The Walk (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Seventh worst wide opening at time. Sony has got to be regretting the IMAX only debut strategy, because it definitely didn't generate the word of mouth TriStar was hoping for.


Most people who've seen it seemed blown away, but that's a way too small number of people.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Seventh worst wide opening at time. Sony has got to be regretting the IMAX only debut strategy, because it definitely didn't generate the word of mouth TriStar was hoping for.


Most people who've seen it seemed blown away, but that's a way too small number of people.

It's too bad, because IMAX is definitely the ideal venue for this movie.


I don't think they did a great job with promotion. I saw the amazing first trailer for this before "The Hobbit" in December, and I saw it again playing before some movies in the early part of this year, but I hadn't seen anything theatrically for it since then. The trailers for this should have played before every IMAX screening of every movie shown on their screens this summer.


The posters also emphasized that it was from the director of "Cast Away" - no doubt that movie had its fans, but surely Zemeckis is known for more than that. How about saying it was from the director of the Back To The Future trilogy or the director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?


The "Hobbit" showing I saw last December was the opening night for that movie, it was a sold out (or nearly sold out) auditorium, and there were audible gasps during the trailer from the audience. I think if it had come out right after that, when it was still fresh in everyone's mind, it might have done better.


I said this before, but as someone with a mild fear of heights, I found it to be the most terrifying thing I had ever seen - I truly felt like I was walking on that wire between the buildings, and my body reacted with all the fear and tension that I'd expect to feel. Intellectually I understood that it wasn't real, but the 3D effects were so convincing that I was gripping the armrest for dear life all through the second half of the movie. And I really mean that as high praise. I know calling a non-horror movie the most terrifying thing doesn't sound like praise, but in this case, it's a testament to the quality of the work the filmmakers did. I'm sure the eventual 3D disc will be stunning, but it can't match the impact of seeing this on the largest screens. The last movie to be acclaimed by the general public for the quality of its 3D was "Gravity" and "The Walk" makes "Gravity" look like a 2D movie in comparison.

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't recall any TV promos for this. My only awareness of the film came from seeing the trailer twice at the theater.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I thought it was okay, thought I felt like I was watching Ocean's 7 half-way through the film.


Plus, it was eerie how much Charlotte Lebon (Annie) reminded me of a young Winona Ryder.


The vertigo-inducing shots didn't really bother me (watched in RealD 3D), though.


I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Seventh worst wide opening at time. Sony has got to be regretting the IMAX only debut strategy, because it definitely didn't generate the word of mouth TriStar was hoping for.


Most people who've seen it seemed blown away, but that's a way too small number of people.

It's a shame this film didn't resonate with the general public. This film deserved better, but I had that feeling once I realized I was the only one watching the film at my viewing in an IMAX theater.

 

[TravisR]

It's a shame this film didn't resonate with the general public. This film deserved better, but I had that feeling once I realized I was the only one watching the film at my viewing in an IMAX theater.

I saw it on a Thursday (the day after it opened) with maybe 5 people but I was hoping that the weekends would have been kinder to it. I imagine that once it hits Blu-ray that at least 3-D fans will love it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The posters also emphasized that it was from the director of "Cast Away" - no doubt that movie had its fans, but surely Zemeckis is known for more than that. How about saying it was from the director of the Back To The Future trilogy or the director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I think that's because they wanted more of an apples/apples comparison. Sure, "BTTF" and "WFRR" were big hits, but those were very different kinds of films. "From the Director of 'Forrest Gump'" would've been better, but even that sets up different expectations for what audiences would expect from "The Walk".


"Cast Away" isn't a great match either, but it's probably the best analogy to "The Walk" among Zemeckis's hits.


Would you have sold "Schindler's List" as "From the Director of 'Jaws'"?

 

[Patrick Sun]

From the director of "Used Cars."

 

[Robert Crawford]

Hopefully, this fine film will find an audience on home video and streaming.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think that's because they wanted more of an apples/apples comparison. Sure, "BTTF" and "WFRR" were big hits, but those were very different kinds of films. "From the Director of 'Forrest Gump'" would've been better, but even that sets up different expectations for what audiences would expect from "The Walk".

"Cast Away" isn't a great match either, but it's probably the best analogy to "The Walk" among Zemeckis's hits.

Would you have sold "Schindler's List" as "From the Director of 'Jaws'"?

