The Movie
Beyond the proposed 2007 release, not much is known about this project yet in terms of cast, crew, or how closely it's going to stick to the source material. Will it mirror the book, or take things in a new direction akin to how the games have splintered off with each iteration? It's not clear yet.
Two things that are clear, if IMDb is to be believed, is that Zack Snyder is to direct with Hong Kong action movie legend John Woo in the producer's chair. Though usually recognized for his directorial prowess (Face/Off, Broken Arrow, Once A Thief, Hard Boiled, Mission Impossible II), Woo is no stranger to the producing role. If he can bring a sense of tension and over-the-top excitement to the Rainbow Six movie without making it all run-and-gun action violence nonsense, we could be in for a real treat.
I also hope Woo's experience and style filters into that of relatively new director Zack Snyder. They only thing he's done so far that I've seen was the recent remake of Dawn of the Dead, which I thought was pretty blah. Then again, as a big fan of Romero's original trilogy, it was an uphill battle to impress me. Some liked it, some did not. Thus, it's not a clear indicator of what we should expect from Snyder's take on Clancy's universe. Well, unless Team Rainbow is trapped in a mall shooting zombies. If they go that route, count me out.
All in all, I'm still pretty pumped to see what happens with the movie. The whole anti-terrorism thing is still pretty hot right now, and if done right, the movie could serve as not only another fine entry for the series that is bound by no medium, but also a sort of timestamp for Western consciousness and values. Lofty goals, yes, but you never can tell these days what our entertainment will amount to.
Article comments
1 - Deano
I haven't played the game series at all but the book was, well episodic at best. Some parts were excellent, while others dragged intermittably, and the overall "evil environmentalists" SPECTRE-like plot to cleanse the world was a bit ...well, I was going to be diplomatic and say unrealistic but let's be blunt and say: stupid.
My hope is that the film draws more from the game then the original book.
2 - -E
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3 - Mark Buckingham
It took me a long time to get through the novel, much longer than it took to finish the game(s). I got hung up in some of the dry sections, but the more actiony segments made up for it, some of which weren't in the games at all.
Still, as unrealistic as the plot may seem, I know some save-the-world types who, given the proper motivation and means, might just go over the edge in their quest to save the world from humanity. Either way, the plots in a novel like this NEED to be big and crazy, just to make the victors seem that much more accomplished.
Sure, the games are more popular now than the book, but the games don't have the narrative needed to craft a compelling script out of. Just the characters. We'll just have to wait and see which way they go with it.
4 - Deano
I've been reading Tom Clancy since he first came on the scene with Hunt for Red October (still his best book) and he went seriously adrift in the 1990's with an inability to find a good "enemy" after the fall of the Soviet Union...I think Rainbow Six reflected that problem.
5 - Lion King
"The hope of the Easterners is that it will strike a blow politically against the countries who have made things so difficult for their way of life, and to make a decent profit along the way. However, these elements are unaware of the ulterior motives of the biotech firm" What a load of nonsense! Have you read a book?
6 - Mark Buckingham
Yes, about three years ago now, and it's getting a bit fuzzy. Do you have something useful to contribute?