Once again.. Hollywood ruins another great piece of literature

[everythingsxen]

I feel the need to rant about the upcoming film I, Robot. I enjoyed the book as a child, along with most every other book by Asimov in his robot series.

However, I don't seem to remember a massive robot battle involving thousands of robots and raging gunfights on superhighways.

Maybe it's just me.

It really annoys me. Why couldn't they just have made I, Robot as it was written instead of simply taking the name, the idea of robots and the Three Laws and made another cheesy shoot em up movie.

[Khephra]

1. The sad thing is the director is one of my faves

David Goyer (The Crow and Dark City).

It's too bad that they didn't just give the film a different title. No one would complain then.

I'll see it, but then I'm not an Asimov fan.

[historian]

2. i avoid hollywood like the plague

only foreign films or american independents - hollywood rubbish makes me yearn for death

[achtung_circus]

3. I was hugely disappointed in Starship Troopers

Heinlein wrote a thoughtful book on the meaning of service to the community,with battles thrown in.

What Hollywood turned it into was shoot-em-up with co-ed shower scenes.

[stinkeefresh]

7. whoa.

Ok, having just outed myself as a fan of the new Star Wars films (see post #4 below), I'm sure my opinion will be worth little. But I must come to the defense of SS Troopers.

It is an incredible film, 1000 time smarter than it is ever given credit for. It may appear to be a bad shoot-em-up from the late 20th century, but it is actually a carefully constructed piece of propaganda from the government of the future. It is ferociously right-wing, until you see that it is actually a comment on right-wing propaganda and the way it is constructed.

Every bad actor, bad plot point, and Nazi uniform in the film feeds the goal: to get you, the audience of this futuristic time, to join the Mobile Infantry. I cannot think of a single other film in the history of cinema that asks it's audience- no, defines it's audience- as from another time and place.

It is not a film about the future, it is a film FROM the future.

The only thing I can liken it to is some of the books of Edward Gory, which are designed to appear to be from the past.

[Paladin]

13. I'm With You

I think "Starship Trooopers" is a terrific movie, but I've never encountered a Heinlein True Believer who thought it was anything other than a piece of trash. Their loss........

[baldguy]

14. Do yourseves a favor.

Read the book.

[everythingsxen]

18. I am a Heinlein True Believer and...

I sort of like SS Troopers the movie.

However, I like it more for the camp factor than anything. I like the silly ads on TV between film segments.

Plus - At least SS Troopers had *some* bearing on the book. I, Robot seems to bear no resemblance to the I, Robot I read; aside from robots that is.

[stinkeefresh]

4. you are surely right.

but I'm going to see it anyway. mostly because its being released by Fox, so there is a 85% chance that there will be a 30 second mini-teaser for Star Wars Episode III.

If it'll make you feel better, I'll promise to leave after the trailers.

[Deja Q]

5. SW ep III? Way too soon and would they say anything of value?

I doubt it.

It's going to be a dark movie, assuming Hayden Christensen can learn how to act in time and if the production team puts some proper EFFORT into the writing and atmosphere (hah, good luck...).

[stinkeefresh]

8. in the past, they've done the sneak trailer thing

about a year before release. Then the real trailer comes much later. Usually there's only a few images. But, since I absolutely adore Episodes I and II (you heard me), I'll take any scrap I can get.

[DrWeird]

16. Make sure you get your money back.

The only reason Hollywood makes these stupid-ass movies is because stupid-ass people pay for it.

[arcane1]

6. multitudes of CGI soldiers, robots, etc... they are a plague!

does EVERY movie have to have this now? Is it a screenwriter's guild rule?

I agree 100%

[Deja Q]

9. And you're surprised because...

Hollywood needs to become fresh and original again. These remakes of old tv shows, films, and books, are utterly out of control. Sheesh, even a "Fantastic Four" movie is being made... just because it's a superhero doesn't mean it'll be good, just ask the Saint or the Shadow?

Or at least start mixing topical social references again, which is why the X-Men series works (I could otherwise care less about superheroes, but then I liked Superman too so who knows?)

[stinkeefresh]

10. we are over due for a sea change in American Cinema

in the past, every sea change (in content) been the result of technological advancement. IMHO, the advent of cheap production (DV, Home Editing) has crossed the tipping point. Micro-budget cinema is coming, and it will be the next Rock and Roll.

[amazona]

11. you can't ruin I, Robot

The story will always remain the cornerstone of robotics and SF that it is. I just have to keep telling myself, the movies are not the same as the written word, and while there is a crossover audience, overall they don't play to the same crowd. So don't let 'em grind you down.

There are lots of movie adaptations that are disappointments or just out-and-out garbage, but the one that really upset me the most was "Endless Love." Most terrible movies have no impact on the writer but I think this one destroyed interested in Scott Spencer's work for many years and I'm not sure he ever really recovered, although there was a mild spark of interest over his Dylan book (a far inferior work in my humble opinion),

[marigold20]

12. Thanks to movie reviews I've missed a few bad adaptations.

Such as The Shipping News. Maybe the rest of the cast was ok but Kevin Spacey as the main character? He's a great actor but that role should have been played by John Lithgow (he'd have to lose a few years somehow). I'm also happy to know Cold Mountain as a great read, not a medicore film.

[Khephra]

15. After more thought...

Hollywood CAN'T ruin literature.

I forget what "highly respected author" said this, but here goes.

A "HRA" was talking to another author about his books being made into films. The second author complained about how the studios were ruining the first author's books.

The "HRA" then took his friend into his study and pointed at all the books that he had written, up on his shelves.

He then said something like "Hollywood can't ruin my work. There's my work. It's still there."

I wish I could remember who was actually involved in that exchange. I'm sure someone here will remember.

[ironflange]

17. I would care to bet that the Simpsons "Battlebot" episode

has more about the Three Laws than the movie does.