DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians

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toonaspie
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Post by toonaspie »

Sotiris wrote:
DisneyEra wrote:This film could be a big threat to Wrech it Ralph! Will be interesting to see how these movies do at the box office this November
It's a stupid move to have these two films pit against each other. There will be losses on both sides. One of the two should change dates.
Wreck It Ralph comes out Nov 2nd

Rise of the Guardians comes out Nov 21st

They have a near 3 week gap between them so they should be fine.

Also keep in mind that Guardians date is right on the red-hot Thanksgiving weekend, considered a major slot for good box office results.
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Post by DisneyDude2010 »

That's what I was thinking. There's a 3 week gap so things should be fine! Plus Wreck It Ralph won't finish it's theatricality run until like April 2013 as it opens in Europe and other places in the early year. But I root for Wreck it Ralph to come out on top! Just as Tangled did against Megamind!
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Post by Jules »

I hope both do very well, prompting WDAS to try less conventional fare, and DW to focus on less comedy-driven films.
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Post by jpanimation »

^I totally agree with you man. Let's hope these two films usher in a new era for both Disney and Dreamworks.
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Post by Linden »

I'm dying to see this (I've gotten more used to the idea of a Santa with tattoos). From the trailers, it looks like a solid film with overlookable humor and gorgeous sets. Has anyone seen it yet? How is it?!
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Post by SillySymphony »

I saw it today in 3D (which I don't regret).

Pros: Rise of the Guardians is a thrilling film full to the brim with escapism. The characters were engaging (design and voice), locations were fantastic and score was a dream. The overall animation is splendid; I was smitten immediately by the fluidity in the sand. I happy to say that heart of William Joyce's style is preserved throughout the picture. Example: The Sandman/Sandy – who might be my favorite character – look almost identical to his book counterpart. If it's your liking I recommend 3D. For this movie it works grandly.

Cons?: The humor appealed to me; I was laughing at most intentional jokes. I've read comments that said there was too many pop culture jokes. I must not have caught them because I can't even count them on one hand. The comedy was mainly character driven.
Another possible drawback is that the movie follows MARVEL's The Avengers. The similarities with the two are unavoidable. Synopsis: The Guardians protect the Earth from an evil villain whose main weapon is fear. (Loki and The Boogeyman/Pitch Black are practically synonymous.) Even so like The Avengers it's held together by the chemistry of the main characters, glimpses of their history and hero vs. villain sequences.

I saw an afternoon showing and so as to be expected the audience was mainly kids. During one particular scene I was taken aback by the amount of tears in the theater; Two child voices were sobbing. It's hard to count a movie as a fail when it draws such a heartfelt emotion from children.

Not much that I can find fault with in the movie. It's a given that the hero's going the win, yet it's the journey that's going to stay with you. I savored this one. Sweet dreams everyone.
Last edited by SillySymphony on Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Disney's Divinity »

I’ve been loving all the advertisements for this and it’s torture not being able to see it. (I have a transportation issue at the moment) I love what they did with Santa Claus, and Jack and Sandman look really great. The only thing, from what I’ve seen, that I don’t like is the Tooth Fairy’s design. Could’ve done a lot more with that; at least made her pretty. I think when I was a small child, I always imagined the Tooth Fairy looked like Glinda from The Wizard of Oz. :lol: Or at least like Kirstie Alley.

I've read this is based on a book series? I hope this'll become a franchise of its own. Strangely, I’ve been enjoying/looking forward to Dreamworks films much more than I have Disney the past few years.
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Post by Sotiris »

Disney's Divinity wrote:I hope this'll become a franchise of its own.
It won't. The film was one of the biggest flops in the studio's history. Too bad because I really liked the unconventional designs and visuals.
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Post by Disney's Divinity »

Sotiris wrote: It won't. The film was one of the biggest flops in the studio's history.
That...sucks. I guess the concept came across corny to general audiences. Unless the competition with Wreck-It Ralph had something to do with it? I know WIR is doing well.
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Post by Sotiris »

Disney's Divinity wrote:I guess the concept came across corny to general audiences. Unless the competition with Wreck-It Ralph had something to do with it? I know WIR is doing well.
No one knows for certain what went wrong. Some speculate it was the subject matter. Christmas-themed animated films tend to not perform very well lately (see Arthur Christmas, Disney's A Christmas Carol). Others claim it had to do with the release date and the competition it had from blockbuster films that premiered during the same period.
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Post by DisneyEra »

I think the problem for RotG was the glut of CGI films in 2012. First you had: The Lorax, Madagascar 3, Brave, Ice Age 4, Hotel Transylvania & Wreck-it Ralph. Guardians was the last of the CGIs this year & it looks like the public has seen enough of these films. Frozen has a similar outlook next year. In 2013 you'll get: The Croods, Epic, Monsters U, Decpicable Me 2, Turbo, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 & Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Frozen will be the last of those CGI films next year!
The marketing for Frozen better be damn good or it could suffer the same fate as Guardians. But this is proof that even a big CGI film from a major studio can flop! This isn't limited to just 2D!
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Post by estefan »

People always say people get tired of CG animated films, but I disagree with that assessment. Especially when the next one rules around and it's a big hit (I think The Croods will do very well). Tangled was the last ainmated film released in 2010 and it did incredibly well.

From what I've been reading, apparently, a lot of people didn't know it was coming out or were put off by the character designs. Also, the marketing might have made this seem more child-friendly while Wreck-It Ralph marketed itself to a more broad audience.

