Mattel's Max Steel - The Movie

[terry78]

I figured it was gonna get that. If you have any massive fights with destruction it usually warrants a PG-13 these days.

 

[harryoscop]

Yep, the movie looked like ****, we all saw it coming.

 

[TheVileOne]

Watch carefully because Power Rangers is next .

 

[harryoscop]

Watch carefully because Power Rangers is next .

 

[MOVIELORD101]

0% on RT. WOOF.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/max_steel

 

[Jason Kane]

Side bar: Who asked for this?

 

[TheVileOne]

At the time, the Max Steel franchise had just gotten rebooted. A lot of IP was getting licensed. And here's sort of a franchise that features a teen superhero, a wise cracking robot sidekick, and he gets a cool suit of armor. So it's almost like Spider-Man meets Iron Man. Someone probably saw potential.

While Max Steel isn't popular in the US, it has a bigger audience internationally. So that might've convinced production companies or financiers to get on board.

Again, people in the industry want established brands over original IP now. Just keep that in mind.

 

[Octoberist]

At the time, the Max Steel franchise had just gotten rebooted. A lot of IP was getting licensed. And here's sort of a franchise that features a teen superhero, a wise cracking robot sidekick, and he gets a cool suit of armor. So it's almost like Spider-Man meets Iron Man. Someone probably saw potential.

While Max Steel isn't popular in the US, it has a bigger audience internationally. So that might've convinced production companies or financiers to get on board.

Again, people in the industry want established brands over original IP now. Just keep that in mind.

I think it's a case where obviously blindly looking at any available IP doesn't equals success.

It's like how Kubo had famous actors in the cast, over lesser kwown voice talent, and in the end, it didn't help the box office at all.

 

[MOVIELORD101]

I think it's a case where obviously blindly looking at any available IP doesn't equals success.

It's like how Kubo had famous actors in the cast, over lesser kwown voice talent, and in the end, it didn't help the box office at all.

Bear in mind, Kubo was released around the same time that Suicide Squad was doing gangbusters, so it would've done better had the movie not had as much competition. THIS was released in dead-zone October and yet no one cared. Plus, it was delayed for over 2 years (it was supposed to be out in 2014). The people who released this obviously KNEW it was bad and just wanted it over with.

Plus, the show this was trying to "cash in" on was canned after 2-3 seasons around 2 years ago anyway! So their plan had backfired from the start!

 

[LoganGambit87]

I think it's a case where obviously blindly looking at any available IP doesn't equals success.

It's like how Kubo had famous actors in the cast, over lesser kwown voice talent, and in the end, it didn't help the box office at all.

to be fair no Laika film has done big business Coraline is their biggest hit at 124 million WW

 

[Octoberist]

Keep in mind, I love Kubo. I think however, that some of the co-financing from Focus Films probably had clauses in the contract to have famous voice actors in the film.

Like, I was at a Q&A for Green Room, and the director said that the fiancees wanted a moderately big star for the big baddie, despite being an indie film. Patrick Stewart made the movie possibly by saying yes to the villain role. The director said, if Stewart said no during the time crunch for the shoot, the movie would've been dead in the water.

And Stewart said yes because he was terrified for the script and wanted to play something more..evil for once.

 

[Breogan]

While Max Steel isn't popular in the US, it has a bigger audience internationally. So that might've convinced production companies or financiers to get on board.

Could be the whole thing was done with the international audience/market in mind (particularly the Latin American market where the toys were made).

Mattel's lapsed Big Jim franchise was continued in Mexico and Latin America by Cipsa who retained the rights to expand the line, and created Super Agent: Kid Acero [literally Kid Steel] a Kid with a bionic/steel arm and armor.
Becoming a pretty huge franchise of it's own in Latin America, in toys and comics.

So much so that in the US, when Mattel was looking to reinvent the franchise, they abandoned Big Jim, as the brand name and theming, and instead did it based on the popular Mexican Kid Acero[Kid Steel] version, they rebranded him (Max Steel) for North American audience. And he was now Big Jim McGrath's Kid, with a steel gadgets armor and theming.

Although less celebrated in the North American market, for those with familiarity in Mexico and Latin America who take Max Steel as the continuation of the name and line they were familiar with, it's apparently still very popular.
This "movie" is pretty much the concept and quality of a huge toy commercial.

Maybe something they had to create to retain the rights.

 

[Rick the Ruler]

I've seen Chris Stuckmann's review for this and died of laughter.

 

[TheVileOne]

Keep in mind, I love Kubo. I think however, that some of the co-financing from Focus Films probably had clauses in the contract to have famous voice actors in the film.

Like, I was at a Q&A for Green Room, and the director said that the fiancees wanted a moderately big star for the big baddie, despite being an indie film. Patrick Stewart made the movie possibly by saying yes to the villain role. The director said, if Stewart said no during the time crunch for the shoot, the movie would've been dead in the water.

And Stewart said yes because he was terrified for the script and wanted to play something more..evil for once.

I doubt Stewart was tough to convince. He does roles like this in animated movies frequently throughout his career. He did the villain in Jimmy Neutron for crying out loud.

 

[Octoberist]

That's all animated though. And for kids. It's much easier than doing live action - while Green Room is a violent film that's out of his usual wheelhouse. Since then he's doing Blunt Talk so it's a change in his career path, and I gotta respect that.

 

[kguillou]

I swear, I'd love to be in the boardroom meetings when some of these absurd things are pitched. "I got it, boss. MAX STEEL! It'll practically PRINT money! Just like that Battleship movie from a few years ago!"

 

[TheVileOne]

Keep in mind, Hasbro and Paramount think they can do a whole movie universe that includes Visionaries, a toy line and animated series that weren't even popular in the 1980s. And Micronauts. Not only that, they had a whole writers room, which has yet to produce anything of note.

 

[kguillou]

Ah Hollywood. How is it thats its so hard to break in to the industry yet its filled with idiots who clearly have no idea what they're doing?

 

[Breogan]

[bump] Cause just for a surreal sec. I wanted to see two Max Steel threads on page one.

It's just to bizarre!t:

 

[Drizzle]

People actually saw this piece of ****?

 

[Reverse-Zoom]

People actually saw this piece of ****?

I watched it last night

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

Might watch it one day....when there is no more paint on the wall.

 

[Jason Kane]

Could be the whole thing was done with the international audience/market in mind (particularly the Latin American market where the toys were made)
Mattel's lapsed Big Jim franchise was continued in Mexico and Latin America by Cipsa who retained the rights to expand and created Kid Acero (Kid Steel) a Kid with a bionic/steel arm and armor.
Becoming a pretty huge franchise of it's own in toys and comics.

So much so that in the US, when Mattel was looking to reinvent the franchise, they abandoned Big Jim, and instead did it based on the popular Mexican Kid Acero/Kid Steel version, although instead of Kid Acero/Kid Steel they called him (Max Steel) for American audience. And he was now Big Jim McGrath's Kid, with a steel armor.

Although mostlly unknown in the American market, for those with familiarity of the original name Kid Steel in Mexico and Latin America where it was derived it might sell, as this "movie" is pretty much the quality and concept of a big-upped toy commercial:

Maybe something they had to create to retain the rights.

Well... That definitely explains a series of things to why Max Steel came to be as a toon and the failed movie