From: ed@cwis.unomaha.edu (Ed Stastny)
Subject: Re: Aeon Flux = bad animation
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 22:49:46 GMT

olson@ac.dal.ca writes:

>Well, for one thing, perhaps the animator did fail 
>in making it a clear parody, since the only one's who recognized this 
>were people who had heard/seen the animator explain this.

Perhaps.  When I first saw it, I didn't know it was a "lampooning"
(blatant) parody...but I did see the slight elusion toward it.  It may
help you to know that it wasn't MERELY a parody...it was sold to LTV as
that.  There was a real plot...sort of a surreal spy-thriller.  The
"parody" element was merely part of it.

>"animation does not have to maintain a basis in reality".
>Well, I'm not really talking about reality, I'm talking about logic.  

Nor do cartoons have to be logical.  Logic is part of our reality, as
you mention, and to defy logic is to get "surreal" or
"fantastical"...which is one of the best/fullest uses of animation.

>I think there always has to be a central logic to these things.  One 
>person wrote that perhaps Aeon lives in a non-Newtonian universe
>and that is why she can perform the feats she does.  Well if that is the
>case, then perhaps it should have been established by the animator.

If you require that to make a cartoon good/acceptable to you, then
that's your prerogative.  Myself, I am a commoner and my summation might
be as simple as "I don't know if it's art, but I know what I like".  To
me, the establishment of a constant logic is the repeated behavior seen
within the cartoon....I didn't see any blatant (or subtle)
contradictions of logic....nor will I say that I care if there's an
established logic.  I'm more of a "mood/visual" perceptor...superficial
some would say...I like Aeon Flux for the "otherworldish" feel it gives
and the dynamic action and composition of the entire thing.  

>It just does not make sense if a phenomenon happens right out of thin 
>air if no logical basis for the action is maintained within the storyline.

Dodging bullets did not provide logical basis for the "getting onto the
catwalk" scene?

>I think the comedian John Cleese said something about this in his criticism
>of comedy.  He basically said that in a skit you can have a guy who is 
>standing in a barrel and does his comedy in a barrel, but it does not make
>sense if there is no logic behind why the guy has to be in the barrel -
>there has to be some central logic to explain why the barrel is incorporated
>in the skit and why it is necessary.  There is no logic to why Aeon can 
>launch herself while dangling in mid-air.

Well, no matter what the Mr.Spock of the Ministry of Silly Walks has to
say, I don't require the "logic" for such things to enjoy them.  Also,
now that I look back on it, I don't even think Aeon DOES "launch"
herself...she merely sticks her leg out to catch the catwalk and then
propels herself via that leverage to flip onto the tier.
 
Oh well... 
...e

>BTW, for an example of good action animation I would recommend an
>animated short called Lazar, although
>I don't know the name of the person who did Lazar. 
--
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