Slashdot Log In
MacGyver Film In the Works?
Posted by
timothy
on Sun May 04, 2008 01:28 PM
from the humbly-beg-for-qi-shu-in-some-role dept.
from the humbly-beg-for-qi-shu-in-some-role dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like everyone's favorite Swiss Army knife-wielding action hero may be making an appearance on the big screen. The original series creator has announced plans are in the works for a MacGyver film. Serious questions abound: Will Richard Dean Anderson reprise the role? Will filming and editing somehow be done only using a paperclip, duct-tape, and TV remote?" And who, if not Anderson, would you want to play MacGyver?
Related Stories
Submission: MacGyver Film in the Works? by Anonymous Coward
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
Duh! (Score:5, Funny)
Me!
(You insensitive clod.)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Insightful)
So yes choosing somebody from the Slashdot crowd would be appropriate.
Well, with the difference being that MacGyver was knowledgeable and intelligent. The typical Slashdotter only thinks they're knowledgeable and intelligent.
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Interesting)
Looking at the list of "MacGyverisms" [concentric.net],
he was often just as misguided.
I often wished some of his trickery would backfire uproariously. A self-spoof once in awhile can be fun. With the added excitement that there's no foregone conclusion that the trick will work.
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Funny)
So yes choosing somebody from the Slashdot crowd would be appropriate.
Well, with the difference being that MacGyver was knowledgeable and intelligent. The typical Slashdotter only thinks they're knowledgeable and intelligent.
I would have modded you "Insightful" - but then I realized that (being a "typical Slashdotter") you are referring to me as well - and I know I think I'm knowledgeable and intelligent!!! ;-)
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Insightful)
I have always found that there is so much to know (on any one topic, much less IT itself which is a HUGE matter which most amateurs and 'civilians' take for granted). I have for example spent lots of time and money formally studying 'IT' and everyday I am still learning something knew. I don't consider myself an expert and will never claim to be (on Slashdot or on my resumes). Claiming to be "knowledgeable and intelligent" is (to me) arrogance. As I've stated, it is a matter of degree and perspective.
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Funny)
But... but......but I have Excellent Karma!?!
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Insightful)
Me!
(You insensitive clod.)
Parent
Re:Duh! (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Must be the right person (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
How will he look in a mullet?
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Must be the right person (Score:5, Interesting)
Matt Damon did excellent work in the espionage/underhanded sort of films like the Bourne Trilogy and the Oceans Trilogy. He also can pull off a good sense of humor as evidenced in the Ocean films and his cameo in Eurotrip (his rendition of the band's vocalist is STILL some of the funniest shit I've ever seen). He would make an excellent MacGyver.
The real question here is can he pull off a mullet?
Parent
Re:Must be the right person (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Must be the right person (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Murdoch! (Score:3, Funny)
They need to bring back Murdoch as well and have it end in a fiery death sequence where Murdoch is shot 11 times, burned, drowned, run over by a semi, yet still lives on to battle Mac in a sequel!
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
RDA, up until about four years ago, was on Stargate SG-1, a show that required more action work than MacGyver ever did. He was running around big fields and alien hallways firing guns at things, instead of messing around with chemicals in a closet.
Unless something has happened to him since then (Wasn't he just in the second SG-1 direct-to-video film?), he clearly can do the role of MacGyver.
Are You Kidding? (Score:3, Informative)
Alternate Cast (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Alternate Cast (Score:5, Informative)
~Rebecca
Parent
Whatever they decide (Score:5, Funny)
Keep that 80's feel, with the big hair and aviator glasses.
Re:Whatever they decide (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Whatever they decide (Score:5, Insightful)
* Who knows, maybe those actually are somehow cool, and I'm just getting old
Parent
Re:Whatever they decide (Score:4, Funny)
Mullets can't make a comeback since they never went out of style to begin with.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
MacGyver in 21st century tech wouldn't work anyhow (Score:5, Insightful)
They need to keep it 80's because MacGyver with 21st century tech wouldn't work anyway. I think the 80's was probably about the only decade when a concept like MacGyver would work, for the following reasons:
Things just aren't simple enough or accessible enough anymore. Think about the 80's... things were starting to get really high tech, PCs had just been invented, etc, but all that was still in the early stages. It was easy for Mac to hotwire or jury-rig a car, mess with a computer, oscilloscope or some other high tech piece of equipment, tie the wires of a car phone into a car security system, etc.
On a modern show, what is Mac going to do? Almost everything is an integrated circuit these days. Intel cpus are made with 45 nm process. You can't just go in and mess with the wiring on something like that, or even repair it when it breaks. In fact, almost none of our technology can be repaired anymore. Most of it has to be scrapped, and a new factory chip put in, because no one can physically deal with the level of miniaturization we have now using just their hands. And going back to the car example, most modern cars have computers built into everything, including the tires. There's a lot less jury rigging that can go on with those. And the security systems, with chips inside keys, etc, etc, makes it a lot harder to just go hotwire one.
