This is a Guest Post by my Wife.
A few days ago, my husband came home with a fancy little box from the hobby store. Fancy meaning not the typical magazine/book or model shaped item. I could tell that it was special, because it was a case inside of a case. That means special and expensive.
But no worries, he had Christmas money to burn and I figured he had done just that. So it sat on the dresser by the front door until one night after dinner when I asked him, “What’s that thingy you brought home from the hobby store?
“Oh that? It’s a movie,” he replied.
“A movie? Of what?” I asked him.
“Little Men,” he replied.
Hmmm… my fascinated ears perked up.
“Did you buy it?” I asked him.
“No, someone is letting me borrow it,” he told me.
“Oh ok, well I’m going to bed, and I’m going to read for a little bit,” I tell him.
We part ways, only for him to show up at the end of the bed quietly putting the movie disc into the DVD player.
“Do you mind if I watch part of this?” He asked.
“Sure I say, it won’t bother me,” I answer.
Believe me when I say I have no interest in watching a “little man” movie. Of course he fiddles with the three remotes that it takes to just turn on the TV and DVD player on until I can’t stand to see him struggle anymore and I take the remotes and do it for him. I couldn’t help but notice the WARNING that pops up and states something about bright flashing lights and epilepsy.
This can’t be good I think, so I go back to my book. I can tell he’s involved in this movie. How you ask? Because after eight and a half years of marriage I know that when he watches TV or movies he always sits on the edge of the bed with his legs hanging down from the bed and this posture never changes. But tonight, his legs were crossed in front of him “Indian style” as he leaned in closer to the TV screen. It was like watching a 7 year old on Saturday morning watching a new episode of He-Man. He was engaged and mesmerized. I was tuned out, but couldn’t ignore the pathetic sound of strained voices trying to sound tough. I peered over my book and caught a glimpse of cartoon figures dressed in heavy armor on a bad back drop of a dull landscape.
“How much money did they spend to make this movie?” I ask.
“A lot I’m sure, but they also didn’t have a limitless budget either.” he says.
“Well that explains it,” I reply.
I wasn’t trying to be negative, it was just so apparent that it lacked… everything. I go back to my reading, unbeknownst to him I was secretly watching over the top of my book. Why if I thought it was so bad? Because it was actually very interesting.
He eventually caught me peering, so I gave in and set my book on the bedside table and we watched the entire movie together. Yes, it definitely needed some work. Especially the landscape and background. Those elements are just as important as the characters and story line. In the retail world, we say it’s all about the attention to details and the same rings true for movies.
The armor was believable, it looked just like the little guys that my husband has painted. He’s such a good sport, I was asking a million questions about the armor color and significance, why they were pinning a seal and ribbon on them and what each symbol meant.
“Oh my gosh, that guy has a chainsaw on him arm and he just sawed someone’s head in half!!! That’s like the saw you painted on what’s his face’s model!”
“Yes Honey, that’s the one,” he says.
He was kind of scared that I was getting so excited.
It was so cool to see walking and talking images of the little plastic men that fill the display case in his studio. I was impressed with the story line. I was totally not expecting… if you have not seen the movie, skip to next paragraph…to see that the Captain was the Deamon and not the Chaplain.
Talk about a twist at the end. Very nice.
I’m assuming that the “war hammer” used to kill the big bad beast is the equivalent to Excalibur? Interesting that it’s a hammer. How did the creator of Warhammer come up with that and what is it’s originating significance? Who is the master mind behind Warhammer 40k?
What really interests me though, is why someone hasn’t picked this up for a movie or Saturday morning cartoon? A lesser violent version of course. Think about how Games Workshop could market the dolls. Sized like Star Wars figures. Different colors like in the game, all of the appropriate detail to the armor, interchangeable chainsaw arms. Space ship sets with little speeder bikes.
Think of what Games Workshop could do if this fell into the hands of a wealthy movie producer. We all know these days they just reproduce movies that have already been done once before on the big screen. This could be so cool. But should they keep it animated or real life? It’s so neat to think about what GW could do with this.
I guess they would just rather sit on their money than take a chance. Thankfully Spielberg (I think she means Lucas -Ron) took a chance with Star Wars and look what we have today…an Empire. But back to the movie. I’d love to see a big time producer with a huge budget make a Warhammer 40,000 movie.
Overall, I would rate this movie as “Good.” Of course, in the category of new movie/low budget. I too was mesmerized by it in some weird quirky way. In the end, don’t run out and buy this one, borrow it from a friend, sit back an watch the little men come to life.
