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"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
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Hey guys! I saw a commercial for Curious George last night before the Chronicles of Narnia and I'm very excited about it. It was very refreshing to see a 2d film up there among Ice Age 2, Happy Feet, Cars, and Open Season. I didn't catch what was going on story wise. I was too caught up in the fact that it was 2d. It comes out in February, and I'll definatly be at the theater on its release date. :D
OOOH, I absolutely love Curious george, I remember the book, I was in my room and I was trying my best to read it, until I realised I was under the bed..........no light:confused: go figure?:)
He who seeks the truth, must first empty his heart of a false pursuit.
Diemeras Dark Angel
Curious George thread returns
...so very yellow.
I thought I'd resurrect this thread since this movie is coming out in less than a week.
Is anyone actually going to see this movie during its first week of release?
The reviews aren't pouring in yet but here's one.
I wonder, when it will come out here in germany. I saw a few ruffs, because a friend was animating on it. They were great, but he's such an awesome animator; all his stuff is great..
http://violabaier.blogspot.com/
Cool, Bandita! Does your friend have a website? I'd love to see his work! :D
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
Yes, he has. But it's very old. www.kerozeen.com He and his wife are currently working for Disney/Toronto. He's one of the most fascinating pesons I ever got to know, and I'm so glad that he's a good friend of me, and a kind of mentor for me.
http://violabaier.blogspot.com/
The storyline is the same as the books.
I am actually intrigued by this film.... For the first time in a long time, it is not solely based on "this voce is based on this, and that voice is based on that...". Yes, Jack Johnston is the voice of the simean.... but that is it, and JJ is hardly a Robin Williams.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
to me......this seems kind of random. i mean...just so out of the blue.
I dont think it will be worth watching if your over 10 years old.
"who wouldn't want to make stuff for me? I'm awesome." -Bloo
I beg to differ. Those of us industry professional who have done 2D animation, and appreciate it would probably all agree that artistically, this looks like a beautiful film. The animation looks amazing too.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
I looked up the trailer, and although it looks cute, I have to agree that it really doesnt seem that special.The animation looks decent, but not incredible.
Animation alone isn't something that makes me decide to go and see a movie. They released two very nice-looking, traditionally animated features in Germany, both of which I didn't see in a theatre because they're based on children's books that don't interest me a whole lot. Same deal with Madagascar which I haven't seen to this day: I don't stay away from 3D to make a statement pro traditional and I don't watch everything done traditionally to support the medium. Why should I? It's a good marriage of medium and content I'm looking for first and foremost.
I think this will be a fun and entertaining movie. The 3D baloons bugged the heck out of me though. Just from the trailer, there was some really nice animation in it. I think it's an interesting idea to have Jack Johnsons song convey what George is feeling at the moment. Props to Jack since he's a Hawaii boy!
It'll be interesting to see how this does in the thearters. I hope it does well. I am a little disapointed that they gave George pupils instead of dot eyes like in the book. Oh well, he still looks cute.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
It looks pretty good to me.
Anyone know that a lot of the animation was done by ex-Disney animators at Project Firefly Studios?
I think there is no doubt that the animation will be good.
James :cool:
I looked at Project Firefly's 2d demo reel and it was everything I'd expect from the Disney animators! I love how the majority of it was cleaned up pencil tests instead of inked and colored movie clips. If they're animating Curious George, then thats all the more reason for me to see it! I must agree with AnimatedApe about the 3d ballons though...
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
This should've been a stop-motion film.
... like the "George" 'toons of the 1980s.
Whereas earlier incarnations of George look cute, this new 2D take just looks creepy: like it jumped out of the Care Bears' collective ass. (Plus I've always been a little creeped out by George since he's missing a tail. In this version he just looks like a toddler in a monkey suit.)
Given that the new "George" is directed by the same guy who directed the unwatchable Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, and is written by the same team that brought us the sub-par Chicken Little and Monsters Inc., I'm not exactly looking forward to seeing this.
Regardless, I think it'll do well in the theaters, because kids love George, right? He's up there with Pooh.
