MovieChat Forums > Big Bad Wolves (2013) Discussion > 'Reservoir Dogs' rip-off?

'Reservoir Dogs' rip-off?

posted 10 years ago by moviefool09
13 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed the film and thought it had a unique sense of humor (and the Middle Eastern setting added an additional layer to it). But during the torture scenes, I couldn't help but think of it as a blatant "Reservoir Dogs" imitation. Then, when watching the DVD extra's, the directors name Tarantino as an influence....which basically sealed it.

Also, although mixing violence/torture with humor certainly doesn't have a trademark on it, I was hoping for a little more originality here. Also, another Tarantino trademark was used....the sweet-toned song juxtaposed with violence ("Everyday", by Buddy Holly).

I'm amused by the fact that Tarantino praised this as the "film of the year". Of course he did....it's a pretty shameless imitation of him! :)

"You're telling me the future is video and not film?"

[–] asandaaron 10 years ago

How is this in any way a Resevior Dogs ripoff? Just because there is torture in this movie and there is brief torture in Resevoir Dogs doesn't make the former a ripoff of the latter.

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

Torture mixed with comedy, hip (ironic) dialogue, mixed with out-of-place music....aped directly from Tarantino.

Kinda hard to miss, actually...

"You're telling me the future is video and not film?"

[–] asandaaron 10 years ago

I don't think you know what a ripoff is. A ripoff is one of those bad scifi movie channel movies like Transmorphers, a ripoff of transformers. This here is just you seeing something that isn't there. Unless this movie is about a team of crooks robbing a bank and the results of that botched robbery, this isn't a ripoff. Stop saying it's a ripoff.

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

If not a ripoff, a pretty direct copying of style, down to the fine points. They practically even say it in the DVD Extras...come on, man.

It's pretty blatant and there's no need for me to defend my view further. If you don't agree, so be it.

"You're telling me the future is video and not film?"

[–] motherfckzombies 10 years ago

Go home, you're drunk

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

Adios, troll...

"You're telling me the future is video and not film?"

[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

Is it even possible to rip-off Tarantino?

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

Ok, if not "rip off", then heavily borrow. The dude is one of the more influential filmmakers around.

"You're telling me the future is video and not film?"

[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

Again, I doubt that'd be possible; sense all of Tarantino's ideas have already been done. (Making his movies out of already existing movies is kinda his trademark) then it's not really possible to steal/borrow from him as it's already been stolen/borrowed from someone else. I think a lot of filmmakers might think they're ripping him off, but they're actually ripping off something he's already ripped off, the only difference being that when he does it, it's called an homage (no double standards here, right?)

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

Ok, if not "rip off", then heavily borrow.

Let's just say reminiscent in some respects. I can understand why QT admires it, but it is a lot different to Reservoir Dogs.🐭

[–] ofumalow 9 years ago

I agree that this movie wouldn't exist without Tarantino as an influence, to use a polite term...it IS really imitative, tonally. But plot wise there's no resemblance to anything at all, unless you count the general similarity between a lot of the basement action here and the torture of the cop in "Reservoir Dogs." I mean, this movie is number 4896 or so in copping its general attitude from Tarantino. But given that there's really no narrative resemblance, it's silly to call it a "Reservoir Dogs" knockoff. Though lord knows a lot of other movies (most of them made in the 90s soon after "Dogs") deserve to be called that.

[–] mr_smokymcpot 9 years ago

tarantino rips people off so why not rip off tarantino....just keep the cycle going lol

[–] AceRoccola 9 years ago

As has been pointed out already, Tarantino isn't exactly above wearing his influence on his sleeves. Besides that, the style of the film is very different from his films. The fact that it happens to involve torture and a bit of black humor is nowhere near enough to label this film a "rip off" of anything, much less Reservoir Dogs.

If anything, it has more in common with Prisoners - a similarly styled film about a detective and a desperate father-turned-vigilante who cross paths when seeking out a killer of young girls - released the same year. It that actually deals with the more substantial primary themes of the film rather than merely having a few tertiary ingredients in common.