Enough with the Matrix technique- A Rant

[Tom Samborski]

Ever since The Matrix came out three years ago, filmmakers have decided to use the technique of slow motion and bullet time. It was cool to see how they could do it at first, but now it's just fucking overused. Using this technique is very unoriginal, and it gets very boring after awhile. In my opinion, action movies should go back to the good old pre-Matrix shootouts, no bullet-time, just the plain shootouts that were meant to be seen. I also think the "bullet-time" technique is being plagerized too.

[Paterfamilias]

Agreed!
I'm getting sick of it too. It was great and original in The Matrix. The first time I saw Trinity freeze in mid air and the camera move around I was blown away. Now when it is used it's like "oh, there's the Matrix technique." I wonder if Reloaded will use it or will they come up wit something else.

[Ronaldinho]

Uh...slow motion in action sequences goes a lot farther back than the Matrix. Even the idea of freezing the action while the camera moves predates the Matrix considerably. Sting used it in a video three or four years before the Matrix came out, and was also used in a Gap ad.

[Moviefan1234]

It depends on the movie. For some scenes it works very nicely, but on others it's an annoyance.

[flashplanet]

This has gone through a lifecycle of about 3 years, and although still does look cool, is yes overused.
We all saw Bullet Time and thought that kicked ass.
Then movies started using it as a pardoy which we all though was very funny (hehe, that's like The Matrix)
Now when movies STILL use it as a parody I cringe because it's just not funny anymore.

[Nate6]

I agree, it's absolutely and completely used up now. Damn bullet time!

[El Bracamonti]

right on! this has to be the most annoying thing that a movie can do now days. i'm completely fed up with movies trying to immitate the matrix. why can't they realize that it's over! been tried too much! over!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mick]

What movies are using this technique? I can only think of two. Shrek and Scary Movie. They're obviously both trying to be funny, and it doesn't work... not that it ruins Scary Movie, since it was a complete pile o' shite.

I can't think of any action movies that try to immitate it. I'm sure there are a few, though....... examples?

[PorcheRacer]

Charlie's Angels
Romeo Must Die
Exit Wounds
TV's Smallville
Deuce Bigalow

etc.

[syxxpac]

Originally posted by Mick
I can't think of any action movies that try to immitate it. I'm sure there are a few, though....... examples?

One major one I can think of is "neigborhood rules" in The Art Of War . Actually, I don't really mind the bullet time effect. I think it can be used to spice up what could be just generic gun fights. I just hate it when they parody it. Like many have said before, it's just not funny anymore.

[Grebdron]

I think it started with my mortal enemy, John Fucking Woo. God I hate him, and all he stands for!!

[BubbaStrangelove]

the matrix is the Vertigo for today

[Mick]

Originally posted by PorcheRacer
Charlie's Angels
Romeo Must Die
Exit Wounds
TV's Smallville
Deuce Bigalow

etc.

Seen a couple episodes of Smallville, but wouldn't watch any of the other crap. Could I suggest that if you're sick of this effect, stop watching such crap movies :o

Been looking at IMDB's Mlinks for The Matrix, and it (still :p ) has Fight Club listed as spoofing it. Now, I now a lot of stuff on IMDB is just bullshit, but is there any basis for this? If someone could tell me a particular scene where this "spoofing" takes place, I'd be most grateful. Well, I'd be more grateful if someone would tell me it's just bullshit, as I can't think why Fincher would want to spoof The Matrix.

[Tuukka]

Actually I don't remember any bullet time in either Charlie's Angels (I've seen it twice), Exit Wounds or Romeo Must Die. In which scenes was bullet-time used?

Like Ronaldinho said, the effect was used years before Matrix.

[Kastman]

Actually I hate it more when so many movies parody that bullet time thing.

First there was scary movie, then Kung Pow, then the matrix, and now casablanca. WHats up with that?

[iwebmax]

Originally posted by Tuukka
Actually I don't remember any bullet time in either Charlie's Angels (I've seen it twice), Exit Wounds or Romeo Must Die. In which scenes was bullet-time used?

Like Ronaldinho said, the effect was used years before Matrix.

I'm not sure about the other two, but in "Charlie's Angels," bullet time is evident in the scene where Drew Barrymore is "shot" and flies back through the window.

