discussion Watching war films.......yikes

[Ian M]

....Nowhere is this effect more obvious than the shield generator scene in "return of the jedi". Why was it necessary for Han and Co. to go down to the forest world to 'clandestinely destroy the generator complex -through the back door, miles away, b.t.w.'?, when the alliance could easily have bombarded the installation from orbit (they brought enough capital ships). Or if you don't like that, why couldn't they have detailed a detachment of A-wings to go down and do the job, it's not like they'd be missed. (I'm really just getting started on all the errors I've been finding); as a result, I have coined a new term. "Lucasism": not because it's logical, practical or makes any kind of sense, but because it would look "cool".

I think that the reason they had to go in via a "back door" instead of blowing the place to bits from space, might just of had something to do with their target was the shield generator that was preventing any one attacking them from "outside" the shield.....

Ian M

 

[Guest]

I think that the reason they had to go in via a "back door" instead of blowing the place to bits from space, might just of had something to do with their target was the shield generator that was preventing any one attacking them from "outside" the shield.....Ian M

2 words ...Orbital bombardment.

Just saturate the area and have done. And an entire "legion of my best troops" being beaten by a-technological teddy bears!?" --You mean a legion of your slacker troops and rejects, right? I think all you'd have to do is just take out one of the tower support legs and watch the whole thing fall down. Even if not, the beam would no longer be on target.

The only excuse for that scene was to find a way (any way) to separate Luke from the rest of the team, so he could have his showdown with vader and the emperor aboard the station. I hate George Lucas with a passion that can only be dreamed of...

 

[Guest]

And on a similar vein, why did the empire not just blast the rebel base to bits from space, instead of sending down a team of AT-AT walkers? It was exactly the same result anyway. Reason: It wouldn't be as visually exciting. The ground battle was totally pointless and unnecessary.

Back to the Lucasism - because it would look cool.

I have analyzed this whole thing to death, in a vain and pathetic attempt for me to keep liking it. But it's so fragile, every time I get near it, or try to pick it up, I put another hole in it.

 

[Guest]

Older movies still had really obvious mistakes in them, take the Lancaster's in The Dambusters, if you look when they are doing their runs, they have machine gun fire coming from the tips of the wings!Modern movies do try to rewrite history , like U-571 the American's finding the Enigma machine !

Adrian

I just finished watching U-571 for the first time ...gotta say I didn't think I'd be laughing at the end of the movie, laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.

Oh man, technical inaccuracies abound, where to even begin!

Great film for an unintentional comedy, highly recommended for anyone who is a fan or is knowledgeable of submarine combat and or tactics.(-as I am). Movie challenge --try to guess at exactly which point they actually got killed. Once that moment happened for me, I knew nothing I saw after that was possible, so the drama and tension totally disappeared.

 

[Dave W]

I think you are all getting a bit carried away with the Starwars thing.I mean,it's for kids,Innit?!!.Im a big Sci Fi fan ,but prefer stuff like Babylon 5 and the remake of the Battlestar Galactica series.As for films,I think 'Dune' was pretty good.I wish they'd made a film of the second book.

 

[downscale model art]

One of the good points of Saving Ryan was that they tried to get 99% correct. The Tigers are actually modified T-34's the give away is the wheels, but still a cracking job on converting. There is also a 1950's telephone on the wall in the farmhouse.Si

best depiction ever of REAL gunfire. bloody frightening. ps, just seen a youtube clip of a royal navy goalkeeper gun being fired. the sound of it is terrifying!

 

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

And on a similar vein, why did the empire not just blast the rebel base to bits from space, instead of sending down a team of AT-AT walkers? It was exactly the same result anyway. Reason: It wouldn't be as visually exciting. The ground battle was totally pointless and unnecessary.Back to the Lucasism - because it would look cool.

I have analyzed this whole thing to death, in a vain and pathetic attempt for me to keep liking it. But it's so fragile, every time I get near it, or try to pick it up, I put another hole in it.

OK, to defend the Star wars universe,,,,,

1, Empire "holes" they had to land outside the rebel shield generators, as quoted in the film,, once the shield generators are down you may commence your landing Lord Vader.

2, Jedi plot holes,, the shield that protects the 2nd Death Star also protects the generator on Endor, forcing a team to go disable it.

If you read the books it clearly covers both these points

If you want plot holes, ask yourself why Vader cant remember living in Tattooine?

Why they only wipe one of the droids memory?

Why does Padme not age yet Anakin ages about 15 years in one film?

Now BSG, great remake but waaaaaaaaaaaaay too involved with all the moral issues, original BSG was fun and not an attempt to probe each characters inner thoughts, as for Baltar and the cylon sex, simply put there to get male viewers wanting more.

Adrian

 

[Guest]

I thought we were on the authenticity of war movies here. How can you debate the authenticity of Star Wars for goodness sake?!!!

It's Science Fiction, the clue is in the second word.

