Film Preview: Seventh Son (2015)

Poster

Poster #1

Additional posters can be found below.

Trailer Link

Release Date:

February 6, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A 18th century adventure story centered on young Thomas, who is apprenticed to the local Spook to learn to fight evil spirits. His first great challenge comes when the powerful Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away.”

Poster: C- / C (7) / B (3) / C+ / C- (3)

Review: (#1) With all the technology and creativity abounding in the movie marketing department today, it’s always surprising when a film with geek credentials creates a ho-hum design to start things off. I’m not sure what prompted them to decrease the fidelity and detail, but that decision hurts the film’s chances.

(#2-#8) They aren’t that detailed, but they each have unique design elements, including a lush array of colors. When you can’t distinguish characters by a background, at least separate them with visual panache.

(#9-#11) These three images are detailed and interesting even if not terribly original. (#12) This tries to be a bit more simplified than the others, but thereby feels more generic. (#13-#15) These three character posters have lackadaisical backgrounds with no compelling features to remember.

Trailer: (C-) / C

Review: [(#1 – Trailer is no longer available) This trailer has been out for some time, so I’m stymied by the fact that it’s been pushed back an entire year from its initial projected release date. Regardless, if this trailer is any indication, I’m guessing test audiences didn’t like it much. The concept looks cobbled-together from various fantasy-evil tropes that don’t necessarily mesh for this film. After Jeff Bridges failed to sell R.I.P.D., this trailer may be too much.]

(#2) Now that they’ve pushed the release date back a full year, they’ve scrubbed their original campaign and have tried something new with the trailer, making the film feel more like a grand adventure than a waste of medieval fantasy tropes. That doesn’t make the proposition any clearer or more interesting, but it does make it more enticing for those who find the genre still has chances for success.