Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Jon Favreau
Written By: Justin Marks (screenplay), Rudyard Kipling (book)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray
- Preamble -
At this point, we all have opinions on Disney's choice to reboot its entire beloved catalog. I haven't seen any of them since Alice in Wonderland, which was haphazard at worst. To me, I understand from a marketing and business standpoint why that is. To get a new audience excited about the old movies is integral to a studio that has been around for over half of a century. In fact, I do think that it has helped to make their brand vital again. Maybe not in a way that I would prefer, but it has gotten people talking about the old films. Maleficent and Cinderella both have garnered their share of fans, and I do think that hiring qualified directors has only helped to make the live action nature of them more appealing.
Of course, I come mostly as someone who hasn't seen them, so I cannot really tell you my personal thoughts on their success rate. I can tell you that their box office is phenomenal. It makes sense why The Jungle Book is next in line. Even hiring Jon Favreau is a good call, considering that he has done excellent work on helping Marvel launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the first two Iron Man films. However, I do think that most of the films he's made outside of blockbuster films is evidence that he is a fun director. I like Elf while Made and Swingers have a lot of memorable moments. His bigger films aren't the worst things either, so I do have hope.
There's a lot of prospects on the table as to what is in store for The Jungle Book. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of the original film. It is fine. I do wonder if the talking animals thing will be axed or if they will incorporate it in an interesting way. I know that Favreau has been working on this film for awhile, so hopefully he's been providing a watchful eye in making it the best that he can. At worst, it will just be an odd film about a kid in the jungle. At best, it's a new nature adventure story that will make 2016 a particularly exciting year.
My question to the audience is to try and keep track of which of these films is Disney and which is not. I bet that the average audience member will not know that Pan is not from the studio. Likewise, I doubt that most will notice that Sofia Coppola's take on The Little Mermaid is not for the studio either. It's a genius move, in that I am sure Disney will get all of the credit for every last adaptation. However, I do think it will be more interesting to see how quickly this will devolve and nobody will be able to tell the difference between one or the other. Think you can handle it? See you in five years.
Of course, I come mostly as someone who hasn't seen them, so I cannot really tell you my personal thoughts on their success rate. I can tell you that their box office is phenomenal. It makes sense why The Jungle Book is next in line. Even hiring Jon Favreau is a good call, considering that he has done excellent work on helping Marvel launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the first two Iron Man films. However, I do think that most of the films he's made outside of blockbuster films is evidence that he is a fun director. I like Elf while Made and Swingers have a lot of memorable moments. His bigger films aren't the worst things either, so I do have hope.
There's a lot of prospects on the table as to what is in store for The Jungle Book. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of the original film. It is fine. I do wonder if the talking animals thing will be axed or if they will incorporate it in an interesting way. I know that Favreau has been working on this film for awhile, so hopefully he's been providing a watchful eye in making it the best that he can. At worst, it will just be an odd film about a kid in the jungle. At best, it's a new nature adventure story that will make 2016 a particularly exciting year.
My question to the audience is to try and keep track of which of these films is Disney and which is not. I bet that the average audience member will not know that Pan is not from the studio. Likewise, I doubt that most will notice that Sofia Coppola's take on The Little Mermaid is not for the studio either. It's a genius move, in that I am sure Disney will get all of the credit for every last adaptation. However, I do think it will be more interesting to see how quickly this will devolve and nobody will be able to tell the difference between one or the other. Think you can handle it? See you in five years.
- Dissection -
Looks like they will be going in more of the action adventure direction. With exception to the last note of the trailer, it is looks to be about a child that was raised by animals surviving in the wilderness. From there, it jumps through trees and forest to unveil the new animal models, mostly CG from the looks of it. There's Scarlett Johnasson as a snake, which at least looks like it is talking properly. Is it the best? Not really. But considering that it doesn't look as bad as I was imagining, it actually fills me with promise.
You see, what separates this from the other films that I've mentioned is that I don't understand the live action adaptation idea for those. There's not a lot to do with Cinderella that wasn't previously done with the animated version. Maleficent maybe gets a pass, but even that doesn't add much new to canon. With The Jungle Book, you're allowed to explore a new realm with animals and actors who can bring these ideas to life. I am very nervous to see if the animals in general will be too cartoonish, but the trailer promises a certain level of adventure that will hopefully be delivered upon.
As a whole, I have to judge the trailer not on my lingering trepidation, but on the fact that it looks like it will be a fun time. I do think that the look of it, considering the CG elements, is sort of fantastic. I like the way that things play out and can only hope that there's some grounded nature to it all. I don't think that it looks perfect, but I do think that it serves as an interesting take on The Jungle Book. My only complaint is the final whistling of "The Bear Necessities." While a, sorry, necessity, it does seem to make me return to worry because talking animals are rarely pulled off in a successful fashion. Also, it's a little too cutesy for a trailer rich with exciting action.
- One Sentence Sell -
Disney reboots The Jungle Book with an all-star cast that brings action and excitement to a story ripe with potential.
- Trove or Trash -
TROVE
Even if this is mostly a trove based on the tone of it, I do think that it can end up being entertaining if done right. However, my trepidation that this will be silly and rather misguided still lingers inside me in a way that keeps me from being totally in love with the trailer.
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