Michelle Rodriguez is riding a career rebirth after the success of Fast and Furious last year and a key role in James Cameron’s Avatar movie. She also stars in the Ubisoft 3D game that serves as a prequel to the film on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Rodriguez took a timeout from playing Modern Warfare 2 on the set of Battle: Los Angeles to talk about her lifelong addiction to videogames in this exclusive interview.
What videogames did you play growing up?
Where did you want to start? Atari, ColecoVision? Or computer games, like Doom?
What are some games that hooked you, early on?
Probably Pole Position. Pong. Dig Dug. Space Harrier. The Genesis system. Duck Hunt, just because I had a big gun and wherever I aimed it at, the thing went down.
What are your thoughts on how far videogames have progressed since then?
Dude! Are you f**king kidding me? I’m so psyched. Did you check out the last ad on that gamer magazine where they did an article on the Avatar game?
Yes, I played Avatar in 3D up in Montreal.
Aw, man, that f**king sucks. I told Jim (Cameron) to hook me up. You guys have the coolest job.
What games are you playing these days?
Assassin’s Creed II.
What do you think about the Italian Renaissance thing going on there?
I think it’s awesome, but I haven’t had a chance to get that far into it yet because I’m too busy with freaking Call of Duty!
What are your thoughts on the airport sequence in Modern Warfare 2?
There’s an airport sequence?
Where they make you go and kill the hostages.
Holy shit.
You haven ‘t played that part?
Uh-uh. I haven’t gotten that far. I’ve been playing online.
There’s a sequence where they force you to kill the hostages.
Holy sh**. And do you have to do it?
You have to do it or you die, since they find out you’re undercover.
F***ed up. Talk about collateral damage.
What are your thoughts on what you’ve played online with Modern Warfare 2?
F**K man, I’ve been doing multiplayer with the boys here down here in Louisiana. Because we’re all military in the movie, Battle: LA, and all we do all freaking day is play. But I have to untie myself so I can write. I have to be like, “No guys, I have to work! But one more game!”
So you play with the other guys in the movie?
Totally. Til like 4 in the morning, dude. It’s scary.
How good are you at Modern Warfare 2?
If I had a chance to play as much as I used to, I would. I wish there was an opportunity to pause time and do what I need to do and then hit unpause and I would be good enough to play against those guys online. I just don't have enough time to get good enough. I catch on quick, but not quick enough to be whooping ass on a daily basis in Modern Warfare 2 because there are serious gamers online, and they will f**k you up.
What’s it like for you playing online these days?
One thing I hate is these guys who play all day long, they have this technique where these f**king bastards, the first thing they do is try to map out where the re-spawn spots are. And then they team up, and they'll start shooting you. And then the other guy will stand where he thinks they'll re-spawn and kill you again. Guys are like f**king crazy. I hate it. I hate playing online, it sucks. I get shot and I'm like, “Dude, c'mon! Can't you come up with some unpredictable re-spawn spots?”
Online is where everybody is, that's what keeps these games going for so long.
I know. It's crazy, right?
Was there a lot of game playing going on during production for Avatar?
No, I didn’t bring a console to New Zealand. We spent most of our time off traveling around the island ‘cause it’s so cool.
It looks like Middle Earth, right?
Yeah, I’d move there in a heartbeat because the people and their vibes are so cool. But it is on a fault line, and although Los Angeles is really scared that the big one may hit at some point. For some strange reason, I feel better undergoing some catastrophe on homeland soil than foreign. You know what I mean?
What are you supposed to be writing when you're not playing Modern Warfare 2?
I'm working on this revision of this script called The Bandits. And I'm doing it for free, off spec, basically… with the idea that it'll be a kick-ass script when I'm done with it and I can make it happen. It's based on this old German film, it came out in the ‘90s, about four girls who break out of jail and get chased across the country by the feds and by this MTV-like representative. And I think it's cool to do an American version because I haven't seen a kick-ass chick flick in a long time. I don't think Josie and the Pussycats counts.
When you work on movies, do you think of ways to tie it in to a video game?
Not specifically this one, no. Maybe for that Wii because you can play music and shit. Maybe we can get a really kick ass composer.
In the past you said you were interested in getting into video games, is that still true?
I love video games! I really do. I think that Battle: LA would make a great videogame. It's perfect for it, actually. But, you've got guys who don't know anything about it, and sometimes they get so revved up with the idea of something that they forget to perfect it. And there's nothing that pisses me off more than a videogame based on a movie that raced to make the movie release when it came out. That's a retard move. Anybody knows that with $20 million and a good freaking two years, you can get a good videogame. Not freakin' $10 million and a year with a lots of publicity. You know what I'm saying? Gamers don't fall for that shit. In a week, it'll be on f**king sale for 10 bucks. A lot of these guys, the big shots (in Hollywood) think, “Aww, we'll use the name of the movie and commercials for the videosgames and people will buy it.” Gamers don't give a f**k. If it doesn't look good to play, they're not going to buy it.
The ECA
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