FYI, a new "George" TV series is being developed to follow in this film's wake.
You are entitled to that opinion. I do, however see this animation to be fantastic, and the style to be quite appealing. For that reason, and that reason alone, I will see the film. I am not expecting to see a great story at all (quite the contrary actually)... I am just expecting to see some nice, fluid, 2D bliss.
By the way, you are not missing anything, not seeing Madagascar. I thought it was actually HORRIBLE (sorry Kevan). I found the animation to be very strange, and stiff, and lifeless for the most part, and the story really weak. I got the impression from the way the characters moved in this film that they were in a cheap musical. They never stopped moving and gesturing in awkward ways with their hands... Felt very unnatural. I am a firm believer in pose to pose animation, but there IS such a thing as TOO MANY POSES!!! I have never really been a big fan of the Dreamworks character designs either.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
By the way... Curious George was banned for a long time from publication. People believed that it was a story about a little "brown" guy, who had gotten himself grabbed from Africa, thrown in a bag, and brought over to America on a boat. People believed it to be too similar to the capture and sale of slaves, apparently.
Just something to think about as you sit in the theatre with the little'ns.
Oh... And not all simeans have tails. I have never seen a chimpanzee with a tail, or an orangutan for that matter.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
Chimps and orangs (and humans) are apes. Apes don't have tails.
George is a monkey. Monkeys have tails.
I like those stop motion Curious George movies. I had forgotten that I had seen those until you posted them harvey...thanks. Wes Anderson is coming out with a film called the Fantastic Mr. Fox...he's the guy who directed Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums, Life Aquatic...not everyones cup of tea, could be interesting though.
Oh, definitely! On a related note, I wasn't too fond of the animation in Ice Age. Peter de Sève's designs are great but everything was animated kind of jerkily. The characters seemed to just twitch into new poses in the majority of scenes, at least to my mind.
It is, of course, great to see new stuff done with the sensual quality of classical to it, but when in doubt about the plot I prefer to wait for the DVD release. (It's a bit of a job getting to the nearest theatre here, too, that's a factor featuring in the decision as well.) Curious George isn't very widely known in Germany so it may well be the movie won't see a theatrical release here and go directly to DVD instead.
Harvey, to a 5-year-old, a chimpanzee is in fact a monkey. I know it was (and still is) to me... I do not go as far as classifying their genus, etc. Getting a bit scientific I think, but if you want to play Mr. Smartipants, you fill your boots.
Am I the only one who calls a chimp a monkey? Am I werid? I doubt it... Regardless, it is unimportant, just more chatter about drab crap. Like 80% of the drab conversations on this forum, I doubt anyone will be interested (or give a money's ass).
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
.
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You are the "scientific" genius who first "corrected" me with your "Mr. Smartipants 5-year-old fact" that "not all simeans [SIC] have tails," so don't go chastising me for something you yourself did first.
All I'm doing is explaining why a monkey without a tail creeps me out.
I see no reason for you to get defensive about that.
Hell, I thought rabbits were rodents. Thanks for pointing that out, Saj. The rabbits thank you, too. :D
Please don't turn this into another Harvey vs Wade thread. :o
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
No, I will not continue with that discussion. If Harvey were man enough to have his PM feature turned on, I would be able to talk to the little punk there, and not waste all of your time. However, he does not, probably due to very popular demand, everyone wanting a piece of him, seeing as he has pissed almost everyone in this forum off.
It is a waste of time arguing with Harvey. You cannot win.
Oh well... I have a JOB to go to, so will leave it at that.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
The way I look at it, if I had PM enabled, you'd just be wasting that much more of my time embarrassing yourself. "To a 5-year-old, a chimpanzee is in fact a monkey." :rolleyes: Comparing your own intellect to that of a 5-year-old is not exactly a compelling argument.
When I'm wrong, I'm "man enough" to admit it. Next time, Wade, just be a man and admit you're wrong, so we can all get back to more important stuff. Cheerio :D
Anyways...
