Weekly Trailer Recap: There were other Trailers besides Rogue One??

Let’s talk about the one everyone else has been talking about:

Rogue One:

I like the rest of the nerd community anxiously watched the Olympics on Thursday night in anticipation of the new Rogue One trailer. I have to admit the first time I viewed it I was a little underwhelmed. That first shot of the Star Destroyer on the planet didn’t look right to me the first time I watched, and the dialogue wasn’t ringing true to me. The limited small tease of Vader was a mistake. I know Vader is going to be in the film, but the general public is not aware, and are still confused about when this movie takes place. Just a little more of Vader would have guaranteed some more general buzz around the trailer. Maybe I’m wrong on that point and that little tease is enough to generate buzz for the film, and fix the questions people have.

The rest of the trailer was amazing, and on countless subsequent viewings I was too harsh after my initial viewing. I think I was just expecting too much. There was a ton to love in this trailer. The way it is shot is unique from any other Star Wars film. This might have factored into why I wasn’t on board the first time I watched. The shot of the Tie Fighter rising is awesome along with the rocket launcher shot at the AT-AT. Donnie Yen taking out Stormtroopers is awesome, though his line was one I wasn’t completely sold on the first time I heard it.

This is hasn’t changed from my most anticipated movie of the year, and hopefully it is every bit as amazing as it looks. I’m still a little nervous about the acting and story, but Edwards has at the very least made a beautifully looking film.

There were other trailers to come out this week (shocking):

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (The International Version):

Don’t watch the US trailer. It is horrible, and does something unforgivable to Guns N’ Roses Paradise City. The international trailer promises more of the same from the other movies in the franchise. They are a guilty pleasure of mine, and while I have not seen any of them in the theater I always watch when they become available to rent. This won’t change for the last installment, and I’ll gladly pay the four dollars to stream it when it becomes available. The US trailer version is absolutely atrocious and should be pulled. They try to make it match the beat of the Paradise City, and it just doesn’t work at all.

Bad Santa 2 Red Band Trailer:

If you are going to watch an R rated Comedy, you might as well watch the unfiltered trailer for it. I was a fan of the original Bad Santa and thought it was hysterical. I haven’t watched it many times since it was released, but I’m okay with a sequel. It is a little odd to get one this late, but I love that they are using the original kid from the fist and that he hasn’t changed. This alone makes for an interesting concept and ripe for many new jokes. Bad Santa 2 and Office Christmas Party give me hope of a great holiday season filled with hysterical movies.

Brother Nature:

This comedy doesn’t hold much interest for me. It looks like a cliché story with gags and gross out humor to try and make it funny. I do like some of the actors in the film, but not enough to go and see it. If the film gets fantastic reviews I might think about it, but at the most it looks to be a rental, if event that.

The Great Gilly Hopkins:

Well this looks like another cliché paint by numbers coming of age story, but I like the talent involved. You can’t go wrong with Kathy Bates and Glenn Close. If my twelve year old cared about going to see movies, this would be one I could take him too. It probably won’t be a hit, but I could see myself stopping to watch if it is ever on paid channel. This one at least seems to have some potential with the talent, and the trailer showed some heart.

Complete Unknown:

Michael Shannon and Rachel Weisz, yes please. Add in Kathy Bates (again) and Donald Glover and that is a cast to take note of. This film was a Sundance Selection this year and picked up by Amazon so I’m not sure if it will get a theatrical release. I’ll give it a chance on prime when it is available. The trailer doesn’t give much away and the film seems like a mystery. The talent alone has me interested, but the trailer has me intrigued in the story as well.

Don’t Breath

I’m not a fan of the horror genre, but this one at least looks interesting. Stephen Lang seems to always deliver, and his character looks terrifying in the film. I might actually go see this one if the reviews continue to be good. It has been screened for critics at a few places already and has gotten a positive response so far. The concept for the film might not be new, but if it is executed well it has the potential to be a good movie.

Tell Me How I Die:

This looks horrible. Closed room semi-science fiction horror. Where Don’t Breathe looks to be taking a used concept and making an interesting movie, Tell Me How I Die looks to do the opposite. There is no aspect of the trailer which got me excited to go see this film. This one isn’t for me, but maybe it will find an audience.

Allied:

This one has me intrigued. The trailer doesn’t give much away and is more of a tease. I’m all for Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in what seems a World War 2 spy period piece. This synopsis of the film says the main characters are both assassins who fall in love and marry. One then discovers the other is a double agent and must be eliminated. So the film is basically a serious Mr. and Mrs. Smith set in World War 2. I’m okay with this.

War on Everyone:

This one looks absurd. I know that is what they are going for, but nothing seemed funny from the trailer. This looks like a spoof on the buddy cop genre, but I didn’t really care for any of the spoofs. I like both of the actors in the movie, but this is a pass for me, unless the reviews are good.

Arrival

Bookend the trailer discussion with another Science Fiction film. I had no clue this movie was even coming out, but I’m excited for it now. Villeneuve hasn’t had a miss of a film yet, and I like that he is doing a Science Fiction film before tackling the Blade Runner sequel. The teaser was perfect, because it got me excited for the film by just teasing its release. The longer trailer will come out this week, so hopefully it doesn’t give too much away.