And it’s time for another Trailerrific Thursday! There weren’t that many trailers released this week, but there were still a couple of interesting movies that are definitely worth checking out.
Toy Story 3: So far I haven’t been that excited for Toy Story 3; none of the previous teasers and trailers looked that interesting to me, but this trailer changes that all! It finally features some of the new toys (a couple of which look hilarious) and a bit more of the actual plot. Love the look of it now! Just one thing: why do all Pixar movies come out way later here in the UK? Release Date: 18 June (US), 23 July (UK)
Defendor: A crooked cop, a mob boss and the young girl they abuse are the denizens of a city’s criminal underworld. It’s a world that ordinary Arthur Poppington doesn’t understand and doesn’t belong in, but is committed to fighting when he changes into a vigilante super-hero of his own making, Defendor. With no power other than courage Defendor takes to the streets to protect the city’s innocents. Release Date: 26 February (US limited)
Get Him To The Greek: A sort of sequel/spin-off to last year’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which a record company intern (Jonah Hill) is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to a concert at L.A.’s Greek Theater. I really liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall and thought Brand was hilarious as rock star Aldous Snow. He was great as a side character, but putting him here as a central character next to Hill… I’m not convinced yet. Release Date: 4 June (US)
Leaves of Grass: An Ivy League professor (Edward Norton) is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown, where his twin brother (also Edward Norton), a small-time pot grower, has concocted a scheme to take down a local drug lord. Release Date: 2 April (US)
The Last Airbender: We already saw the Superbowl TV spot last week, and I was hoping to see a bit more of the acting in this one. I still think this looks amazing in the visual effects department and the martial arts. Acting wise though… still not convinced; it doesn’t seem promising that they’re not showing any proper acting scenes with Aang. I want to like this and I’m still excited for it, but I’m scared this could turn out to be a disappointment. Release Date: July 2nd (US), August 13th (UK)
The Losers: This looks like fun! The Losers centers upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they’re joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Release Date: 9 April 2010 (UK, US)
Killers: Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) is just your average, undercover, government-hired super-assassin accustomed to a life of exotic European locales, flashy sports cars and even flashier women. But when he meets Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), a beautiful, fun-loving computer tech recovering from a bad break-up, he finds true love… and happily trades international intrigue for domestic bliss. Release Date: 4 June 2010 (US)
The Ghost Writer: When a successful British ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), his agent assures him it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project seems doomed from the start—not least because his predecessor on the project, Lang’s long-term aide, died in an unfortunate accident. Release Date: unknown
Les Aventures Extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec: Directed by Luc Besson, an adventure set in the early party of the 20th century and focused on a popular novelist and her dealings with would-be suitors, the cops, monsters, and other distractions. Release Date: unknown
She’s Out of My League: An average Joe meets the perfect woman, but his lack of confidence and the influence of his friends and family begin to pick away at the relationship. Release Date: 12 March 2010 (UK, US)
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps: When Gordan Gekko (Michael Douglas) comes out of prison, he essentially has to redefine himself, redefine his character, he’s looking for that second chance. Shia LaBeouf portrays Jake Moore, who is the fiancé of Gekko’s daughter, played by Carey Mulligan; Josh Brolin as the head of an investment bank; and Susan Sarandon as Jake’s mother. Release Date: 23 April 2010 (UK, US)
MacGruber: The long awaited movie about America’s most awesome hero. Ehm, well, no. This doesn’t look as bad as it could have, but it’s still not something I’m interested in seeing. Release Date: 23 April 2010 (US)
Cemetery Junction: A 1970s-set comedy centered on three upstart professional men working at an insurance company. Directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Release Date: 14 April 2010 (UK)
I told you last week I’ve been waiting to see more footage of The Last Airbender. We saw a teaser last June, but since then we’ve only gotten glimpses of posters and screenshots. Well, the TV spot for the Super Bowl has just been released and supposedly some time soon we’ll get to see a full trailer:
This looks awesome! I loved the cartoon on which it is based and I think M. Night Shyamalan has the skills to make this work. I’m still worried about how they’re going to squeeze 8 hours of story into only 3 hours max of movie (yeah, not every single episode of the first season is important to the main plot, but you’d be surprised how many episodes are necessary for the story or feature recurring characters).