I totally get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I completely agree. I think the difference between my suggestion and your analogy is that Schindler was a wee bit of a downer, while The Walk is ultimately meant to be fun and inspiring, so I don't think any of the other "from the director of" options would have been that extreme

Zemeckis used to be a household name, enough to make you go see a movie just on the strength of that..but he's been mostly out of sight and I'm all for reminding modern audiences that one of our best directors of the 80s and 90s is back. Maybe it wouldn't have made the slightest difference. But I feel like this movie deserved better marketing.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I had no idea Zemeckis directed this film until the end credits, and then it all made sense to me, special effects-wise.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I totally get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I completely agree. I think the difference between my suggestion and your analogy is that Schindler was a wee bit of a downer, while The Walk is ultimately meant to be fun and inspiring, so I don't think any of the other "from the director of" options would have been that extreme

Zemeckis used to be a household name, enough to make you go see a movie just on the strength of that..but he's been mostly out of sight and I'm all for reminding modern audiences that one of our best directors of the 80s and 90s is back. Maybe it wouldn't have made the slightest difference. But I feel like this movie deserved better marketing.

IIRC, the traler also sold "The Walk" as being "from the director of 'Flight'". I think they wanted to emphasize his "adult-oriented" movies, so that leaves out "BTTF" and "WFRR"...

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think you're totally right there.

It's too bad they went all adult oriented in their advertising because it really played as an "all ages" type film when I watched it. Not a kids movie or a family movie per se but a movie that's welcoming to all.

I would think kids would be mesmerized by some of the 3D work.

Missed opportunity all around, both for the studio and its lackluster ad campaign and for moviegoers who for whatever reason stayed away.

 

[WillG]

I saw it on a Thursday (the day after it opened) with maybe 5 people but I was hoping that the weekends would have been kinder to it. I imagine that once it hits Blu-ray that at least 3-D fans will love it.

Assuming, at this point, it even gets a 3D Blu release (which few would buy anyway since you'll have to shell out like $35 for it at most stores)

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Assuming, at this point, it even gets a 3D Blu release (which few would buy anyway since you'll have to shell out like $35 for it at most stores)

i think it's a Sony release, and they're pretty good with 3D BDs, IMO. I'll be surprised if it doesn't get a 3D BD release...

 

[Robert Crawford]

Assuming, at this point, it even gets a 3D Blu release (which few would buy anyway since you'll have to shell out like $35 for it at most stores)

I'm willing to bet that I can get this title in 3-D on Blu-ray for around $20. It might not be a first day purchase price, but I'll get it eventually.

 

[Vic Pardo]

From the director of "Used Cars."

"From the co-writer of TRESPASS."


(More appropriate given that Petit did indeed trespass to accomplish his feat. However, nobody but me remembers or even cares about TRESPASS, so it would draw a blank from most potential moviegoers.)

 

[Robert Crawford]

Assuming, at this point, it even gets a 3D Blu release (which few would buy anyway since you'll have to shell out like $35 for it at most stores)

Amazon has the 3-D release for preorder at $27.99 right now. I suspect that might drop even more.

 

[GlennF]

Saw the movie in Imax 3D yesterday afternoon. Was actually quite surprised at the number of people in the audience. I enjoyed the movie. It isn't great, but well worth seeing, and certainly one of the few cases where the 3D actually helps the movie. (I recently saw EVEREST in Imax 3D and didn't feel the 3D added a great deal.) The recreation of the twin towers is quite amazing. It was particularly strange after having visited the 9/11 museum a month ago. Some of the things you see on the roofs of the towers in the movie are now mangled relics in the museum. That, and the final couple of minutes in the movie, added a surprising touch of poignancy for me.


I agree the ad campaign was kind of weak. I had heard about the movie, but then it just seemed to open out of nowhere, and I follow these things pretty avidly.

 

[Chris Will]

Saw the movie last night in Imax 3D. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and the 3D was some of the best I've ever seen. The last shot of the movie brought a tear to my eye, a fitting tribute to both Petit's dream and the Twin Towers themselves.



I'll be honest though, I was a little disappointed that I went to the Imax theater instead of our local Carmike BigD theater. With all the Imax praise in this thread, I just assumed that it had some scenes shot in Imax and was going to open up and fill the screen at some point but, that never happened. I normally only go Imax when there is a true Imax scene involved. Our BigD theater screen is actually bigger then our Imax because standard movies fill up the BigD screen more than Imax, except for Imax shot scenes of course. So, if I had scene it in BigD I would have seen a larger 3D image overall.


I'll definitely buy the 3D BD for this movie.