Cutesy Critters in KoTCS

There have been so many complaints about the animals in KoTCS, and accusations of adding them to please the kiddie audience, or because Spielberg is "out of touch."

I do not believe that is the case. It's my opinion that they serve as a visual connection to the "power" represented by the interdimensional beings. Spielberg, like most directors of his generation, is hugely influenced by Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." Both "2001" and "KoTCS" share similar themes of the evolution of mankind through the intervention of higher powers.

As "2001" begins, our ape-like ancestors, under the influence of the alien Monolith, undergo a significant increase in mental capacity, discovering how to use bones as primitive tools. Of course, this section of the movie ends with the famous shot of a bone -- tossed in triumph to the heavens -- as it turns into a spaceship in one nifty edit.

The evolution of mankind through knowledge -- and through the influence of a higher power -- is also a main theme in KoTCS, and by utilizing a recurring animal motif --like monkeys -- I believe that Spielberg is making a connection to "2001."

Luckylighter said:

I do not believe that is the case. It's my opinion that they serve as a visual connection to the "power" represented by the interdimensional beings.

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Ahhh, so the greaser monkeys were influenced by the aliens to teach the young hero Mutt how to swing on the vines...and that the Commies were to be stopped?

And the prairie dogs?

Get real. Comparing Skull to 2001 is like comparing Battlefield Earth to Citizen Kane.

Find me a talking computer or a monolith and we'll talk.

Luckylighter said:

There have been so many complaints about the animals in KoTCS, and accusations of adding them to please the kiddie audience, or because Spielberg is "out of touch."

I do not believe that is the case. It's my opinion that they serve as a visual connection to the "power" represented by the interdimensional beings. Spielberg, like most directors of his generation, is hugely influenced by Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." Both "2001" and "KoTCS" share similar themes of the evolution of mankind through the intervention of higher powers.

As "2001" begins, our ape-like ancestors, under the influence of the alien Monolith, undergo a significant increase in mental capacity, discovering how to use bones as primitive tools. Of course, this section of the movie ends with the famous shot of a bone -- tossed in triumph to the heavens -- as it turns into a spaceship in one nifty edit.

The evolution of mankind through knowledge -- and through the influence of a higher power -- is also a main theme in KoTCS, and by utilizing a recurring animal motif --like monkeys -- I believe that Spielberg is making a connection to "2001."

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What a load of rubbish. The animals and ants in KOTCS are cheesy out of place CGI. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't try and make a deep reasoning behind them being in the film.

I find this analisys forced... I don't really see the point.

I may be in the minority, but the Paramount mountain turning into the prairie dog mound made me laugh. Where's your sense of fun?

Agent Spalko said:

Get real. Comparing Skull to 2001 is like comparing Battlefield Earth to Citizen Kane.

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The defences of this movie have become quite insane.

Spielberg and Lucas didn't care about this movie, they just wanted to make something to shut the fans up. This is evident by how flat out lazy the script, direction, and cinematography are. With 185 million, Ed Wood would have delivered a much better film, because he would actually have put effort into it.

The prairie dog joke was funny. They decided to use them again in a very minuscule way and that really offended some people. It wasn't meant to have any sort of thematic relevance.

I do think it might have been a jab at those who would make a mountain out of a "mole hill" though. Which is funny because it's almost antagonistic if you think of it that way.

The first prairie dog, ehhh, I can live with.......kinda.

Later on though, with the rocket sled racing across the desert plane, that quick cut of the prairie dogs perking up and watching the action just feels so forced. I know it's only a second and change (if even that), but it kinda kills the momentum of the scene for me.

Remember in the original DVD documentary when we learned how particular Spielberg was about finding a structure that would best suit the Paramount fade-in for the opening of Raiders? In Skull, ILM did the searching for him. The critters are merely the result of too much technology and too little imagination. Oh, and poorly judged comic appeal.

The Man said:

The defences of this movie have become quite insane.

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You may be right, though some would argue that the attacks on it have become waaaaay over the top as well.

The Man said:

Remember in the original DVD documentary when we learned how particular Spielberg was about finding a structure that would best suit the Paramount fade-in for the opening of Raiders? In Skull, ILM did the searching for him. The critters are merely the result of too much technology and too little imagination. Oh, and poorly judged comic appeal.

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I've been thinking about alternative fade-ins.

I mean, they could have easily done another mountain, but then people would have complained that they were just recycling from Raiders. I could deal with another mountain fade-in myself....

The Atomic Cafe sign. I think a fade-in using the sign with a mountain in the logo could have been worked in.

The prairie dog mound, well, I think it's rather original...but it feels too lightweight right at the very beginning of the film.

graz said:

You may be right, though some would argue that the attacks on it have become waaaaay over the top as well.

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How does the saying go, "When pitted with madmen, take care lest you too go insane"?

Agent Z said:

I've been thinking about alternative fade-ins.

I mean, they could have easily done another mountain, but then people would have complained that they were just recycling from Raiders. I could deal with another mountain fade-in myself....

The Atomic Cafe sign. I think a fade-in using the sign with a mountain in the logo could have been worked in.

The prairie dog mound, well, I think it's rather original...but it feels too lightweight right at the very beginning of the film.

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Were there construction or traffic cones around circa 1957? It wouldn't make absolute sense for one to be there, fair enough, but the kids could have slammed into it and carried on.

The Man said:

Were there construction or traffic cones around circa 1957?

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No, they made little kids stand in....

Just kidding....

The Man said:

It wouldn't make absolute sense for one to be there, fair enough, but the kids could have slammed into it and carried on.

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Uhhhh, yeahhh.

Hey, that prairie dog mound doesn't seem so bad now, huh?


SIDENOTE: God bless the interweb!

This was bound to happen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZqPozS8YpU

Mothy said:

What a load of rubbish. The animals and ants in KOTCS are cheesy out of place CGI. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't try and make a deep reasoning behind them being in the film.

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You see, there are two types of movie audiences in this world. Those who, when confronted by something they don't quite understand, or like, in a movie, throw up there hands and say, "that's lame. They lost touch. They didn't care about the movie and rushed through the script." And then you all take the lazy way out and right it off completely. It's easy to complain about lazy writing, but there is such a thing as being a lazy audience member.

Then there are those of us who see the same things and do a little critical thinking, make connections and try to understand why something happened in a movie, rather than be a lazy audience member who criticizes people for liking a movie they didn't get.

I am so done with this board. It's become overrun with childish, immature, arrogant jerks, who trash theories and ideas, and make accusations that the people making these ideas are just grasping at straws to make arguments that KoTCS was good. It used to be you could bring up a thought provoking subject, and get a good discussion going. Now all you mouth-breathing plebians do is **** all over everybody's ideas.

So have fun with your circular arguments and your bitter uninformed tirades. I realize now that the thought of having any kind of intelligent, polite discussion is scary and foreign to you jackals.