Alex cross

A homicide detective, will push his limits in order to catch a serial killer whom of which specializes in torture and pain. With his love and life being threatened will Alex Cross be successful?

Classification

Alex cross has been classified as certificate 15, which limits the target audience to an older range of people. This is important as it reveals to the audience the film will consist of violence , strong language , drug references and possibly nudity which are key codes and conventions for any crime or action film due to it helping suspense and a sense of realism to be created.

Release dates

Release dates

Alex cross is set to be realised throughout the autumn and winter, this is a typical time to release a film of the crime genre due to the atmosphere being accurate as the film itself has a dark tone to it thus the season will reflect that. Also, in the US Alex Cross is realised before Halloween which is the time for thrillers to be realised, therefore the date for Alex Cross is suitable and will result in a better atmosphere for viewing.

The distributors

The production company

The production company Why is it important?This is a good starting point for the film to be backed up with a well know production company as it broadens the audience as fans of the companies films are more likely to hear about the film resulting in ratings to expand. By having a decent production company also helps to create a ‘buzz’ as the more popular a company is the easier the product is to market and be recognised which results in the news on the film being spread more quickly and effectively if it portrays enough potential. However this company isn’t the most successful and after researching the company I found some information to be interesting which will affect the film.I found the fact the company are popular with teens that enjoy films of the romance genre interesting as it appears to be set back for Alex Cross. The production company also doesn’t appear to have success with the genre of this film therefore I think It is risky for this company to be producing the film as they lack knowledge of the genre and the specific audience suitable for the genre. Because of this flaw this film could be yet another flop to add the company’s list, and the film probably won’t receive a very positive reputation and a buzz is unlikely to be created.

The Director: Rob Cohen

The fact the director is more known for being a producer rather than a director suggests he isn’t very qualified or suited to the role of a director and Reveals, the directing throughout the film could be poor thus resulting in bad acting for example causing the film to have a downfall and not be as successful as it could be. Most films directed by Rob Cohen aren’t widely successful (regarding a few) which could affect the outcome of the film. Cohen’s most successful film being ‘The mummy – tomb of the dragon emperor’ which is part of a franchise which was an advantage for Cohen as he would already have original fans wanting to see the film, this made a total of 401,128,639 $ grosses which is rather successful. Cohen again has the advantage of having a pre-sold audience due to Alex Cross being both a film franchise and originally a novel series, this will help the films viewings be higher which will emphasis the success of the film .

Other films by Rob Cohen

“Cohen directed directed the critical and commercial flop Stealth”

I think this is of importance as an audience are likely to have higher expectations for Cohen’s films due to his failure in directing stealth, which means Cohen will need to prove himself successful in his upcoming films to achieve a status as a successful director.

The MAIN Actors

Tyler Perry as Dr. Alex CrossMatthew Fox as PicassoEdward Burns as Tommy KaneRachel Nichols as Monica AsheCicely Tyson as Nana MamaCarmen Ejogo as Maria CrossGiancarlo Esposito as Daramus HolidayJohn C. McGinley as Richard BrookwellJean Reno as Leon MercierIngo Rademacher as Officer Sacks

Tyler PerryTyler Perry is taking the lead role for the film as the protagonist ‘Alex cross’ originally played by Morgan Freeman. The fact Morgan Freeman, isn't staring in this film suggests the film isn’t going to meet the standards of the others due to the impact the actor had on the previous films as a whole. Fans of the previous films may also consider not viewing the film as it isn’t the same without the original actor. The fact the protagonist is being played by Tyler Perry, an actor known for comedy, might be a setback for the film as he having to adapt to a completely new genre of film. I think Tyler Perry is a bad choice for the main role due to him not having the expertise to meet the standards of Morgan Freeman.

Matthew FoxMatthew Fox is taking the role of the infamous antagonist Picasso. Fox is most commonly known for played the character Jack in the TV series lost, a helpful and kind hearted character however this role is oppositional to what he is known for. I believe Fox was chosen for his villainous appearance and talented acting( this is clearly identified through the number of awards in which he won or was nominated for, for Lost.) However if he is unsuitable for the role of a villain the film could result in having bad casting thus making the outcome disastrous.

Actors pay

Tyler Perry received $5m upfront for his performance. ‘Tyler Perry is the highest paid man in Hollywood’ With this being true choosing Perry for the main role is a risky decision due to the cost of having him star in the film. Mathew Fox’s pay is currently unknown however, Perry and Fox were the top paid actors followed by Rachel Nichols.

The genre of the film

Action | Crime | Mystery

Clouds, show uncertainty and objectives being unclear which represents case.(portrays mystery and crime genre)

Dark figure, adds to mystery genre due his identity being unknown.

Black connotes darkness and death which is an expected occurrence for the film, this adds to the crime and action element of the film

City as the location, adds to action genre due it being a stereotypical setting.

Viewing of a weapon which is key iconography for any film of the action genre, revels there will be violence and deathBlue used for title, connotes loneliness and gives a sense of one of the characters personalities whilst revealing a theme..

Product placementProduct placement throughout Alex cross was mainly through the cars as all vehicles in the movie are GM vehicles such as Cadillac CTS and a red Chevy Camaro. This makes an audience want to purchase these vehicles as their talents are being shown off.

Skype, a social network, is another product placement as it is used in Alex Cross for the characters to discuss the case thus resulting in a popularity increase for the network.

Tie-in promotions

With the release of Alex cross the film is being promoted through the book it is based upon, this works to lure in the target audience as they are in for a chance to win tickets rather than pay. The creation of a competition is always good for selling any film due to the satisfaction of winning.

Tie-in promotions

Finance production costs

Actor’s fee’s

Box office figures

Alex cross was a flop at box office due to it earning only $11.75 million which is substantially low considering the budget of the film was 35 million. Alex cross also came in at number five in the box office chart.

Opening Weekend: $11,396,768 (USA) (21 October 2012) (2339 Screens)

Gross: $24,603,042 (USA) (11 November 2012)

The fact the films earnings is already low is interesting as it already clear the film is going to be a flop in cinema’s and probably will not recover through DVD either due to the negative reviews the film has received.

First Weekend returns

Trailer

Trailer

Ratings

Reviews/feedback from critics

Reviews/feedback from critics

These are critic’s opinions on Alex cross which I found on http://www.cbsnews.com all of these reviews are negative. I find this interesting as it is promoting the film to be a failure already, as not a single critic appears to of complimented the film in any form

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