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Author
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Topic: UNDERDOG review
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Jasen
IE # 129
Member # 2721
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posted
OMGLOL...
quote:
Jim Belushi plays the father, and I think he's at least ten years too old for the part. Any time he moves faster than walking, like when he's running up the City Hall steps, he looks like he's running with a load of crap in his pants.
![[funny]](graemlins/funny.gif)
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
I am ashamed to wear my Underdog t-shirt in public anymore!!!
This movie has ruined my life!!!
Fie! Fie! Fie on them!
But Mezco and Dark horse did come out with some cool Underdog toys based on the REAL Underdog!
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
a few of us should take the trailer and replace all of the cg underdog in it with new animation of the 2d underdog, and then put it on youtube!
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Knowledge, ROFL! That's a funny idea!
The best thing about this movie is that it's so bad that the movie reviews are worth paying to read.
I want an accounting of who greenlighted this movie and what cave is he or she hiding in.
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Graphiteman
IE # 218
Member # 2092
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posted
I said it when it was announced; take the budget for the film and make a flash series. And to Classic Media; quit "re-imagining"!....(not that I don't think the original is a little overrated in our baby boomer minds.)
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C W Oberleitner
IE # 222
Member # 3197
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posted
From our Underdog review.
quote:
Director Frederik Du Chau, whose only other live action directorial screen credit is 2005’s Racing Stripes, is ultimately the one most responsible for the underwhelming experience that is Underdog. Moviemaking is story telling, and Underdog looks and sounds like a story being told by a eighth grade newsreader.
The full review is up on the site at: www.o-meon.com
BTW: We said Belushi looked like he was just marking time til his contractual obligation was up.
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
The director isn't to blame here. He's had to make applesauce with rotten apples or rotten tomatoes if you get the gag.
There's no way you can tell me that when the idea was first proposed to Disney that it went past every executive and not one said it was a stupid idea to alter the property to such extremes.
That's the case and investors should be up in arms over this if they weren't informed of the changes from day one.
I hate to say it but decisions like this makes me want to scream out,
"Bring back Eisner!"
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Michael W Howe
IE # 251
Member # 1827
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posted
One has to wonder what else they'll do to the Underdog series.
I just hope they stay away from Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumley-but given how Hollywood has taken to forcefeeding us penguins until we explode, I'd imagine they've begun prep work on this segment.
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"He's got three Piston Cups!"
"He did WHAT in his cup!??"
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C W Oberleitner
IE # 222
Member # 3197
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posted
quote:
I hate to say it but decisions like this makes me want to scream out,
"Bring back Eisner!"
Actually Greg, while I don't have the exact dates at hand, I'm pretty sure given the average length of the development cycle this film probably does harken back to the days when Michael insisted his hand picked executives make all creative decisions at the studio.
That would include the choice of a compliant and company approved director. MBAs in the film industry have a demonstrated habit of surrounding themselves with people who won't give them a hard time, will follow orders and not bog things down with a lot of artsy ideas.
Just my two cents based on my observations.
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
C.W. I was afraid you were going to say that.
If that's the case then as soon as he got the boot they should have stopped this project cold.
We've sat here and seen a dozen or more times over that when you alter an established property too much it tanks. Somehow this axiom was overlooked and that's scary.
Had they done it CG with live action that would have been the farthest stretch but acceptible and a great way to spotlight actor talent.
Remember the massacre that was Rocky and Bullwinkle? Who decided to make a plot about the girl and Rocky and Bullwinkle became secondary plots to their own movie? Sounds like another case of "I wanna impress some blonde actresses" again.
Robert DeNiro as Fearless Leader was such a funny draw to the movie it made it irresistable. Then the animation was like a cross between not done and shoulda been finished.
We should have a 'cartoon to movies' law that everyone should abide by and make sure we get it into the hands of investors.
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Sorry Greg.
I'm afraid I agree with C.W. This abomination probably began while Eisner still presided over the "Evil Empire."
This project smacks of something the "Dark Lord" would be delighted to produce.
Worse, there's probably more to come.
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
Hoooo! Jasen that made me laugh and then scared me as to how real your scenario may be.
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Okay so it's a project started by Eisner supposedly. Looking at some of the talent involved it wouldn't surprise me. It's got that "You're only as good as your last envelope." look to it.
Regardless. As soon as power changed hands someone should have put an end to it. Even the Pixar guys should have leaped in and said "Hey, who came up with this obviously unrealistic project? End it now!".
That's the scariest part. No one stepped in to end it. They let it pass in full colors.
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Im2dGuy
IE # 25
Member # 1160
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posted
ok, ok,
on occasion it's amusing to someone
to give babies and pets famous star voices.
I'm sure that enough 5-10 year olds will beg their parents to go enough to make their money back.
I just wish they'd called it
'super-dog' or something. ![[Gary]](graemlins/banghead.gif)
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Disney executives should be out picking up those "doggy droppings" they've left scattered all over the country.
Don't they know that's against the law? Get a plastic baggy, and pick up all that stuff.
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droosan
IE # 4
Member # 2225
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posted
Seems it had a $12 million opening weekend.
