At first I found the concept of Santa being Russian a bit weird. But the more I think about it, it makes sense to have a big Russian guy preforming feats of badassery. Plus, Siberians are really the only people who I could buy having the ability to survive those kind of temperatures year-round.
Well, except the Inuit. And, of course, Hollywood isn’t going to make one of their characters non-white unless they absolutely have to.
Something that strikes me as funny: the bad guy is named Pitch. The same name as the bad guy from the awful Mexican Santa movie (made famous by MST3k).
@switchnode: I find the Aussie Easter Bunny singularly amusing. Look at it this way: he’ll never lack replacements, and he has a real incentive to make himself better liked somewhere.
OK why is this so serious? It’s Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman (who has nothing to do with Morpheus)battling a Halloween dude. This should be a silly spoof comedy not a badass action flick. What gives?
I don’t know about you guys, but my only problem with this trailer was the release date… I got to wait untill November?
Then again, by them my kid will be two, thus old enough to understand it. Maybe it’s for the best…
@benfromcanada: I’m guessing the main reason this isn’t a spoof comedy is because Dreamworks already ran that idea into the ground with the Shrek series. Replace fairy tale characters with holiday mascots, and it’d be the same concept.
That, and you already have spoof comedies about the individual “Guardians” in recent years. “Elf” and “Arthur Christmas” for Santa, “Hop” for the Easter Bunny, and the Rock’s movie for the Tooth Fairy. There was even a “Council of Legendary Figures” in “The Santa Clause” movies, which included all of the same people. Each time, the gag was that the characters were real, and very businesslike despite the absurdity of their existence.
At this point, I guess a serious version of these character is the only thing left to do, but that seems like a lackluster reason to make a movie. No one’s ever made a CGI film about a dolphin who solves mysteries in outer space, but I don’t see Dreamworks jumping on that.
Am I the only person who saw this trailer and threw-up a little in my mouth? It feels like the same bloody Dreamworks pop-culture referencing garbage as they always make, only this time someone played as the Heavy on TF2 for a month before writing the script. I don’t know – it looks gorgeous, but the plot and the dialogue just seems so tired.
It looks fine, but ultimately it is the raping of childhood stories for profit. Films in which there is an explanation or widening of the simple idea and mystery of Santa et al are evil and created for small-minded adults in need of definition to cling to. And don’t try the ‘kids are more sophisticated now’ bullcrap, they’re not, they’re just subjected to more of this.
Actually, this is based on a children’s book, so it is most certainly for children. I don’t know why you would think a Dreamworks animated film was created for adults.
@SeanC. Then the book is as bad, sorry, and all of that applies to it. I wrote a longer reply, but decided it headed into some very deep cul-de-sacs. I have a problem with the film… it’s my problem. (But if you think Dreamworks only made this and other films for kids you are very much mistaken… see comments for details.)
And @benamebephil ‘rape’ is hyperbole?!!!! Yep, it is. Almost as if you shouldn’t regard anything I typed with much attention beyond this full stop.
Wow. You people take your hatred of media pretty seriously. Makes me feel bad that I was just all “Whoa, awesome tattoos.” OK, here, let me see what I can manage…
…
As I watched this trailer, millions of Dreamworks Hutu pixels stormed through my brain, killing every Tutsi brain cell they saw!
Whoa. Didn’t recognize his name, didn’t realize William Joyce created Rolie Polie Olie and George Shrinks, and was involved with Toy Story and A Bug’s Life, etc…
Frankly, I’m still waiting for my gritty reboot of The Partridge Family. If Santa can be be a shouty Russian with prison tats, then the time for a dark, human-soul expose Partridge Family is NIGH! Nigh, I say!
I am … intrigued. And hope it opens the door to a movie version of Harlan Ellison’s “Santa Claus vs. S.P.I.D.E.R.” — with Ellison having creative control.
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Are you familiar with the source material by William Joyce? This article my Drew McWeeny gives a pretty good idea of the books and the movie: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-captured/posts/rise-of-the-guardians-trailer-promises-lush-fantasy-family-fun-with-warrior-santa
“by Drew McWeeny”
At first I found the concept of Santa being Russian a bit weird. But the more I think about it, it makes sense to have a big Russian guy preforming feats of badassery. Plus, Siberians are really the only people who I could buy having the ability to survive those kind of temperatures year-round.
Well, except the Inuit. And, of course, Hollywood isn’t going to make one of their characters non-white unless they absolutely have to.
Something that strikes me as funny: the bad guy is named Pitch. The same name as the bad guy from the awful Mexican Santa movie (made famous by MST3k).
I like what I’m seeing. I’m not a huge fan of the words “Rise of” prefixing any genre of movie, though.
Hop 2: The Hoppening
The Easter Bunny’s Australian accent is singularly inappropriate.
