1novels Chapter 171 A Box Office Miracle! Film Analysis and Discussion
Chapter 171 A Box Office Miracle! Film Analysis and Discussion
The night the online movie "Star Warriors" was released is destined to be recorded in the history of film and television development in this parallel world.
The data monitoring center at Bilibili's headquarters was brightly lit.
On the huge electronic screen, the digital curve representing the number of paid views looked like it was riding a rocket at full speed, rising wildly at a terrifyingly steep angle.
One million... three million... five million...
Seeing their share of the profits increase, the uncle and aunt were overjoyed.
In less than 24 hours after its release, the number of paid viewers for "Star Warriors" has exceeded 10 million without any doubt!
The price of 6 yuan per on-demand viewing means that this film has not undergone any traditional theatrical release or promotion.
The tokusatsu movie, relying solely on its online platform release and the strong word-of-mouth of its predecessor, raked in an astonishing 6000 million yuan at the box office on its opening day!
What does this mean?
In Gu Nan's original world before his transmigration, this would be equivalent to the terrifying opening day performance of top-tier theatrical blockbusters with huge investments and massive marketing campaigns, such as "The First Part of Fengshen", "Now You See Me 3", "Nanjing Photo Studio", or even "Venom 3: The Last Dance"!
Light Chaser Animation Studios achieved this effortlessly with just one online film.
Gu Nan used these solid data to deliver a resounding slap to the faces of those traditional film and television investors who had previously looked down on tokusatsu and thought that fighting in costumes was beneath them.
The entire internet is buzzing with excitement, everyone's busy watching the show.
……
The feature film was released just 48 hours later.
At this moment when the hype has almost ignited the internet, "Kanpianwang," a top Bilibili tokusatsu content creator, released his latest video on time.
The video title is simple and direct, yet extremely attractive:
[In-depth Film Analysis] 6-Yuan Online Movies Rival Hollywood Blockbusters? The Most Hardcore Analysis of "Star Warriors": What is a True Heir of Light!
The video was approved instantly through the fast-track review channel as soon as it was released. In less than a minute, the number of views exceeded 100,000, and the screen was filled with comments that completely covered the screen like snowflakes.
[Number 1, number 1, number 1!]
[It's finally here! I've watched the movie three times already, just waiting for Kanye's analysis to make my meal more enjoyable!]
[High-energy warning ahead! If you haven't seen the full movie yet, run for your lives!]
[No spoilers! I just got off work tonight and I'm ready to watch it!!!]
[Spoiler alert! Kanye West, go for it!]
The screen lights up.
"Brothers! Let's use the barrage of comments for protection!"
Even the most excited person's voice became a little hoarse.
"Kids, these past two days, I've been scrutinizing 'Star Warriors' frame by frame with a magnifying glass. After watching it, I only have one thing to say—Gu, you old bastard, you're a fucking genius!"
"Today, let's set aside the stunning special effects and delve deep into just how terrifying the dramatic core and camera work of this blockbuster film really are!"
With a tap of his finger, the screen switched to a close-up of the universe at the beginning of the movie.
"First, let's look at the opening. Sunlight gradually emerges from the deep distance of the universe, revealing a massive space station—cold, precise, and grand. To be honest, the quality of this shot, when I first saw it, even gave off a strong hard science fiction vibe reminiscent of '2001: A Space Odyssey'!"
"This is not simply for showing off skills."
In this era where humanity envisions the future, Dyna's theme itself is "pioneering and enterprising." Gu Nan used top-tier Hollywood CG technology from Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital, combined with miniature physical models, to construct an incredibly realistic backdrop for this new era!
The comments section immediately responded:
The footage of the warship passing over the moon was indeed incredibly awe-inspiring, showcasing its immense size.
[For six yuan, I got these special effects; I feel like I made at least sixty yuan off Gu Nan!]
[These special effects are way better than any of the so-called "sci-fi" films in China!]
The video fast-forwarded to a scene where the Super Victory Team was visiting Cremos Island.