Personally, I think it's still a little early to classify Rise of the Guardians as a flop just yet. It's only been out for two weeks, after all. After all, Wreck-It Ralph is on its fifth week of release and believe it or not, hasn't made its money back yet (though I think it will eventually reach it).
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Post by TheValentineBros »

Sotiris wrote:Others claim it had to do with the release date and the competition it had from blockbuster films that premiered during the same period.
This may help the reason why Breaking Dawn Part 2 dethroned Rise of the Guardians, or how Frakenweenie was overshadowed by Taken 2, or blockbusters that have bad reputations that beat up good family films in a nutshell.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yVMJCZYmOBc" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Yeah, I know this is an overused clip, but remember, this is to prove the point.
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Post by Linden »

SillySymphony wrote:I saw it today in 3D (which I don't regret).

Pros: Rise of the Guardians is a thrilling film full to the brim with escapism. The characters were engaging (design and voice), locations were fantastic and score was a dream. The overall animation is splendid; I was smitten immediately by the fluidity in the sand. I happy to say that heart of William Joyce's style is preserved throughout the picture. Example: The Sandman/Sandy – who might be my favorite character – look almost identical to his book counterpart. If it's your liking I recommend 3D. For this movie it works grandly.

Cons?: The humor appealed to me; I was laughing at most intentional jokes. I've read comments that said there was too many pop culture jokes. I must not have caught them because I can't even count them on one hand. The comedy was mainly character driven.
Another possible drawback is that the movie follows MARVEL's The Avengers. The similarities with the two are unavoidable. Synopsis: The Guardians protect the Earth from an evil villain whose main weapon is fear. (Loki and The Boogeyman/Pitch Black are practically synonymous.) Even so like The Avengers it's held together by the chemistry of the main characters, glimpses of their history and hero vs. villain sequences.

I saw an afternoon showing and so as to be expected the audience was mainly kids. During one particular scene I was taken aback by the amount of tears in the theater; Two child voices were sobbing. It's hard to count a movie as a fail when it draws such a heartfelt emotion from children.

Not much that I can find fault with in the movie. It's a given that the hero's going the win, yet it's the journey that's going to stay with you. I savored this one. Sweet dreams everyone.
I saw it two days ago, and I agree with nearly everything you said. The combination of the animation, score (which I've been addicted to since seeing the movie), creativity, and good characterisation was just the right mix for me. I don't even remember cringing at any jokes. The main con I have is that the plot is loose. It doesn't feel very focused. But that was okay with me. It was sort of a journey to go along with. I loved it. :)

I went by myself, because no one I knew wanted to see it. I was the only person in the theatre. I had my own private showing. :lol: That was special in its own way, but it would have been nice to experience kids' reactions to it too.

I just don't understand why it's failing. It's one of DreamWorks' best. I thought it was the second best animated movie this year after Wreck-it Ralph. It had intriguing trailers, and plenty of them. It doesn't make sense.
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Post by SillySymphony »

Linden wrote:I just don't understand why it's failing. It's one of DreamWorks' best. I thought it was the second best animated movie this year after Wreck-it Ralph. It had intriguing trailers, and plenty of them. It doesn't make sense.
Poor film didn't have a chance. It's death was imminent during any part of the holiday season. What's worse, trying to compete against November films like Skyfall and Lincoln or THE December films The Hobbit and Les Mis? In either month it was going to be knocked out.
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Post by ajmrowland »

I saw the movie and it had all the makings of a good franchise. But it does look a lot like a christmas film and is being advertised that way. There's also the subject of Childhood figures being a sort of superhero team that might be off-putting or uncomfortable for a lot of people. Even though I never really felt that way watching the movie, I do feel that way right now.

And then they didnt really advertise the story so much, otherwise people would actually get it.


What's really stumped me about this being a flop is the weekend it opened most little kids couldnt stop talking about it, especially at the mcdonald's I ate at the day I saw it.

Generally the kids in the audience didnt have a problem with it.
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Post by Linden »

SillySymphony wrote:Poor film didn't have a chance. It's death was imminent during any part of the holiday season. What's worse, trying to compete against November films like Skyfall and Lincoln or THE December films The Hobbit and Les Mis? In either month it was going to be knocked out.
But Tangled had the same release slot two years ago and did good business against Harry Potter, Megamind, Yogi Bear, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, etc. Those were all aimed at children too, whereas the films you mentioned are more adult or teen oriented.
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Post by SillySymphony »

^ Yes, I didn't mention the "kids" movies that were factors against Rise (Life of Pi, Wreck-It Ralph...). Yet the parents or legal guardians pay for the kids' tickets. And they won't if they're saving up for the big names soon to be released.
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Post by PatrickvD »

I'm sorry but I agree, Tangled had similarly fierce competition and did outstanding business.

Guardians looked incredibly unappealing. A Russian Santa Clause? I don't think the world was ready. Or interested.

This is doing less than The Princess and the Frog, which didn't even have the benefit of 3D ticket prices. A HUGE flop for Dreamworks. And any chance it had of recovering around Christmas will be gone with the re-release of Monsters, Inc.
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Post by Jules »

ajmrowland wrote:But it does look a lot like a christmas film and is being advertised that way.
And it's not a Christmas film at all! It's an Easter film. Everything happens before, during and after Easter.

Saw it today, by the way. Thrilling film, very good 3D, but disappointed with the technical presentation of the cinema I visited. The image was so dull and lacking in contrast and brightness that the film was hard to make out. I think I should have demanded my 9 Euros back.

How much does a 3D movie ticket cost in the Netherlands, PatrickvD? Is it more or less than 9 Euros?
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