TVB series takes from Hollywood films?

[angel_flame88]

I can't help feeling a bit ripped off watching the last 3 series from TVB that they've been ripping off ideas from Hollywood films. Let me know if there are any others:

[COLOR=#0000cc]律政新人王 II - Ella Koon's character Lily is a rich girl who went to study law to win the heart of her boyfriend who's also a law student, only he dumps her for another chick, she becomes a lawyer anyway but marries another lawyer instead of getting back together with her ex - Does this not scream <Legally Blonde> to you?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#0000cc][COLOR=#000000]野蠻奶奶大戰戈師奶 - Myolie's character goes to work as a PA at a high class fashion magazine publisher run by her mother-in-law, who changes her from a style-less ex-cop to a beautiful and stylish publisher. She eventually let's it get to her head and takes over both the other PA who's been around for 8 years and her mother-in-law - Um...<Devil Wears Prada>?[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#0000cc]最美麗的第七天 - Natalie & Bosco's characters date each other for their own purposes, he to nab a rich man's daughter and she tries to disgust him to get ideas for a comic she's drawing - Has anyone watched <How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days>?[/COLOR]

[shaw_mag]

[quote=angel_flame88;797093]I can't help feeling a bit ripped off watching the last 3 series from TVB that they've been ripping off ideas from Hollywood films. Let me know if there are any others:

Angel, first, I will suggest you to take it easy.

The list is too long. TVB has been imported "original ideas" from other regions' movies, tv series, tv programs, etc. since their early live. They are modified to local taste, of course.
I have seen many other asian series "copying" each other. A lot of Hong Kong and Bollywood movies are local versions of their hollywood ones; sometimes even funnier and more enjoyable.

On the other side of the token, Hollywood goes the same way. Then it was "The Magnificent Sevent", inspired by "The Seven Samurai". Recently, there are "The Ring", "The Eye", The "Departed". And probably more than what the general audience know because there are lots of movies from unpopular regions of the world. Who knows?

Take it as entertainment. Take it easy.

Original ideas are gems. That's why you don't see many J. K. Rowlings.
(I am not her fan, though).

[kidd]

Agree that original ideas are gems. TVB are not the only production company who borrow ideas from other sources. ATV, Mainland, Hollywood, Bollywood, Taiwan, Korea, Japan also did. It's not neccessary from other movies, it can be from books, manga, folktale and opera.

Hollywood has also been bankcrupt of ideas for quite some time and borrowed from other sources. The difference between Hollywood and TVB (not sure about others) is, they pay for the copywrite when their borrow the idea. You call those 'remakes'.

J.K. Rowlings isn't complete original either. She borrowed from existing legends a lot.

I used to be quite indignant about TVB ripping off other sources, but now, I don't mind anymore. As long as the series is entertaining, it's good enough.

I can't think of series that are ripped off from Hollywood movies for now. But, the following are a few series who has elements borrow from other asian movies.

Point of No Return - My Sassy Girl
Whatever it Takes - Flying Me to Polaris, Doraemon manga

[sehseh]

Indeed, TVB nor other countries series are original. Most of the time they borrowed ideas from many works.

However, it would be better if they made a reference or homage to the original source in their series.

At the end of the day, it's just a TV series. You'll get over it in a day or two.

[Quinton]

Indeed, TVB nor other countries series are original. Most of the time they borrowed ideas from many works.

However, it would be better if they made a reference or homage to the original source in their series.

At the end of the day, it's just a TV series. You'll get over it in a day or two.

indeed, referencing is important to the original source. i remember the time when "the departed" won at the oscars and someone i think it was the director misreferenced. they gave japan credit for the "infernal affairs", but didn't it originate from the HK trilogy? Correct me if im wrong.

in response to the question. i think angels of mission : charlie's angels is another one. it's not just tvb stealing ideas from hollywood, because it has been done vice versa and everywhere else.

