Escape to the Movies: Taken 2

[Evil Smurf]

Everything I needed to know about this movie occurred at 3:09. The slowmo protagonist strut with the birds flying behind him is never a good sign.

except in TF2

I care not for mindless films, I will avoid this.

 

[MovieBob]

The ezan (call to prayer) happens five times a day, lasts about 2-4 minutes depending on each individual dude singing it, is sung over very powerful loud speakers and to top if all off, you're never more than 500m away from a mosque... and that's if you are in fact far away from one! Not to mention the mosques are more numerous and much larger in that part of the city too. And yes, often, it can actually sound ominous. I live at the top of a hill and am in ear-shot of at least 5 mosques and those are just the ones I know of... when all the sound mixes together it can make a very... interesting effect.

Next time I'm lying in bed awake at 5am because I woke up thinking I was having a night-terror (when really the ezan woke me up and it took me a few seconds to work out what it was), I'll be thinking of you, Bob.

You'd be correct that I've not been to Istanbul, but I am aware of the ubiquity of the ezan broadcasts in predominantly Muslim countries. However, I wasn't talking about ambient noise, I'm talking about deliberate soundtrack drops - typically occuring during establishing shots or "slo-mo pan over the bad guys" shots.

Fun "secret" about Hollywood movies: Almost NONE of the sounds you hear during a movie was actually recorded alongside the action they accompany - not even a lot of the actor's dialogue, if the scene was shot outdoors. For example, If a scene is taking place outside, pay attention to the background noise (re: busy street, wind, trees rustling, water, whatever) from shot to shot: Most of the time, you'll hear the sound remain at the same relative pitch without any audible cuts or edits even as the camera cuts to a completely different angle - which, if you've ever edited camcorder footage, you know isn't how microphones work. 9 times out of ten EVERY sound you hear in a movie other than someone speaking (we're talking footsteps, ambient sound, animal noises, papers-rustling, EVERYTHING) is added to the footage later so that the levels and pitch can be controlled in post-production.

The takeaway from this should be that there's generally no such thing as a sound (certainly not a specific, identifiable one like a prayer call) winding up on a soundtrack that WASN'T intended to be there. Even if the camera mics did just "pick it up" during shooting (not probably in this case, given that it's mostly played over shots that would've almost-certainly been shot either without sound to begin with or with the intent of cutting out all "natural" sound in post) if they didn't want it there they'd have simply mixed it out.

 

[McMullen]

No you wouldnt! You'd call the police like any sane person and then sit agonisingly by the phone in the hope that they had found your girlfriend.

When you fall in love some day you'll understand.

Oh, we do. And then later in life we realize how foolish it is to say those kinds of things and try to forget that we said them, lest the embarrassment overwhelm us.

But don't worry, you're in good company; you're not the first to say something like that, and you won't be the last. It's been a known phenomenon for a long, long time:

The vainglory which consisteth in the feigning or supposing of
abilities in ourselves, which we know are not, is most incident to
young men, and nourished by the histories or fictions of gallant
persons; and is corrected oftentimes by age and employment.
-Hobbes,
Leviathan

Spoiler

Hobbes is right.

 

[Maleb]

And there was Mustard-man! Or whatever name he would call himself! As always nice review
bob, but there was something missing. I dunno.... Maybe some: Ratpack! And Broomgirl!

He was actually fighting another person (and for a while getting his arse kicked) on the largest part of a 747's wing while its at taxi speed. Big difference to jumping on the back of a F-35 mkII that has it's VTOL engaged.

Both are equally implausible but one is less so than the other.

Hehe, thanks for that logic

 

[Moeez]

Yeah, that's about what I thought when I heard this movie was coming out.

What I loved was when Liam Neeson was on Jon Stewart's show, Jon asks; "Taken 3?", and Liam just does the cutting his own neck with his hand move.

I hope he was right.

And now I'm off to watch The Daily Show, thanks!

No problem friend. But, you know you really shouldn't need more of a reason to watch The Daily Show/The Colbert Report, other than the fact they are The Daily Show/The Colbert Report.

Just watched it, he looked completely tired lol. Looks like no Taken 3, already milked that cow XD

 

[CyborgGinger]

You'd be correct that I've not been to Istanbul, but I am aware of the ubiquity of the ezan broadcasts in predominantly Muslim countries. However, I wasn't talking about ambient noise, I'm talking about deliberate soundtrack drops - typically occuring during establishing shots or "slo-mo pan over the bad guys" shots.

Fun "secret" about Hollywood movies: Almost NONE of the sounds you hear during a movie was actually recorded alongside the action they accompany - not even a lot of the actor's dialogue, if the scene was shot outdoors. For example, If a scene is taking place outside, pay attention to the background noise (re: busy street, wind, trees rustling, water, whatever) from shot to shot: Most of the time, you'll hear the sound remain at the same relative pitch without any audible cuts or edits even as the camera cuts to a completely different angle - which, if you've ever edited camcorder footage, you know isn't how microphones work. 9 times out of ten EVERY sound you hear in a movie other than someone speaking (we're talking footsteps, ambient sound, animal noises, papers-rustling, EVERYTHING) is added to the footage later so that the levels and pitch can be controlled in post-production.

The takeaway from this should be that there's generally no such thing as a sound (certainly not a specific, identifiable one like a prayer call) winding up on a soundtrack that WASN'T intended to be there. Even if the camera mics did just "pick it up" during shooting (not probably in this case, given that it's mostly played over shots that would've almost-certainly been shot either without sound to begin with or with the intent of cutting out all "natural" sound in post) if they didn't want it there they'd have simply mixed it out.

Wow, wasn't expecting this to get picked up on. I appreciate you taking the time to read and reply to what I wrote... just another reason why I keep watching your show Bob, respect.

Point taken about the sound pre and post production, I can't argue with that at all.

Though, I'll say this much, I'd be very surprised if anyone (least of all a Turk) took any kind of offence, or derived any deeper meaning into the use of the ezan sound effect. I've yet to watch the film (though shall do), but what you described (slow-mo on the bad guy, ezan style singing) actually sounds like a typical device here in Turkish series and I'd surprised if they didn't draw a little inspiration from local sources (I know you said it was a French production, but still). The ezan is such an ingrained part of daily life here (most people don't really even notice it, it's background noise to them) that, as a dramatic sound, it probably fits the bill quite well and people aren't so thinned skinned about it.

Also, I watched the trailer again to see if they use it in there but they don't... if the singing is Arabic, it's the ezan, if it's Turkish, then it's just traditional Turkish singing which can sound incredibly similar. I could tell you for sure if I heard it in the film.

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[pearcinator]

Are you going to review Looper? I thought it was awesome but I want to see your review

 

[HellenicWarrior]

This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Especially when compared to the original.

 

[AdrianRK]

Dude, why do you always have to drag your leftist ideology into your reviews? It makes them completely inaccessible to a part of your viewership

 

[LGC Pominator]

Well I am pretty sure I will enjoy this one, it didn't make MB as angry as the expendables, which I liked, so theoretically a movie that he simply didn't like that much should be an incredibly enjoyable movie by my metric.

the "how little moviebob dislikes something" scale is a decent barometer for how likely I will enjoy an action movie.

 

[Triaed]

I really hope they find a way to make movie tie-ins between the Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.
I know, they are probably bad movies individually, but the continuity would be awesome

 

[Guffe]

Bob is physic.
"Chanses are Taken is playing on TV somewhere"
It was on Finnish TV just last night
CONSPIRACY!!!