"Next, let's talk about the core homage! Do you all remember Crimson Island? In the big brother 'Ultraman', this was where world leaders held a world peace conference!"
"But what about now?"
The film critic's tone turned serious. "The island that once symbolized peace has been transformed into a heavily guarded weapons factory! TPC's hawkish staff officer Gondo and Dr. Kisaragi have built the ultimate weapon, the Prometheus battleship, here."
"This is the profound question Gu Nan has posed to us. In this era of pioneering new frontiers, humanity certainly needs powerful forces to protect us, but do we really need such emotionless 'ultimate weapons'?"
Captain Hibiki's line, "True power should include human courage and faith," was absolutely mind-blowing! And Prometheus's subsequent control by the Monera aliens, transforming him into Desfaza and beating Dyna, was the most painful slap in the face to this weapon-centric ideology!
[Sigh, I feel that the hawkish strategist Gondo has gone too far this time. A weapon without a heart will eventually backfire.]
[Exactly! Why not let Ji Gang, who used to be in charge of the police department, continue to run it?]
[The captain is still clear-headed! The defense force is not a killing machine!]
The clash of ideas in this dialogue scene is truly sophisticated; it's not a black-and-white struggle, but rather a clash of ideologies.
The video is fast-paced, and the video king then shows Xin Feibiao being blown to pieces by Desfasa in the simulator, and then fleeing in fear on the real battlefield.
"Speaking of this, many people criticized Asuka in the comments, saying he was a coward and not as composed as Daigo. But I believe that this is precisely where the script best brings the character to life!"
The film critic eloquently stated, "Brothers, if the protagonist is fearless and invincible from the start, that's a myth, not a human! Asuka Shin is a protagonist who grows through experience. To portray this kind of character, you have to make him confused and fearful!"
"Any normal person would be afraid of a cold, mechanical demon that is 100 meters tall and can calculate all of his moves! Gu Nan deliberately used this 'cowardly running away' setting to shatter the stereotype of Ultraman being 'always brave'."
"Dyna is Asuka's outward appearance, and Asuka is Dyna's inner self! When he listened to Captain Hibiki's 'Pitcher's Theory' under the setting sun, and when he saw the little boy holding the Ultraman Tiga figure outside the shelter, he finally understood that he was not a lonely god; he carried the support of everyone!"
"So, when Asuka finally emerged from her confusion, raised the Flash Sword again, and immediately switched to her Strong form, braving the beams of light to pierce through Desfaza, that emotional release was the most exhilarating! This was the first time in the series that a transformation and form switch occurred simultaneously, delivering maximum explosive power!"
"To be honest, that scene with the background music, when Dyna was fighting Sfasa, gave me goosebumps all over!"
What the audience in this world doesn't know is that in the original world, this scene of Ultraman defeating a villain a hundred meters away with a single blow would only be shown in the Ultraman Galaxy movie, "Ultraman 10 Warriors".
And this world directly presented Dyna vs. Desfaza, allowing countless people to experience the ultimate explosive excitement!
[The scene with Asuka was so realistic; it gave me PTSD.]
The moment the strong type appeared, I screamed in bed!
This is what growth is all about! True courage lies in charging forward despite fear!
[Ahhh! Has anyone taken a screenshot of that scene? I want to use it as my wallpaper!]
[Old Tang mentioned this in his previous livestream, it was absolutely thrilling!]
The film critic took a sip of water, and the video frame froze on the Prometheus-like warship that blotted out the sky.
"Now, I'm going to get to the hardcore stuff. Has anyone ever wondered why this warship is called 'Prometheus'?"
"In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus not only created humankind from clay, but also acted as their protector, risking the wrath of Zeus, the king of the gods, to steal sacred fire for humanity!"
The film critic, his eyes bright, began to recount: "Zeus was furious and chained him to Mount Caucasus, sending an eagle to devour his liver every day. In ancient Greece, the liver was considered the seat of human emotions. Being eaten during the day and growing back at night symbolized that his emotions would never perish, even in the midst of hell!"
