4674 replies to this topic

[Kaz]

Hehehe. When you don't have to study it anymore you'll miss it lol

But here's crossing fingers for an update. :D

[Kaytron]

*crosses finger and leg and arm and eyebrow*

Kaz: whoah.
Kaytron: wha?
Kaz: You crossed your eyebrow!
Kaytron: huh? *looks up* oh whoops *uncrosses eyebrows* I gotta teach them how to not cross. They keep doing that! Bad eyebrow! Bad!
Kaz: *sigh*

^Kaytron^ :ph43r:

[Mara=^.^=]

This is kind of random, but have any of you seen the animated film "Titan A.E.?"
I ask because I saw it when I was 12, and I feel like it really influenced TOSOT in a lot of ways. Here is a review:

It's hard to hate a movie that features Janeane Garafalo as a psychotic space kangaroo. Harder still when that movie strikes another blow against the Disney hegemony of singing animals and Broadway schmaltz. Titan A.E., the effort of would-be maverick Don Bluth to carve a new niche in animation, doesn't feel like most feature cartoons these days. It's darker, grittier and has a real edge: more like Japanese anime than the fluff-and-dry stuff we're usually force-fed. That edge makes it very easy to forget the less than groundbreaking storyline they've attached to it.

For opening scene hooks, Titan A.E. has one that can't be beat: the destruction of the entire planet, courtesy of the evil Drej. In the thirtieth century, Earth's scientists have just completed a new ship called the Titan, sporting some sort of mysterious technology that scares the Drej to death. So they sent their mothership to the old home court for a little shake-and-bake, and suddenly humanity is a race of refugees (take that, Armageddon). Fifteen years later, a cynical junkman named Cale Tucker (Matt Damon) is working in an intergalactic scrapyard as his species slowly goes down the drain. His father worked on the Titan Project, but disappeared during the big explosion and hasn't been seen since. Cale's resigned himself to life on the back end until his dad's old friend Korso (Bill Pullman) shows up with a stunning revelation: the Titan escaped Earth's destruction and only he has the key to its location.

From there, we descend into a stunning series of fights, chases, and breakneck escapes as Cale and Korso begin the quest to redeem their species. The influences are easy to spot: Star Wars, Star Trek, even a few episodes of Battlestar Galactica thrown in for good measure. Anime fans will see some similarities as well, especially in Akima (Drew Barrymore), Korso's fiesty pilot and Cale's love interest. And while there's no dancing animals, Korso's zany alien sidekicks are designed for convenient product tie-ins. The screenplay tries to cover up the clichés with a few amusing lines ("Oh, they'll never think to look for us in the ducts"), and none of it's bad, per se, but it's not as new and different as much as the filmmakers pretend. They've essentially swapped one set of stereotypes for another and it starts to feel a little shopworn by the second half.

Bluth makes up for it, however, with the quality of his production and with the sheer visual imagination to realize this story. Like Star Wars, the universe of Titan A.E. is fully developed, a wondrous landscape of alien vistas and fascinating characters for the heroes to interact with. Settings like the planet Shesharim featuring exploding hydrogen trees and the Ice Rings of Tegrin where ships play deadly games of cat-and-mouse form a breathtaking backdrop to all of the action. The story flows easily from the visuals, lending a natural excitement to all of the ensuing mayhem. Titan A.E. also makes full use of animation as a medium. This isn't just a cartoon version of reality; no human cast or crew could duplicate the scenes we see here, and the medium's unique properties are on full display from opening credits to closing reel.

And then there's the aforementioned edginess. Starting with the destruction of the planet, Titan A.E. ventures into some fairly dark territory and never apologizes for it. The sometimes violent chases and gunfights never flinch from showing us the consequences. Innocent bystanders are gunned down and blood leaks from injuries just like in real life, and when one of the bad guys breaks somebody's neck, it comes with such casual suddenness that you're not initially aware it happened. It took a lot of guts to green light something like that, and the filmmakers should be applauded for their efforts.

Titan A.E. is exciting and fun in a 13-year-old skater kind of way. With flashes of brilliance and a lot of hard work, it pulls you in and gives the exact sort of escapism its ads promised. As shopworn as that is, it gives us some brief flashes into animation's true potential as an art form. That alone is enough to earn its praise. Keep your singing teapots: I'll take psychotic space kangaroos any day of the week.


You should watch it. The dialogue isn't great, and sometimes the melodrama is ridiculous, but overall it's definitely worthwhile - and it was like the greatest movie EVER to a 6th grader. I based a lot of April's characteristics off Akima and Stith, though I don't think Cale influenced me very much at all.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Kaz]

I saw that and thought it was great. I especially liked the bit where the girl (can't remember her name. It's been ages) was in that cell with all these letches and they burst in to save her, and she's sitting atop all these unconcious morons like, "What took you?"

