Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Ripoffs don't get ripoffier than this

We're accustomed to seeing all sorts of movies ride the coattails of other movies, whether it's the explicit ripoffs of the Asylum (like Transmorphers) or the more benign "similar subject matter in slightly different form" (Antz vs. A Bug's Life). 

What we don't usually see is movies that are just so obviously a retread of another movie getting a theatrical release, which is the case with Dragon Rider, as evidenced by its appearance on this bus stop.

Now, I'm not going to deign to read the plot synopsis of this movie, which might show me the ways it is not actually a cheapie carbon copy of How to Train Your Dragon. But whether it has the same plot or not is kind of beside the point. The intention is to fool people into thinking this might be How to Train Your Dragon 4, and hope they'll already have a ticket in hand before they realize it isn't. 

It does have decent vocal talent, which I guess is not an indication of anything. Since I'm sure you can't read the tiny names on the poster, Freddie Highmore and Thomas Sangster are both past their prime child stars, and Patrick Stewart probably just wants a little more retirement money. But Felicity Jones is right in the prime of her career, coming off a recent Oscar nomination, the lead role in a well-liked Star Wars movie, and playing Ruth Bader Ginbsurg. 

I guess there's no law against appearing in derivative, sub-par material, is there? 

Or really, you can't put a price on having something for Australian families to do with their kids during the summer holidays.

Okay, rant over. Return to your regularly scheduled reading of other blogs.

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