The Hero of Time Finally Complete!

[Eldezar]

Home Page (http://www.theherooftime.com/)
Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPTpjK88apc&annotation_id=annotation_704443&feature=iv)

I just randomly decided to look this up again to see if anything has happened, and boom, the first screening has already come and gone.

Anyways, for those of you that don't know, The Hero of Time is an independent fan-made film based off of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It has been in production for four years, and from the sound of it, blows every video game movie ever made by Hollywood out of the water.

The premiere was in Atlanta on June 6th, but if you didn't make it then, don't worry, you can log in and register a hot spot for the next screening. (http://www.theherooftime.com/hot-spots/)

Also scroll down on the home page to find some excerpts from the soundtrack. Composer George Powell did a pretty sweet job.

So, did anyone get to see it?

[Kroze Gamegod]

I am still approaching this movie with a lot of caution but its nice to hear that it came out FINALLY.
I thought it was gonna be stuck in limbo forever...
Can't wait to see how they did.

And then next month is the Mega Man movie (http://www.megamanfilm.com/) which I am actually VERY excited for after seeing a nice 15 minute preview at MAGfest (http://magfest.org/) for it on New Years!

[Mirai Gen]

I understand they're not actually shooting for money what with it being an independent film but why exactly hasn't Nintendo (or Capcom in the case of Mega Man) stuck their foot in this?

[EVILNess]

I understand they're not actually shooting for money what with it being an independent film but why exactly hasn't Nintendo (or Capcom in the case of Mega Man) stuck their foot in this?

Maybe they fear backlash from fans if they threaten legal action, or maybe they are seeing how they do so they can scoop up and buy it?

[Wyndon]

Uh...This looked pretty crappy to me.

Crappy acting, and bad script writing. Some of the sets and costume designs were kinda cool (ganondorf didn't look too bad), but I mean, this could have been made much better. Link's wearing a wig, or something, for christ sakes. Sheik looked down-right ridiculous.

Zelda should be handed to Christopher Nolan. I would cream my pants.

[Mirai Gen]

Uh...This looked pretty crappy to me.
I'm too scared to watch the trailer, honestly. Zelda never really felt right in a movie-form to me, nor did Mega Man for that matter. Zelda's story has never been the strong suit, it's a twenty year old legend that keeps getting tweaked and reincarnated fifty times over, and it has always been about isolation and being the protagonist, not watching him.

I doubt Link will have any sort of interesting personality, and a guy running around in a cave getting attacked by Poser monsters doesn't sound like a good time to me.

[The Wizard Who Did It]

This movie doesn't look good at all. Not even to get my jollies off on there being a fanmade video game movie.
I'm too scared to watch the trailer, honestly. Zelda never really felt right in a movie-form to me, nor did Mega Man for that matter. Zelda's story has never been the strong suit, it's a twenty year old legend that keeps getting tweaked and reincarnated fifty times over, and it has always been about isolation and being the protagonist, not watching him.
Yeah, but I mean a good writer could easily take the basic ideas and twist them a tiny bit to actually make a very decent story.

Although it sounds like they're trying to adhere closely to the story for some reason, so unless they have some kickass dialogue (doesn't sound like it) I'd find it pretty hard to pull off.

[Mirai Gen]

Yeah, but I mean a good writer could easily take the basic ideas and twist them a tiny bit to actually make a very decent story.
Yeah, except every single comic book movie ever.

I mean you're either adaptive and piss the fans off by not being true to the source or you're true to the source and you end up really really bad because the medium-shift doesn't work.

[The Wizard Who Did It]

Yeah, except every single comic book movie ever.

I mean you're either adaptive and piss the fans off by not being true to the source or you're true to the source and you end up really really bad because the medium-shift doesn't work.
I would hope that fans of LoZ could take having their not fantastic story changed slightly.

I don't think anyone bullshits themselves that the way the game is presented is true and perfect and shouldn't be changed. But maybe I'm horribly wrong.

The thing is that, from my memory at least, Zelda and Ganondorf actually have characterization you could pull out.* There is also a noticeable touch to the societies in the series. I'm sure that with 2 pre-established workable characters (including a third who's basically a blank slate), a bunch of different cultures, and a few notable flavors (the time traveling background) you can easily make something that's obviously spawned from LoZ that has some artistic liberties.

