remakes have never been a "patent" for domestic films - we remake other people's stories, and others also flock to our well-known local IPs.
But facts have proven that "acclimatization" does not only appear in domestic film and television dramas; in Hollywood, where the film and television industry has a higher level, "acclimatization" also often occurs.
Not long ago, "Journey to the West abc" adapted from " Journey to the West " made a big joke.
Although many Chinese people were recruited to play the core roles, Sun Wukong was photographed as a daddy, and Tiangong was photographed as a grass-stage team. In the end, it received a score of 
.9, which made people laugh.
However, Hollywood is obviously not convinced.
The attraction of good stories is still there. This time, they have not only reached out to another one of the Four Great Classics "Water Margin" , Netflix's remake of " Three-Body " has also been confirmed for March. time online.
Recently, the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" released the latest trailer.
After watching the trailer, some domestic viewers collectively cheered and shouted that "The Three-Body Problem" has finally ushered in the best version; however, some fans also yelled and cursed that Netflix insulted the spirit of the original "The Three-Body Problem".
is a mule and is a horse. It’s hard for Mr. Tomato to make a conclusion before playing it.
Through the trailer, we seem to be able to get a glimpse of the differences between this Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" and the Tencent version of "The Three-Body Problem" that has already been played and has a reputation of 8.7 points.
Mr. Tomato has carefully studied the trailer of the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem", and combined with the domestic "Three-Body Problem" TV series, today I will give you a detailed look at the differences between the two works.
Perhaps we should have an answer in our minds as to whether the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" is worth looking forward to.
1. Special effects: hard-core industry vs. ancient web games
"The Three-Body Problem" has a huge world view and a cosmic-level perspective.
Although there are not many special effects in the first "Once Upon a Time on Earth", it is just a presentation of the "Three-Body" game world. To accurately visualize it, it also needs strong industrial standards to support it.
And this is exactly what Hollywood is best at.
When leaving a story like "The Three-Body Problem" to Netflix, the only thing you don't have to worry about is the production level.
We all know that Netflix is famous for quality regardless of cost.
adapted "The Three-Body Problem" this time. Not only did it buy the copyright for the entire story in one go, but it also invested US$200 million in just 8 episodes of the story.
calculated that one episode cost 25 million U.S. dollars. This real money was properly spent on production.
After watching the trailer, Mr. Tomato seemed to smell the smell of money. The burning fire of funds dazzled Mr. Tomato.
Putting aside the normal progression of the story, there are many scenes that can almost be said to be a perfect restoration of the imagination in Liu's "The Three-Body Problem".
Let’s first look at the close-up shot of this Hong’an base. The birds are flying, and the huge antenna has an unparalleled sense of giantness. Compared with the people below, it is even more shocking.
In comparison, the Hong'an antenna in the Chinese version is inferior.
Let’s look at the scenes in the game “Three-Body Problem” again.
Horses galloping in a burning palace;
Qin Shihuang's human-column computer;
and the collective "dehydration" process in the game, both from a macro perspective and a micro perspective, are very realistic.
basically meets the imagination and requirements of "Three-Body" fans for the story.
In comparison, in the Chinese version of "Three-Body", the presentation of the graphics in the "Three-Body" game is relatively rough.
not only looks promising in terms of web game style.
pulled into a close-up, it was even more unbearable to look at.
Perhaps the only thing that satisfies book fans is the restoration of the "Judgment Day" split with nanowires in "Operation Guzheng".
But this special effect is just a flash in the pan.
If the entire drama can maintain this level, of course there is nothing wrong with it.
But among the special effects in the entire drama, "Operation Guzheng" is the only highlight, which may not be able to compete with the special effects and visual experience of the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem".
Therefore, in terms of special effects, Mr. Tomato feels that the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" should be a complete winner.
But having said that, special effects are not actually important to "The Three-Body Problem".
Especially the first one, special effects account for very little, there are no parts of Three Body and Earthlings Star Wars , it is just a reproduction of some game concepts and scenes, which is not so important.
The special effects are just the shell of the story of "The Three-Body Problem", serving as the icing on the cake.
The spirit, worldview and thinking of the entire work of "The Three-Body Problem" are the truly wonderful aspects of this masterpiece.
2. Casting: different skin colors vs. powerful characters
Another important aspect why "The Three-Body Problem" is praised is the plump and three-dimensional character creation.
