Ben 10: Race Against Time - Armageddon Edition

[Revan100]

Ben 10: Race Against Time - Armageddon Edition is my attempt to improve the first live action Ben 10 movie. Ben 10: Race Against Time. While not the worst live action adaptation, it's certainly not the best. It does have it's good moments but unfortunately they are overshadowed by some glaring flaws.

Basic summary list:

• Increased the saturation and contrast to improve the look of the film.
• Removing all commercial break transitions.
• Removing scenes that don't benefit the film such as Grey Matter trashing the diner, off topic conversations from the Dinner scene with Ben's parents, and Ben and Gwen's short conversation during the Plumber tram ride.
• Improve the pacing of the film.

Overall this edit aims to give it a more fulfilling cartoon to live action experience by removing the cringe and weird moments. Bringing it closer to the tone of the original series.

Reveal message: V3 Changes

- Increased the saturation and contrast to give the movie a more defined and vibrant look.

- Removed all commercial break transitions.

- Replaced Heatblast's one sided conversation with Eon with a BTS shot of him shooting fire.

- Trimmed the fight with Eon and his servants by removing most of Heatblast's dialogue and the cops showing up.

- Repurposed the shot of Eon's servant jumping from the hardware store to the Heatblast fight.

- Recolored the omnitrix from green to red when Ben transforms back from his aliens.

- Removed the scene with Ben and the crossing guard.

- Removed the two school girls talking about Heatblast.

- Added Eon behind Ben when Gwen takes a picture of him at school to fix a continuity error when the same image is viewed later.

- Added small town stock footage after the diner scene.

- Shortened the conversation between Ben and his parents by keeping the conversation mostly on topic and having Ben leave the table after Carl says Max's stories aren't real.

- Removed Ben's "Because we're leaving." ADR line.

- Eon doesn't monologue inside the clock tower when viewing the Chronian fleet.

- Removed Ben struggling to respond to the talent show girls and them laughing at him.

- Ben doesn't say he would rather be in the Null Void than in Bellwood.

- Removed Ben transforming into Grey Matter and wrecking the diner.

- Removed Ben being surprised at Gwen’s computer skills.

- Removed Gwen telling Ben that the word amazing isn’t something she would use to describe him.

- Removed Ben asking Max if he fixes Eon's toilet.

- Gwen doesn't mention Ben always wearing his hero shirt.

- Removed Ben poking at Constantine Jacobs before he wakes up.

- Removed the scene of Ben, Gwen, and Max heading back to the Rustbucket, as Ben’s attitude in that conservation didn’t seem appropriate after Jacobs death.

- The scene where Ben, Gwen, and Max arrive at the hardware store is color graded to make it clear it takes place at dusk to improve the passage of time.

- Removed Ben, Gwen, and Max waiting inside the elevator.

- Applied a green tint to the Plumber base to make it stand out towards the rest of the environments and to serve as a contrast to the purple lighting, mirroring the conflict between Ben and Eon.

- Removed Mrs. Dalton mentioning Grey Matter.

- White simply apologizes to Ben about detention and says nothing about not wanting to blow his cover.

- Ben and Gwen do not comment on the construction of the Plumber base during the tram ride.

- White does not give a history lesson on the effects the Hands of Armageddon have caused on the world to justify the Hands being destroyed later in the film with no destructive consequences.

- Reduced Ben talking about the Plumbers implying they need him.

- Principal White only mentions getting a new lock once when fighting Eon’s servants.

- Removed Ben and Gwen discussing the assistant for the magic trick.

- Ben says "Really is." instead of "Wow. Yeah. Really is." when Principal White asks it must be strange for Ben knowing he is a Plumber.

- Ben doesn't call Principal White "The weird creepy guy nobody likes."

- Removed Ben's blurry POV after being captured.

- Used an extended shot of Max looking at Ben right after he shocks him.

- Principal White quickly frees the trapped Plumbers without issues.

- Max doesn't tell himself to not blow up Bellwood before he jams both cables into the Hands of Armageddon.

- Trimmed Gwen's speech where she mentions Ben not wanting to wear colored socks.

- Ben only says Gwen's first name right before the Plumbers show up.

- Recolored the omnitrix from green to purple before Ben transforms back from Eon.

- Removed Bellwood losing power for a moment and Gwen saying she doesn't feel good after the Hands of Armageddon are destroyed.

- Wildmutt and Gwen immediately appear after the talent show lady announces them.

- Removed the talent show results.

- Removed Gwen asking Ben to clean his shirt.

 

[Revan100]

After dealing with some audio issues. This edit has been released.

 

[Revan100]

Here's the trailer I finally put out.

 

[itzarto]

Where can I watch the final product

 

[Revan100]

Where can I watch the final product

Send me a PM and I will provide you with the link.

 

[ccateni]

Does anyone have a link for this?

 

[Revan100]

Something I forgot to look into was that whenever Ben would transform back, the omnitrix would flash green instead of red like it did in the original series. This isn't something that really bothered me, but for the sake of consistency I went ahead and changed the colors.

I also did some color grading when Ben, Gwen, and Max arrive at the hardware store during dusk. Before it almost looked like the setting was still in the middle of the day. Then in a span of minutes when Eon takes Ben, it's the middle of the night. It seemed a little jarring and I think this little change helps improve the passage of time. These changes will be in the V3 update, along with anything else I might consider.

These are available to download in my Ben 10 resource folder.

 

[Revan100]

Gwen and Ben finding Eon in one of the school photos is the thing that jump starts the whole plot. But he isn't shown when the picture was taken. So I took the time to put him in the photo.

I've decided to add a green tint to all scenes inside the Plumber base. I think it works well with the new color grading and serves as a nice contrast to the purple lighting, almost as if it was mirroring the conflict (and connection) between Ben and Eon. Plus, it helps make the base stand out towards the rest of the environments considering it's purpose in the story.

Before:

After:

 

[Revan100]

This is what I have lined up for the V3 release:

• Small audio changes.
• Repurposed the previously deleted shot of Eon's servant jumping from the hardware store to the Heatblast fight.
• Recolored the omnitrix from green to red when Ben transforms back from his aliens.
• Added Eon behind Ben when Gwen takes a picture of him at school to fix a continuity error when the same image is viewed later.
• Added small town stock footage after the trimmed diner scene.
• Removed Ben's "Because we're leaving." ADR line.
• Removed Gwen telling Ben that the word amazing isn’t something she would use to describe him.
• Removed Ben poking at Constantine Jacobs before he wakes up.
• The scene where Ben, Gwen, and Max arrive at the hardware store is color graded to make it clear it takes place at dusk to improve the passage of time.
• Applied a green tint to the Plumber base to make it stand out towards the rest of the environments and to serve as a contrast to the purple lighting, mirroring the conflict between Ben and Eon.
• Brought back Gwen addressing the security the Plumber's use.
• Max doesn't tell himself to not blow up Bellwood before he jams both cables into the Hands of Armageddon.
• Brought back the inherited gene part of Gwen's speech.
• Recolored the omnitrix from green to purple before Ben transforms back from Eon.

 

[Revan100]

Version 3 is all set and ready to go.