View Full Version : GAMERS GET NO RESPECT
This is from David Germain's review of Alien Vs. Predator.
The skimpy story is about as clever as anything two teenage gamers might dream up over down time during a minor power outage. The human characters are little more than munchies for one space species and shooting-gallery targets for the other. Seriously censored by the PG-13 rating, the action is tepid, more a kitten fight than a to-the-death alien smackdown.
And there’s simply no suspense. The weakest of the “Alien” and “Predator” movies packed chills in triplicate compared to “Alien vs. Predator.”
The movie is written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, maker of such sci-fi twaddle as “Resident Evil” and “Mortal Kombat.” Like those video-game adaptations, “Alien vs. Predator” plays out like a linear joystick pastime: Kill this creature, move up one level, vanquish that foe, advance to the next round.
I found this a little offensive. I stress that I found it a little offensive. What do you all think?
here's a link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5698394/
THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM
Flack
08-14-2004, 11:27 AM
What exactly was offensive?
The_EniGma
08-14-2004, 11:30 AM
lol
Cmosfm
08-14-2004, 11:51 AM
Why is it offensive? Basically it's true, Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat weren't GREAT movies, and there judging AvP on the basis of those NOT to get at gamers...but because the writer/director.
Kill this creature, move up one level, vanquish that foe, advance to the next round.
I've been playing Painkiller a lot.....and that sounds just like the game to me.
I think you're looking too deep into things
WiseSalesman
08-14-2004, 01:55 PM
For people who missed the point:
The skimpy story is about as clever as anything two teenage gamers might dream up over down time during a minor power outage.
That's what he found offensive. And I couldn't agree more.
SoulBlazer
08-14-2004, 02:55 PM
Plus I happened to LIKE Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat movies, thank you...... ;)
Atarileaf
08-14-2004, 02:57 PM
Like Han said in ESB - "Must'a hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that"
LOL
Kroogah
08-14-2004, 02:57 PM
THE DISRESPECT OF GAMERS HAS GOT TO STOP.
WE SHALL OVERCOME.
.....yeh, I can't get offended by that. It's true.
What i found offensive was the generally negative tone to gamers and gaming. WiseSalesman understands. Rock on!
THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM
EnemyZero
08-14-2004, 04:11 PM
im with soulblazer LOL
-hellvin-
08-14-2004, 04:13 PM
I think that first comment was a little stupid, like gamers would sit around and dream all day about shitty movies because the power is out???? It didn't offend me though. The article is right that there's really no point to this video game movies but shouldnt that kind of be expected?
Atarileaf
08-14-2004, 04:19 PM
like gamers would sit around and dream all day about shitty movies
No but they do sit around in forums all day complaining about movie reviews. :P
WiseSalesman
08-14-2004, 04:22 PM
It's sort of like they're saying that gamers are stupid or unimaginative. Here, reword it this way to see the meaning I take from it "...with a plot so stupid only gamers could think it up". I mean, honestly, in a few more months I'll have a degree in English Literature. I fail to understand how I can simply be classified as a vapid hack because I happen to enjoy video games as a hobby.
RetroYoungen
08-14-2004, 04:54 PM
Only gamers could think up something as stupid as this...
Sounds like SOMEbody couldn't play Pac-Man worth a shit. ;)
Seriously, my question is could this guy think up and produce better? Quite possibly NOT. So take this guy's comments with a grain of salt.
bluberry
08-14-2004, 05:02 PM
My problem with it is that he's generalizing. I mean, lots of games like Deus Ex and MGS2 have told great stories, but people still just look at the Dooms and Quakes.
kai123
08-14-2004, 05:56 PM
Resident Evil games have some good stories too you know. Just because Paul Anderson can't make a good movie if it hit him in the face doesn't mean games have bad stories.
Kid Ice
08-14-2004, 08:14 PM
What i found offensive was the generally negative tone to gamers and gaming. WiseSalesman understands. Rock on!
THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM
Hopefully someday us stupid gamers will be able to live up to the lofty creative standards of A MOVIE REVIEWER.
Berserker
08-14-2004, 08:30 PM
I'm with yash. I mean, the guy's probably met a total of two "hardcore" gamers and they probably fit the bill of what he was referring to perfectly. It's just generalizing, and just about everyone's guilty of it in some form or another during the course of their lifetime.
Also remember, by drawing attention to it in this way you're effectively prolonging it's lifespan, instead of just letting it fade away into the swirling void of the internet, like we should be doing. ;)
Personally, I'm not bothered by it one bit.
FantasiaWHT
08-14-2004, 10:40 PM
People only find stereotypes offensive if they hit too close to home ;) otherwise they just laugh them off.
MarioAllStar2600
08-14-2004, 11:20 PM
Well the movie is based on a video game. We all hate casual gamers and know how dumb they are. So it seems like this guy says kind of what we say on this board.
calthaer
08-14-2004, 11:34 PM
Until games are more than just simplistic twitchfests, their criticism is valid. Sometimes the twitchfest is really a turn-based fest, but the kinds of games that Chris Crawford always talks about - kinds that can speak meaningfully to a broad range of people - are few and far between.
Half Japanese
08-15-2004, 12:12 AM
http://ubl.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGPORTRAITS/music/portrait200/drp000/p049/p04961efl82.jpg
DJ_DEEM
08-15-2004, 01:51 AM
yah but if you see the movie you know its true...
nah im just kiddin we all know gamers dont think up movies when the powers out, we whip out the gba!
Cmosfm
08-15-2004, 04:46 AM
yah but if you see the movie you know its true...
nah im just kiddin we all know gamers dont think up movies when the powers out, we whip out the gba!
dammit if that isn't the most sensible thing said in this thread than I don't know what the hell is!
maxlords
08-15-2004, 08:48 AM
Except, for those of you who DON'T know..which seems to be everyone....the AvP movie is NOT based on a video game at all. The original Aliens Vs. Predator concept was played out in the comics, with several sequels as well as a few novelizations. All of that happened BEFORE the Jaguar game, and well before the two PC games. So really, he should be making fun of comic collectors instead of gamers. It's sad when movie reviewers don't know their facts.
And yes, I'm a comic collector and a gamer, and *gasp* I have a bachelors of science, and I minored in philosophy. Nice to know that that doesn't count for anything cause I'm a gamer.... :roll:
EnemyZero
08-15-2004, 08:52 AM
To bad paul anderson came out and said he took his plot from the video games - :roll:
Flack
08-15-2004, 11:54 AM
The skimpy story is about as clever as anything two teenage gamers might dream up over down time during a minor power outage.
What I took this to mean was, "the plot was about as deep as what two kids (teenage gamers) could come up with in 5-10 minutes (the length of a minor power outage).
Like those video-game adaptations, “Alien vs. Predator” plays out like a linear joystick pastime: Kill this creature, move up one level, vanquish that foe, advance to the next round.
I think this compares the movie to LINEAR games. I don't see where he says all games are linear. Some games are linear, and this movie plays out like one. I think what he is saying is that the movie is very linear. I did not see this as a slag on games.
Somewhere I'm missing the "outrage".