Weekly Trailer Recap: Well Some of These Look Interesting

Ben-Hur:

Can someone say paycheck for Morgan Freeman? I have not been impressed by a single trailer for Ben-Hur. The trailers have been trying to appeal to different groups of people, but not doing a good job of appealing to anyone. The CG looks horrible, and the story has been told before in epic fashion. I’m not sure how this movie got green lit. It’s not a franchise and no one is clamoring for swords or sandals films. I won’t be going to see Ben-Hur unless the reception is amazing and everyone talking about says it is a must watch.

Office Christmas Party:

This trailer made me laugh, and hopefully it didn’t give away all of the jokes in the film. All of the actors I like, and the premise sounds funny. This is exactly the kind of movie I want to watch around Christmas, well minus the newest Star Wars film. I hope the future trailers don’t give many more jokes away and the movie can become a hit winter comedy.

Split:

The newest film by M. Night Shyamalan looks intriguing. I haven’t liked any of the past few Shyamalan films, like the vast majority of people. I didn’t see The Visit, but it had more of a positive reception than his other recent movies. This may be a return to form. James McAvoy performance from the trailer alone looks fantastic. The chance to change characters twenty three times for a film will be challenging, but I think McAvoy can pull it off. This is the first film from Shyamalan in a long time that I plan on seeing in the theaters.

The Accountant:

I’m not sure about this one. It looks interesting, and Ben Affleck has been on a hot streak, but the two different contrasting tones don’t mesh well with me. I’m all for an action piece where an account is the surprising action star, but not sure about adding the social anxiety aspect. It just seems like a strange paring, but I’m still interested in the movie. I’m just not sure it is something I will see in the theater.

Hacksaw Ridge:

If there was a trailer that stole the week it is Hacksaw Ridge. The film looks to pull all the right strings, and be a potential Oscar contender. Mel Gibson might not be a great person, but he does make good movies, and I’m interested to see how this film turns out. It is an interesting story to tell, and one which probably should be told. A solider who goes into battle, but doesn’t fire a shot, and wasn’t trained as a medic. I’m interested to see why the Army didn’t designate him as a medic if he didn’t want to fight.

The Great Wall:

Hey look, let’s try to capitalize on the growing Chinese movie market, and still grab some North American viewers by casting Matt Damon. This is all the trailer said to me. I like Matt Damon in almost everything he does, but this just screams money grab. Hopefully subsequent trailers explore more of the story and get me excited to see the movie. This trailer did not do its job in getting me excited to watch the film.