The movie Bengal

[powell99]

For every ship in the WCM we have a reason why they look wildly different than their game counterpart, and in most cases that's because they're different ships, so I wondered, is there a reason the Bengal of the movie looks nothing like the one in the games? Is it just artistic direction, or did the Tiger's Claw go through some kind of amazing refit just before it showed up in WC1/WCATV?

Thanks!

 

[LeHah]

Well, lets face it - a big green blob on the big screen would probably get a lot of unintended laughs.

Yes, it is simply for "artistic direction" and Peter Lamont did a great job on the movie. My only complaint would probably be with the overall look of the Tigers Claw though; not that its bad, but the obvious "submarine" look is a little too on-the-nose for my tastes.

 

[Farbourne]

Didn't they intend the whole movie to have kind of a "Run Silent, Run Deep" or "Das Boot" feel?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

For every ship in the WCM we have a reason why they look wildly different than their game counterpart, and in most cases that's because they're different ships, so I wondered, is there a reason the Bengal of the movie looks nothing like the one in the games? Is it just artistic direction, or did the Tiger's Claw go through some kind of amazing refit just before it showed up in WC1/WCATV?

It's just the art direction, there's no backstory about a refit. I honestly don't think anyone (and it comes up in all sorts of communities) would ever have this discussion if it weren't for the original Star Trek movie bothering to explain that the Enterprise looked different because it had been rebuilt by the guy from 7th Heaven for some reason.

The Tiger's Claw *did* have a refit *just before* the movie, though. Tolwyn mentions it in the first episode of Wing Commander Academy, it would have happened in early 2654. Presumably, though, this was an actual repair-damaged-bulkheads-and-update-the-computer-system style refit rather than Star Trek's completely-change-the-geometry-of-the-ship-somehow repair...

Yes, it is simply for "artistic direction" and Peter Lamont did a great job on the movie. My only complaint would probably be with the overall look of the Tigers Claw though; not that its bad, but the obvious "submarine" look is a little too on-the-nose for my tastes.

I think the problem is that it's there in the first place.

It's not that it's bad - rather, the opposite... the movie did a really, really good job of doing the 'submarine' idea. The art direction was spot on, the sets were beautiful, the CGI work was seamless... and it's a *good* idea... Das Boot in space would be a good movie.

But the Tiger's Claw shouldn't be a submarine! It was a really clever idea that didn't make sense in the context of the movie. It ends up feeling like what it is: that they had a really great idea that didn't quite fit and so shoehorned it into the existing concept. The 'Claw's design was a victim of that decision... instead of a really iconic aircraft carrier you get something designed to enforce the submarine idea.

 

[AD]

It's not that it's bad - rather, the opposite... the movie did a really, really good job of doing the 'submarine' idea. The art direction was spot on, the sets were beautiful, the CGI work was seamless... and it's a *good* idea... Das Boot in space would be a good movie.

But the Tiger's Claw shouldn't be a submarine! It was a really clever idea that didn't make sense in the context of the movie. It ends up feeling like what it is: that they had a really great idea that didn't quite fit and so shoehorned it into the existing concept. The 'Claw's design was a victim of that decision... instead of a really iconic aircraft carrier you get something designed to enforce the submarine idea.

Yeah, it was a strange decision considering how the Claw has always been a Carrier.

The film's deliberate retro look - featuring spacecraft that bore a strong resemblance to aircraft, battleships and submarines - arose from the director's desire to do a World War II movie in space. "I wanted to see spaceships going toe-to-toe, slugging it out and blowing up," Roberts remarked. "I hadn't seen any movie pull out all the stops and deliver that kind of action since Return of the Jedi. fortunately, production designer Peter Lamont got on board with this approach right away, showing up with ten huge illustrated volumes containing blueprints and detail of various warships."

The specifically mention battleships and submarines but not aircraft carriers? It's an odd choice for sure.

 

[frostytheplebe]

Didn't they intend the whole movie to have kind of a "Run Silent, Run Deep" or "Das Boot" feel?

I remember hearing somewhere that yes that was the overall intend... it becomes more evident in the scene where the destroyer is hunting the claw. You see a very similar scene in most sub movies.

Enterprise looked different because it had been rebuilt by the guy from 7th Heaven for some reason.

The 'Claw's design was a victim of that decision... instead of a really iconic aircraft carrier you get something designed to enforce the submarine idea.

Part 1: Interestingly enough BOTH parents made appearances in Star Trek movies... well maybe not interesting... just a piece of worthless trivia. More interesting is that Jim Carey made an uncredited appearance in the 4th Star Trek movie... Ok I'm done.

Part 2: The layout of the flight deck/ internal divide looked cool, almost like an ancient structure... but yeah the rest of the design I have to agree sucked.

but the obvious "submarine" look is a little too on-the-nose for my tastes.

Seconded...

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Part 1: Interestingly enough BOTH parents made appearances in Star Trek movies... well maybe not interesting... just a piece of worthless trivia. More interesting is that Jim Carey made an uncredited appearance in the 4th Star Trek movie... Ok I'm done.

That's because Kirk wasn't content to just take Decker's ship... he also had to travel back in time and steal his wife.

 

[ChanceKell]

That's because Kirk wasn't content to just take Decker's ship... he also had to travel back in time and steal his wife.

Thus another reason to add to the list "Why Captain Picard is better than Captain Kirk"; Picard wouldn't even have relations with Dr. Crusher due to loyalties to her dead husband. ... But I digress.

Well, lets face it - a big green blob on the big screen would probably get a lot of unintended laughs.

A green blob? The Claw? Really? Granted, the green color scheme is a bit garish, but the original Tiger's Claw was quite a graceful ship. I was glad we got to see her in action in WC:Academy, albeit with some creative license taken, and Howard Day's 3D models based off the schematics show that she is anything but a "blob."

 

[frostytheplebe]

That's because Kirk wasn't content to just take Decker's ship... he also had to travel back in time and steal his wife.

Wahahahahahaha!! Thats good, I like that. But what's Jim Carey's excuse being a radar operator on the carrier? I can't imagine him being in the military, he'dve been passed around the barracks like... well you get the idea.