MovieChat Forums > Arn: Tempelriddaren (2007) Discussion > Who else fears a MAJOR disappointment?

Who else fears a MAJOR disappointment?

posted 17 years ago by kimvall
64 replies | jump to latest

I love the books but I fear this movie will be a disappointment. Even tough the budget's impressive for a Swedish movie, I seriously doubt that the Scandinavian movie industry has the resources and the know-how to pull something like this off. I mean, the middle-eastern scenes in the book rival the ones seen in Kingdom of Heaven.

Curbed enthusiasm be damned, I still look forward to this movie. All the people, the scenery, etc. that I only have in my head, what will they look like "in real"? Interesting!

[–] qwerty83 17 years ago

I do feel that Sweden has the know-how to create impressive sfxs. There have been plenty of sweds involved in the special effects in recent sfx movies such as Day After Tomorrow, Stealth, King Arthur and most recently I heard it was a swed who created the water in Flags of our Fathers. Oh, btw a swed created the fire effects in Ghost Rider. (We even have a program at the university were people learn to create these effects, and all of the people mentioned above were students at that program).

So I just hope that the producers know about this and that there are plenty of good people availble who works for almost free (since they are students).

[–] sensecurse 17 years ago

I agree with qwerty83. I see great potential in this film, at least concerning the visuality of it. My greatest fear is that it will end up like "Snapphanar". Which in my opinion is a visually great but poorly casted, terrible acted, and badly written pile of crap.
But I have big hopes for this project. One must if you have read the books. Maybe this will pave the way for a new era of scandinavian movie making much like "crouching tiger..." did for the chinese cinema abroad.

Well, maybe I aimed a little too high there but one must be optimistic regarding this kind of projects otherwise no-one will have the guts to make them.

[–] Hejsvej4 17 years ago

I read in GP a while back that the budget was downzised to 150m from the original 210m becaus they felt that the original budget was to much too handle...
Was I high?

[–] Solidfilm 17 years ago

Remember this isnt just a swedish movie.
Its a nordic movie so sweden isnt doing this alone. For one the director is danish.

I think they can pull it off.

[–] Gromkar 17 years ago

Since they're making two movies, does anybody know if the budget is for BOTH the films, or just the first one? The way I see it, they need at least four of the battles from the books to make these films work; Mont Gisard, Hattin, Lena and Gestilren and since they're all of such a huge scale, I fear the somewhat low budget might ruin it...

[–] johanmji 17 years ago

As far as I know the budget is for both movies. Dont except a lord of the ring epic movie and battles though. This is a swedish movie not a grand hollywood production.

As for battles I say: Focus on Lena and Gestrilren since theese are key battles in swedish history. Let Hollywood do Mount Gisard and Hattin. Let Arn tell about them or dream about them in the second movie. Its cheaper. Johan

[–] erik_persson430 17 years ago

Ofcourse we will see the battles in the Holy land.

[–] kimvall 17 years ago

Sounds like a good idea.

Better with lower, realitic ambitions, instead of grand ones that look crappy.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MadsRavn 17 years ago

Well, IMO it looks pretty good, except the guy who plays Arn, Joakim Nätterqvist. He looks really wrong for that role.

Fo one, he's supposed to be small and strong, blacksmith-like. Can't say that for this guy. But more importantly, he just dosn't look like one who thinks, he's just a pretty-boy. Yea, totally wrong cast there...

Those pictures from "The Holy Land" look really promising though :-D

[–] DroP_DeaD666 16 years ago

With smart filming they could actually pull off pretty grand battles. From what I've seen the movie looks like Kingdom of Heaven - which isn't neccessarily a bad thing. The look of that movie really nailed the feeling of the Middle-East and it could do the same for Arn.

As for the chance of success of Arn - I don't know. I hope that the production team is aware that the eyes of the world are upon them on this one. The reception of this movie could very well make or kill the world's confidence in Scandinavian movies.

[–] polly_pearl 17 years ago

It's not supposed to be lotr...