I also want to see some non-action scenes and see whether or not these kids will be able to portray the characters the right way. The TV show was pretty goofy at times, but that goofiness made the serious episodes all the more worthwhile. I hope that they don’t get rid of that for the the movie.
I can’t wait till this game comes out in March! Regular readers here will know how much I love the Final Fantasy series, and this latest installment looks gorgeous. I haven’t heard that many good reviews about the storyline though, but even that won’t stop me from getting this game. Enjoy:
Kick-Ass: I already showed you one trailer, but a new red band one has just been released focusing on Hit Girl. Wow, this movie looks even more awesome than I thought. It’s got that Kill Bill/Wanted vibe going (although leaning more to Wanted) and looks, well, kickass! Release Date: 2nd April 2010 (UK), 16 April 2010 (US)
The Karate Kid: Set in an exotic Asian locale, the new film will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth (Jaden Smith) learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor (Jackie Chan). Some films just shouldn’t be remade and I still think Karate Kid is one of those. This doesn’t look as terrible as I imagined it could be, but I still don’t see the point of this movie. (plus correct me if I’m wrong here, but that isn’t karate shown in the trailer, right? And it’s set in China, not Japan?) Release Date: June 2010 (US), July 2010 (UK)
Knight & Day: This movie is about a lonely woman (Cameron Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy (Tom Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source. Kind of getting a feeling of Mr and Mrs Smith with a touch of True Lies. Release Date: 2 July 2010 (US, UK)
Cop Out: Two longtime NYPD partners (Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan) on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. I’ve been hearing a lot about this movie lately, but all in regards to the title change (it was called A Couple of Dicks first). Not sure about it though, doesn’t really look that funny. Release Date: 26 February 2010 (UK, US)
Sex and the City 2: To be honest, I couldn’t care less about this Sex and the City movie. I never got into the tv show and sure as hell didn’t go to the cinema for the first movie. But I know I’m an exception and that (Twilight aside) most girls have been dying for this movie. Release Date: 28 May 2010 (US, UK)
Repo Men: Take the world of Repo! The Genetic Opera, cut away the singing, and you’ve got Repo Men. Set in a world, where you can buy expensive mechanical organs from a company called the Union. If you don’t pay, the repo men are sent to take back what’s theirs, no matter the cost. Jude Law plays Remy, one of the best repo men around, until he suffers a cardia failure and is fitted with a heart from the companyWhen he can’t make the payments, The Union sends Remy’s former partner Jake (Forest Whitaker), to track him down. Release Date: 2 April 2010 (US)
Furry Vengeance: This. Looks. HORRIBLE. A real estate developer (Brendan Fraser) moves his family from Chicago to Oregon when his job calls for him to oversee the building of a major housing development. But when his latest project threatens the homes of the local forest creatures, the animals seek revenge by turning a peaceful cul-de-sac under construction into a battlefield of epic proportions. Release Date: April 2010 (US), May 2010 (UK)
Frozen: A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind dangling high off the ground with no way down. Release Date: 5 February 2010 (US)
Valentine’s Day: The second trailer for this movie. I know it looks quite cheesy, but I’m hoping it has that Love Actually vibe going on. Release Date: 12 February 2010 (US, UK)
Shrek Forever After: There really milking this series, and it’s looking even as more annoying than ever. Release Date: May 2010 (US), July 2010 (UK)
The Bounty Hunter: a bounty hunter (Gerard Butler) who is hired to track down his own ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston), who has skipped out on bail. Release Date: March 2010 (US), April 2010 (UK)
Iron Man 2: Really this trailer deserves a complete post of its own, but it only came out yesterday (so perfect timing for my Trailerrific Thursday). In the sequel, Mickey Rourke plays Whiplash while Sam Rockwell is Justin Hammer, a multi-billionaire businessman and a rival of industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). This looks awesome! Release Date: 7 May 2010 (US)
The Runaways: A coming-of-age biopic about ’70s teenage band The Runaways, with Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Curie. Release Date: 2010
Alice in Wonderland: Wow, this second trailer looks even more amazing! Definitely one of my MUST-SEE movies for next year. Release Date: 5 March 2010 (US, UK)
Hot Tub Time Machine: This is one of those movies that looks funny, but yet at the same time pretty awful. It follows a group of best friends who’ve become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who can’t find the party; Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) won’t leave his basement. After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads’ pounding, in the year 1986. