Trailer Link

Release Date:

Jun. 27, 2014

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off all life on the planet except for a lucky few that boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system evolves.”

Poster: C / C (9) / B- (8) / A- / D / C / C+ / C- / D+ (3) / A

Review: (#1) One of the few English-language posters kicks things off. It’s simple, but not particularly engaging. (#2-#10) The next nine characters posters are equally simplistic, but without a rich, detailed background, they don’t seem particularly interesting. (#11-#18) These are followed by another eight character posters that are far more environmentally pleasing. They aren’t as richly colorful as traditional character designs are, but for this type of film they fit.

(#19) The best of this bunch, the design is symbolic, richly detailed and provides hints to the film’s narrative thrusts. That it’s not a primary English-language design is a bit disappointing. (#20) This one is so comparatively boring that it’s almost not worth noting. (#21-#23) The next three designs are more traditional cineplex marketing devices, which doesn’t make them bad by themselves, but it does mean they tend to lack imagination. (#24-#26) The final three character posters pick up three of the central characters in the film, differentiate classes through the color of the lower half of the design, but unnecessarily use the same background.

(#27) What draws me most to this poster isn’t how perfectly it captures the film, but how from a distance, if you cannot see the details, he dark elements of the poster look almost like the front-end of a steam engine, complete with pointed cattle-catcher. Perhaps I’m just seeing things, but that alone catapults this design to the top of the heap this year.

Trailer: B+

Review: The high concept is so interesting that it almost makes up for the weaknesses of the trailer. We’re given snippets of glances inside the train, just enough to whet our appetites. The plot seems too straight forward and there isn’t enough of a “no holds barred” attitude on display, but overall it is an effectively interesting trailer.

Oscar Prospects:

I would love to see the directors and editors branches of the Academy thumb their noses at Harvey Weinstein and his editing hatchet, but the film isn’t likely to score major Oscar acclaim without a campaign, which Harvey most certainly won’t mount after the grief he’s gotten on this film.

Revisions:

(June 1, 2014) Original
(June 22, 2014) New Poster

Additional Posters