CGI is great and can create absolutely wonderful pieces of cinematic entertainment, like, you know, this:
But then again, it can also produce absolute scenes like this:
Notice we’ve included exclusively shark-based clips there? Well, it’s because Richard Dreyfuss is on the warpath, and he wants to add CGI to the original Jaws because it’s 2018, and that’s what we do, son.
Speaking to Deadline, Dreyfuss said:
“There are people who say Jaws is a perfect film otherwise and it is amazing what Steven accomplished with the challenges he had.
“They should put the money in to CGI [to replace] that beast and make it come alive.
“It would be huge and it would open up the film to younger people.
“Is that blasphemy? No, no, I don’t think so. The technology now could make the shark look as good as the rest of the movie.”
There is an argument there - some less-discerning and younger viewers may be avoiding the film because of the effects work, so updating things may introduce them to a fantastic movie.
On the other hand, if you don’t understand the literal passage of time, then maybe you don’t deserve to see the film in the first place. Nowt wrong with the odd bit of shoddy effects work when the film was made in the 1970s - give it a break, jeez. In fact, Jaws still pretty much holds up anyway.
If you want a new CGI shark, just make a new shark movie.
IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT????
Thankfully, it looks like this won’t ever happen, as Steven Spielberg has previously mentioned his regret at revisiting his earlier work and CGI-ifying the whole thing up. Speaking to ScreenRant, he said:
“Well, I got in trouble for doing that. When E.T. was re-released, I actually digitized 5 shots where E.T. went from being a puppet to a digital puppet and I also replaced the guns when the F.B.I. runs up on the van, now they’re walkie talkies.
“So there’s a really bad version of E.T. where I took my cue from Star Wars and all of the digital enhancements of A New Hope that George put in, and I went ahead, because the marketing at Universal thought we need something to get an audience back and see the movie so I did a few touch ups in the film, and in those days, social media wasn’t as profound as it is today but what was just beginning, you know, erupted a loud, negative voice about how could you ruin our favorite childhood film by taking the guns away and putting walkie-talkies in their hands among other things.
“So I learned a big lesson and that’s the last time I decided to ever mess with the past. What’s done is done, and um, I’ll never go back and do another movie I’ve made and I have control over to enhance or changes.”
Phew, looks like things shall remain as they are - we love that big plastic, rubbery looking sharko, don’t ever change him or his big wobbly mouth.
(Images: Universal/Getty)
Latest
Related Reviews and Shortlists
