For the first time ever, Mount Kinabalu shown in a Hollywood blockbuster?
March 4th, 2009This was first mentioned by the sharp eyes of Bebek on the 16th of February 2009.
He said he saw Mount Kinabalu in the DVD of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo IV (released 25th January 2008), the top rated Rambo film ever, 7.4/10 at IMDB, as decided by more than 64,000 voters.
It was made with a budget of USD50 million and so far the total gross revenue (US, worldwide and DVD sales) is more than USD154 million. Filming was between 23 February 2007 and 4 May 2007, in reportedly Thailand, Mexico and the USA.
At first I didn’t believe that it was really our Kinabalu even after viewing the video footage on youtube [at 4:53], but after viewing the DVD, I was flabbergasted.
The primary reason is the angle of the footage matched exactly my view of the mountain from my home in Tamparuli. I have gazed at the mountain and its surrounding areas for many many years, so I was very sure what it looks like.
I was at the village during the weekend but could not take any photo due to thick clouds obscuring my view.
But consider this photo taken by arguably Sabah’s top photographer, Louis Pang on 3rd May 2006 while onboard a yacht enroute to Mantanani Island. Yes it’s taken from sea, but consider the silhouette of the mountain:
Compare that to the following still from the movie, around 34:38 into the DVD:
Zooming in:
It looks exactly like this at dawn if you’re at my house, facing east. Even the position of the rising sun is correct!
However, this wasn’t acknowledged by the producers of the movie.
The highest mountain in Thailand is Mount Inthanon (Doi Inthanon) at 2,565m. Its peak is covered by a thick forest, in stark contrast to Kinabalu’s exposed granites – exactly what we see in the movie.
Bebek said he’s going to ask the experts – we wait with bated breath.
The mountain was only displayed for about 1 second though; oh well, at least it was seen by many eyes around the world; consider this:
(i) The DVD is currently at 19th place of the top selling DVDs of 2008 with 1.7 million units sold.
(ii) The movie opened in 2,751 theaters and grossed more than USD6 million on its opening day, and more than USD18 million over its opening weekend. It was the second highest grossing movie for the weekend behind Meet the Spartans.
… I heard someone comment that no industrial equipment was used to take the footage, it was merely copied off stock footage somewhere …
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They should’ve credited it. I won’t be surprised if it is Mt K.
Why don’t email the producers. It’s Mt Kinabalu.
100% sure? Bebek said he’ll ask Tengku Adlin first.
Very sure…I’m also from Tamparuli and used to draw the mountain’s outline for drawing class…can even draw it with my eyes closed.
well currently i’m in Labuan……. nantilah balik KK i ask Tengku Adlin and the Minister of Tourism……. but to say it is 100% mount kinabalu is not right…….. the right term should be 1,000,000% correct that it is indeed mount Kinabalu…… Questions that need to be asked:
1. can any Hollywood studios use our natural heritage site or landmarks & feature them in their blockbuster movie without even crediting / acknowledging us, the state, the government and the people of Sabah????
2. i doubt the state or federal government knew about this……
3. Slyvester Stallone did not even credit Sabah/Malaysia for this awesome footage…. The crew only acknowledged Thailand, Mexico & USA as the locations of the movie….
4. Hollywood movies have the tendency to distort things – eg in the movie “Entrapment” starring Sean Connery & Catherine Zeta Jones – superimposed techniques were used on the Petronas Twin Towers – as if the majestic building was being surrounded by filthy riverside squatter houses…
5. what if Sipadan Island, Yayasan Sabah building, Maliau Basin etc are featured indiscriminately in Hollywood blockbuster movies in the future…. without crediting / informing the people and government of Sabah and Malaysia????????
6. at least Bollywood movies filmed in Malaysia – including the one starring Shah Rukh Khan did the right thing…..even Shah Rukh Khan got his ‘Dato’ ship for his part in promoting Malaysia….
7. does Stallone owe us an apology or explanation??? if he refuses, then maybe we can ask Manny Paquiao to knock this fake Rocky out????
“The crew only acknowledged Thailand, Mexico & USA as the locations of the movie”
Maybe they get Malaysia and Thailand confused :P
possibly :-)
Kinabalu la bah tu. Dia kasi mix-mix with other scenery.
Boleh kah macam itu, tidak ada acknowledgement, walaupun dari stock footage (mentioned in the credits)?
looks like kinabalu. sounds like kinabalu. feels like kinabalu.
but not 100% kinabalu.
sounds familiar?
I won’t be surprised if they don’t recognised it as Kinabalu. Kinabalu has been abused so much, until we don’t know when…
correct, correct, correct…
And…let’s go …
korek, korek,korek…more…
Guss we gonna give him a datukship for promoting kk huh ?
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Sylvester Stallone? How to give PGDK when he didn’t even acknowledge the footage?
dear datuk rocky @ datuk slyvester stallone – please acknowledge sabah for that mt kinabalu footage in your film….. or else we will sue you for USD154 million (equivalent to RAMBO 4 gross revenue!!!!!) ………. or else we will not believe in Rambo, Rocky Balboa, Tango & Cash, Terminator, Predator, Men In Black and everything made in Hollywood…..!!!!!!
Rambo BUyUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Update:
On 12th March, Bebek asked Datuk Masidi about this in the presence of all Sabah media. 13th came out in Borneo Post (front page). Will come out TV3 on 14th.
So what’s the outcome?
Will followup.
Bro, the youtube link has been removed?
Yes, it’s just a matter of time that would happen.