Film Preview: Blood Father (2016)

Page Revisions:

(June 12, 2016) Original
(July 10, 2016) New Trailer (#2) / New Posters (#2 & #3)

Release Date:

August 25, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.”

Poster Rating: B- / D / C-

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Review: (#1) The upper two thirds of the design isn’t very interesting, but that lower third is visually striking, beautifully drawn and has a compelling quality that the rest of the poster is sorely lacking.

(#2) Artistically, using a grand, bountiful sky can aid a design, but this one feels like something is missing and that’s its purpose. (#3) Are they trying to sell Mel Gibson as an aging sex symbol? It might work, but it also doesn’t do much for the film itself.

Trailer Rating: C+ / B-

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Review: (#1) A jumbled mess of a trailer that pits absent father Mel Gibson against a host of pursuers all wanting to kill the daughter he never really cared to know. It’s formulaic without a doubt, but the trailer doesn’t focus on the gooey elements most creators would have latched onto. It stays entirely focused on the action in the film, which doesn’t look that exciting, but is at least differing in format than most similarly themed trailers.

(#2) Once you get more plot details, certain aspects of the film tend to shine through. This appears to be a more complex thriller than before and the stakes for his daughter are more credible. It could be better than it looks, but I suspect it still paints by numbers even if it has a few original flourishes.