Haha, bet you were flummoxed with who on Earth is this mysterious “Mrs P” and why I was going on all about her! And yeah, I’m glad you share my sentiments. Too often, snakes are depicted as the bad guys in popular fiction, and with the exception of Kung Fu Panda and perhaps Animals of Farthing Wood, they rarely get to be the heroes. I won’t spoil whether Mrs P is a benevolent or nasty character, but I’ll say that she’s a very important figure in Soren’s development, and I really hope they pay respect to that in the film!
I’m a little disappointed they have gone for a light-hearted feel with the first, but I was quite pleased with the second’s epic orchestral (the first instance of such music being used in the official promos), so I really hope they’re doing a ‘Pixar’ and keeping all the dark and scary stuff out of the advertisements. And after reading the Owl Fantasy Forum and rewatching the spots, I’m disappointed to realize that Mrs P [spoil]is not a blind, eyeless snake[/spoil] as depicted in the books. Which is a pity, cos’ that would be pretty daring if the producers actually showed that on-screen.
I was gonna share this, but you beat me to it, nintendofreakgcn!
If y’all haven’t seen ‘TV Spot 1’ yet, it’s the closest promo to capturing the epic feel of the series. I’m really surprised with how fluid the animation looks, although Soren does remind me of Mumble’s overoptimistic eagerness, and especially those ‘dead eyes’… I prefer Gylfie and Digger’s peepers more. And we need more Twilight!
Was this film always meant to be shown in IMAX 3D? Because I don’t remember seeing any advertisements for it until nintendofreakgcn’s most recent post.
Yup, you’re right, theoutsider, it was publicized quite early on that it will be released in that format. But I’m not sure if it was made using 3D technology like Avatar or How to Train Your Dragon, or if it was converted post-2D rendering like Alice and Clash of the Titans (the latter often being referred to as ‘fake-3D’ movies).
I don’t have a citation, but I recall reading that it was intended for 3D from the start of proper production. I remember reading something about the difficulties of doing all the layers of feathers.
At any rate, it’s obvious when seeing the trailers in 3D that, whether it was originally intended or not, the 3D is about as good as they come.
When I asked about it being in 3D, I meant for IMAX. Doesn’t films have to be done a certain way in order to look right on an IMAX screen? Ever since I’ve started seeing trailers for this film, Ive always seen that it was going to be in 3D, just not IMAX 3D.
I dunno how I was aware of it, but I remember discovering early on in the year that it’ll be screened in IMAX theatres. I recall reading somewhere that The Dark Knight and Transformers 2 are the only theatrical films so far to be shot using IMAX cameras, and only then for select scenes. I’ve seen both films in IMAX by the way, and the way to tell if a scene is shot using the IMAX camera is when the screen suddenly elongates and reaches from floor to ceiling. ‘Normal’ scenes that have simply been upscaled will have letterboxes at the top and bottom of the screen, as I’ve seen with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and How to Train Your Dragon.
Being a 100% animated film negates the need for IMAX cameras anyway, so it’s just a matter of whether they rendered it in the full-resolution and dimensions of one, or if like HTTYD, they made it in conventional widescreen and the IMAX theatre just blows it up.
I’m pretty certain that LOTG will be the most spectacular-looking animated film of the year. I’d have to admit that it even beats TS3 and HTTYD by a mile in the aesthetics and animation department (Birds are a nightmare to animate, FYI). Now we’ll have to see whether their story can match up to the visuals.
Does anyone know who’s the echidna in the beginning of the video? I don’t remember him from the first or second books.
I think the standout aspect of this trailer is all the peaceful shots of groups of owls having a good time. We’ve already seen that this film has the epic aspect down pat, but this shows that Snyder and Animal Logic may just have put some genuine heart into this movie as well.
Less than four weeks now, but it feels like so much longer.
Out of curiosity, do any Australians know of any films around at the moment that are preceded by the second trailer. I really want to see that in 3D, but all seven times I’ve been to TS3, it’s been the first trailer. I suppose the second trailer will air before Despicable Me, but I have insufficient interest in that movie to see it during a university semester.
Wow, you must be a massive fan! If I went to the theatre to see the same show seven times at Sydney’s prices, that’d be my entire allowance for a week gone!
Well, I think they showed the first trailer before TS3 for my viewing too. I went for an advance for Despicable Me, so I didn’t see any trailers before then. Just an aside, I really think D.M. is worth a theatrical trip, not only to support the talent at Illumination Entertainment, but also because it looks great in 3D (there were more ‘3D moments’ than TS3).
I may be seeing Avatar for the last time at Darling Harbour IMAX (It’s the Special Edition, but notwithstanding the measely 8 extra minutes, I just want to see it one more time and for my final visit to be on the biggest screen). I have a hunch they may play the LOTG trailer since we’re less than a month away and it’s being released in IMAX cinemas, so I’ll come back with a report.
The website now has videos and bios on the characters, plus music from the movie in the background! Some of the new stuff is pretty good, some of it is eh… but see for yourself:
Great Glaux, the soundtrack is so frinking awesome! We may have to watch the music in context, but I think HTTYD and TS3 better watch their backs for Best OM!
Yeah, upon another listen, I have to admit that the music sounds pretty powerful and awesome! And Nyra’s clip… wow, Helen Mirren is such a perfect fit for her. And is it just me, or do the visuals seem to be getting better with each new clip?
Interestingly, an ad in my state newspaper (minor thing at the top of the screen times for Hoyts) has the Australian release date as the 27th of September, which is a Monday. A look on the website indicates that as the release date for Victoria and Queensland, while the rest of Australia has the 30th as the release date. That ad was cruel and unusual punishment for me.
I agree, she looks like the ‘sweet-talking villain who will later stab you in the back’-type! Nyra, Kludd, Gylfie, Eglantine, and Twilight’s clips are my favourites. Metalbeak, Soren and Digger… uh… not so much, but they’re still pretty decent.
All I’ll say is, the animation is remarkable. Pay attention to Digger in Twilight’s clip, or Kludd in Nyra’s clip, the secondary animation and character reactions are very seamless and you can ‘tell’ what they’re thinking, which is the hallmark of convincing animation.
And most of the film was made in Australia, for Glaux’ sake. You’d think they’d at least respect the production country by having a nationwide release date.
And yeah, I’m glad you share my sentiments. Too often, snakes are depicted as the bad guys in popular fiction, and with the exception of Kung Fu Panda and perhaps Animals of Farthing Wood, they rarely get to be the heroes. I won’t spoil whether Mrs P is a benevolent or nasty character, but I’ll say that she’s a very important figure in Soren’s development, and I really hope they pay respect to that in the film!
Thanks, Basil.
If I went to the theatre to see the same show seven times at Sydney’s prices, that’d be my entire allowance for a week gone!