Spring Break
A little more plot, a little less action
Stop relying on flashing lights and explosions and bring the story back!
Mary Dixon
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: Opinion
Special effects take an ordinary movie and make it spectacular. There is nothing better than going to see a summer blockbuster and having your mind blown by the cinematic journey. Details in movies help the audience understand what they're seeing, and often make the movie itself more aesthetically pleasing. However, Hollywood is starting to rely more and more on special effects, thereby sacrificing the plot, the most important element of a film.
Without a strong plot, viewers not only lose interest in the story, but in the whole experience in general. When executed properly, the marriage between plot and special effects can ignite a high grossing movie. Take 2008's smash hit The Dark Knight. Not only were the special effects intense, but the movie had an amazing plot as well. Nothing was short-changed in that production, and that's why it not only raked in the most cash this year, it was the second highest grossing film ever.
In recent months, special effects have taken the place of a good story. Max Payne was released last Friday, and it has already faced harsh criticism. The film production of the movie was reminiscent of 2005's Sin City. Every frame was beautifully shot, and the movie spared no expense with its special effects. Mark Wahlberg was appropriately cast as the tortured police officer seeking revenge for his murdered wife and son. His performance lacked no effort at all. However, the story was hard to follow -without giving any plot points away, the ending of the movie did not give any kind of resolution to the situation of the villain. We are taken through an abyss of demons and gangsters don't have anything to do with each other. If Max Payne creators had spent as much time on its plot as they did on the special effects, that movie would possibly have given The Dark Knight a run for its money.
Action films are not the only movie genre that relies on the effects to pull it through. Case in point: 2008's Pineapple Express. James Franco and Seth Rogan are truly a comedic duo that never had to stretch for laughs. However, the last 30 minutes of the movie seemed to have been their excuse to blow up or shoot anything left in the film. If they had taken out even a few minutes of the unnecessarily long fight scene, the film would have been OK. It's almost like they were TRYING to kill the audience's remaining high… that they got from the movie.
Without a strong plot, viewers not only lose interest in the story, but in the whole experience in general. When executed properly, the marriage between plot and special effects can ignite a high grossing movie. Take 2008's smash hit The Dark Knight. Not only were the special effects intense, but the movie had an amazing plot as well. Nothing was short-changed in that production, and that's why it not only raked in the most cash this year, it was the second highest grossing film ever.
In recent months, special effects have taken the place of a good story. Max Payne was released last Friday, and it has already faced harsh criticism. The film production of the movie was reminiscent of 2005's Sin City. Every frame was beautifully shot, and the movie spared no expense with its special effects. Mark Wahlberg was appropriately cast as the tortured police officer seeking revenge for his murdered wife and son. His performance lacked no effort at all. However, the story was hard to follow -without giving any plot points away, the ending of the movie did not give any kind of resolution to the situation of the villain. We are taken through an abyss of demons and gangsters don't have anything to do with each other. If Max Payne creators had spent as much time on its plot as they did on the special effects, that movie would possibly have given The Dark Knight a run for its money.
Action films are not the only movie genre that relies on the effects to pull it through. Case in point: 2008's Pineapple Express. James Franco and Seth Rogan are truly a comedic duo that never had to stretch for laughs. However, the last 30 minutes of the movie seemed to have been their excuse to blow up or shoot anything left in the film. If they had taken out even a few minutes of the unnecessarily long fight scene, the film would have been OK. It's almost like they were TRYING to kill the audience's remaining high… that they got from the movie.
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