[raymond_obsessed]

the only thing i don't like is when America takes other countries', specifically Asia's, movies and changes the plot to make it different, somehow, and totally ruins the original...America has taken so many movie ideas from Asia, that it's ridiculous...i personally like the original Asian films...like, even recently, Shutter and Bangkok Dangerous from Thailand...My Sassy Girl from Korea...not to mention the horror films from Japan...Infernal Affairs from China, and I hear they're making a sequel to The Departed...so in the entertainment industry, it may not be fair, but it's been done plenty of times...since you pointed out the stories China has taken from America, i figured you should see how many ideas America has taken from Asia in general

[mellon]

the only thing i don't like is when America takes other countries', specifically Asia's, movies and changes the plot to make it different, somehow, and totally ruins the original...America has taken so many movie ideas from Asia, that it's ridiculous...i personally like the original Asian films...like, even recently, Shutter and Bangkok Dangerous from Thailand...My Sassy Girl from Korea...not to mention the horror films from Japan...Infernal Affairs from China, and I hear they're making a sequel to The Departed...so in the entertainment industry, it may not be fair, but it's been done plenty of times...since you pointed out the stories China has taken from America, i figured you should see how many ideas America has taken from Asia in general

Shouldn't we be proud that Hollywood has deemed some of our movies are good enough for them for remakes? Come on, it's Hollywood. Once you are in Hollywood, you know you have made it.

Asia has also taken Hollywood scripts and ripped them apart for remakes. Those series were not as good as the originals. It is tit for tat.

[kidd]

Shouldn't we be proud that Hollywood has deemed some of our movies are good enough for them for remakes? Come on, it's Hollywood. Once you are in Hollywood, you know you have made it.

Asia has also taken Hollywood scripts and ripped them apart for remakes. Those series were not as good as the originals. It is tit for tat.

Who made it? The scriptwriters? The producer? The actors?

As far as I know, they are all still producing movies in their respective countries. Hollywood just bought their script and hire their own producer and scriptwriters to rewrite the script to suit the US public. As for the actors, their roles are completely replaced by Hollywood actors. So, they are still unknown to the American mainstream viewers. How is that considered make it?

The only credit these people get is the 'adapted from', 'inspired by' credit. The awards presenters even credited them wrongly when giving the award to the adaptations. In one award presentation, 'Infernal Affairs' become 'Internal Affairs', in another award presentation, 'Infernal Affairs' has become a Korean movie.

So, what is there to be proud of? Other than a few producers looking for new ideas (Hollywood seem to have been bankcrupt of ideas. They mostly do remakes of foreign/old movies now or adapt from novels), the rest of Hollywood still doesn't care two hoots about the original crew.

The only producers/directors who has made it are the ones whose films has not been remade but were shown in their original form (maybe with dubbing) to the American public, like John Woo and Wong Kar Wai.

I do agree with your tit for tat comment though.

[mellon]

Who made it? The scriptwriters? The producer? The actors?

As far as I know, they are all still producing movies in their respective countries. Hollywood just bought their script and hire their own producer and scriptwriters to rewrite the script to suit the US public. As for the actors, their roles are completely replaced by Hollywood actors. So, they are still unknown to the American mainstream viewers. How is that considered make it?

The only credit these people get is the 'adapted from', 'inspired by' credit. The awards presenters even credited them wrongly when giving the award to the adaptations. In one award presentation, 'Infernal Affairs' become 'Internal Affairs', in another award presentation, 'Infernal Affairs' has become a Korean movie.

So, what is there to be proud of? Other than a few producers looking for new ideas (Hollywood seem to have been bankcrupt of ideas. They mostly do remakes of foreign/old movies now or adapt from novels), the rest of Hollywood still doesn't care two hoots about the original crew.

The only producers/directors who has made it are the ones whose films has not been remade but were shown in their original form (maybe with dubbing) to the American public, like John Woo and Wong Kar Wai.

I do agree with your tit for tat comment though.

Hey, I do agree with you that proper acknowledgment at the end of each film is obscure. However, when I went to watch a movie like American version of The Ring, I was quite surprised to find that many non-Asian viewers actually had gone ahead and watched the original Japanese version. For those who did not, they were referred by friends to watch it for comparison purposes afterward.

As an Asian, I felt quite proud that non-Asians did not mind the subtitle and actually went out of their ways to watch the Asian version. From that I deemed once you made it to Hollywood, you have made it. It is like a referral system. More people know about an Asian movie because Hollywood thought it was good enough to make remakes.

Once they have watched it, they are curious about the original work and wanted to find out more. The more they watched Asian movies, the more they are hooked. Hence, we have more international viewers.

Is my logic too skewed?

[Ken Cheng]

Well, you know something: even that classic-of-TVB classics, THE BUND, borrowed some things liberally from THE GODFATHER movies.