It has enough elements in the world in question to make a fun and interesting story, it just takes a writer to fix the pacing/dialogue/themes.

*I haven't played the game in forever, but I think I remember both of them not being completely two-dimensional.

[NonCon]

I am boycotting this movie on account of Link talking. They obviously have no respect for the source material.

[Mirai Gen]

I would hope that fans of LoZ could take having their not fantastic story changed slightly.

--


The thing is that, from my memory at least, Zelda and Ganondorf actually have characterization you could pull out.

I am boycotting this movie on account of Link talking. They obviously have no respect for the source material.

.

[Fifthfiend]

I am boycotting this movie on account of Link talking. They obviously have no respect for the source material.

Agreed unless the dialogue is Link asking the Princess to excuse him.

[Kepor]

Or expressing his desire to employ explosives on Dodongos at the soonest opportunity.

[Eldezar]

I am boycotting this movie on account of Link talking. They obviously have no respect for the source material.

In order to have a Zelda movie without Link talking would require a talent in writing far beyond the common independent film maker, and beyond most Hollywood film movie makers. Even then, I don't believe any writer/director could make a decent Zelda movie with a silent protagonist and make it anywhere near the source material.*

Now, it is perfectly possible to have a great movie with a mostly silent protagonist, i.e. Neo in the first and only Matrix movie that exists. I can already tell Link has too many lines, and even in the trailer you can see a hint of more than just a one dimensional character(might still be two dimensional). If they kept his lines to the bare minimum, throwing in a few 'UWAAH' and that one that always sounded to me like he was saying "HIGH-KICK" then it would be alright.

I am ready and willing to see some bullshit dialogue in most cases, but the biggest things I am looking forward to when seeing it is the CGI and settings. The Dodongo looks amazing, and the Marketplace/Hyrule castle looked pretty sweet. The fight seems from the trailer were only sub-par, which I was originally expecting much worse. That kind of CGI in an independent film is pretty astonishing.

And in terms of how true it is to the game, well, that would probably have made an even worse movie considering their already meek budget. First it would include more actors, which means more chances for an unknown to fuck up. Especially since many of those would have been children. I think they took it from 7 sages to just 4 from the looks of it. A hell of a lot more CGI than they already had for more boss battles and some other characters (there doesn't seem to be any Gorons or Zoras), and new locations, since they don't seem to go underwater nor to any desert.

Honestly, the only way I can see it is with all of this stuff in mind. I mean, the trailer itself is already better than a few Hollywood's video game-based movies.

My personal opinion on every video game made movie; stop making the movies as adaptations of games. Instead, make a movie which is canon to the series, just a new part of the story. Basically what Advent Children did for FF7, though I still would have done a few things differently there, but that is pretty much the only series I know of to do that (I haven't seen every video game movie, so clarification please). I would actually say this about most comic book movies as well, but it's way too late for that. Video game movies, though not new, are still a scarce enough genre where I think this could go over nicely in most cases.

*This talent, in most cases, is the ability to stop fucking writing.

[NonCon]

You do know I wasn't being serious, don't you?

I was merely responding to Mirai's sentiment about being unable to please viewers by feigning the role of an unpleasable fanboy. And now I had to explain the joke. :(

[Bells]

Now i just want someone to announce they are making a Chronno Trigger movie just to see what would happen.

It doesn't even have to be a real movie, even an hoax is ok. I just want to see the internet exploding.

[Eldezar]

You do know I wasn't being serious, don't you?

I was merely responding to Mirai's sentiment about being unable to please viewers by feigning the role of an unpleasable fanboy. And now I had to explain the joke. :(

Whatever joke there was flew right over my head, although I have heard that comment over and over, so I still wanted to express my views on the subject.

Also: Haha, good joke.

[bluestarultor]

Now i just want someone to announce they are making a Chronno Trigger movie just to see what would happen.

It doesn't even have to be a real movie, even an hoax is ok. I just want to see the internet exploding.

In a good way or a bad way?