But I think my favourite line in that whole movie is, "An intelligent guard. Who knew?"

[Mara=^.^=]

It's been ages) was in that cell with all these letches and they burst in to save her, and she's sitting atop all these unconcious morons like, "What took you?"

That sequence was actually much scarier in the book. Akima was about to be sold into slavery...to this really sketchy guy with "a penchant for human females", in fact. It was pure luck that saved her.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[RocksmySocks]

I remember Titan A.E.. I remember being pretty annoyed at it, actually, because like the review said, they pull a lot from Star Wars...but probably more than the ordinary person would pick up.

I was OBSESSED with Star Wars when I was younger, so I read all the books that take place after the trilogy like...on repeat. And Titan A.E. "borrowed" pretty heavily from a couple of the books.

Being the utter failure I am (I really regret not keeping up on SW fandom), I can't remember which books precisely they were now. But at the time, it was very obvious to me.

Frankly, it is thoroughly possible that my brain was just overreacting, and that all SciFi stories are repetitive like that. I mostly only read Star Wars books in that genre, so I wouldn't know. Also, Titan A.E. was a book, too? So maybe Star Wars writers stole from Titan A.E.! Lol. No idea. All I know is that certain scenes like, were nearly word-for-word scenes from Star Wars books. Same with certain characters. And that frustrated this young Star Wars enthusiast to no end.

Still though, I enjoyed the movie, somehow, even after all that. Just sort of wished for more originality.

I can see how it could influence TOSOT, though, now that I think about it.

[Anita]

:kawaii:

**I cross my fingers and pray**


I MUST read TOSOT .... I MUST read TOSOT .. I MUST see DJ ... MUST SEE DJ ...

..

faints x__x

[Mara=^.^=]

Sorry I haven't posted any more guys...
I'm sooo busy with this research project for anthro that I haven't had time to THINK about anything else, yet alone do it.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Beks]

Is ok, Mara. We understand. ^_^


*in head* NOooooooo! :onfire:

[Flank]

That's fine, Mara! We care what is better for you.

[Kaz]

We may be concerned for TOSOT's future but more concerned about you getting through your work 'n' stuff

[Mara=^.^=]

This is gonna sound like an odd question, but how do you imagine the various characters in TOSOT sound? That is, what do you think their voices sound like?


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[CraazyOne]

Well, Aurora would have, I don't know, a dark, sarcastic kinda tone most of the time, lol. Instead of yelling a lot like Cindy, she lowers her voice, IMO. She's grown cold and manages her emotions far better, obviously.

Nav...uh...sexy, lol. Kinda a light, cheerful tone...doesn't really take much seriously haha. Just, friendly and conversational sounding.

Future Libby...kinda like Libby does now, but softer. She's always sweet and kind; her voice should be warm and radiate compassion, I suppose.

April really sounds a lot like she did as a kid... Her voice is awesome in WLK and I could totally see her with that voice...maybe sounding a bit more mature, but yeah.

F. Sheen and F. Carl, I dunno, we haven't met them yet to see how they've changed. DJ...hmmmm...again, dark and low and cold. But no sarcasm like Aurora has. Just deep and cold. Spine-tingling! LOL.

Lee...soft and polite...? Because he's not exactly a warrior, I can't imagine him with a gruff voice like other Gorlocks! :rolleyes: He sounds more gentlemanly...and there's a hint of melancholy in his voice occasionally... Poor guy.

Lady Jaya should sound older. Her voice is deep, a bit more passionate than Aurora's--she's cold, but she's got more...hmm...energy?...a bit more spark because she's not suffering as Aurora is? Kind of beautiful and terrible.



And I'm afraid I fail at describing voices. XDDD




~Rachel~

[Mara=^.^=]

And I'm afraid I fail at describing voices. XDDD

YOU WIN! That's exactly what they sound like. Although I imagine that Lady Jaya would sound...loud and metallic? when angry.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[CraazyOne]

And I'm afraid I fail at describing voices. XDDD

YOU WIN! That's exactly what they sound like. Although I imagine that Lady Jaya would sound...loud and metallic? when angry.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

lol YESSSS!!!! I'm so glad you imagined their voices sounding like that too.

Yeah, loud and metallic sounds like it fits Lady Jaya well.

Whoohooo!!!




~Rachel~

[Flank]

It's hard to say better than Rach.

[Kaz]

Yeah I think she wins out on that one.

I always thought Nav gives off vibes like he's still a kid in some ways. And that's pretty cute in a guy....

[Mara=^.^=]

Not that exciting, but volume 4 and the first part of volume 5 are now available in paragraph format. I'm actually partial to this version, so if you're bored out of your mind and/or are sick of waiting for me to update, feel free to check it out. :lol:

click for fabulous prizes

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Flank]

^_^ *Clicks.*

[Mara=^.^=]

**showers you in prizes**

:bff:





~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =