Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Twitch / GODAIZER Web Site / Avery Guerra
If you have actually taken the time to read many of my articles here at MIN, you have undoubtedly noticed my tendency to bitch and moan about copy-cat films, the fact that film makers seem to all make the same type of film at the same time, i.e. Bigfoot films and giant shark flicks, and the use of CGI animation over old-school stop-motion effects. That being said, you will probably be surprised to learn that there is one genre out there that no matter how many films get produced, I won't complain about it, that is, the giant robot genre, and I am actually thankful that the latest improvements in CGI effects have given film makers the tools to produce quality work on a small budget.
I know, you just fell out of your chair.
True, many of these films are either homages, or based on existing robot franchises, which I suppose makes them copy-cats, none the less, but I love them anyway.
Today's film, "GODAIZER", is an homage, it is CGI, it's story seems to be based (heavily) on "Tetsujin 28-go", some of the mecha looks exactly like the ones in "Macross" and the monster looks kinda like the one from "Ultraman: The Next." In fact some of the story looks like it may have been inspired by "Ultraman: The Next" or possibly "WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3", which to me doesn't matter, because it looks like one hell of a cool short film.
"GODAIZER" has been a three year project for film maker Hillary Yeo who has poured both heart and soul into creating a visually stunning tribute to the great giant robot anime of the 1970s and 80s.
When I say stunning, I mean stunning. Though the animation in "GODAIZER" is computer generated, I has all the qualities of hand-painted art.
Truly beautiful.
No word yet on any release info on this one, so we'll just have to wait and see what develops.
Until then, here is the trailer plus a few stills:
Director: Zack Snyder Writers: Zack Snyder & Steve Shibuya Story by Zack Snyder Producers: Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder Executive Producers: Thomas Tull, Wesley Coller, Jon Jashni, Chris deFaria, Jim Rowe, William Fay
Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn Action Fantasy. Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared. "Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls--the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)--to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm). Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey--if they succeed--will set them free.
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: JoBlo / Avery Guerra
It seems like we have been being teased about a live-action "Voltron" movie now for about a decade. Well, actually since 2008 to be precise, but it has seemed like forever.
Now, finally, the thing is going to be made by Atlas Entertainment, who took over the project from Fox-based New Regency, who went as far as to hire a director for the film (Max Makowski) then backed away from the project. Atlas is apparently kicking things into high gear on this one. Reportedly the studio has hired Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write the screenplay for "Voltron" and had Swedish artist Andree Wallin produce three, very cool looking, pieces of concept art. One of which is above.
Since the film is still in it's infancy there isn't much else to report at this point, unlike New Regency, Atlas hasn't rushed out to find a director for "Voltron" before they have all their ducks in a row.
We can only hope that the studio takes this one seriously, and from the concept art it looks like they very well might, so that they don't try and hand us some more of the same old "Transformers" crap.
Go over to Joblo and check out their exclusive concept images from "Voltron" - HERE
Shogun Warriors Beast King Golion Jumbo Action Figure:
Before it was called Voltron you had Beast King Go Lion! Nearly 2-feet tall! Limited edition!
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As expected Hong Kong based Agog Films Productions to advantage of all the media attention of the San Diego Comic Con to announce that they had chosen two directors for their giant robot epic, "Future Fighters". The multi-national production will now be under the direction of Korean film maker Nelson Shin, who served as director/producer of the 1986 animated "Transformers" movie, and Hong Kong director Ken Siu, who is best known for his work on "The Forbidden Kingdom", "Fearless" and "Rush Hour".
Here is some background info on Nelson Shin from Wikipedia:
Nelson Shin (b. 1939; Korean name: Shin Neung-kyun(신능균)) is the founder and president of Akom Production Co., Ltd., in Seoul, South Korea. He founded Akom in 1985.
In the 1970s, Shin worked as an animator at the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, where he worked on the Pink Panther films. He is also credited with creating the glowing lightsaber blade used by Jedi Knights in the first Star Wars movie released and other subsequent Star Wars films.
Much of the animation Shin's studio has produced has been for American television series. Some of Akom's credits are: The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men, Invasion America and Arthur. Shin's most well-known accomplishment is his direction of the television series The Transformers and Transformers: The Movie. Akom's lead animator is Kim Jun-bok.
Beginning in 1999, Shin worked on the animated feature film Empress Chung. The film was largely animated in North Korea, and in August 2005 became the first movie ever to open simultaneously in North and South Korea.
In 2009 he was elected president of the International Animated Film Association, a post he is to hold until 2012.