 

[Guest]

I thought we were on the authenticity of war movies here. How can you debate the authenticity of Star Wars for goodness sake?!!!It's Science Fiction, the clue is in the second word.

You beat me to it .... As I said above it is imagination .... There's no ''facts'' to argue

 

[Guest]

There we go my biggest disappointment in the last 10 secs I thought Star Wars was real. Seems real especially that big slug thing.

Laurie

 

[Guest]

To digress slightly, did anyone see "Run silent, run deep" earlier today? An ok film, until we get shown supposedly Japanese aircraft attacking a US sub. The aircraft ? Douglas Dauntless, complete with American markings..........

 

[Guest]

..........You really cannot have Hitler ranting in any other language than German, it simply wouldn't work.

I agree. And you should hear my German son-in-law tearing a strip off his two sons. German is absolutely the best language to get the attention of teenage boys!

 

[stona]

I'd just like to point out that the much and often hilariously re-subtitled part of "Downfall" in which Hitler realises defeat is inevitable and goes on a famous rant is very much the exception in Bruno Ganz's performance as Hitler.

One of the reasons the film caused controversy in Germany was Ganz's portrayal of Hitler as a human being rather than a carpet munching mad man. It's what makes it such a mesmerising performance. It's also far more realistic. Only now, as the second war is on the verge of passing from living memory, can we start to accept more honest portrayals of the 20th century's most infamous demagogue.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Dave W]

OK, to defend the Star wars universe,,,,,1, Empire "holes" they had to land outside the rebel shield generators, as quoted in the film,, once the shield generators are down you may commence your landing Lord Vader.

2, Jedi plot holes,, the shield that protects the 2nd Death Star also protects the generator on Endor, forcing a team to go disable it.

If you read the books it clearly covers both these points

If you want plot holes, ask yourself why Vader cant remember living in Tattooine?

Why they only wipe one of the droids memory?

Why does Padme not age yet Anakin ages about 15 years in one film?

Now BSG, great remake but waaaaaaaaaaaaay too involved with all the moral issues, original BSG was fun and not an attempt to probe each characters inner thoughts, as for Baltar and the cylon sex, simply put there to get male viewers wanting more.

Adrian

Cylon Sex?.So that's why I love the series!.

 

[Gern]

I think you are all getting a bit carried away with the Starwars thing.I mean,it's for kids,Innit?!!.Im a big Sci Fi fan ,but prefer stuff like Babylon 5 and the remake of the Battlestar Galactica series.As for films,I think 'Dune' was pretty good.I wish they'd made a film of the second book.

You may already know but there's a TV version of Dune and the same company did a follow-up series, Children of Dune. I got both sets off ebay reasonably cheaply.

Neither are particularly brilliant (I think they overdid the budget for the battle scenes in Dune though. By my reckoning they must have cost nearly 50 pence!) but they do cover some details which don't appear in the film and they stay reasonably close to the book.

Gern

PS Here's a link:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=&_osacat=617&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.XDune&_nkw=Dune&_sacat=617&_from=R40

Don't do what I've just done! Thinking Dune Apocalypse is a version of Dune Messiah, I bought it. It's just Children of Dune re-named. Oh poo!

 

[Dave W]

Never seen the series Gern.Will have to look out for it.

 

[Gern]

By some amazing coincidence, I just happen to have (or will have soon) a spare copy of Children of Dune! PM your address and I'll send it to you.

Gern

 

[Guest]

In the Great Escape Steve Mcqueen (Hilts) mugs a German

Motorcycle rider and snaffs his ride.

But

The motorcycle is a Triumph 500 twin highly unlikely that the Germans would be using one of those.

BMW or Zundapp more like, but then neither would have made the jump just like Stevie boy didnt.

 

[stona]

"The Great Escape" suffers to some extent from the "U- 571" syndrome. It was a commercial film, very loosely based on the true story as told in Brickhill's original book. Hollywood money demands Hollywood stars, the fact that no Americans were involved in the actual escape had to be neatly side stepped.

Having said that the presence of an actor like McQueen, and a passing resemblance to actual events does elevate the film above utter crap like "U-571", "Pearl Harbor" or "Red Tails". It isn't a bad film in that way at all.

I'm afraid its treatment of the German characters (verging on caricature) does leave much to be desired, but the same can be said of most Anglo-American war films.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "Where Eagles Dare", another one that gets up my nose. Luckily for Eastwood, Burton et alter the Wermacht appears to have made the basic mistake of issuing its forces with blank rather than live ammunition!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

No one has yet mention the film Inglorious Bazzers surely this must merit the particular category of junk.

Along with most of those British made films in the last 30 years too many to list out but i think its a shame they waste the money on them and cannot understand how they can turn a story into dross.

So what is the best war film out there?

My vote .. The one about whats his face and fingy bob where they all get killed in the end .

Cant think what its called erm erm erm ..

Oh ok then Zulu