To have any chance of anyone exploding in a good way, you'd need:
Chrono: some conventionally handsome guy who'd look good with red hair.
Marle: any sporty blonde chick would do, frankly.
Lucca: probably an Asian girl, and her hair likely would be black with purple streaks or something, because, come on, red hair is goofy enough, but full-on purple?
Robo and Frog: best to CG them, probably.
Ayla: honestly, I think they could get an older woman for the part, rather than some teenager.
Magus: again, probably an Asian guy, if they can find one with a chiseled face. I think a white guy in this role would be somehow lacking, but not so much as if he ended up with a soft face. He needs to be older, though.

To create mass outrage, you'd need to, I dunno:
Chrono: a black guy.
Marle: some pretty airhead with cleavage, or an Asian chick with badly dyed hair.
Lucca: random white chick who looks nothing like the part.
Robo and Frog: try to do it with costumes, or worse, makeup in Frog's case.
Ayla: random teen idol.
Magus: some baby-faced dude, regardless of race.

[Mirai Gen]

Whatever joke there was flew right over my head, although I have heard that comment over and over, so I still wanted to express my views on the subject.

Also: Haha, good joke.

The best thing about Noncon's joke is that it is actually a legitimate complaint that I'm sure many people have levelled against Zelda in other types of media. Not only did he crack a joke but he more or less proved my point in a facetious sort of way.

[CelesJessa]

Now i just want someone to announce they are making a Chronno Trigger movie just to see what would happen.



Forget Chrono Trigger I'm just waiting for my Smash Brothers Brawl Movie. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zOQq2N3xA&feature=channel_page)


On topic, the trailer made me smile. It's all kinds of cheesy but I think it's damn cool for a few fans to have pulled off. I'd go see it. :D

[Fifthfiend]

I picture Lucca as Rachel Leigh Cook reprising her "Smart girl who's uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly cause fuck, I mean, glasses dude" role from She's All That.

[Odjn]

I picture Lucca as Rachel Leigh Cook reprising her "Smart girl who's uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly cause fuck, I mean, glasses dude" role from She's All That.

Now we know who your teenage crush was!

[NonCon]

The thing with Link not talking is that there are so many legitimate reasons to have him talk, and only one real way, that I can think of, to have him not talking work. To not have Link talk, you'd basically have to have him be a mute, and characters within the movie acknowledge this, and probably have Navi do the talking for him with Link's communication reduced to nods, shakes of the head, and hand gestures.

In video games, you can have a character not talk because people are able to accept it as a perfectly normal thing in video games. Not so in movies. If a character just doesn't talk, people want to know why. Plus, in many games with silent protagonists, it is implied that the character is talking and communicating, you just aren't hearing his end of the conversation, allowing you to fill in the blanks pretty easy. Not only would this not work in a movie because people wouldn't take it seriously, but there's no reason to do it. You are staying true to the source material, the character does talk. It's just for the first time you're actually hearing his end of the conversations because of the inherent differences between video games and movies.

I don't have a problem with changes done to suit the medium. I have a problem with stupid changes made to appeal to people outside the fanbase, especially when these changes hurt the narrative or detract from a fan's enjoyment of it without contributing to other's enjoyment of the movie. I am also annoyed when changes aren't made that shouldn't be, for example Bubastis being in the Watchmen movie after having any relation to the ending removed.

And that is my wholly pointless rant.

[Regulus Tera]

It looks like a porno.

[Eldezar]

I agree with that completely, particularly the part with stupid changes to fit a new fanbase. Obviously, you have millions of people who enjoy the video game, so why not try to please them? The people who have no idea that it is from a game will see it regardless, and will most likely enjoy it more since many people who haven't played a certain video game agree that most video game movies suck.

The same thing happens when they try to explain things that only veterans of the game would know. Sometimes they do ok, Advent Children had a decent summation of ff7. I can't think of any video game movie off of the top of my head that did this horribly, but both official DnD movies were horrible. Aside from other atrocities within the movies, the second one actually took the time to explain the difference between divine and arcane magic. I highly doubt that anyone who does not play DnD cares about the differences, and people who do play or at least know of it don't want to have to sit through an explanation of one of the most basic of fantasy concepts.

It looks like a porno.

