RE: How close is "Kong" to a real gorilla?

[Todd Marshall <toddsmarshall@earthlink.net>]

Hello everyone,

You know I really respect you guys and your opinions, but I also just
watched the movie, King Kong, and for the most part thought it was GREAT!!
=) hehehehe!!!
It's King Kong guys; it's a giant ape!! It's fantasy!! I agree with all of
you on the tech stuff, fully man, but that's not what the movie is supposed
to be about, in my honest opinion. The effects all together were absolutely
beautiful. I thought Peter Jackson did a great job keeping the spirit of the
original movie alive in so many ways. I guess I went into the film, knowing
they were going to screw-up the dinosaurs. I was ready for it, so I had fun
with it. You all should have known a long time ago, with everything that's
been leaked and released, right? But I went in thinking these were just
fantasy animals, so I walked out thinking it was one of the best films I've
ever seen. Kong was amazing. His character was truly outstanding. And yes, I
am man enough to admit; the big silly ape brought a tear to eyes a few
times! =)
I'm glad I just went in wanting to see a great fantasy movie. Not a dinosaur
documentary. Yes, would have been nice if a little more attention to realism
(gravity and physics) and anatomical detail would have been considered and
better thought out in pre-production, but hey! It's King Kong!!!
Also, any big production that helps keep dinosaurs (even though they were
far from perfect representatives) in the public eye, and helps keep kids in
wander and in awe, has my vote. Better for our business all the way around.
We can straighten them out on the facts later! ;)
Try and have a little more fun guys!!
Miss you all and hope to see you soon!! Everyone have a safe and happy
holidays, and New Year!
Dinosaurs rock baby!!!!!
Hope I didn't make anyone mad!!

Cheers,
Todd  "A.K.A. Chach-ka" Marshall
www.marshalls-art.com


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
David Krentz
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 6:29 PM
To: luisrey@ndirect.co.uk
Cc: -Dinosaur Mailing List-
Subject: Re: How close is "Kong" to a real gorilla?

> On Dec 15, 2005, at 3:47 PM, Luis Rey wrote:

> With the exception of the monstrous (even for a monster movie)
> brontosaur stampede (which truly seems about to break the bones of
> everybody involved including the spectator), the rest of the high
> speed acrobatic antics of  the colossal creatures show the design
> vices of the CG wizards that made them...  all of them seem
> virtually weightless so their realism becomes hollow!

   The brontosaurs did not have any muscles or bone simulation built
in, which is a travesty.  They lost a great deal of weight and
stress, and even intertia because of it.  You see them from the front
a lot and it is evident no thoughts about corocoids or scapulas even
crossed Weta digital's mind.
It is nice to have blend shapes (a sculpted musculature in different
phases of strain) that the animator can dial up or down based on what
the action calls for.  Of course if you don't understand the skeletal
system, then you have no hope of good musculature shapes.  A lot of
these things add up and their ommision on any level creates a big
rubbery mass of animation that is making many directors shy away from
using computer generated characters.

David Krentz

On Dec 15, 2005, at 3:47 PM, Luis Rey wrote:

> I have just survived yet another King Kong... this time is the most
> over the top that has ever been made...I'm dizzy with such
> relentless, overwhelming action speed, the special effects, the
> creatures et al . I don't mind monsters as such but...agreeing
> mostly with some of Mike's  observations, shall I add that there IS
> such thing as the forces of gravity (even for monsters)?!
> With the exception of the monstrous (even for a monster movie)
> brontosaur stampede (which truly seems about to break the bones of
> everybody involved including the spectator), the rest of the high
> speed acrobatic antics of  the colossal creatures show the design
> vices of the CG wizards that made them...  all of them seem
> virtually weightless so their realism becomes hollow!
>
> On 15 Dec 2005, at 20:07, Michael Skrepnick wrote:
>
>
>> I saw this epic yesterday ( I'm probably one of the few who was
>> never enamored with the original film ).  However, this version is
>> indeed an epic and although I have some reservations, is well
>> worth seeing.
>>
>> As you say, it's unlikely in life that such a gargantuan creature
>> would be capable of the physical feats it engages in ( trust me,
>> the trailers don't even begin to describe the "antics" displayed
>> through the entirety of the movie ).
>>
>
> As I said at the beginning... a multi multi ton ape dancing on air?
>
>
>> Further, you will be left incredulous by the punishing "ride" the
>> heroine is expected to survive, even when not in the midst of
>> battles to the death with the other inhabitants of Skull Island.
>>
>
> That is probably one of the most shocking parts of the movie... the
> heroine should have had all her bones broken in a second of Kong's
> mad ride!
>
>>
>> However, it is a "movie" after all, and we are of course expected
>> to "suspend our disbelief" as usual, no matter how much the
>> content is in violation of our reason and sensibilities.  This is
>> the only manner in which one can accept the liberties taken in
>> dinosaurian anatomy in the film, as these are obviously outcast
>> mutants from a long lost era and as an inbred population might be
>> expected to suffer many "morphological" changes.
>>
>
> Which unfortunately doesn't include the obvious: inbreeding
> population evolving in an island (as is well documented) leads
> invariably to dwarfism.
>
> Luis Rey
>
> Visit my website
> http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~luisrey
>