HOLY SHIT of the day PART TWO

[nenena]

From the Virgin Comics email newsletter:

We've also got Grant Morrison--yes, the Grant Morrison--teaming up with us for an online animated series, MBX! A bold new take on the Indian epic the Mahabharata, Grant has updated the legendary millenias-old tale to a future only he could envision. Better stock up on popcorn 'cause MBX breaks out on the web later this year!

Link with promotional images:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16079

Now can anybody tell me what's going on in that one promotional image?

Also, this makes me nervous:

For that reason, the style of animation they are using for these web shorts is appropriate. Devarajan said that the shorts will utilize 3D Motion Capture for the animation. He described it as "almost a video game-type look."

I have yet to see a single use of 3D Motion Capture that doesn't suck.

Well, no, I stand corrected. Motion capture when used to animate CGI characters in live-action movies works well. (See: Gollum.) But when used in animated movies? It still just looks too weird to me. I mean, Polar Express and Beowulf... (*shudder*) Way too deep in the uncanny valley for my tastes.

Also, this means that they're going to be using human actors, right? I really really hope they get a mostly Indian cast.

So, in sum: Grant Morrison is helming a futuristic cartoon version of the Mahahbarata where instead of chariots we're getting SPACE MOTORCYCLES, apparently.

This can only end up awesome.

ETA: Ooop, forgot to check my flist before I posted this. goldenflames scooped it first.

ETA 2: Okay so from the preview trailer it looks like they're using cartoony/stylized character designs, and using the motion-capture technology to replicate real martial arts. That looks fantastic, and I take back everything that I said about the uncanny valley. I was afraid that they were going to use the motion-capture CGI to try to replicate "realistic human" facial features, but since they're not doing that, the end result looks pretty cool, actually.

Comments

[goldenflames.livejournal.com]

Can you please give Krishna a totally tricked out space motorcycle (something like Sirius Black in Space)?


*does her best puppy dog eyes*

Pleeeeeeeeease?



In all seriousness though, in response to the comment you left on my LJ, yours is better... because, nothing... nothing... (except for the Vyasa Mbh, of course) beats that Yuddhisthira moment.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

I hope they include the scene where after the war Krishna's chariot SPACE MOTORCYLE explodes in a ball of flame, and Krishna's all like, "LOL, that was totally supposed to happen."

[goldenflames.livejournal.com]

Wasn't that Arjuna's?



Either way, exploding space motorcycles are epic fun.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Was it Arjuna's? I can't remember. Either way, I'm pretty sure that Krishna was the one who tricked it out, and Krishna was the one driving it.

Hmmm, maybe I'm confusing the Buck version with the Critical Edition. In the Buck version there's this scene where Krishna presents Arjuna with a chariot that's been hyper-decorated, and is all like "Hey Arjuna look what I did!" And Yudhisthira's reaction is basically, "Does it have to be so... sparklypoo?"

And Krishna is like, "Yes."

Because apparently they have to out-sparklypoo Bhisma or risk lowering the morale of their troops, or something.

I can't remember if the chariot was Arjuna's in the first place, though, of if it was Krishna's chariot that he gave to Arjuna.

Either way, the important part is: Eventually it EXPLODES.

(Also I remember being horribly amused when I first read that scene, because even though Dhristadumnya was the nominal general of Yudhisthira's army, nobody really seemed to care about whether his chariot was sparklypoo or not, because Arjuna was clearly the more important warrior.)

[goldenflames.livejournal.com]

*falls over laughing*


You can't expect Yuddhisthira to appreciate the finer things in life... like sparklypoo chariots.

I always wondered about Dhristadyumna's reaction to Arjuna basically being the acting co-commander-in-chief. Then again, I think Dhristadyumna's younger brothers were guarding Arjuna's chariot wheels (Yuddhamanyu and Uttamaujas... or at least I think they were younger brothers... I'm pretty sure that they were Panchalas), so perhaps D just kind of went, "You know what, you go do your thing in your sparklypoo chariot. I'll be here guarding the king and trying to kill that old geezer Drona."

[nenena.livejournal.com]

I like to think that Dhristadyumna's thought process during the war went something like this...

TEN DAYS INTO THE WAR:
Hmmm, killing a 150-year-old geezer is harder than I thought.

FIFTEEN DAYS INTO THE WAR:
Ooops, I hope Ashwatthama doesn't mind that I just murdered his father in cold blood and am kinda-sorta down with the adharma right now.

NINETEEN DAYS INTO THE WAR:
(*is ded from Ashwatthama*)

IN THE AFTERLIFE:
Satyaki is a jerkface. I hope somebody beats him up with metal rods.

A THOUSAND YEARS LATER:
(*is re-incarnated as a fluffy bunny*)
Damn, I knew that adharma was going to come back and bite me in my furry little ass.

[goldenflames.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha.


That reminds me of Cassandra Claire's VSDs for Lord of the Rings characters.

Which reminds me... how cool would it be to do that for the Mbh?


THREE DAYS INTO THE WAR (from Krishna's P.O.V.)

Remind me again why I use minions to do my dirty work?

Was Arjuna even listening to me when I gave him that 30-minute-long pep talk before the war?

Don't get me wrong, he does have his moments. The three things he does best are pissing people off, satisfying large numbers of women, and having delightfully obtuse moments.

Why do I even keep him around?

*turns around*

Oh yeah... now I remember... *grin* that ass.



Meanwhile, on the chariot...

(from Arjuna's P.O.V.)


If I wanted to be nagged, I could just hang out with Yuddhisthira more.
Heh, Krishna's looking at my ass again... I wonder if he... yup... he remembers.
Maybe if I prance around a bit, he'll just look at my ass and forget to nag.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Oh my god. (*dies laughing*)

A Very Secret Diaries for the Mahabharata would be excellent. Especially since there's already so much subtext to work with...

[goldenflames.livejournal.com]

God yes.


It's perfect.



Yuddhisthira:

"... and the victor gets the kingdom of Indraprastha."

while thinking...

I'm being fair, right? I'm being just. I mean, so what if he manipulated me into staking my brothers and my wife. It was character-building. Besides, Mom told me to be the fair one.



Bhima's POV:

*blink blink* Did he just...? Did I just hear...? Was that really...? *groan*

Krishna's POV:

That unmitigated, insufferable, asinine son of a... I practically give you a kingdom. You promptly lose it. I giftwrap a victory and hand it to you on a silver platter. You go and try to be fair. I should tell Draupadi... that should teach you a lesson.

The rest of the Pandavas:

*facepalm* Not again...