Movie Posters, make or break

The Old Karate Kid
 Karate Kid 1984 trailer

For my movie, I chose the Karate Kid. Instead of an actual picture, this one features the main characters in an artistic representation, giving the moving a surreal feel. The eye is immediately drawn to Daniel, who is standing with his fists raised and he is wearing a karate outfit. This makes it seem like it is going to be a fighting type movie. But then the eye sees the title, colored red which evokes passion and action, and one can see the word ‘kid.’ This makes it seem like it is a lighthearted type of flick. And the image of Daniel below the main one is smiling, along with the girl, implying those two are or will become friends. Also, because the outfit is not secured tightly, it seems this is going to be a rough and tumble type of movie.

This poster also seems busy, there is a lot going on here and the viewer’s eyes seem to be on the move rather then just situated in one spot. Also, one can see an elderly man, looking at Daniel, which makes it seem like those two are connected in a great way. Also we can see Daniel near a girl, which one might guess is a romantic interest. Also, in the background, a group of people stand in an aggressive stance, which implies rivalry of some sort. A school gym type setting is also shown, implying the setting. This seems to be geared toward Americans, because of the unique style of the movie. The names of each of those who worked on the movies are below the titles, but there is no release date or anything like that.

The New Karate Kid

 Karate Kid 2010 trailer

This poster has many similarities. The first is the use of mentor/ student posture, and because there is no other kids seen, it is implied the man is the only real friend this kid has. Both of them are in a fighting type stance, so an action type movie is clearly implied and they are the actual actors. There is also more of a fighting type look on the mentor, much more then the older poster. The expressions on their faces are serious and Trey, the boy, is clothed in work type clothes and the mentor is dressed in a darker, more formal types of clothes. Your eye stays on the characters longer, but that is ok,  because you develop more of a connection with them.

The use of red is much more pronounced here, and each of the characters have a red hue on their skin. But instead of all red, there is also orange, which carries a softer heartwarming type of move. The white offsets the darker colors and symbolizes a certain type of innocence. The use of yellow brings a certain balance and the darker edges imply darker moments and offset the use of the light yellow in the center of the red.

But the use of the Asian-type building and writing implies a broader base then the other movie. Also, the actor’s name are much more prominent and there are only two people on this poster, which strengths their bond much more than having a whole lot of characters. And there is not a whole lot of space devoted to producers and the like, and so the movie poster feels less cluttered then the original, and more attention is drawn to the people. And so, this movie seems to appeal to an international audience rather than just an American one. Also instead of just saying ‘June 10’ it says cinemas, which is a rather unique term.