League of Extraordinary Folktales
Why does Alec Baldwin have an accent? His voice is already god’s gift to ears.
@switchnode: I find the Aussie Easter Bunny singularly amusing. Look at it this way: he’ll never lack replacements, and he has a real incentive to make himself better liked somewhere.
OK why is this so serious? It’s Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman (who has nothing to do with Morpheus)battling a Halloween dude. This should be a silly spoof comedy not a badass action flick. What gives?
I don’t know about you guys, but my only problem with this trailer was the release date… I got to wait untill November?
Then again, by them my kid will be two, thus old enough to understand it. Maybe it’s for the best…
Anyone else wish they were kids again after watching this?
I’m pretty sure I’d watch this. This is just serious enough: there’s a sense of majesty here.
EPIC SANTA
Isn’t it all the better for NOT being the spoof comedy it “should” be and therefore defying expectations? If not, why not?
I guess it takes all kinds to make a world. If this hits your sweet spot, great, go for it, have a great time.
As for me, just further proof Hollywood can’t slide into the Pacific fast enough…
@benfromcanada: I’m guessing the main reason this isn’t a spoof comedy is because Dreamworks already ran that idea into the ground with the Shrek series. Replace fairy tale characters with holiday mascots, and it’d be the same concept.
That, and you already have spoof comedies about the individual “Guardians” in recent years. “Elf” and “Arthur Christmas” for Santa, “Hop” for the Easter Bunny, and the Rock’s movie for the Tooth Fairy. There was even a “Council of Legendary Figures” in “The Santa Clause” movies, which included all of the same people. Each time, the gag was that the characters were real, and very businesslike despite the absurdity of their existence.
At this point, I guess a serious version of these character is the only thing left to do, but that seems like a lackluster reason to make a movie. No one’s ever made a CGI film about a dolphin who solves mysteries in outer space, but I don’t see Dreamworks jumping on that.
Am I the only person who saw this trailer and threw-up a little in my mouth? It feels like the same bloody Dreamworks pop-culture referencing garbage as they always make, only this time someone played as the Heavy on TF2 for a month before writing the script. I don’t know – it looks gorgeous, but the plot and the dialogue just seems so tired.
There really wasn’t any pop culture references in the trailer. It was quite straight, for a Dreamworks movie.
It looks fine, but ultimately it is the raping of childhood stories for profit. Films in which there is an explanation or widening of the simple idea and mystery of Santa et al are evil and created for small-minded adults in need of definition to cling to. And don’t try the ‘kids are more sophisticated now’ bullcrap, they’re not, they’re just subjected to more of this.
Feeling grouchy – enjoy it if you must.
Actually, this is based on a children’s book, so it is most certainly for children. I don’t know why you would think a Dreamworks animated film was created for adults.
@HrolfK- what, precisely, makes you think that this trailer in any way deserves the term ‘rape’? Isn’t that hyperbole to the point of complete lunacy?
@SeanC. Then the book is as bad, sorry, and all of that applies to it. I wrote a longer reply, but decided it headed into some very deep cul-de-sacs. I have a problem with the film… it’s my problem. (But if you think Dreamworks only made this and other films for kids you are very much mistaken… see comments for details.)
And @benamebephil ‘rape’ is hyperbole?!!!! Yep, it is. Almost as if you shouldn’t regard anything I typed with much attention beyond this full stop.
@HrolfK: You are Mark Morford and I claim my five pounds.
Damn, if you didn’t want something you wrote to be regarded, maybe you shouldn’t have written it and posted it in public in the first place.
When DreamWorks aren’t cranking out sequels, they can do some interesting ideas.
This is League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Bedtime Myths edition. I’ll keep an eye on it since it could too hit my sweet spot.
Wow. You people take your hatred of media pretty seriously. Makes me feel bad that I was just all “Whoa, awesome tattoos.” OK, here, let me see what I can manage…
…
As I watched this trailer, millions of Dreamworks Hutu pixels stormed through my brain, killing every Tutsi brain cell they saw!
Whoa. Didn’t recognize his name, didn’t realize William Joyce created Rolie Polie Olie and George Shrinks, and was involved with Toy Story and A Bug’s Life, etc…
Amorphosied Personalities Avengers? Has potential…
Frankly, I’m still waiting for my gritty reboot of The Partridge Family. If Santa can be be a shouty Russian with prison tats, then the time for a dark, human-soul expose Partridge Family is NIGH! Nigh, I say!
I am … intrigued. And hope it opens the door to a movie version of Harlan Ellison’s “Santa Claus vs. S.P.I.D.E.R.” — with Ellison having creative control.
“Say hello to Naughty and Nice!”
“Those are the stupidest fist names I’ve ever heard.”