MovieChat Forums > Ritânâ (2002) Discussion > Movie ripoffs

Movie ripoffs

posted 20 years ago by paranoid_dysfunction
25 replies | jump to latest

Firstly I love action films, as a fan I find the asians ones generally more entertaining.
One of the things I like about films in general is to be able to pickup on certain influences or styles, generally refered to as ripoffs.
When I watch a movie, like Returner, and notice paralels to films like Terminator or Matrix I note and comment on it's use, was it better?, was it lame? I don't judge simply because it's there.
in Returner I noticed a Terinator style plot, the use of "Bullet Time" popularised by the Matrix films, and after I read the board I picked up on the simularities to The Professional, among others.
Did I judge the film because of these apparent ripoffs? No I applaud it for it's boldness and seamless blending of these techniques into it's form.

As for Ripping off films I take note of Daelocks post elsewhere.

When will people stop ripping off the Matrix?
I was watching a film and the guy had a long black coat and sunglasses, such a ripoff.
Even Point break was a matrix ripoff, come on it had Keanu in it. (so did Bill and Ted but I'll forgive that film.)
And Blade... The rave scene in the begining, such ripoff of the rave scene in THE MATRIX.

I was reading the BIBLE... SUCH A RIPOFF I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER.

COME ON PEOPLE LEAVE THE MATRIX ALONE AND STOP RIPPING IT OFF.

I lick the brothers balls.

Maybe this should be in the MATRIX thread?

[–] paranoid_dysfunction 19 years ago

It has been a while and it is very amusing to return.
I think people are not seeing the bigger picture.
I love the matrix films!!!
I don't like the way they are seen as the beginning of all things, spend a bit of time on these boards and you will see.
It's the posters, not the movies I disagree with, how can you disagree with a film?

[–] jbunt16 19 years ago

The thing you have to ask is if it is a ripoff or a combining of elements to create something completley different?

Almost all movies are based on elements of other movies. The question is did they combine them in such a way as to make a good movie?

Take for instance Kill Bill by Tarantino. There're scenes and elemnts of that movie that are directly ripped off from other movies. But it doesn't matter because they were used in such a way that it created a great piece of cinema.

[–] LadyU 19 years ago

I see the terms irony and sarcasm are wasted here...jbunt16 has a point, there are no original stories anymore - it's just the way we dress them up that is different...take Babylon 5 - similar elements to both Star Trek DS9 (space station and political intrigue) and Lord Of The Rings...I mean he even has characters called LORIEN ffs and a secret organisation of RANGERS...I prefer to see this as a homage rather than a ripoff however...as someone else already posted "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

Traci

==========================================================
I am the ray of darkness in your otherwise sunny day...

[–] sjelfull 19 years ago

I quite like Babylon 5.

[–] cool_splash1 18 years ago

Well actually the story of B5 and DS9 sounding the same is JMS believes that Paramount took his idea and changed it etc. He sent his series bible and treatment etc. to Paramount and they told him that they weren't going to do another scifi series. He got someone else. All of a sudden Paramount says they are coming out with DS9. and the stories are similar to each other even if DS9 is a year or so behind.

To top that off his he made changes to the story and the characters. The story and characters that he changed seemed to be the same in DS9. So in other words if they did take it they were using the original unchanged story.

Now I'm not sure if it's true or not,and he just pretty much moved on, but it makes you think.

[–] bdimag 19 years ago

Thurston... thanks - I was beggining to think i was the only one who noticed - and that would have made me sad..

-bdimag
-->http://www.angrybums.com

[–] Ghost_Shift 19 years ago

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that movies may not always "rip-off" as you say, but instead parody or use narrative and script ideas as a base for their own ideas. There are some films that do rip off the whole story of a movie without proper authorisation or permission (Check out the Oldboy rip off from Bollywood, Zinda). Please remember that if we didn't have the Flintstones, we may not have had The Simpsons, or even Futurama etc. Ideas always come from a basis of someone else's ideas, as long as there is authorisation or permission to do so (absence of copyright etc.)

[–] cool_splash1 18 years ago

I've always thought of the Flintstones as the Honeymooners except with babies.
Ralph is Fred and Ed is Barney

[–] cool_splash1 18 years ago

Well it's common knowlege in the writing community that the bible is a good book to read because of the universal stories, experiences etc.