Now that so many of the fantastical creatures populating modern blockbusters are created via computer wizardry, every time we see something fashioned in real life, it's even more of a marvel than it would have been, say, 20 years ago.
Computer-generated images dazzle, but practical effects still inspire awe. This is the case with a photo that "X-Men: Days of Future Past" director Bryan Singer tweeted of himself standing next to a full-size Sentinel robot from the film. It looks so cool.
"Here's to the next 50 years" ties into the viral marketing campaign 20th Century Fox has already kicked off for the movie, set for release next summer. The "50 years" refers to the number of years Trask Industries -- headed by the villainous Bolivar Trask, played in the film by Peter Dinklage from "Game of Thrones" -- has been manufacturing Sentinels, which in the "X-Men" comics are giant robots designed specifically to hunt and kill mutants. (They can be seen briefly in the third film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," during a sequence set inside the Danger Room.)Here's to the next 50 years http://t.co/2jzcF8fShl pic.twitter.com/jYFvmVsnSN
- Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) August 1, 2013
The new design for the Sentinels shies away from the clunky, more menacing design from the comic books, going for a sleeker, slimmer, "I, Robot"-y look that ultimately works. But more importantly: It's a giant, full-scale killer robot! And it's HUGE. We wonder if it's just a prop (it's eyes do light up), or if it's a fully functioning puppet (which seems less likely). Either way: somewhere, Guillermo del Toro is gnashing his teeth in jealousy.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past," featuring an impressive cast combining actors from both threads of the "X-Men" franchise -- including Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, and Ellen Page -- and a complicated time travel/alternate reality plot, will take over theaters May 23, 2014.
[via Twitter h/t TheWrap]
