When it comes to making lists, Entertainment Weekly is not known for a vast knowledge in film history. In fact, it seems to go back only as far as the birth days of their interns.So, you would think that a top 10 list of computer-generated characters would be more up their alley, considering the first use of the technology was only back in the 80's. No such luck. Not only is the oldest film on the list (Jurassic Park) dated 1993, but they actually placed not one, but two movies that are barely months old (Spider-Man 3, Transformers).
In addition to this shortsightedness, such impressive creations as the "water aliens" from The Abyss, the hippogriff in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Sonny from I, Robot are MIA. These were truly 'pixilized' performances that made you go "wow", as opposed to ... Casper? And that's not even delving into the vast Pixar oeuvre.
Sigh. At least they got some right (if not exactly in the right spots), as my top 5 from the list attests:
- Woody and Buzz from Toy Story: Gotta give props to my boys from the first ever all-computer animated feature, which should have bumped them higher then EW's #7.
- Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and ...
- Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: EW has them switched, but really, could Davy have existed without Gollum before him?
- Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones: Freed of Muppetry, the Jedi Master kicked ass in this movie. Although he'll always sound like Grover to me.
- The Tyrannosaurus rex in Jurassic Park: I'll let EW slide on this one, as a lot of the T-rex's scenes used a life-sized animatronic as well as CGI. Factor in all the other dinos from the film (especially the raptors) and I'll buy it.
Links via EW.com and LaughingPlace.com.
2 comments:
Kirby,
Just so you know EW like many other magazines, promote recent studio products editorially so the studios will buy more advertising. It is called feeding the kitty.
While it is one of the dirty little secrets of publishing it has been around forever. I have seen the head of sales storm into the publisher's office to demand to know why so and so was not interviwed for an article becuase they have pulled some of their advertising at the the slight. It may be that the idiot studio person had not taken a reporter's call, or returned it. Hollywood is a plethora of egos.
This of course makes sense, 20/20 hindsight and all. This also explains how "Die Hard" was named EW's best action movie of all time ... a week before the new "Die Hard" movie hit theaters.
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