It was also announced that Japanese action star Rina Takeda has joined the international cast along with Ray Park (The Phantom Menace), Eriko Satô (Cutie Honey), Lisa Sa (Lisa Cheng)(Chinese model, athlete and gymnast) and Yasaki “David” Kurata (Blood: The Last Vampire).
The 3D effects for "Future Fighters" will be handled by New Zealand based WETA Digital, who also handled the effects for Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "King Kong", "District 9", the Korean monster film "The Host", "Avatar" and the upcoming "Planet of the Apes" reboot "Rise of the Apes".
The film is heavily inspired by the two Japanese animated series "Macross" (Robotech) and "Patlabor" as producer Guy Orlebar explains, "This Macross story is basically a love‐triangle between the main three characters set against a war between humans and big green aliens who battle in these fantastic robotic fighters. The robots, or mecha — the Japanese word for mechanical designs — are treated as little more than part of the background, and instead it’s the human drama between the three characters that takes centre stage — something which is also very similar to the Japanese TV show, and two of Mamoru Oshii’s animated feature films, Patlabor, where the robots in that show are really nothing more than fancy police patrol cars but still looked so cool and made the show so distinctive."
Sounds like my kind of movie!
You can view a copy of the press release that Agog Films Productions let fly at Comic Con - Here
And here are a few stills along with some concept art from "Future Fighters":
Classic Voltron, in ultra-bright color! Articulated action figure from the Robot Vinyl Series. A must-have for the collection!
This very cool and definitely colorful Voltron Vehicle comes from Toynami's Robot Vinyl Series. It stands an impressive 9-inches tall and features articulation. So, if you're a fan of Voltron, you're sure to be a fan of this! Please note that this figure does not transform.
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Twitch / Avery Guerra
If your a giant robot fan, like me, than this really outta get ya all geeked up.
As I have often said, movie productions in other parts of the world work on a different timetable than they do here in America. Sometimes it literally takes years to get from the planning stages to the finished product.
Such is the case with Won Shin-yeon's giant robot epic, "Robot Taekwon V", a film that we first started talking about here at Monster Island News way back in 2008.
Since that time we have seen all kinds of production photos, test animations and even TV commercials coming out of Korea, but no real footage or images that will make it into the film.
Which means there has been a lot of thought and planning being put into this one that so far hasn't translated into any actual filming.
Well, I wish that I could report that there is some actual filming being done on "Robot Taekwon V", but all I have for you today is more conceptual stuff. This time in the form of a set of new Taekwon V designs by digital artist Josh Nizzi who also designed many of the bots in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen".
Like his work in "Transformers", Nizzi has taken the classic, and I should point out, more refined look of the original Taekwon V, and added a lot more bells and whistles. Basically turning the robot into another Transformer as opposed to making look like the Japanese robot, Mazinger Z, which it was originally modeled after.
Now, I don't know about you, but I like the classic look better, today everyone seems to be making these robots look too complicated. I'll take any of the old Japanese robots over these new designs any day.
Hopefully production on "Robot Taekwon V" should begin very shortly. Tentatively the film now has a release date scheduled for sometime in 2011.
Mamoru Oshii's latest film project "28 1/2" is yet another in a recent line of films to re imagine one of Japan's most beloved giant robot anime, "Tetsujin 28″.
The first came in 2005 with the live-action film "Tetsujin niju-hachigo" (Tetsujin 28) directed by Shin Togashi, then last year Hakari Productions and Imagi Studios announced that they were producing a CGI animated "Tetsujin" in the same line as "Astroboy."
Now Oshii, who is no stranger to giant robot series, being that he was the creative mind behind both, "Ghost in the Shell" and "Patlabor", is gearing up to produce another live-action film based on "Tetsujin 28-gō (Iron Man #28)" a manga, and then later on a animated series, by illustrator Mitsuteru Yokoyama.
At this point it is not clear whether "28 1/2" will be a follow-up to Togashi's film, or another reboot entirely.
Regardless, these first images from the production should be enough to get giant robot fans very geeked up about Oshii's film:
It's really hard to believe that it has been well over two years since I first reported on "M.O.R.A.V." (Multi-Operational Robotic Armored Vehicle) a pet project of Hollywood special effects maven Fon Davis. Over those two years the giant robot anime inspired feature has morphed from a possible television series or feature film, to a comic book series, which never found a publisher.
