[Morpheo]

During its very short theatrical run, Babylon A.D. was disavowed by director Matthieu Kassovitz, who openly said that Fox wanted a different film than him. Even Vin Diesel wasn't quite happy with with the final result. So let's just say it didn't start well...

Anyway, the Blu-ray version is the "uncut" version. I haven't seen it in theaters but would that mean it could be a descent movie? Has anybody seen both versions (I understand uncut doesn't mean director's cut but still...) and can make an objective comparison?

...I like Kassovitz's work in general (yeah, yeah, even Gothika

)


(btw, the digital copy included is the theatrical cut... How lame is that? Since the uncut isn't included on the Blu-ray as an alternate cut or something...oh well...)

 

[Matt_Stevens]

So far a few comments have popped up online that the unrated longer cut is better, but that the film still fails.


No surprise given the fact that it was rewritten while filming was going, against the wishes of the director, producer and members of the cast. FOX's top dog, Tom Rothman, is an ego driven lunatic who thinks he has to personally be incharge of every film FOX finances. The guy has zero creative instincts is responsible for turds like the FF films and X-MEN 3. Numerous directors refuse to work with FOX these days because of Rothman. Some have gone so far as to speak out about him, a move normally considered to be career suicide. That is ho strongly people feel about Rothman, who may have single handidly destoryed the upcoming Wolverine movie. It was he who first said NO to the script everyone felt was a winner and had a PG-13 family friendly version written in a few weeks time (there is zero similarity in story between the two scripts).


P.S. I have a copy of BABYLON A.D. courtsy of Blockbuster and will watch it tonight then comment tomorrow.

 

[Morpheo]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt_Stevens /forum/post/15510361


FOX's top dog, Tom Rothman, is an ego driven lunatic who thinks he has to personally be incharge of every film FOX finances. The guy has zero creative instincts is responsible for turds like the FF films and X-MEN 3. Numerous directors refuse to work with FOX these days because of Rothman. Some have gone so far as to speak out about him, a move normally considered to be career suicide. That is ho strongly people feel about Rothman, who may have single handidly destoryed the upcoming Wolverine movie. It was he who first said NO to the script everyone felt was a winner and had a PG-13 family friendly version written in a few weeks time (there is zero similarity in story between the two scripts).


P.S. I have a copy of BABYLON A.D. courtsy of Blockbuster and will watch it tonight then comment tomorrow.

Thanks.


hmm, interesting. I guess the guy is directly involved in the Watchmen problem... Here's what I found today btw: open letter from Lloyd Levin, one of Watchmen's producers ... I know I'm going a little off Babylon A.D., but while we're talking about Fox...


So I guess I'll rent Babylon first... I usually blind buy easily, but this time I'm really not sure!...

 

[Brian Conrad]

I saw the film in a theater and also watched the Blu-Ray version the other night. There is 10 more minutes of footage added and the film has been recut and made more sense than the theatrical version. However the director said he had about 70 more minutes of footage. Someday maybe we'll see a "director's cut."

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Brian, Matt Kassovitz had final cut in Europe, so the that was his final cut of the film that was shot. The problem is, the film he wanted to shoot, was not shot at all. The script was changed each day while shooting, against his wishes. It was a constant battle on set. One of the unhappiest sets in recent years, according to those who were there.


Morpheo, No one knows for sure if Rothman himself was involved in saying "No" to Watchmen, but he certainly is suspected of it. The guy is incapable of pushing forward good material. Calling him a hack would be an insult to great likes like Albery Pyun and Uwe Ball. The guy is just an empty suit waiting for his golden parachute.


Coming soon from FOX...


STREETFIGHTER, DRAGONBALL and ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS 2! Great stuff!


Some of the turds from FOX in recent days...


BRIDE WARS, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD DULL and AUSTRALIA.


Pretty much the rest of FOX throughout 2008...


WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, JUMPER, MAX PAYNE, SPACE CHIMPS, STREET KINGS, SHUTTER, The X-FILES: I Want To Kill Myself and MEET DAVE.


Wow. What a great year!!!

 

[Ron Temple]

Watched the BD version last night...alot of potential there and it held my interest. The endgame in NY was poorly executed. Full of holes, but the plot elements revealed made the movie understandable. This one could have been very good. I wish they had added some backstory during the trip to fleshout both the world and the factions, but it is what it is. Overall, I liked it.

 

[thehun]

I never understood why a studio hire foreign talents, and then completely ignore his ideas and wishes to make a movie. They could have just hire a "local hack" like in this case Paul W.S. Anderson, and just be done with it.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Sometimes I HATE the internet. I wrote a HUGE review. MASSIVE, really, with all my thoughts on the script vs the final film and as I was going to hit POST, it crashed.


All gone.


So I am not going to do it again.


Suffice to say, the script was not bad, but the film itself is really suffering from stupid syndrome. The last act is a mess, full of holes and anti-climactic.


I really want to see a great film from Kassovitz and also from Diesel, who really has had some bad luck with his picks.


Oh well.


Damn good music score.

 

[lordcloud]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Temple /forum/post/15518202


Watched the BD version last night...alot of potential there and it held my interest. The endgame in NY was poorly executed. Full of holes, but the plot elements revealed made the movie understandable. This one could have been very good. I wish they had added some backstory during the trip to fleshout both the world and the factions, but it is what it is. Overall, I liked it.

This was my take on the movie as well, except I really liked it. Not part of te reason I liked it is because i'm a hige fan of movies like this, Cyber Punkish, Post Apocalyptic, dark movies. I just get sucked up in the world. I really wanted this movie to be better than it was, and it really seems like it could have been, but there was just a laziness that kept it from being so, and the end was a bit dissapointing. Overall, I liked it enough to be very happy when it was released on Blu.