The Legend of Zelda: Pimp of Time.

http://www.trendyink.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/zelda-bling.jpg

[Mike McC]

Every element of this looks a step or two below the worst of any Sci-Fi movie. Seriously, this looks to be about on par with a basement produced horror flick Bloodthirst 2: Revenge of the Chupacabras (http://www.amazon.com/Bloodthirst-Revenge-Chupacabras-Gary-Agid/dp/B000H0MN7Q/). Which, believe it or not, gives it some hope... Bloodthirst 2 was a highly riffable film. Then again, it could be like Allan Quartermain and the Temple of Skulls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Quatermain_and_the_Temple_of_Skulls), something I had a hard time riffing due to the sheer boredom it produced.The Dodongo looks amazingUm, sure. It sure doesn't look like something that would have clipping issues and made in some second level computer animation course (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiARsQSlzDc).

[Mirai Gen]

Um, sure. It sure doesn't look like something that would have clipping issues and made in some second level computer animation course (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiARsQSlzDc).
Killer, I was right! And I haven't even watched the trailer!
a guy running around in a cave getting attacked by Poser monsters doesn't sound like a good time to me.

[01d55]

Hey maybe if we're going to have a thread for this movie, at least one of us should actually watch the thing and tell everyone how it actually was.

P.S. Not it!

[Ryong]

When I looked at this thread I thought of the IGN april fools' prank trailer, thinking they weren't actually joking. Then I saw the trailer. Boy, am I disappointed...


To create mass outrage, you'd need to, I dunno:
Chrono: a black guy.
Marle: some pretty airhead with cleavage, or an Asian chick with badly dyed hair.
Lucca: random white chick who looks nothing like the part.
Robo and Frog: try to do it with costumes, or worse, makeup in Frog's case.
Ayla: random teen idol.
Magus: some baby-faced dude, regardless of race.

You're describing the cast as M. Night Shyamalan would pick it. Or maybe he'd pick an indian to do Magus or something.

[Lady Cygnet]

When I looked at this thread I thought of the IGN april fools' prank trailer, thinking they weren't actually joking. Then I saw the trailer. Boy, am I disappointed...



You're describing the cast as M. Night Shyamalan would pick it. Or maybe he'd pick himself to do Magus or something.

Fixed that for you.

The movie looks interesting, aside from one thing:

Link's hair.

If they could make Zelda a brunette, why did they bother giving Link that horrible tribble to wear?

[tacticslion]

The movie looks interesting, aside from one thing:

Link's hair.

If they could make Zelda a brunette, why did they bother giving Link that horrible tribble to wear?

Agreed. I think they wanted to be "more like the game", but it looks poor, and, really, Link originally had brown hair (granted it was long), so I don't think the whole thing would be as off-putting for fans as they might have thought.

Nonetheless! There is a LOT of smack said about this movie, and how it should have been done. Here's the thing, though: I haven't seen anyone else do something like this. Further, I haven't seen anyone else successfully make a high-budget special effects movie without a budget (except for FLASHBACK (http://flashbackmovie.com/) which is shaping up to be the best thing ever, but I digress), so really, yeah there's plenty to complaign about, but... they've done something no one else has. They've (seemingly) adapted a story pretty well from the video game medium to the visual medium. Crappy special effects, sure, not perfect acting, ok, but it's better than Alone in the Dark, Blood Rayne, and Double Dragon. I mean, seriously.

On a similar topic: the movie Super Mario Bros. It gets a great deal of (deserved) flak for bizarre scripting, bizarre story, and rewriting canon very oddly. And yet, the acting was fair, the story surprisingly close to source (for an adapted movie: granted it added bit about a meteor and had wrong brother-princess relationship plus SCIENCE), and may be the best video-game adaptation to movie released*. Seriously. Instead of only sending hate mail (and calls and such) about such a movie, why not, say, send a review of the positive things too. Not commending the movie, but mentioning instead of being purely sour, it might do us (i.e. fandom in general) to mention, "gee, that kind of sucks that it wasn't good, but here's what you can do better next time!". Except to Uwe Boll. Ignore him, preferebly by shipping him one way to the congo by himself (or with that Blood Rayne actress... never mind, I don't want even the potential for his spawn to flop around).

Anyhoo, I'd look foreward to seeing the Hero of Time, if it ever came to our part of the world.