Box Office Guru almost seems to 'spin' this as a positive:
quote:
Disney launched its canine pic Underdog in third place with a respectable opening of $12M, according to estimates, from 3,013 theaters. The PG-rated family film averaged a decent $3,986 per venue and tried to take advantage of a marketplace lacking choices for younger kids.
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Actual positives are the new Underdog TV show DVD's from Classic Media, and Mezco's rockin' Underdog action figure toys (based on the cartoon, rather than the movie) ..
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Droosan, I have my DVDs and action figures! I have numerous sets of the Underdog toys from '97!
Four sets, Each with one Underdog and one of each Simon, Riff Raff, Polly, Shoeshine Boy. Snagged them bad boys up on Ebay!
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
Hey Greg, just caught your "the director isn't to blame" remark!! Well in this instance HE IS!! This was his project and pitch from the start!! Let's go ahead and give him ALL the credit for this film - lest he be allowed to do it again!
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mbaker
Member
Member # 2012
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posted
With each passing, i feel more ashamed to be a cartoonist with Hollywood coninuing the awful trend of turning cartoons into live action dissasters. It's almost as if these movies not only take away jobs from real animators, but they seem like Hollywood's way of giving the bird to people who like animation because despite the success of 'The Simpsons Movie', people still see animation as 'kids stuff', and refuse to see anything made by pencil for fear of being rediculed by their peers who've been brainwashed by the mainstream media's view towards cartoons. Yet they're way more comfortable with a live action version of it. No matter how bad the results are.
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australopith
IEcm
Member # 2746
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posted
Knowledge: as I heard it (not entirely verified), Du Chau simply wanted to make a film about a kid with a wisecracking dog superhero for a pet, and to convince a studio to pick it up, decided to pitch it as a variation on a presold property. The original pitch used Hong Kong Phooey, but when it didn't "take," he simply retrofitted his pre-existing story to Underdog. One can still find Du Chau's name connected with Hong Kong Phooey on older movie-related web pages.
I presume it became a matter of pitching to people who didn't realize or care how unfaithful Du Chau was going to be to their brand. It really didn’t matter what cartoon it was based on; it was all about figuring out a way to make Du Chau's own story, and that’s what’s wrong with this picture.
I’d love it if someone can tell me that the version of events I’ve heard is inaccurate.
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
Thanks for the more in depth report! I had heard about Hong Kong Phooey as well and thought that was to be his next pic. Your explanation seems more reasonable (but you can never tell - he still may do it!).
I just hope he goes totally into live action now and leaves animation alone!
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
currently it has a 12% rating on RottenTomatoes.com
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Scott Shaw!
IE # 132
Member # 172
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posted
Australopith, I dunno if that story you heard is true or not. For a looong time, director Alex Zamm (who helmed the Carrot Top vehicle, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD) has been announced to direct the HONG KONG PHOOEY movie.
Aloha,
Scott!
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rdelgado
Member
Member # 552
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posted
Anyone that pays to see this movie deserves what they get. The trailer was the worst thing I've ever seen,and anyone that loved the Jay Ward toon had to know going in that this was garbage.
Ricardo Delgado
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
shoulda called it "UnderwearDog"
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monkeydad
Member
Member # 1566
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posted
Underdog wasn't done by Jay Ward, it was produced by Total Television. There is a similarity of look though.
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Knowledge, no, the director is not to blame. He's partially to blame. In order for him to get this piece of crap produced he had to go through a bunch of execs first. Even on down to the key grips shoulda known this was a stinker.
He may be the first person ever to beat Ed Wood Jr. in making the worst movie of all time. Beating "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is truly an achievement many directors have sought after.
Australopith, thanks for the info. It proves my point. There was a chain of command that got this movie produced. It isn't F2B (Faithfull to Brand) so the responsibility falls on everyone who makes decisions. As a fan maybe I should have screamed and stomped my feet enough. Oh yeah, I remember I tried to do that and some wiseacres tried to shout me down.
Let's hope someone will come along and do Underdog justice one day.
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Charles
Administrator
Member # 7
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posted
A friend took his 7 year old daughter to see it yesterday and she didn't like it. She said she was disappointed in the movie and it dragged. She wanted to leave early.
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knowledge
IE # 258
Member # 462
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posted
Well Monsieur DuChau is on a downward path according to the review tracking of Rotten Tomatoes. His best effort to date was "Quest for Camelot" it seems.
Quest for Camelot = 35%
Racing Stripes = 34%
Underdog = 12%
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Oh, this is funny! According to a pal from NYPD he and I grew up watching Underdog. We used to love it when the giant Underdog blimp would fly during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Underdog was what people waited for. There was also an Underdog float that was awesome! Wondering whatever happened to that float.
Anyhow, my pal said something so funny about how bad this Underdog movie is I ended up with tears in my eyes from laughing so hard:
"Bro, that movie sucks so bad not even the Chinese are bootlegging it."
"In all the years I've been on the job I've seen every kind of movie bootlegged but nobody is bootlegging this one. Is it that bad?"
I didn't wanna break his heart but he wanted to know why Hollywood would do this to one of NY's favorite superheroes. Underdog and Spider-Man are NY's favorites for sure.
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