Has anyone else heard of the racist aspect of Curious George? I have only repeated what I had heard way back when in public school... I am sure there is a lot more to it.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
Isn't it something about the fact that it's a brown monkey that's supposedly taken from Africa? I thought George chose to get onto the boat...
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
No, George is kidnapped by the yellow man.
He puts George in a bag and takes him away from his home and family, and to the civilized world where the negligent master constantly allows George to get himself into dangerous situations.
Nevertheless, everyone is happy about it, including George.
That's really weird, isn't it?
What if a huge yellow monster grabbed you from your computer and stuffed you into a bag and took you to Monsterland? You probably wouldn't be happy about it. You'd be terrified :eek:
In a follow up to the monkey/ape debate, the Curious George movie site describes George as both a monkey and a chimp; so he seems to be some sort of fictional hybrid, like the elephant-bird in Horton Hatches the Egg. Clearly Curious George was written by 5-year-olds. :D
Heaving Hubris saying he's "man enough to admit when he's wrong"??..hardy har har..check the New Animation Trivia thread to see how false THAT statement is..and do it quick before his boyfriend moderator deletes the whole thread
Dear MeriIher
f you went back to masterbating to Pamel Anderson you wouldnt have enough time to egg these two on(Wade K & Harvey)...then we could talk about animation, you know there are plenty of porn sites that could entertain your time well enough with....im sure you'll write back something that sounds like goulum or a stoned yoda, or however you write, but really your boring.go play D&D or something
Wow, I didn't know George was kidnapped. o_O I can see why people made/make an issue out of the whole thing. I dont think it's that serious though. It's just a children's story.
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
hey madmanmuntz...thanks for the advice, but you'd be amazed what I can do with one hand....as long as no one gets hurt and you wipe up afterwards..
..and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who lets a silly thing like grammar and spelling get in the way of my opinions...bravo!!.
..in a way, I envy you older experienced types, perhaps one day when I shed a few dozen kilos, animate on a handful of wacky TV series and finally ask that cute receptionist out, I too will be able to walk the streets with my head held high...oops, have to go squeeze a few pimples
Actually, I am through with arguing... So the hilarious writing style of Mr. Meriwether will not cause me to continue. I could really care less what "genus" Curious Greorge belongs to. I did not want it to even develop into an arguement, but apparently, i am not allowed to make any corrections to what others say on here so...
You don't find the way Meriwether talks funny? Yes, it is a tad arguementative and aimed at one particular person, and will surely get responses from certain people, but I always chuckle when I see the vernacular used by him and his friend Ullalame.
Actually stoned Yoda is a pretty good comparison.
Cheers
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
It's about that time...
*Sigh* This forum has really gone down the drain...
I remember when conversations could be held here without immature little kids interrupting them. I thought you guys would be excited about the new 2d feature, but I guess most of the worthwhile animators have left. Thanks AnimatedApe for engaging in the actual topic that this thread was created for. Even Harvey and Wade had something constructive to say about Curious George before they started arguing. But based off of the current posts on this thread and plenty of others, I think its time to pack up my things and find a forum that’s actually serious about animation...one without annoying little kids who make immature posts.
To all of the people who are actual animators and have been here since the beginning, I thank you for your insightful words and discussions. I hope to see you all in the industry someday. I believe I am done here.
"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane
I honestly can't see why people make a big issue of this thing..it's just a children's story.
a sense a yuma goes a long way towards making the world more livable...but maybe that's too much to ask for in the animation industry
Maybe I'll go to Boarders at lunch an flip through a couple of books. All I remember from them is that George would always get out and the man in the yellow hat would have to chase after him.
Aloha,
the Ape
Oh, and I have no tail :D
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
Let's hear it for Mew! It's been nice knowing you. :)
George is not Houdini.
If you're a responsible pet owner, then you simply make it so your pet can't escape, by locking the doors and windows, and by putting the pet on a leash. Yellow Hat is pretty careless in this regard.
Of course, Curious George Sits at Home probably wouldn't be a very interesting read.