Polar Express tried and failed to do what LotR accomplished

[Larry_OHF]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movi...ess/index.html
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This report says that Polar Express tried to do what LotR did with Gollum. Make the animation more humanistic by using the technology that Andy Serkis is now a master at. But this report says that they failed. Where did they fall through? In the emotions where the eyes would play a major part. This critic says that they eyes are the "window to the soul" to quote the old saying...and that the characters on this movie are therefore lifeless and even scary.

I will go on record now by saying that Peter Jackson's crew knew how to do it right with the eyes. Gollum's emotions shown through his eyes were believable enough to make one feel shivers and sympathetic and fall into the movie. It appears (if this report is to be believed) that so far only the LotR trilogy has the award-winning animation, still. </font>

[ 11-10-2004, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Timber Loftis]

Hold the phone a minute. Have you seen how Lucas's remake of the Jabba scene in A New Hope showed how hokey the original remastering in 1997 was? I see Gollum as the same way lots of times. He has an unreal cartooney quality about him -- and it derives mostly from his face. Most of the things in LoTR looked fantastical, but real -- as if you could touch them. Minas Tirith, the Ringwraiths, even the Balrog. But, Gollum was definately the most obvious unreal thing in the film.

[Larry_OHF]

<font color=skyblue>Well...I cannot argue that, since Gollum had more airtime than any other creature and so it was easier to notice the flaws, but seriously you gotta give a little credit to how real some of those facial expressions were...like when he was feeling ashamed of himself during Sam's big mono., or other times that I want go into. It was more real than what these guys on Polar Express have done, and they are claiming this movie over LotR and Star Wars as well (if you want to throw that into the mix) as a technilogical breakthrough. I say Bah! Somebody already beat them to it and did a better job. Just because Tom Hanks is doing FIVE voices does not make this movie a legendary hit.

By the way...this movie is based on a 32 page children's storybook of fifteen years old. The author of the book also wrote Jumanji, if anyone is interested.</font>