Stuntman Talks 'Iron Man 2,' 'Tintin,' 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Avatar'

Garrett Warren was recently crowned the 2009 Stunt Choreographer of the Year at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, and he sat down for an exclusive interview with Movieline to describe what it’s like working on films like "Tintin," "Alice In Wonderland," James Cameron’s "Avatar," and being Mickey Rourke's lead stunt double in "Iron Man 2."

“'Iron Man 2' had a double-whip sequence, and I am a whip specialist. There’s not very many of us in Hollywood that do double-whips… double-whip basically means that you have two whips in your hands…I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say what the whips will look like, but they’re going to be these super whips that have an awful lot of power. They can cut through cars, they can do an awful lot of damage…you’ll see that he doesn’t do just whip-cracks and grabbing people. He lays waste to an awful lot of vehicles and street pieces and other things…

…And when it comes to the whip routine, I have to admit, Mickey Rourke did a really good job with the whips. However, the suit was very painful at times. It was this big metal piece that wasn’t very comfortable, so he didn’t always want to do the whip routines every take. So I’d go in and do the whip routines…

…[the suit] covers the whole body in metal rods, but you are shirtless [underneath]. That was the part that was hard. When you move, it was metal digging into skin, cutting your shoulders, wrists and back and so forth.”
Warren also described the look of "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" and how how amazing the digital effects are.

"We did a test for it two years before we shot it, and when we did the test it was fun and interesting. But oh my gosh — when we finally saw the movie, it was amazing. The stuff that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson came up with, the performances of Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis — oh my goodness. You cannot imagine what those guys can do to words on a page. It’s one of the better movies that people are going to see, especially when it comes to being an animated movie

...It looks an awful lot like the cartoon. They really wanted to bring the cartoon to life. So if you know the cartoon, or have seen the books, that’s what it looks like. It’s beautiful. You would have thought to yourself that they would have tried to go for a more realistic look, but they’re actually trying to preserve the look and essence of the original Tintin characters."

He also described what stunts actors might do and used Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" and Johnny Depp as examples.

"...you get to a movie like 'Alice in Wonderland,' and Johnny Depp says, 'I only really want to do the stunts that are necessary for me. Anything that you don’t need to see me in, I prefer to let the stunt double do it.' Those are the kinds of stunts — where you’ll be falling down some stairs, or falling off a chair — that while they might not seem like big stunts, they hurt your actor. And that sets you back production-wise. It’s always good to see someone who is professional who thinks ahead and realizes that it’s not a big deal to see someone fall on the ground."
And finally, Warren described what it was like to work with James Cameron on "Avatar."

"'Avatar' was one of the most uplifting, educational, incredible experiences I’ve ever had as a movie maker. Jim Cameron is truly a genius. Aside from him being a genius, he’s also a storyteller that you cannot deny — one of the greatest you’re going to find out there. And he takes the time with the actors, too. He doesn’t rush them at all. And he really cares about what they have to say, how they’re going to perform it, and he gives them the time to work it out before they even do the scene. I was truly impressed by him and the movie. The marriage of green screen, live action, and motion capture was truly one of the most painstaking efforts I’ve ever had to do when it comes to a motion capture, but in the long run, I think it paid off. You’ll see some of the most realistic motion capture, if not the most realistic, the movie industry has ever seen."

He does say a lot of good things about these films (but he probably get paid a lot for what he does).

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, Screen Rant, Movieline