DreamWorks stuff

I actually also prefer Dreamworks when they're on their A-game. The main reason is that I feel like Dreamworks can do better visuals and cinematography, even some of their less praised films have some really fun scenes (the "car chase" in Monsters vs. Aliens). When it's combined with good storytelling, they know how to make a good scene both emotional and stunning.

A lot of Pixar films have a tone I would describe mellow. They know how to do emotional and subtle, but they're pretty average with action and excitement. A lot of their great scenes are always when everything is quiet. I think the best film I've seen from them that can be both emotional and have good action is Up, and even that is way below my favorite Dreamworks films.

It's interesting to note that the most memorable Pixar scenes are the ones with the most emotional impact(beginning of Up, incinerator scene in Toy Story 3), while the most memorable Dreamworks scenes are noted for both strong visuals and emotional impact (Test Drive, Oogway's Ascension, The Plagues).

Dream Works does their best, in my opinion, when they do more actiony and or ambitious films. When they try to do more mellow and emotional, that's when I feel they flop.

Depends. Kung Fu Panda 2 is one of their most emotional films yet (can't get much darker than out and out genocide), and it's even better than the first one. When I remember Kung Fu Panda (the first one), I remember the emotional scenes as having a lot of impact. The flashback to Tai Lung's path to darkness, Oogway's ascension, and Po understanding the dragon scroll are all pretty emotional scenes (the second one more so for how beautifully animated it is).

Like I said, its just opinion. :)

I know, and I respect your opinion.

Thank you.

Dreamworks can do quiet scenes well, too. Then again, I don't think I know of a Dreamworks film that is more mellow than actiony (maybe Spirit? Haven't seen that one since I was a kid, though). The best version of Dreamworks is when they combine emotion with their great animation, which, as I've said, I rate higher than Pixar's. My favorite scene in Kung Fu Panda 2 is probably [spoiler: Po's flashback, which is both a tearjerker and has great cinematography with combining 2D animation and the rain droplet.]

Having watched Tommy Boy and rewatched the Chris Farley's original footage, I think I'd prefer if we got Farley's version. The original Shrek with Mike Myers is great(Still think the stage musical is even better though), but Chris was such a great actor and I feel like that his version would be even better. I wish I could go to the alternate universe where that Shrek movie exists(I'd also hope that Chris Farley would still be alive and kicking in that universe too).

Bumped this topic because the Trolls thread was locked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDnRVKPjj8k

So this is the official (teaser) trailer for DWA's film adaptation of the toyline of the same name.

...I wasn't really looking forward to this, and this trailer just seemed to have sealed the deal for me in the wrong way. It's obviously too early to write off a movie completely, but man, this trailer and the thumbnail image really isn't doing the movies any favors.

As I mentioned in the previous thread, the teaser seemed executive mandated from start to finish, like it was supposed to checkmark every tired teaser trailer cliche for modern animated adaptations in the book.

Really not feeling any confidence whatsoever for this project.

Like I was going to say before the thread got locked, I really hope this isn't a sign that Dreamworks is going into another Dork Age. Of course, this could be a case of Trailers Always Lie and the movie isn't like the teaser at all...but I'm not holding out on that.

Edit: Looking over the Trailers Always Lie trope, and yeah, Dreamworks is really bad at misleading trailers, so this may not be actually bad and just has a really bad trailer.

edited 28th Jan '16 3:24:38 PM by SkeletalPumpkin

I know it's just a teaser, but it still felt really generic and not funny. The thumbnail along put me off, too.

May I ask why the Trolls thread is locked?

Opening a thread with a weblink without context.

...... that happens?!?!

@Skeletal Pumpkin "I really hope this isn't a sign that Dreamworks is going into another Dork Age."

This interview from last year might disappoint you then....

"…the company’s slate changes are more realistic/in-tune with the evolution in changes in the box office market as the 2012-2014 film challenges were tied to films which skewed older right as the box office began to see changes whereby animation demand was increasingly skewing younger as kids began to age out of the genre earlier. While we view the ability to reduce P&A as more difficult given the need to advertise to two distinct groups (kids and moms), the combination of both cost reductions in production and a younger skewing slate, do position the slate better in our view."

edited 29th Jan '16 4:23:04 AM by Yeow95

I KEEP having to paste that exact link to anyone complaining about the Trolls teaser.

...for crying out loud Dreamworks.

I feel like they slip into a Dork Age whenever they have a franchise going. Before, it was Shrek and Madagascar. Now, it's HTTYD and KFP. It's almost like once they find a franchise, they start making mediocre films just to get some cash to make more sequels. It's always seemed to me the franchise films are the only ones they ever seem to put effort in until the cash cow dies (although Shrek 3 was a disaster, IMO it still seemed like the writers were trying). Then, they start trying again to make more quality until they find something that sticks. HTTYD and KFP were born sometime around when Shrek and Madagascar were ending. They had some other good films during that time period, but they didn't make a lot (Apparently Croods might be a franchise too but don't know how long that'll last). After a while, their films just started to degrade 'cause I guess they could relax now? So if people want to see better one-shots from Dreamworks they'll probably have to wait until KFP finishes its 6th(?) movie. I just hope they don't drive their franchises to the ground like Shrek.

Didn't they change it to 3 movies because of how badly Dreamworks is doing now? I thought KFP 3 was going to be the last one.

Well, that's why I put the question mark.

IIRC there were also going to be five Shrek movies, but Shrek the Third being a critical disappointment prompted the studio to make Shrek Forever After (which was originally called Shrek Goes Fourth) the last Shrek film.

Which considering that the fifth Shrek movie was always planned to be a prequel to the first (and, following Forever After, they only had one more movie to do anyway), makes the move come off as a preemptive knee-jerk reaction on the executives' part.

Katzenberg did say he still has hopes the fifth film will happen back in 2014. If it does, they're going to have an uphill battle waiting for them, even if it turns out to be as good as or better than the first two. DWA probably could get away with selling to filmgoers a fifth Shrek prequel movie if their marketing department didn't pull out all the stops in promoting Forever After as the Series Finale.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:01:21 AM by Yeow95

Does anybody think they could repurpose Miguel and Tulio as characters in, I dunno, The Adventures of Puss in Boots?

(Really though, who still remembers The Road to El Dorado?)

Apparently everyone on Tumblr remembers.

edited 1st Feb '16 8:47:43 PM by lalalei2001

Not sure how to approach that answer...

Yeow95

Honestly, after Western Animation/Home, I can't say I'm too surprised. Home was like their most blatant attempt to pander to little kids and try to copy the success of the Minions.