Three months after Elon Musk declared that Grok would launch a full-length, “traditionally correct” film model of “The Odyssey,” Grok has printed an entire seven minutes, which the corporate is now calling “Episode 1 of our Odyssey collection.”
Musk had beforehand lashed out at Christopher Nolan’s version of “The Odyssey” as a result of Nolan forged nonwhite and transgender actors. And Nolan is, in some ways, an ideal foil for Musk — whereas SpaceX and Tesla CEO hypes up data centers in space and posts an never-ending stream of AI-generated content material, Nolan has described himself as “a techno-skeptic” and mentioned that earlier than AI, he’d never seen a technology “so completely rejected by the public.”
And whereas Nolan’s model of “The Odyssey” actually used loads of visible results, it’s primarily a feat of practical filmmaking, with a shoot spanning six nations and a forged and crew of hundreds. After its launch in July, the movie grew to become an extraordinary box office success, promoting out Imax screenings for months and turning into the likely front-runner at the next Academy Awards.
As for the Grok model of “The Odyssey” (created in collaboration with Surprise Studios and director Dev Walker), properly, you may look ahead to your self.
I’ll admit it’s not as spectacularly ugly as I’d anticipated, and definitely extra spectacular than other videos that Musk has posted not too long ago. If I didn’t know higher, there have been moments once I might need thought these had been actual actors crusing throughout an actual sea. And whereas I can’t communicate to Grok’s historic accuracy, it does appear that some fudging was vital, since nobody’s talking in historic Greek. needed to be made. However not less than all of the characters are available in a Musk-approved pores and skin colour, whereas the narrator makes use of a British accent that can sound acquainted to anybody who’s performed a fantasy online game or watched a generic Hollywood epic from the previous 25 years.
What the footage actually lacks is any sense of artistry, inspiration, or human curiosity. The backstory — delivered through the aforementioned voiceover — appears to go on without end, lastly giving method to one bearded face after one other, every shouting stilted traces that make Nolan’s questionable dialogue (“Our age of bronze is collapsing!”) sound like Shakespeare.
Whereas a number of particular person photographs may present an affordable simulacrum of actuality, as an entire, the clip feels fully airless, providing viewers no sense of momentum, no cause to care about anybody or something on-screen. And the place I had no hassle paying consideration for the practically three hours of Nolan’s “Odyssey,” I used to be listlessly checking how a lot time I had left earlier than the Grok model was even midway via. If it was a online game cutscene, I might have hit the “skip” button.
It’s onerous to think about being keen on one other seven minutes of this, a lot much less a full film’s price.
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