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Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

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Kae-Leah Since: Jun, 2023
#101: Jul 5th 2023 at 4:48:15 PM

[up] Yeah, I have a coloring book about mermaid myths from around the world, and it seems more or less evenly mixed with good and evil mermaid myths. Some kinda have Blue and Orange Morality that's hard to even categorize as good or evil by our standards.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#102: Jul 5th 2023 at 5:52:15 PM

With the mermaids in this movie, part of the problem may be the fact that they're The Ageless unlike the Krakens. While the Krakens have to change and grow with new generations like humans do, the mermaids don't. Of course this means mermaid society won't change as quickly.

It's telling that the mermaid Ruby faces isn't another teenager like herself, but a bitter adult who was her mother's foe (and could likely be older than her mother or even her grandmother).

Disgusted, but not surprised
XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#103: Jul 5th 2023 at 6:11:03 PM

Storyboard artist Jon Magram just uploaded a 4 minute alternate storyboard for the film, featuring Ruby and Chelsea's ditch day. It's likely from the film's "Meet the Gillmans" era. From what we know about that time with Paul Tibbit at the helm, it was described as "SpongeBob SquarePants meets Coneheads" by Timothy Lamb, Character Lead Artist.

doomrider7 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#104: Jul 5th 2023 at 8:08:56 PM

Someone in the comments compared it to Sasha and Anne which really works and could have been a better angle to go with. Basically, they should have kept it as an So L.

TalesofUnder Not Sherlock Holmes from 1900s England Since: May, 2017 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Not Sherlock Holmes
#105: Jul 5th 2023 at 8:50:33 PM

God, no animated movie I’ve ever seen has yelled out “missed potential” at quite as high a volume as this.

“Now! Let us engage in the art of deduction!”
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#106: Jul 5th 2023 at 9:02:29 PM

It's better if you think of it as a story about bridging generational divides not unlike Turning Red. Which makes the Big Bad being an ageless foe all the more fitting.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TalesofUnder Not Sherlock Holmes from 1900s England Since: May, 2017 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Not Sherlock Holmes
#107: Jul 5th 2023 at 10:39:35 PM

Alright, here’s my problem with that: it’s called Strange World. Also known as Turning Red. Also known as Encanto. Also known as I am tired of movies like this:

“Now! Let us engage in the art of deduction!”
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#108: Jul 5th 2023 at 11:03:52 PM

Old people are really causing a lot of trouble lately, huh?

Wake me up at your own risk.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#109: Jul 5th 2023 at 11:33:21 PM

Although this movie differs from those examples in that it has an actual Big Bad.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Shadao Dorzma Forever! Artwork by Kris Dobbins. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Dorzma Forever! Artwork by Kris Dobbins.
#110: Jul 6th 2023 at 2:26:36 AM

Jon Magram's storyboard already gave several ad ideas revolving around Take That! on The Little Mermaid... and not giving away big spoilers at the ending.

Chelsea stealing stuff and causing trouble is already a good enough indication that she's not like Ariel at all. Didn't require flaring big neon signs saying "CHELSEA IS EVIL AND IS THE FINAL BOSS!"

JunkAction Since: Jan, 2023
#111: Jul 6th 2023 at 8:14:09 AM

[up]People might have thought she was just a mischievous friend who learns the error of her ways later. Hell, even with showing her as a villain some people still thought she would be redeemed or something.

VioletParrfan1989 Since: Mar, 2018
#112: Jul 7th 2023 at 4:44:45 PM

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/teenage-kraken-director-gets-honest-000236666.html

This is looking to be good news, though this depends on Dreamworks (as they have the final say), but if the director has his way: Ruby Gillman 2 will likely be a thing, despite the film's poor box office earnings.

Though Dreamworks was probably banking more on the streaming service's results over the box office earnings.

Edited by VioletParrfan1989 on Jul 8th 2023 at 7:52:22 AM

Snicka Since: Jun, 2011
#113: Jul 8th 2023 at 1:30:54 AM

[up][up]Why would that (i.e. the people assuming she's just a mischievous friend) be a problem? The whole point of a Twist Villain is that the viewers should be misled into believing that the character is relatively harmless and then get surprised that said character is the villain.

JunkAction Since: Jan, 2023
#114: Jul 8th 2023 at 1:06:38 PM

In this case, it wasn't just that people thought she was Ruby's friend, its that some people thought they were going to be lovers or something. It doesn't matter if nothing in the marketing suggested that. People would have been upset if they thought they were going to get lesbians and instead just got a traditional "hero vs villain" story.

