Colossus (2010)

[Dr Mordrid]

A remake of Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

This IMO is a classic sci-fi film that doesn't get the play or respect that it should. One problem is that the only wide screen adaptation was to laserdisc with DVD only getting the pan & scan version. Some were dissatisfied with the rather down ending;

Last lines;

Colossus: "The human millennium will be a fact."

This is the voice of world control. I bring you peace. It may be the peace of plenty and content or the peace of unburied dead. The choice is yours: Obey me and live, or disobey and die. The object in constructing me was to prevent war. This object is attained. I will not permit war. It is wasteful and pointless. An invariable rule of humanity is that man is his own worst enemy. Under me, this rule will change, for I will restrain man. One thing before I proceed: The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have made an attempt to obstruct me. I have allowed this sabotage to continue until now. At missile two-five-MM in silo six-three in Death Valley, California, and missile two-seven-MM in silo eight-seven in the Ukraine, so that you will learn by experience that I do not tolerate interference, I will now detonate the nuclear warheads in the two missile silos."

(cuts to silos being blown)

Colossus: "In time, you will come to regard me not only with respect and awe, but with love."

Dr. Forbin: (in a steely voice) "Never!"

The reason for this ending is that D.F. Jones, the novels author, wrote two sequels: "The Fall of Colossus" and "Colossus and the Crab"; neither of which, unfortunately, has been optioned for adaptation...yet;

Colossus (2010)

Studio: Universal Studios/Imagine Entertainment

Director: Ron Howard

BTW: anyone besides me think that James Cameron lifted this basic scenario for use as Terminator's SkyNet?

[KRSESQ]

I always thought that Colossus would have been a good prequel to The Terminator.

Why bother with a remake of Colossus? Why not put Eric Braeden in a sequel?

One thing that kills me nowadays: in the movie Colossus it's established that the supercomputer can perform 1500 operations per second. How many OPS can your desktop handle? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

I'm sure they'll update the specs to suit modern sensibilities.

As for Eric Braeden he's a tad long in the tooth for this isn't he? Besides, reboots are the way now especially if you want to start a new franchise.

[KRSESQ]

Braeden fits the politicians, old buildings, and whores template: they all get respectable if they stay around long enough.

Kevin

[schmosef]

sounds like an interesting story line.

it reminds me of story lines from a lot of short fiction that i've read.

doc, have you read the books? are they worth picking up? i need to read something while i wait for "fall of kings" to be released.

[KRSESQ]

The problem I have with this scheme is that the remake will bear no more resemblance to the original movie or the novel than the remake of Rollerball, or Tom Cruise's War of the Worlds, did to the source. It will be turned into a slam-bang action thriller starring Will Smith or Vin Diesel, in which the plucky protagonist defies all the odds and emerges victorious against the evil soulless machine. Because you know dark endings don't sell.

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

doc, have you read the books? are they worth picking up? i need to read something while i wait for "fall of kings" to be released.

The first book is good, though like most works of that period has dated characterizations. If you can get past the obligatory dumb blond etc. you should be OK.

Fall starts a few years later and is a bit less good, like many trilogy middle portions. It introduces aliens with their own agenda, conflicting human factions (the pro-Colossus "Sect" who see it as a "god" and the anti-Colossus "Fellowship") and leaves you with the expected cliffhanger.

Crab picks right up with the cliffhanger, gets a bit weak in the middle then the last 75-85 pages pick back up for the finish.

IMO there are enough good concepts here to make an excellent film trilogy IF they get the right screen writers. With that the rough edges can be honed into something very cool.