassa » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:22 pm

ekrolo2 wrote: Duel of Fates on its own is better then anything TFA or Rogue One have done.
...The music or the video game?
When Super apparently shoves Goku down our throats:

Kanassa wrote:
FoolsGil wrote:I hope Mark is dead. But chances are the dragonballs will bring his stupid ass back. :D
- FoolsGil, Out of Context, 2017

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ekrolo2 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:33 pm

Kanassa wrote:
ekrolo2 wrote: Duel of Fates on its own is better then anything TFA or Rogue One have done.
...The music or the video game?
The fight. Everything in it is a thousand times more exicting, memorable and overall better than either TFA or Rogue One.
When someone tells you, "Don't present your opinion as fact," what they're actually saying is, "Don't present your opinion with any conviction. Because I don't like your opinion, and I want to be able to dismiss it as easily as possible." Don't fall for it.

How the Black Arc Should End (by Lightbing!):

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Kanassa » Sun Jul 02, 2017 3:59 pm

Jinzoningen MULE wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote:The best thing about it are the Lego games.
If there's one thing everyone can unite on, it's that Lego's are still totally cool and no we're not too old for them.
"Do you think Ani might be to old for lego bricks?"
"Sir! Nobody is too old for leg bricks!"
"Well, Pappy I would say that Ani is one lucky guy"
When Super apparently shoves Goku down our throats:

Kanassa wrote:
FoolsGil wrote:I hope Mark is dead. But chances are the dragonballs will bring his stupid ass back. :D
- FoolsGil, Out of Context, 2017

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:02 pm

Who's Ani? LOL sorry if I'm ruining something.

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by ABED » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:03 pm

Cure Dragon 255 wrote:Who's Ani? LOL sorry if I'm ruining something.
Ani is Anakin's nickname.

Something that does grind my gears is both the inability to separate nostalgia from critical analysis AND the idea some hold that nostalgia is almost negative.
Last edited by ABED on Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Kanassa » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:06 pm

Cure Dragon 255 wrote:Who's Ani? LOL sorry if I'm ruining something.
I'm quoting a stage musical that parodied Star Wars, called 'ANI: A Parody'. Palpatine is asking Tarkin if he think Ani will like the lego set he got him.
When Super apparently shoves Goku down our throats:

Kanassa wrote:
FoolsGil wrote:I hope Mark is dead. But chances are the dragonballs will bring his stupid ass back. :D
- FoolsGil, Out of Context, 2017

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Baggie_Saiyan » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:19 pm

Anyway back to DB. I hate when modern DB used the gold Super Saiyan transformations they just look so ugly in this modern era, with aura it's fine but without it looks horrible watching Buu Kai made realise it more.

Quick eg using Google images don't have anything on hand.
[spoiler]Image
Image[/spoiler]

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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Jinzoningen MULE » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:37 pm

Baggie_Saiyan wrote:Anyway back to DB. I hate when modern DB used the gold Super Saiyan transformations they just look so ugly in this modern era, with aura it's fine but without it looks horrible watching Buu Kai made realise it more.

Quick eg using Google images don't have anything on hand.
[spoiler]Image
Image[/spoiler]
Y'know, I agree that SS hair tends to look pretty bad in new material, mostly because it looks more like an assortment of plastic blocks than hair. However, I think the SS3 hair, while lacking in the fierceness of the original, is a valid take.
[spoiler]Image
Image[/spoiler]
This screenshot is from the BoG movie, but I think it's a fair representation of the form's modern look as a whole.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Soppa Saia People » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:53 pm

ekrolo2 wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote:
ABED wrote:The only thing TFA needed to be was be successful, which even the prequels were. Say what you will about them, but at least the prequels didn't just remake the first movie.

The [blank] ruined my childhood argument is asinine. Your childhood is still intact.
To be fair, The Force Awakens had better characters, humor, writing, action, and was just better than all of the Prequels. And even if TFA had a weak story, that doesn't make the prequels story any better. There still terrible movies, with a boring story, awful acting, stupid characters, shitty humor, and bad action. The best thing about it are the Lego games.
Duel of Fates on its own is better then anything TFA or Rogue One have done.
Well, that's just like, your opinion, man. But yeah I do love that fight. But the ones in AOTC and ROTS are terrible.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by Soppa Saia People » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:55 pm

Jinzoningen MULE wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote:The best thing about it are the Lego games.
If there's one thing everyone can unite on, it's that Lego's are still totally cool and no we're not too old for them.
I never actually cared for Lego's, but I love those games. I still have my GameCube copy of the original one.
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Re: Things that grind your gears

Post by 8000 Saiyan » Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:58 pm

Jinzoningen MULE wrote:
Soppa Saia People wrote:The best thing about it are the Lego games.
If there's one thing everyone can unite on, it's that Lego's are still totally cool and no we're not too old for them.
I used to like Legos, but not anymore.
"It was deemed to be too awesome." - Scott McNeil on Dragon Ball Kai not being aired yet in Canada.

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