Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder

[Mark]

Pathfinder might be a good flick to see.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23140

http://a.videodetective.com/?PublishedID=494209

 

[WayneLigon]

I've been meaning to pick up the comic series this is based on.

 

[Starman]

I'm really looking forward to this since seeing a trailer a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Mark CMG]

I'm starting to see more promos on this. They say it is rated R for brutal violence, throughout.

 

[pathfinderq1]

I'm starting to see more promos on this. They say it is rated R for brutal violence, throughout.

It was originally scheduled for release last year, and has been put on the block again for 4/13/07 in the US. The long hiatus probably means it is going to be pretty awful- despite Karl Urban as the hero and Clancy Brown as the Big Bad. It also apparently shares 300's view on historical accuracy- imdb.com's trivia notes that the design team knew that Vikings did not wear "horny helmets", but chose to use them anyway for visual effect.

All that said, it is probably a "cheap matinee/DVD" level flick, but may be a bit higher for action/gamer types.

 

[Agamon]

Historical accuracy is very important to me...in a documentary. Movies, on the other hand, not as necessary.

 

[Relique du Madde]

It was originally scheduled for release last year, and has been put on the block again for 4/13/07 in the US. The long hiatus probably means it is going to be pretty awful- despite Karl Urban as the hero and Clancy Brown as the Big Bad. It also apparently shares 300's view on historical accuracy- imdb.com's trivia notes that the design team knew that Vikings did not wear "horny helmets", but chose to use them anyway for visual effect.

All that said, it is probably a "cheap matinee/DVD" level flick, but may be a bit higher for action/gamer types.

I think of it like this: its better to have bad movie spend one year extra in editing then it is to rush that same bad movie into the theaters. Then again, the Pathfinder could have been delayed because the producers wanted it to piggy back onto 300's coat tails.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

They man who is directing this flick is the same German who directed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake a few years ago. So, there may be blood and body parts aplenty.

I think one thing the flick may get booted around about, above and beyond historical accuracy, is the notion it takes a European pretending to be a native to save the natives from the Europeans.

This is thematically similar to the story of The Last Samurai, where Cruse's character was a failure and drunkard as an American military man but managed to become a psuedo-Samurai pretty well and fought with the other Samurai against people trying to turn Japan into America.

A number of real-world historical circumstances worked together to prevent the Norse from colonizing North America and to cause the collapse of the Norse colony on Greenland. This is covered well in Jared diamond's book, Collapse. A movie doesn't have to stick to nuts and bolt of history and how the logistical situation and Norse cultural philosophy may have doomed their efforts from the outset. But the movie makers could be bold enough to say the Native Tribes of the North East could take care of themselves, thank you very much.

 

[Tetsubo]

The "horned helms" bit put me off. But what really clinched it was the use of the sword. How does a child, raised by New England Natives learn to use one? Yes I know, this is a movie. But it just seems silly to me. I might rent this on DVD...

 

[trancejeremy]

But the movie makers could be bold enough to say the Native Tribes of the North East could take care of themselves, thank you very much.

Yeah, but from a dramatic point of view (or what Hollywood thinks of one), it wouldn't be as good a story.

I mean, first off, stone age equipment vs iron age equipment = victory for the people with iron age equipment, unless they are massively outnumbered. And the people who are outnumbered are automatically sympathized with. This way, it makes the natives the underdogs.

Secondly, Hollywood loves a fish out of water story. While it's often an American or European in movies from Hollywood to do it, and save the "natives" while adopting some of their customs, it really depends on the setting. Look at all the Jackie Chan movies where he comes to the US and saves us, usually having to put up with a bumbling partner who teaches him to be more "American". If nothing else, it stretches out the story, too.

Plus, it's apparently a remake of a Finnish story with apparently a completely different setting (Finland) where the plot makes more sense. But if they change the plot, it would no longer be a remake, even though it's probably offensive to everyone (Native Americans, Vikings, New Zealanders)