Wang Miao and Da Shi in the first part, Luo Ji in the second part, Yun Tianming in the third part, etc. are all characters full of charisma and wisdom.
So, if it is left to Netflix, can it capture the characteristics and essence of these characters?
currently seems to be relatively unreliable.
Netflix has great ambitions. It not only invited the production team of "Game of Thrones", but also invited many famous actors from "Game of Thrones".
For example: Liam Cunningham who plays the Onion Knight, John C. Bradley who plays Sam, etc.
But as a Chinese work and a story mainly based on Chinese culture, among the 12 main actors, only 4 are Chinese, and they are all villains and marginal characters, which makes Mr. Tomato a little worried. Fei went back to the old path of Hollywood screenwriter.
You must know that although these 12 actors are claimed to be from "11 countries", they do not include even one real Chinese.
Actors of other races and skins were put together.
For example: black actor John Adepo, Indian-American Shamo Asmani, Mexican-American Aisha Gonzalez, etc.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with putting together these skin colors, but what makes people uncomfortable is the magical changes to the characters by the two screenwriters of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
The most surprising thing is that the core character of "Once Upon a Time on Earth", nanomaterials expert Wang Miao, has become a woman.
According to the plot introduction and interviews with the main creators, we can also find that the character "Wang Miao" has been "sliced" for no reason.
Because the "Oxford Five" in the play all have the shadow of Wang Miao. The magic operation
is also jokingly called "Five Points Miao" by domestic netizens.
Wang Miao is the most important clue figure in "The Three-Body Problem". He is the discoverer of "The Three-Body Problem" and the eyes of the audience.
divided the clue characters into five characters. Mr. Tomato couldn't imagine how complicated this story would become.
As far as the role of Wang Miao is concerned, Zhang Luyi in the Chinese version should already be the best version.
In addition to Wang Miao, we can also get a glimpse of some other famous characters in "The Three-Body Problem" from the trailer.
Young man Ye Wenjie is played by Chinese actress Zeng Qi'en.
I don’t know what your first reaction is when you see this face.
She has three white eyes, high cheekbones, a fierce look on the surface, and an evil look on her face. She gives the impression that she is the kind of Asian female killer who often appears in Hollywood movies, lacking the sense of story in Ye Wenjie's life experience.
In comparison, the Chinese version of Wang Ziwen is much more comfortable and more consistent with the original work.
That look in his eyes is simply amazing.
Middle-aged Ye Wenjie, played by Chinese actor Zhao Jialing.
This role currently has mixed reviews, but in the opinion of Mr. Tomato, her performance as Ye Wenjie is still too "extroverted".
Her ruthlessness is completely between her eyebrows, which is inconsistent with the status of the commander of the Earth's Trisolaran rebels. Moreover, her appearance is too aggressive and sharp.
The elderly Ye Wenjie is played by Chinese actress Zhou Caiqin.
She was Jia Mu in "Red Mansions" and also the "Oriental Audrey Hepburn".
However, at the age of 86, it has not yet been determined whether she will look too old to play Ye Wenjie.
But compared to Chen Jin’s old Ye Wenjie, Mr. Tomato believes that no actor can compete with her.
Her aura from the inside out is too strong, and her unique majesty and unobtrusive personality charm are impressive.
People who truly understand everything often don’t show it on their faces. This is also the biggest difference between European and American actors and Eastern actors.
She smiled, her face was full of drama.
Except for Ye Wenjie, Mr. Tomato has his own preferences for other versions of the characters.
For example, in Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem", the master is played by the supporting character "Wang" in "Doctor Strange".
Huang Kaixuan is also of Chinese descent, and his image is more consistent with the image of the great historian in the original work.
Benedict Wang is a bit rough, in this regard, the Chinese version of Yu Hewei may be inferior.
For example, in the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem", "Sam" also plays a scientist. It is currently unknown who this scientist is, only that he is one of the "Wufen Miao".
Based on the judgment of the role of "Cheng Xin" in the play, he may also be the actor of Yun Tianming .
But the way he looks in Qin clothes in the game is really a bit surprising.
This silly look is difficult to associate with the word scientist.
For another example, in Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem", "Onion Knight" also plays a core role. According to the trailer, Mr. Tomato judged that he is either playing Chang Weisi or Thomas Vader .