You really have to tip your hat to Davis though, he has never given up on "M.O.R.A.V.", and now, finally the project has been given a second life by Insight Editions who now is going to release the original 6-issue comic as a one-off graphic novel.
According to Davis, "We’ve taken what was going to be the 132 page 6 issue comic book series and combined it in to a single graphic novel, which will include an extra 30 pages of bonus material."
"So, the 'M.O.R.A.V.: History of Robotic Warfare' graphic novel is 160 pages long. If you or anyone you know wants to order a copy, there is a link on my website morav.net (Also At Amazon.com). I will be signing exclusive advance copies of 'M.O.R.A.V.: The History of Robotic Warfare' at Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego."
To correspond with the release of the graphic novel, Davis and his team are set to begin running the live-action "M.O.R.A.V." series as webisodes starting this August.
"I am going back to producing the live action webisodes of M.O.R.A.V. this August." Davis adds, "I’m really looking forward to getting back to the live action series. Here is a sneak peak at the 1/6 scale Gen 1 M.O.R.A.V. we’re building for that series right now in my studio (see very bottom below)."
"If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you’ve always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. [It] is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real."
Indeed "M.O.R.A.V." has all the makings of a live-action "Patlabor" series crossed with a hard-hitting military based action series.
Here is the synopsis (from my initial 2008 article about 'M.O.R.A.V.):
The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.
If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.
The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.
Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.
As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war. But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.
Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.
Here are some test shots and concept artwork from "M.O.R.A.V.":
Over the past five years Asian cinema has become a hot bed of creativity with each new film aspiring to push the envelope in regards to special effects and action. In China, particularly, film makers have taken every opportunity to try and match the level of production seen in Japan and especially here in Hollywood.
To do this, Chinese film companies have lured in outside talent, both in front of, and behind the camera, to try and play 'catch-up' with the 'big boys' in the fantasy film biz.
A prime example of this is the effects heavy, "Empires of the Deep", which boasts both cast and crew from Europe, America, and of course, China.
Now, producer Guy Orlebar is following in the same footsteps to produce his 3D giant robot epic, "Future Fighters", signing big name talent from the United States, Japan, and let us not forget, China as well.
On a side note, EikoSato (photo above) has made our "Top Ten Hottest Women" list both in 2008 and 2009!
So far, the film's cast boasts Ray Park (The Phantom Menace), ErikoSatô (Cutie Honey), Lisa Sa (Lisa Cheng)(Chinese model, athlete and gymnast) and Yasaki “David” Kurata (Blood: The Last Vampire).
Like most of us, Orlebar grew up watching Japanese robot cartoons like, "Macross" and "Transformers" and these shows heavily influenced the development of "Future Fighters".
The film maker explains, "I’m an Eighties kid, and a huge fan of the animated Transformers show and all the fantastic mecha, particularly giant robot, shows that were being shown in Japan at that time. Shows like Macross (known as Robotech in the US), Patlabor, GUNDAM, of course — loads more. But we’d never really seen any of these types of stories coming out of Hollywood before. Okay there’d been a few. I’m not sure how many people remember Robot Jox [directed by Stuart Gordon] or the English language live‐action Gundam G‐Saviour. But it wasn’t until Steven Spielberg, against all conventional Hollywood wisdom, decided to big‐up his live action Transformers with director Michael Bay, that Hollywood finally sat up and took notice, especially because as we all know Transformers as well as Transformers 2 did phenomenally well. Personally, I preferred Korean director Nelson Shin’s 1986 animated theatrical version of Transformers in terms of style and emotion and coolness… but I was only 8 at the time which probably helped! (laughs)"
"Anyway, I totally respect Misters Spielberg and Bay for reviving the franchise and making Transformers go mainstream. It may not be the Transformers I grew up with, but it’s great that it’s going strong, and has ushered in an entire new generation of Transformer fans. So Future Fighters is our contribution to expanding the giant robot genre. Other examples that this genre is now taking off include Spiderman Tobey Maguire’s recently announced Robotech live‐action adaptation, and the live‐action adaptation of Voltron, another Eighties anime shown also in the West."
Which of the numerous Japanese giant robot anime shows impressed the film maker the most?
"One of the strongest influences to the story of Future Fighters is the original Japanese animated TV show, Macross, which as I mentioned earlier US readers will probably know as the first Robotech installment." Orlebar adds. "And which Transformers fans will know from the original Jet Fire toy, which I did have as a kid. This Macross story is basically a love‐triangle between the main three characters set against a war between humans and big green aliens who battle in these fantastic robotic fighters. The robots, or mecha — the Japanese word for mechanical designs — are treated as little more than part of the background, and instead it’s the human drama between the three characters that takes centre stage — something which is also very similar to the Japanese TV show, and two of MamoruOshii’s animated feature films, Patlabor, where the robots in that show are really nothing more than fancy police patrol cars but still looked so cool and made the show so distinctive."