Edit:
*I had completely forgotten about the Tomb Raider movies, Resident Evil movies, Mortal Combat and Wing Commander**, which are closer to the game-story/setting than Mario, and are, in fact, better movies. Not good movies, mind you, but better and closer to their work. My point still stands. Also, I'm talking about live-action movies. Animated movies can be pretty good, as the medium supports the fantastic nature of games better.
**I actually enjoy the Resident Evil movies (they're premise is stupid, but that's RE for you), Doom (not like the video game, but hey), and Wing Commander (yeah, I know, but I don't really have shame anymore... also it may say something that I forgot about it's existance).

Two:
I picture Lucca as Rachel Leigh Cook reprising her "Smart girl who's uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly cause fuck, I mean, glasses dude" role from She's All That.

This. I mean - Lucca never struck me as ugly. At all, in any of his art. Yet everyone's "like, I mean, glasses, dude" all the time. What?

Also, the only thing needed to destroy all the internets is to announce in a convincing way that a Chrono Trigger movie will be made and Vin Disel will have a starring role in it and Uwe Boll will direct it. And then you're done. Or better yet, to crash the entire internet from rage in a simple four step plan: 1) announce a Chrono Cross movie instead of Chrono Trigge 2) make it be the first great video game movie ever 3) ???? 4) profit.

[Mirai Gen]

Chrono Cross could work even less than Chrono Trigger.

Cause like with CT you at least have the advantage of a fast-paced plot-advancement package that makes sense with very little dialog. CC is so convoluted and complex (Go FF7 influences!) it wouldn't work.

[Bells]

Chrono Cross could work even less than Chrono Trigger.

Cause like with CT you at least have the advantage of a fast-paced plot-advancement package that makes sense with very little dialog. CC is so convoluted and complex (Go FF7 influences!) it wouldn't work.

Plus you would need about 40 Actors just to cover the main cast... and makeup and costumes seem a even bigger hell than with CT.

This looks actually decent. For a fanfilm, it's worth at least a watch. I mean, fans with limited budget are pulling off movies that at least TRY HARDER than most Hollywood movies. With some ideas (and maybe more fans involved) i'm pretty sure they could pull off some really cool movies.

Y' know what Game i would pay to see in movie form? Omega Boost. Not just because i'm a sucker for giant robots, but because the game is awesome, the Intro is one of the best ever and the entire movie could be done in a Green/Blue screen setting and it would still be awesome (damn, the Real opening for the game looks like a fan movie!)

Another Fanfilm i hope someone would make? Assassin's creed.

Also, looking at this Trailer what i really feel is that fans who want to make fanfilms should enjoy their artistic freedom and just gamble higher from time to time... i mean, if the guys behind this movie just used the Steampunk Link concept everyone was drooling about and will never happen, instead of the classical Zelda theme, people would be all over this right now...

Some games work better with the source, some work better if you actually give the fans something they will never get otherwise.

[The Wizard Who Did It]

Nonetheless! There is a LOT of smack said about this movie, and how it should have been done.
It hasn't been done because nobody wants to fuck it up. Or the CEOs don't see any profit in it, either/or.

Just because something hasn't been done does not mean that it should be encouraged.

Also, it's not just special effects. The things that annoyed me was mostly the acting, what was shown of the story, and the dialogue. The visuals didn't seem very evocative either.

Basically, if something doesn't look great there isn't much reason to beat around the bush and reward it for being unique. In the end, a certain level of quality should be expected in order for there to be praise.

Also, to be fair, Super Mario Brothers has zero competition in its genre.

[Kroze Gamegod]

Further, I haven't seen anyone else successfully make a high-budget special effects movie without a budget (except for FLASHBACK (http://flashbackmovie.com/) which is shaping up to be the best thing ever, but I digress),

And here is where you open up a HUGE can of worms...
There are PLENTY out there currently in the works AND fully filmed...
We have Metal Gear Solid Pilanthropy (http://www.mgs-philanthropy.net/) and the Mega Man movie (http://www.megamanfilm.com/) which look amazingly high quality with all their CGI and effects for being completely without a budget, and then we have everything X-Strike Studios (http://www.x-strikestudios.com/projects.html) has made as quite good video game films made by fans which while of a lesser quality then the first two films mentioned, they pull through with their writing and their wit in impressing with their works.
And these are just a small few of the many many high quality offerings that are currently out there.

Before you say something like you said, while no matter how vaild the rest of your points may be, PLEASE do some research so you don't make yourself look like an idiot.