What a fascinating analysis. And a captivating video. I think the idea of entropy in storytelling fits well. The notion of creative passion driving the project versus “corporate passion” for me gets close to the mark but doesn’t put a fine enough point on the contrast in motives.

Looking at the hollow, failed movies, video games, and enshittification of online products, I keep coming back to the idea that projects motivated primarily by profit are usually doomed to fail while projects primarily motivated by passion are more likely to succeed.

I’m sure each of us can easily think of examples of movie franchises where you can pinpoint when the motivation changed. When the greedy bastards in charge took the success of passion and tried to harness it, tried to make it into a money printing machine. It’s then that elements of the story are added to serve a purpose other than the story. And as the franchise continues, this happens more until you end up with something hollowed out and lacking meaning and impact.

Invariably greed blinds people from seeing that success isn’t due to the trappings, the window dressings, the quality of the CGI, the parts and pieces, but the story and its characters, and the quality of craft and art of telling that story and connecting us with those characters.

Yeah it’s weird. Fury Road was gorgeous, but this one looks very CGI-ish.

The screenshot already looks like a 360 game

I’m more concerned about Hemsworth being the main antagonist. I’m not sure who would have been a better fit but I just don’t see him being a believable bad guy in a movie. Time will tell I guess.

Mad max without mad max but you gotta get the branding.