The other issue MacGyver of the 21st century would have to deal with is the level of specialization required to do most anything. You can't just jump into a device and start messing with it, because as was stated above, most things are computerized integrated circuits. There are a lot more black boxes and many more types of engineers involved in almost any project, so knowledge of basic principles and a strong grasp of chemistry doesn't carry you nearly as far.
That said, I think if they are going to have a 21st century MacGyver, they need to rewrite his back story a bit. I think in the show he had a physics (and maybe chemistry?) degree, but for this decade they'd better give him a compsci/computer engineering degree instead (perhaps still combined with his physics or chem degree). And they almost have to make him more hacker-ish. In the 21st century, 90% of what he does would touch computers, so if they make him a reverse engineering expert specializing in software (which is the easiest thing to circumvent/mess with/jury rig), he might be believable again. I've seen clips on youtube of people hacking those electronic signs over freeways and putting in their own personal messages, and there's really no end to what software you can hack at this point. So if they took that route, he'd be believable again.
Lastly, though, I think they need to have RDA in the role, and I think it's good that he's probably in his 50s. Mac was always a lifelong learner, so you could convincingly say he went back to school in the interim and picked up the comp sci degree. Also, I don't think I would find a movie or show like MacGyver very convincing in this day and age unless the star was probably 45. There's just too much to know for some 28 year old to take the part and seem convincing, no matter how much of a buff action star he may be. So if RDA can work out and get into shape again (he didn't look the greatest in that superbowl mastercard commercial), I think he's absolutely the one who should be cast for this.
Parent
Re:MacGyver in 21st century tech wouldn't work any (Score:3, Funny)
So that was Diebold's plan all along! They heard about the upcoming MacGyver film, and being huge fans, decided to do their part to maintain the 80s status quo with low-tech, easily-hacked technology. It finally makes sense now!!!
MacGyver feels dated (Score:5, Insightful)
At the same time, the Bourne series comes to my mind as a modern version of MacGyver.
So... Matt Damon as MacGyver?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Why sombody else than Anderson? (Score:2, Insightful)
Us eighties kids have become older too you know. I just discovered a grey hair a week ago, damn was I shocked.
Re:Why sombody else than Anderson? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
nathan fillion (Score:5, Interesting)
Age an issue. (Score:4, Interesting)
So it would need to be a younger actor.
The character is smart and a little light so you would need a younger actor who has a smart/little light persona or someone new.
And RDA has a certain way of talking that he carries through all his characters (sort of the, heck i'm just a country bumpkin (while really being quite smart)). Do you take that away and re-envision macgyver or do you keep it and come across like a poor imitation of RDA?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
On a shoestring budget? (Score:3, Funny)
The pay is also rumored to be quite low, as a sound technician has been seen improvising a trap to catch small game in order to feed himself, using nothing more than a piece of wire from his equipment and a twig.
What About Kattee Sackhoff? (Score:4, Funny)
And who says it has to be a guy? What about Katee Sackhoff??
But, seriously, I won't buy tickets unless Marge Simpson's sisters are in it.
Burn Notice (Score:4, Interesting)
I think Jeffrey Donovan would make a half-decent MacGyver (damnit, I said it again).
prior commitments (Score:5, Funny)
Sean Connery (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Someone is having writer's block (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Second Biggest Question: (Score:4, Interesting)
Likewise they will do the same thing again or use hollywood science... I'd prefer based of reality with a step or two omitted instead of mixing a soda with toothpaste to make a door lock eating agent. lol
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
He got it open. They killed the guard anyway.
It is so sad I remember all this
Re:Childhood Hero (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I can't describe how much i hate that show now (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:I can't describe how much i hate that show now (Score:4, Interesting)
One of the busted ones, furthermore, is indeed plausible. A 9hp engine is sufficient for a properly-built ultralight if you know what you're doing. Having not seen MacGuyver in close to 20 years, I have no idea what sort of design it was. However, powered gliders with scooter motors work--as do human-powered gliders (human own problems in the conducting of its tests: they're not always that scientific or well-thought-out.
The other one, building an ultralight out of makeshift materials, really depends on the materials. The true obstacles is fasteners. That one may or may not be plausible (if he was in a junkyard, sure).
The sodium one is just bad. MB got that right.
But that's 9 to 2, maybe even 10 to 1 given a serendipitous setup. That's a pretty good hit rate for a TV show--probably as good as Mythbusters itself.
Parent