"Until Hercules arrived, shot down the eagle, broke the chains, and freed him."
"Think about this imagery carefully! In the movie, the aliens from Monera are like that eagle, mocking human emotions as a burden. The Prometheus ship was taken by aliens and transformed into a demon. But human emotions and courage did not perish."
"In the end, it was Dyna, who was rescued, and Shining Tiga, who symbolized the light of all humanity, who shattered these chains of despair! The story explores the relationship between technology and power—power itself is neutral; only those with a heart that benefits humanity can travel to the distant future!"
[The way cultured people analyze films is truly different!]
No wonder Dr. Kisaragi had the epiphany at the end, saying, "Without the power of the heart, one will only become an enemy." Now I understand!
[Gu Laozei's script has quite a few hidden details.]
[If humanity really does become capable of building such powerful warships in the future, will Ultraman finally be able to retire?]
Finally, let's talk about the film's biggest climax—the legacy of light!
The background music for the video was changed to the stirring and sacred entrance theme of Ultraman Tiga.
In the scene, the people in the shelter are bathed in golden light, and countless rays of light converge, tearing apart the dark sky.
I once asked a friend: Why do people choose to believe in hope?
The voice of the film critic became extremely gentle yet powerful. "My friend replied: 'Hope can inspire action and help people cope with challenges. Ultraman is the embodiment of hope.'"
"But Gu Nan, in this film, tells us a deeper answer. Fundamentally, we shouldn't blindly believe in light, but rather believe that we ourselves are the light!"
"The last to appear are not Daigo, who is far away on Mars growing flowers. Instead, they are the adults and children in the shelter who recall their memories of fighting alongside Ultraman Tiga, those who never gave up hope even in the face of dire straits!"
"It is the pure faith of all humanity that transcends the boundaries of physics and converges to create the miraculous Shining Tiga!"
"When the two Ultras share the stage, when Tiga infuses his energy into Dyna's timer, it's not just a savior of the younger generation, but also the passing down of humanity's indomitable spirit!"
[Yes, yes, yes! It's not Daigo returning, it's us becoming Ultraman Tiga!]
That year, I also became light! The value of this line continues to rise!
[Everyone can become light; that's the most romantic core of tokusatsu!]
I cry every time I watch it; I burst into tears the moment Ultraman Tiga appeared.
Near the end of the video, behind-the-scenes footage shows the costumed actors performing a spectacular backflip, and the Super GUTS members running on foot.
"Look at these action choreography! Look at how even the chubby-chested Zhongdao is running so hard through the ruins! And those two suit actors, even with such heavy suits, have the exact same synchronization for their backflips!"
"Everyone at Light Chaser Animation Studios is dedicating their heart and soul to this story. They are not just making tokusatsu films, but also conveying a spirit of enterprise."
The film critic stood up and bowed deeply to the camera.
Finally, may we all be like torches, maintaining our true selves and forging ahead like the Star Warriors. Know that the future is not far away but right beneath our feet; setbacks and hardships can only bind us temporarily, but they cannot make us despondent forever.
"Go forward, my friend, towards the tomorrow you long for! This video has come to an end. Thank you for your support!"
Black screen, progress bar at full.
The entire tokusatsu (special effects) section on Bilibili was completely ignited by Kanpianwang's almost legendary hardcore film analysis.
The video's comment section exploded within minutes.
[Kan Ge is awesome! This analysis elevates the quality of this blockbuster to a whole new level!]
[I never knew a monster-fighting movie could contain so much philosophical and mythological thought. Gu Nan is truly a genius!]
Good heavens, it seems like a web movie is going to beat a whole bunch of theatrical releases! This is unbelievable!
This truly proves how amazing "light" is!
"Believe in yourself, you are the light"—this phrase truly gave me a much-needed boost during my recent period of depression. Thank you, Director Gu, and thank you, Brother Kan!
[No one in the Super GUTS team is useless; even Ryo and Mai, the two girls, are fighting desperately! This is the most authentic defense team!]