Someone contact whoever owns the film rights to "Flash Gordon" right now...
This little test trailer is absolutely what they should be aiming for. It's short, cool and oh so retro. Oh, and if you like that old fashioned-stylized figure above, then head over to Go Hero to find/give much love.
Hat Tip to Sci Fi Wire via Ain't It Cool News.
2 comments:
It's about time that the "original" Star Wars gets a proper big-budget makeover it deserves. Go Flash go!
The problem of reviving Buck Rogers / Flash Gordon (I'll just write "Buck Rogers" for the both of them since they are synonymous in the sense of what they are portraying) is that it is very difficult to get mass appeal.
Simply put, there's only two avenues these properties can go down:
1). Stick to being faithful to the retro-futuristic look.
2). Modernize the franchise.
The problem with #1 is that the retro-future has limited appeal to modern-day audiences. Anyone remember "Sky Captain"? Say what you will of the movie but executives look towards that film & think, "Audiences don't like diesel-punk. They can't relate to it."
The problem with #2 is that modernizing the franchises dilutes the only strong selling point that these franchises have: The outdated, gaudy & slightly unintentionally funny setting. Rip the setting out of Buck Rogers for one that's slightly more modernized & you have... Any number of science-fiction properties. Anyone remember the latest failed reincarnation of "Flash Gordon"?
In my mind, the only way you could successfully revive Buck Rogers is to follow the lead of a movie like "The Fifth Element": Keep the retro-future style but also keep the plot so light & active (ice planet one minute, desert planet the next) so that it's not bogged down with "real drama" (no "Empire Strikes Back" or "Matrix Reloaded" heavy plot machinations). That way, people who are hesitant about the art style will be entertained by the action & people who aren't thrilled with all the action can soak in the art style.
Personally, I'd love to see either franchise get a successful re-boot that stays as faithful to the source material as humanly possible.
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