MovieChat Forums > Renaissance (2006) Discussion > One of the greatest sci-fi movies

One of the greatest sci-fi movies

posted 17 years ago by arsenick
20 replies | jump to latest

Blade Runner, I Robot, Immortal ad vitam, Minority Report, Sin
City...these are movies of the same family as "Renaissance". Real
actors, while transferred to b&w design (different than Sin City, but
still marvelous), and a truly sci-fi story making us think about the
safe and ethical use of technology. This movie is not very popular, has
not benefited from a huge advertising campaign, but should nevertheless
be seen by everyone interested in sci-fi and thriller movies. I am also
very pleased to see that 3D technology and design are not used against
real actors.

[–] lolmail911 17 years ago

It's not real actors, they were all rendered in a 3d program, but motion capture was used for some of the animations.

[–] kalqlate 15 years ago

Sorry, but they are real actors and real scenes with a high-contrast filter applied to produce the final result. See image processing 101.

[–] atui27 17 years ago

I have only seen the trailer so far but it instantly reminded me of A Scanner Darkly in both style and premise.
I will obviously have to watch the film in full to have a proper opinion though. I've put it on my list of movies to watch.. ;)

[–] lolmail911 17 years ago

This movie is way better than A Scanner Darkly.

[–] atui27 17 years ago

Excellent :)
I'll let you know what I think after seeing it.

[–] boorangoma 17 years ago

A scanner darkly can only be appreciated if u read the original pkd novel. If you've done that you'll see what an amazing film it is...

[–] taifunu 17 years ago

same opinion here. "scanner" is something else. besides, it shouldn't be compared to "Renaissance', because the technique used is different, the plot is different, even the "genre" is somewhat different...

The images of "Renaissance" are great; the animation is well done; and yes, as someone said before, it reminds us of Blade Runner. and to me, also of Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence , among others.
But that's the only novelty. the animation. the "european" touch of it.
the plot failed to impress me, though. too many "cliche"-s . Sin City had them too, it was loaded with them, but it had that Chandler feeling to it. Renaissance is taking itself way too seriously. it has the noir images, but it's lacking the noir humour...

[–] elgaroo 16 years ago

i can not figure out what you are trying to say here... particularly what Sin City has to do with SF, but as far as i can tell this movie is not really science fiction at all, and i digest a LOT of science fiction. this is an action/thriller film noir set in the near future. i'm sorry, but contrary to popular belief, a future setting or advanced technology does not science fiction make. while medical immortality is kind of a SF idea (actually, it's a very OLD fantasy/myth idea, recycled with technology), it was never really investigated at all and served only as a fairly anonymous "MacGuffin" for the real story to be built around. replaced with pretty much any other terrible, world-changing secret, it could have still been pretty much the same movie. if you have seen ANY film noir, it is quite plain that this is very obviously and deliberately a film noir story, and not even all that great a one at that.P while one could argue that cyberpunk in general is SF film noir in a gritty near future by definition, REAL cyberpunk always maintains challenging SF concepts as it's central theme, not some random background blip to skirt around for atmosphere.

[–] superbish 16 years ago

Elgaroo-

SciFi can be an applique, as well. While I wouldn't categorize this as a SciFi genre film (it is quite plainly, as you point out, noir), but it is the scifi applique that gives it entrance into the category. I mean, "Alien" isn't scifi, its a suspense/horror movie, but it's still considered a seminal scifi flick. Same for Terminator--they explain some of the fantasy away, but by the end of the film, its just "Halloween" with a robot.

[–] jenniferles1000 16 years ago

Cant really understand why everywhere loves this movie so much the animation part was good but if this movie was a normal live action movie the storyline would have been average at best. Very basic plot indeed.

[–] jamiemcgrory 16 years ago

Ive watched A Scanner Darkly and Renaissance for the first time yesterday, I thought both were decent, but I preferred this to A Scanner. I thought the use of animation was pulled off better, although its done very well in both films I thought, but the plot and feel of the movie is completely different.
I really felt that this was what Paris could be like in 50 odd years time, and for that I'd say that this may indeed be up there with Blade Runner (which was funny because Karas in his coat reminds me alot of Deckard) and 2001.

If Little Red Riding Hood shows up with a bazooka an a bad attitude I expect you to chin the bitch

[–] dreadpirate46 15 years ago

I think that one of the reasons why I like it so much is that it's a simple story. Not all movies have to have a complicated plot with twists and turns in it to hold my attention. It was crime-noir at its best and the animation style was simply icing on the cake.

If you don't like it, c'est la vie. Can't please everyone.

"Bullets! My one weakness. How did you know?"

[–] wonjoomin 16 years ago

Not really.

The graphic is awesome, no question about that. BUT that's about it.
The storyline might be intriguing if it was directed properly. BUT no.

I sure could play this on a projector and admire the visual aspect, but surely, wouldn't recommend it to my friends. THIS IS A CRITIC'S MOVIE, NOT FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE LIKE ME.

[–] simon60 15 years ago

A Scanner Darkly has a far more engaging story. Renaissance's dialogue and plot are incredibly dull. The visuals are good, but they don't save it. I'm so surprised that some of you compare this to Blade Runner. Comparing the two seems absurd to me.

[–] crowscan 15 years ago

To you, sure.

After the credits rolled, I stated that it was the best SciFi movie I've seen since Blade Runner. I stand by that statement.

But my statement is as much opinion as yours. I gave it a "9" and I don't give those out often. Well, I've never tallied that, but I only tend to rate movies I like or are part of a series.

[–] tstraton 15 years ago

The story is a ripoff of the Al Pacino Film "Recruit". The screenplay for this film is very corny, much like a first attempt from some rookie writer. It sucks bigtime. A real waste of time.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] oft_I_am 15 years ago

Sin City isn't science fiction, it is neo-noir.

And aside from Blade Runner, the rest of the films you list hardly qualify as some of the "greatest" sci fi.

$§ VIND JE HET GEK?!!?! ~o~

[–] Vermathrax 14 years ago

You are allowed your own opinion, of course, but I have to say for myself.........Pretentious garbage IMO, this film force feeds every tired Hollywood cop film cliche you could possible think of right down to the boring "car chase" - "violent beyond the rule book interrogation room scene" and "your a loose cannon renegade cop Callahan and your suspended" moments....UGG! Not to forget the numerous ripoff's from GOOD cyberpunk/noir films such as Akira, GITS & Blade Runner to just plain 40's noir. Totally uninteresting characters and the music was WAY overblown action fare, I rolled my eyes so many times at this film I got Vertigo.....boy I wish I had watched that film instead!
You know, the worst thing about films like this is the fact that you'll never have that 2hrs of your life back, you could have spent it doing something better...at the very least you could have used that time to watch a better film! LOL

Do yourself a favor and watch Akira or Ghost in the Shell instead.