In the original work, Chang Weisi should be a serious Chinese, and he is well versed in the art of war and philosophy, and has a profound ideological realm.
If "Onion Knight" were to play the role, it would not meet Mr. Tomato's psychological expectations, but compared to Lin Yongjian who is too thin and not majestic in appearance in the Chinese version, each has its own merits.
Overall, because it targets different audience groups, it is difficult for the characters in the Netflix version of "Three-Body" to meet the domestic audience's assumptions and expectations of the characters in "Three-Body". In terms of
, the Chinese version is even better.
3. Degree of restoration: hybrid modification vs. frame-by-frame restoration
Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem" is not aimed at Chinese audiences, and the length has been reduced to 8 episodes.
Regardless of cultural background, shooting habits or screenwriting skills, "The Three-Body Problem" is definitely facing extraordinary adaptations.
Mr. Tomato sorted out the trailer of Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem". From the trailer, he found not only the restoration of some classic scenes of "The Three-Body Problem", but also many unacceptable magical changes. I believe everyone can see the restoration part of
.
From the death countdown discovered by Da Shi at the beginning to the numbers in front of the female version of Wang Miao.
From the "Second Red Bank Base" Judgment Day number,
to various characters in the "Three Body" game.
From the launch button pressed by Ye Wenjie;
to the classic scene of collective dehydration in the game.
Every scene seems to be a tribute to and restoration of the original work of "The Three-Body Problem".
What surprised Mr. Tomato even more is that in the trailer we saw Evans’s ideological change from childhood to youth.
is related to the issue of "environmental protection". I believe Netflix will also use this special book on "The Three-Body Problem".
But apart from these fragmented scenes, Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem" has basically been modified to the point where book fans are furious.
As for character selection, Mr. Tomato has already mentioned it above, so I won’t go into details again.
In order to adapt to the rhythm of the plot, the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" not only divided Wang Miao and deleted many important characters, but also mixed and recreated the characters from the three films.
Why do you say that? Because in the trailer for the first season, Mr. Tomato saw a lot of characters that would only appear in the second and third seasons.
Such as Tomoko.
Although Tomoko was mentioned in the first part, her appearance as an anthropomorphic Japanese female warrior should be in the third part "Death Eternal".
In the trailer, after the scientist played by Sam illegally entered the "Three-Body" game, he was chopped out by Sophon.
This shows that compared to the original work, Tomoko has undergone relatively large changes in both character image and functional role.
In addition, based on the role, Mr. Tomato deduced that the female scientist with the "Onion Knight" should be the Holy Mother Cheng Xin .
Cheng Xin should also be a character in "Death Eternal", but in the trailer, she was wearing a wearable device to experience the "Three Body" game with Onion Knight.
Judging from the equipment, this time and space seems to be in the same time and space as Wang Miao, but whether this is the case cannot be accurately concluded.
In addition, characters from Yun Tianming's story such as Princess Dewdrop also appeared in the trailer and trailer.
In other words, the story of the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" follows the original work even though it has some fragmented scenes and settings.
But in terms of the story, there is a high probability that it will be magically modified, mixed and innovated, and it may even completely change the appearance and become a brand new story under the guise of "Three Body".
If this is the case, this version of "The Three-Body Problem" may really hit the market.
Looking back at the Chinese version of "The Three-Body Problem", although many viewers have criticized it in terms of special effects and casting, the level of restoration is almost impeccable.
The moment Ye Wenjie pressed the button, it was almost a complete reproduction of the original work.
In addition, many famous scenes in the original work have been restored frame by frame.
is like Wang Miao and Ding Yi’s billiards experiment.
Chang Weisi's "Luck Theory";
"The whole universe will flash for you";
and the explanation of the "shooter and farmer" hypothesis in the form of animation.
and so on are all scenes that make book fans ecstatic.
These scenes will unconsciously bring the audience into the situation of the original work, allowing the TV series and the original work to resonate at the same frequency, which will naturally have a good viewing effect.
Oriental IP is Westernized, and it is an epic science fiction IP short drama. It is bound to be adapted.
But whether the adaptation is acceptable to the audience and whether it conforms to the spirit of the original work is what the audience and book fans value most.
At present, it should be difficult for the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" to achieve this.
So in terms of restoration, the Chinese version of "Three-Body" may be able to win again.
