Trailer Time: The Dark Tower

CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE THE TRAILER ON YOUTUBE.COM

I have read all of Stephen King's 7-Part Dark Tower opus.  And while I have some serious issues with some parts, I cannot deny that it is an immensly ambitious epic.

So naturally I am very curious about the film adaptation.


From this one trailer, here is what they get right:

1.  Roland is an amazing Gunslinger.
The new, cool, and creative ways we watch him fire and reload are awesome.

2.  The Dark Tower itself looks creepy and beautiful.
The imagery of the Tower under attack and the way they visualize the beams works very well.

3.  The Gunslinger Mantra.
They use the mantra of the Gunslingers very effectively in the context of the trailer.


Here are my reservations:

1.  Casting.
I am still very much skeptical of Idris Elba as Roland.  In my mind, Roland was always beaten, weathered, and wiry.  Elba is too muscular, too thick-necked.  It's the difference between having your main character be Clint Eastwood or Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Elba's a good actor, but I don't see the wear and tear of Mid-world on him.  Tom Taylor also hasn't sold me in his scenes either.  And McConaughey looks serviceable as the Man in Black, but I need to see more.

2.  Oversimplified.
The Dark Tower has a very complicated mythology and it looks like they are reducing the story to the point of losing some of its essential texture.

3.  Changing the Story
I know that this is supposed to be a new re-imagining of the series, but there are so many things in the trailer that do not comport with the first book (or even the second).  Perhaps the producers thought that the movie wouldn't draw in audiences if Roland did not come quickly to our world, but I think this is a huge mistake.  But maybe I'm wrong.



I think that the other Stephen King-related movie, IT, had a trailer that hit the nail on the head.  This trailer did not convince me that I have to see this film.

Thoughts?