Babylon A.D. (well, half of it...)

[staffyman]

Just read on twitch that subsequent to Fox's recutting of Die Hard 4.0 and Hitman, they've now cut a whopping 70-odd minutes from the new Vin Diesel/Mathieu Kassovitz movie Babylon A.D.

Gotta wonder why anyone works with them?

Sadly, unlike elsewhere in Europe (who supposedly get the full version) we're getting the butchered US version here in the UK. I don't know if the full version would be any good, (however I've a soft spot for spawling sci-fi epics) but I don't think a version this cut-down can make any sense?

Owie.

We’ve covered Mathieu Kassovitz’ upcoming big budget sci fi epic Babylon AD extensively over the last while, drawn first by the fact that Kassovitz remains an intriguing, albeit very inconsistent, director, then by the strong international cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, then by star Vin Diesel’s reported misbehavior on set. Regular reader Mary tipped us off back in November that the film was being prepared in two distinct versions - Kassovitz’ intended, longer cut for mainland European release and a Fox-mandated shorter version for release in the rest of the world. At the time of that report, word was that the full version would run two hours and forty minutes - for the math impaired that’s one hundred and sixty minutes - but no details were known about the shorter Fox version. Well, no more.

The Fox version has been submitted to the UK’s BBFC for certification and the version turned in there ran a mere ninety minutes, meaning if that hundred and sixty minute number is accurate Fox have cut a full seventy minutes - nearly half the run time - from Kassovitz’ picture. Even worse, the BBFC have rated the film 12A, which is the equivalent of a soft PG-13 in the US - many PG-13 films are rated 15 in the UK - meaning there can’t be much action or violence left in the picture whatsoever. With some directors this wouldn’t be an issue but Kassovitz is the man who made La Haine and Crimson Rivers and there’s absolutely no way he set out to make a PG-13 rated action picture, no way at all. Sigh.

[anephric]

Kassovitz also being the man who made Gothika, which is his only yardstick for an English-language production.

It sounds to me like Kassovitz has delivered a dud and Fox have desperately hacked away at it to try to salvage a few weeks' box office.

[staffyman]

Aye, Gothika was awful alright, but La Haine and Crimson Rivers (despite it's flaws) I do like and did have some hope for this.

[SIMON ADEBISI]

Vin Diesels Hannibal epic is sooooo never going to get made.

[RomerojpgX]

Christ not again! and a kids cut! they said it was well violent and nasty, guess that guts another film then.

[SIMON ADEBISI]

There will be a DC no doubt. There always is.

[RomerojpgX]

Yeah but sadly cinemas wont get it sick of seeing hacked films in cinemas, I want the cinema experience, all we get now is the watered down kids cinema experiece.

HD I love, but cinema is bigger well until I get my new 10000 inch LCD screen.

[SIMON ADEBISI]

250 metre wide screen. Just imagine. You'd have to sit 3 miles away.

[James45]

The screengrabs I've seen of it look worrying present day as well, I was hoping for some post apocalypse sci-fi, this looks a bit Children of Men (an excellent film).

[RomerojpgX]

Originally Posted by James45

The screengrabs I've seen of it look worrying present day as well, I was hoping for some post apocalypse sci-fi, this looks a bit Children of Men (an excellent film).

There has been a few trailers come out on the net of it mid last year, rough cut versions, looked pretty futuristic from them and fairly nice looking too.

[staffyman]

Found this teaser at Chud.com. It's mainly just behind the scenes stuff, but gives a vague impression of what they are going for.

[Roberto]

Well that looks interesting!

[Mr Majestik]

Seems the European cut might be just 15 minutes diffrent... (From Chud.com)

So, that 160-minute cut of Babylon A.D.? Doesn't exist. Never did, according to a recent blog post on the film's Myspace page. In the words of a guy named Guyom:

"Babylon AD has never had a 2h40min cut. This rumor came from a joke Mathieu did in front of some journalists last september. Apparently some of them didn't understand it... The approximate length of the film is 1h40min and this is what has been delivered to our partner, FOX. So I can reassure you, FOX is not chopping up the film and cutting 70min like I read on Rotten Tomatoes!"

Wait. You read news on Rotten Tomatoes? Huh.

He goes on to say that the PG-13 rating was part of the contract with Fox. The studio also has final cut in 'their territories' and Mathieu has final cut in Europe, meaning that the versions released in each will 'naturally' be different. Those differences could amount to 15 minutes, says Twitch.

[Mr Majestik]

First U.S. trailer...

http://uk.movies.ign.com/dor/objects...ad_trail4.html


Looks like a not very exciting hodge potch of every recent sci fi film.

[Spooksta]

Looks very good to me.
This forum has so many "spoilers" (people who just complain before they see the film)

[anephric]

It looks completely uninspired, as said, right down to recycling Clint Mansell AGAIN for the trailer.


Sheesh.

[Tom Whitaker]

I'm so ******* there

[cpheonix]

Looks pretty poor but I'm a sucker for sci-fi films. I see they used the same great music from the Sunshine trailer - although I didnt like Sunshine, the trailer was better made then this (and they both have Michelle Yeoh in!).

Kinda mix of Chronicles of Riddick/Children of Men/Equilibrium look to it...

[anephric]

It's Clint Mansell's music from Requiem for a Dream, and it's a trailer cliche. I've lost count of the number of times I've heard it shoved over something inappropriate. Since we're talking Danny Boyle, see also: ze musique from 28 Days Later being used for every ******* trailer in the world.

[Tom Whitaker]

Yep, great music and thoroughly overused, no doubt about it, but it still works for me if the images look as good as the music behind them. In the case of this and Sunshine, they did. I think this looks lots of fun.