[–] kaptenmarvel 17 years ago

Just came from visiting the set. :) Lena and Gestilren have been mixed together in the movie, they're one and the same. So it's one battle being filmed. Looking good, though, even if timeline's off like you wouldn't believe. Magnus is a teen, Arn is young, Birger won't even be in the movies, if I understand it correctly (Birger as in Arn's grandson).

[–] Gromkar 17 years ago

I tought so, that Lena and Gestilren would be mixed together. It works better in a movie that way, to have a huge climatic battle at the end. But still, the story needs some battle scenes from the Holy Land as well. The Battle of Hattin in particular. Hope we'll get to see it. :-)

Ever noticed how people who believe in creationism looks really un-evolved?

[–] qwerty83 17 years ago

Dont know if I like the sound of this. But I guess time will tell.

[–] FetFnask 17 years ago

Yeah, because we all know that Arn Guillous "original" timeline is correct... Gods I hate that man.

[–] graemor 17 years ago

I have heard, from good authority, that the weapons used in the film will be of top historical quality.

[–] simenhimself 17 years ago

Remember that it's probably Jan Guillou who's taking most of the decisions here. Considered the great hours he has spendt finding all the background stuff for the books, I don't think he'll let us down.

[–] CBdR 17 years ago

Not sure if Guillou himself will be taking those kind of decisions. But Anna Asp is involved in the project. That - if something - should be a quality mark when it comes to the look and feel and 'realism' of the world depicted.

If all else fail, at least the sets will be good. :-)

[–] FetFnask 17 years ago

Since Guillou wrote the books, he's already involved. I do not doubt the skill of the movie makers, only their judgement.

[–] CBdR 17 years ago

I think you should read some more before you make those kind of statements.

Anna Asp is one of a very few select of swedish professionals with an Oscar award in her back pocket.

I'm really not sure if you have some inside knowledge that I'm lacking, or having read some articles that I missed; just because he wrote the books doesn't mean he's automatically involved in the filming process. Remember that when Ondskan was representing Sweden on the Academy Awards, he wasn't even invited.

I'd be happy to see some quotes to believe he's walking around bugging people on the shoot.

[–] FetFnask 17 years ago

Well, the thing is that he screwed up royally when researching swords, culture and dates... If you read actual history and look into archeology you would be suprised how distorted his version of the history is. I have no doubt that the _production_ of the movie will be good compared to other nordic ones, I'm just saying that the source of the movie, the books, are inaccurate and thus the movie will be less than it could have been.

[–] viktorjonsson 17 years ago

Judging by what we've been told so far, about director, actors, budget etc, I don't fear a major dissapointment. Quite the opposite. I've got high expectations, though. I expect it to become a Swedish classic. We'll have to wait and see.

[–] soy_tobias 17 years ago

About the battle scenes. In the movie Henry V they did a good job creating the battle scene. That was a low budget movie. Dont now if you can use the same technique on the hole battle scene, but maybe implement it in some way.

Dont remember the name of the battle in Henry V but its a famous one. French knights against the english longbowmen

[–] ianmorgan70-1 17 years ago

The Battle of Agincourt

All The Best Knights Have Daddy Issues

[–] tommy79 17 years ago

I do... fear it I mean. I'm preatty sure this movie will suck ass... only hope I'll be wrong. :)

[–] nyuszikam 17 years ago

book? what book?

[–] nyuszikam 17 years ago

never mind. found it.
Jan Guillou.

[–] tobben86 17 years ago

No movie can ever even compare with a book, and the better the book, the harder it is for the movie to be any good. So i fear that they will have quite a workload ahead of them making this, and i really don't expect too much.

[–] etthundranio 17 years ago

Hi, I fear a major disappointment...
I'm not sure, either it'll be great or not
anyway, I am going to morocco 1/2 (my birtday)
to watch the set, I work with the movie and stuff.
it's gonna be interesting

[–] Quotable 17 years ago

I totally agree with kimwall, I look forward to this but I alson fear a great disappointment. It is not, as implied, just a matter of software. Swedish filmindustrie has beem idle, new stars arise due to parents and sexappeal more than the ability to act. Directors are a problem, and if this is a danish one it can only be better than with a swede. Also I sometimes think that they are going to do a Star Wars ep 1, forget everything and hope that the hi-tech makes it a good movie.