The final movie in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” Batman trilogy is almost here!
“The Dark Knight Rises” hits cinemas on July 20 and I’m certainly looking forward to it.
The previous instalment “the Dark Knight” was an absolute blockbuster.
So, I don’t think there’s any doubt that this movie will be a success…
…but will it match the previous episode?
“The Dark Knight” was released in 2008 at the peak of the first wave of the current economic downswing that we find ourselves in.
It matched the prevailing negative social mood and provided confirmation of the new economic reality.
(see “‘The Dark Knight, The Social Mood And Copywriting” for more thoughts.)
When you market a follow up movie like this, there are two groups that you’re looking to reach.
First are the established fans and they are an easier audience. Essentially they are going to want more of the same…
…but with a twist and a development of the story. The classic “What happens next?”
For those not familiar with the previous movies, the task is different. Of course with a franchise like “Batman” you have a foundation to build on and most people will be familiar with the character and have an idea of the general story.
But how to get their attention amid the many other movies clamouring for attention?
This is where the “social mood” question comes in. There’s no question this will be another “dark” movie…
…but how well will it connect with people?
Biggest movie to date this year is “The Avengers” which has its dark moments, but is a more conventional action movie.
We’ll see soon enough!
To the trailers…
Like every big movie these days “The Dark Knight Rises” has a fairly extensive pre-launch campaign…
…and there have been a number of trailers (first one being a “teaser” back last year).
The most recent (#4 – a “Nokia Exclusive”) has some flaws, in my view, so below is the Trailer #3…
A – Attention
It’s a fairly low-key opening…but with a hint of menace.
“There’s a storm coming” says the Selina Kyle / Catwoman character…
…as we are introduced to the main characters, in particular the chief villain Bane…
…with clips of what looks like will be a SPECTACULAR aerial stunt.
(That alone will get people’s attention, I think!)
And the opening section concludes with Bruce Wayne face-to-face with Bane…
…”Gotham’s Reckoning”.
We get the picture, I think, of what this is going to be about.
I love this opening, it’s almost hypnotic as you watch with growing apprehension.
However, I’m a fan so I’m not so sure this will be as appealing to a broader audience.
Score – 2.0
I – Interest
The low-key mood continues…
…but we see scenes of increasing mayhem and devastation.
And Bane appears to be winning…
…as we get to the point in the story arc where our hero seems to be down for the count.
This I find interesting. It’s a familiar story template where the hero faces defeat and has to overcome the crisis (it’s what causes “drama” in the story…it would be pretty boring if all was plain sailing!). But there’s been nothing this serious in the previous episodes.
“Hope Is Lost”
…and things get even worse until we reach a turning point.
Again, I think this section does a great job of drawing the viewer in and making an emotional connection.
Score – 2.0
D – Desire
Into the final section. Note how the music picks up tempo so raising the mood.
This, of course, is the “Money Section”. If the trailer has drawn people in and kept attention…
…now it’s all about stimulating curiosity in some form.
In many cases it’s not so much “What’s going to happen” because in most case we “know” the hero is going to come out on top. So it’s more “How” does he do that and overcome what appears to be an “impossible” situation?
The trailer doesn’t completely spell this out, but we get the impression that Bane is a frighteningly powerful opponent.
BUT there’s something else here…
…”You don’t owe these people any more. You’ve given them everything”…
…says the enigmatic Catwoman.
“Not everything. Not yet.”
…comes the reply.
We have here the idea of the sacrificial hero being introduced, which to me takes this movie to a whole new level.
Interesting because this was one of the themes in “Prometheus” (see this excellent post “Prometheus Unbound: What The Movie Was Actually About”)…
…and it’s a story that is deeply embedded in our culture.
Ramping up the curiosity factor we get a VERY clear message that this is the conclusion of the saga…
…and we get the usual montage of action segments and “Gee Whiz” elements to round out the section…
…including the humourous element that we’ve come to expect in a Batman movie.
Overall, I think this final section does a great job, both for the fans and the general audience.
Score – 2.5
Bonus Mark – 0.5 based on the appeal to a general audience
Total – 7.0 (for a general audience), only because I’m not sure how well the low key open will work.
Personally, I LOVE this trailer and I expect most fans will as well. Certainly ramped up my anticipation to fever pitch (I said I was a fan).
I recently watched the first two “Dark Knight” movies again and I really can’t praise them highly enough. If Christopher Nolan has done what I think he has (as suggested in the trailer) then this will be a truly extraordinary movie.
Only a couple of weeks to go and let’s see how the box office goes and if we get any insights into the prevailing social mood.
Notwithstanding my enthusiasm for the trailer…
…I’ve noted some concerns about it’s appeal to a general audience and if it’s too “dark”.
Others seem to share those concerns and so the most recent “Nokia Special” trailer is somewhat more upbeat.
Different approach and probably more aimed at the mainstream audience. I imagine the marketing guys are wanting to cover all the bases.
I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment…
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