"So, apart from the big green aliens in Macross, I really liked this concept of putting human relationships first and keeping the mecha secondary. But, and this is true for all Japanese mecha shows, the mechanical designs have to be unique and original, and utterly distinctive. I read in an article by Spielberg how all his best characters are instantly recognizable from their silhouette only… just think of Jaws, ET, Indiana Jones. Very good advice for designing memorable characters or imagery."
Though giant robot anime is the basis for "Future Fighter", Orlebar also drew inspiration from the work of classic sci fi novelists.
"In my teens I read Arthur C. Clarke’s sequels to 2001: A Space Odyssey: 2010, 2061 and, er, what was the most recent one? 3001. In 2010, or maybe 2061, Clarke writes about some of the fantastic moons around Jupiter. I don’t want to give too much away here, but anyway they’re not just rocks, and they definitely both feature in some of the key visuals for Future Fighters. And there’s a whole bunch of other stuff out there too which I learned about and which have been discovered only in the past few years. Really fascinating."
"… One of the great things about [Clarke's] novels is they are all steeped in science and realism. That’s also something I want to achieve with Future Fighters: bringing the science back to science fiction. Honestly, there’s no sound in space, and (unless you’re spinning around) there’s no such thing as artificial gravity in a spaceship. The challenge, and what we’re aiming to achieve with Future Fighters, is to keep it real without losing any of the great action, pace and excitement of a fabulous sci‐fi adventure. Imagine like a cross between the first Star Wars film and Stanley Kubrik’s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. That’s what we’re aiming for."
Looks like Orlebar's head is in the right place. So, I suppose your wondering how the film maker is going to tie all this together for "Future Fighter"? Well, maybe this plot synopsis will shed some light on the subject?:
It is the 22nd Century. After bringing irreversible destruction to our planet’s habitable environment in their relentless plunder of resources, the Earth’s leading mega-conglomerates lead humanity into space to colonise the night skies and forge a new future, leaving behind the barren Earth as a ruined, radioactive wasteland, with humankind seemingly destined never to return. For the past fifty years the colonies living amongst the planets of our solar system have been at peace.
But now, out of the ashes of the scorched Earth a new evil emerges, threatening to engulf the entire free solar system into a terrible darkness. Now, never before has the fate of all humankind lain in the hands of so few — a small clutch of brave mercantile militia soldiers, and their sophisticated interstellar fighting machines, stationed at a military garrison outpost orbiting the planet Jupiter and its moons. Pitted against impossible odds, they must fight… for the future. But they will soon unwittingly and devastatingly discover that, in space, the blackest darkness is in the hearts of men.
Countless fighter craft explode, battleships are ripped apart, moons shatter, love is lost and found, and whole atmospheres ignite in huge planet-sized fireballs in this exciting new, big-budget, CG-heavy, sci-fi epic [...], which features never-before-imagined non-stop zero-G action stretching from the serene azure Neptune-filled skies of the exotic, geyser-filled moon Triton, to the heights of the colossal Olympus Mons on Mars, through the volcanic, hellish landscape of Jupiter’s Io and icy depths of the subterranean oceans on Europa, crashing through the rings of Saturn and methane rain and lakes of its moon Titan, and down into the ubiquitous, ravaging Giant Red Eye storm of Jupiter itself!
Also on board for "Future Fighter" are action director Dee Dee Ku (Matrix 2&3, Kill Bill 1&2, The Mummy 3), 3D cinematographer Henry Chung, composer Robert Ellis-Geiger, and actors Reuben Langdon (Avatar, Spiderman 2, Pirates Of The Caribbean 3) and KazuyaShimizu (Azumi, Big Man Japan, Returner).
Amazingly, the film has been moving forward, quite effectively, without a director, which according to Orlebar, will be announced before this years San Diego Comic Con.
We will have to wait and see if "Future Fighter" can stand out among all of the giant robot films due to be released over the next few years including "Gaiking", "Robotech", "Voltron", "Battletech", "Transformers 3" and the Korean produced "Taekwon V".
Here is the teaser trailer and some production/behind-the-scenes images from "Future Fighters":
Written By: Ken Hulsey