[Wildbilld]

I read somewhere that Reloaded/Revolutions will be impossible to copy the effects. Thank you god....;) :D

[Jerk Shapiro]

Originally posted by Moviefan1234
It depends on the movie. For some scenes it works very nicely, but on others it's an annoyance.

Yeah, I agree, even though it has been SUPER OVERUSED, it's still pretty cool in some, some action sequences.

[James Logan]

Originally posted by Wildbilld
I read somewhere that Reloaded/Revolutions will be impossible to copy the effects. Thank you god....;) :D

How much do you wanna bet that six months after the movie comes out, EVERYONE will be able to copy the effects?

[heretic]

Dont quote me on this but wasnt bullet time used in hard boiled? wich came out before the matrix dont shout if I'm wrong! please

[Luke-Abbott]

Originally posted by Paterfamilias
I wonder if Reloaded will use it or will they come up wit something else.

Well of course they should, its there effect after all. But how is it impossible for them to use it again?

[Mut]

Charlie's Angels
Romeo Must Die
Exit Wounds
TV's Smallville
Deuce Bigalow

etc.
Ooh, I hate to admit even seeing this, but Wing Commander used the effect for a warp-jump-thingy. I don't know, I saw it a while ago.

Everybody makes mistakes ...

I think it started with my mortal enemy, John Fucking Woo. God I hate him, and all he stands for!!
How can you say that? A Better Tomorrow and Hard-Boiled are some of the greatest examples of action cinema ever! MI:2 sucked, I'll give you that, but don't knock his Hong Kong work!

[Wildbilld]

Originally posted by James Logan
How much do you wanna bet that six months after the movie comes out, EVERYONE will be able to copy the effects?

Joel Silver said that couldnt be....:rolleyes:

[AxeDamn]

I don't come here often, but I'd like to say a few things which I will never read the replies (if any) to:

As ROnaldinho in his infinite wisdom stated, the, er, "bullet-time" technique did preceed the Matrix by years. It was in fact first developed believe it or not (I read) in an insirance advertisement. Hell, I can't wait to see what you yanks put in your car adverts :D

I am not sick of seeing bullet-time. I am sick of the people who think bullet-time is the be-all and end-all of SFX. LOTR proved quite clearly that the be-all and end-all of SFX was sending the camera all over a fully rendered yet totally realistic Isengard, then flying down deep underground and showing us the tunnels underneath and the actors mining up the earth. That was, IMHO one of the most amazing SFX shots I have ever seen and Matrix don't compare.

The technique of the slow-flying camera was only used 4 times at all, in the Matrix. The Wachowskis were very adept as employing other, different things (Despoite hating all the hype and wankerism surrounding The Matrix, I agreed that the story was intelligent and the directors, both comic-strip artists, do have a lot of talent) in making the stuff look good.

They used a lot of slow-mo for their fights and shootouts, far more than bullet-time. Slo-mo is a respected thing which, when not over-used, can make action sequences look really cool. Everyone uses it. Just to varying degrees.

There was no bullet-time in Hard Boiled or Better Tomorrow. There was, however, lots of slow-mo, and had it been made today, Hard Boiled would probably have had lots of bullet-time in it, and I would have hated it. Anyone who uses bullet-time where they could/should(?) use slow-mo is making an error. Feel free to hate slow-mo if you like, I love it when used correctly.

The effects from Matrix II (IMHO that should be the title) WILL be copied, simply because the FX used in Matrix movies are now what people remember about them, and so they WILL be copied unnecesarily. And crap films will attempt to parody them. Um. Not funny. How about in Scary Movie 3 we shoot a Hong Kong crime boss in the eye. Is that funny? Hehe, I guess it depends ;)

Another thing I would like to point out is that in the places where Bullet-time was used in the Matrix, these were not simply crappy pieces of shootouts. Bullet-time was reserved, as it were, for the parts of the film where characters "bend the rules" and do something they could not do physically, regardless of how fast they do it. Apart from the bit where Lawrence is shot in the ankle, but that is because those two boys are obsessed with physics.

[Irene Manor]

I agree that it is used to often, but it's not fair to bash bullet time because of those people. It's a cool effect - simple. Is it always used correctly? I don't think so.


BTW, bullet time was used in Gap commercials long before The Matrix.