4, Core: Alien Immigrants vs. Cultural Philosophy
Although "The Three-Body Problem" is a science fiction novel, its spiritual core is the most traditional, oldest, and most classic Chinese wisdom and the spirit that only the Chinese have. .
Whether it is the "bugs can never be eliminated" in the first part, or the wisdom of Luo Ji in the second part's struggle against the Three-Body Problem, or the clever transmission of information by Yun Tianming in the third part...
"The Three-Body Problem" "There are too many details in it, related to China and Chinese culture. It is not just a science fiction novel, but a science fiction novel that describes civilization and decline, choice and destiny in the context of Chinese culture. , the individual and the whole, man and the universe, and the works of science and faith.
There are too many lines, details and spirit in this work that Westerners will never understand. This is also an inherent barrier caused by cultural and historical backgrounds.
And this is what Mr. Tomato is most worried about.
At present, in terms of core, the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" does not have a signal that really convinces Chinese audiences.
On the contrary, there are many self-righteous interpretations, which make "The Three-Body Problem" full of cultural uncertainty.
In a previous interview, the main creator said that in order to ensure that "The Three-Body Problem" retains the Chinese origin of the original work during the adaptation process, Alexander Wu was specially hired to be the series coordinator.
This Chinese-American, who is also a child of the immigrant generation, described the entire story of "The Three-Body Problem" as: it is more or less an immigrant story.
"Aliens want to find a safe space to live, but the locals don't want to accept them."
According to this logic, the core of "Three-Body" can, at best, touch earthlings like "District 9" The limit of cultural conflict with aliens.
On the contrary, this is the most superficial and superficial thing in "The Three-Body Problem", and the least worth talking about.
Because this core is too old, too vulgar, too old-fashioned, too shallow, and too backward.
This is not to say that this kind of conflict cannot be photographed, but there have been countless works that have captured this point thoroughly, poorly photographed, and left nothing to be photographed.
In addition, Mr. Tomato is also worried about the value output of this Netflix version of Three-Body Problem - all Asian faces are villains, and all positive characters are Westerners.
This will give viewers in other parts of the world an illusion: Asians are trying to destroy the earth, while American scientists are working desperately to save the earth in order to retain the fire.
Coupled with the evil appearance of middle-aged and elderly Ye Wenjie, this is so consistent with the Western stereotypes and values of the East, which makes me feel a strong sense of exporting values.
Therefore, it is basically certain that the Netflix version of "Three-Body Problem" will not be able to capture the depth of "Three-Body Problem".
In fact, in Liu's "Three-Body", in addition to ideological realm and cultural philosophy, there are also many small cultural symbols, which make Chinese people feel more intimate and smile knowingly.
Such as "Operation Guzheng", such as Tomoko, such as the Wall Facer and the Sword Holder...
These things that are taken for granted in the Chinese version are probably difficult to see in Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem".
This is also the fundamental reason why the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" is destined to fail to capture the depth of the spiritual core of the original work.
So in terms of core, Tomato King still stands for the Chinese version of "Three Body".
Through the comparison of the above four aspects, except for the special effects and the casting, the Chinese version surpasses the Netflix version in almost all other aspects.
In fact, in terms of science fiction content, the cleverness of the screenwriter and the sense of familiarity of the blockbuster, the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" absolutely crushes the Chinese dramas.
Naihe, this is not another work, it is "The Three-Body Problem".
It is precisely because "The Three-Body Problem" is not a science fiction drama or a brainless superhero that we have so much expectations for it and have such deep feelings for it.
There are many sci-fi movies with countless eye-stimulating special effects. Netflix even produced peripherals such as VR helmets for "The Three-Body Problem".
But for "Three-Body", we definitely require more than this.
generally has original adaptations with Hollywood standards + local actors and stories.
For example, although "Harry Potter" was filmed in Hollywood, JK Rowling requested that all British actors be used.
Another example is "Squid Game", although it is a Netflix product, but the entire production team is from South Korea.
Based on this comparison, this Westernized "Three-Body" is destined to not be the same as the original.
It faces a global audience, which inevitably requires sacrificing the cultural and ideological attributes of the story, weakening the Chinese and regional attributes, and promoting American values.
So, as Chinese audiences, we don’t have to expect anything, just think of it as a science fiction work.
I have low expectations, maybe I will get a surprise, what do you think?
(Movie Rotten Tomatoes Editorial Department: Miaomiao)