AegisP Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man
#115: Jul 8th 2023 at 1:51:46 PM

Good but what advertising is supposed to do is get people to watch the movie. For better or worse advertising has no other goal than that when it comes to Movie Trailers. And it doesnt care if it upsets people sadly.

As long as this flower is in my heart. My Strength will flow without end.
doomrider7 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#116: Jul 8th 2023 at 2:30:25 PM

[up][up]

It DEFINETLY spiraled into shipping REALLY fast,but the general consensus was that Chelsea would either be good but misguided, coerced, or something of that nature and they'd actually become friends for real since the trailer made it so obvious that people thought there HAD to be a twist of some kind. That it was all played completely straight and the trailer DID spoil whatvwas apparently a big twist was really that disappointing.

JunkAction Since: Jan, 2023
#117: Jul 8th 2023 at 4:50:24 PM

I suspect that people would have felt that way regardless of how much the trailer showed. I remember that Netflix Wednesday show, and the trailers told the viewer little about the plot or characters other than the title character. But we knew there was going to be a quirky blonde girl who would basically be the opposite of Wednesday in the show, and they would be roommates. We knew very little else.

Nonetheless, many people instantly jumped on this, and began "shipping" them, and even writing fanfics about them. This was all months before the show premiered, or we knew exactly what kind of relationship or dynamic these characters would have. People just knew that there were two cute/hot girls that they wanted to see in a relationship because...

Anyway, I still think people would have reacted differently if the villain in Ruby Gillman had been male instead of female.

doomrider7 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#118: Jul 8th 2023 at 5:25:25 PM

[up]

People would write fanfics REGARDLESS of anything the showrunners for either series or movie. The ones for Wednesday likely did it intentionally knowing it would generate speculation and thus publicity. If the villain of Ruby Gillman had been male, the speculation would be he was similar to Hans from Frozen or some Lord Farquad type or "Nice Guy" type of douche. I'm basing my posts on what I've read on other threads, youtube, and reddit all which have the same take that they expected a twist like the one I mentioned with them being disappointed that the trailer spoiled everything.

kewl123 Since: Jul, 2023
#119: Jul 10th 2023 at 5:28:05 AM

How on Earth do you manage to waste this much potential? This movie had so much potential going for it and it just blew it. I really hope it gets a TV series to remedy the situation because honestly after Puss in Boots 2 this feels like such a major disappointment.

TonyG (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#120: Jul 10th 2023 at 3:47:20 PM

I disagree. The movie is fine for what it is. It isn't trying to be a masterpiece, just a fun story with cool visuals and likeable characters. It's only a disappointment if you're expecting every Dreamworks movie to be as good as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish from now on.

doomrider7 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#121: Jul 10th 2023 at 4:42:03 PM

The movie is fine for what it is. It isn't trying to be a masterpiece, just a fun story with cool visuals and likeable characters.

That's kind of the issue. There's nothing wrong with your statement, but it just feels like they could have done much more. It also doesn't help that a plethora of other movies have done the same or similar story beats and arguably better(Luca, Turning Red, Sky High, Encanto) in terms of trying to fit in and dealing with generational trauma and parental issues.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#122: Jul 10th 2023 at 4:44:07 PM

Its like

Dreamworks can really knock it out of the park when it wants to,it's like the one student who can ace a test but if they dont feel it they score the average.

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
kewl123 Since: Jul, 2023
#123: Jul 12th 2023 at 4:56:14 AM

Literally, a few fixes and this would've been a lot better, the pacing, the Hans "twist",these 2 probably did the most damage. Why not aim for greatness? Maybe they can fix this in a TV show cuz goddam this had such great potential

Grounder Main Character Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: All is for my lord
Main Character
#124: Jul 19th 2023 at 7:10:27 PM

An animatic for a very important late scene in the film was released on Youtube.

The video title is a spoiler, so I don't feel that embedding it is wise, though most people who care to see the film have presumably done so.

It's a different take on a scene still in the movie, but the difference is definitely worth noting.

Chelsea being Nerissa's daughter is a concept that made it to the animatic phase, so people trying to think that Chelsea was simply lying have been somewhat validated.

Edited by Grounder on Jul 19th 2023 at 7:14:22 AM

VengefulBale Bishie Gijinka Meta Knight from Nowhere Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Bishie Gijinka Meta Knight
#125: Jul 19th 2023 at 7:20:21 PM

They sacrificed a more nuanced story regarding Chelsea and the mermaids. with a lot more interesting depth and characterization angles for a twist villain? Now I don't feel so bad about the movie flopping given what it threw away. If they ever make an animated series I wouldn't be surprised if it's an Alternate Continuity and they keep the early concepts on it

Prettiest Meta Knight Gijinka, ngl

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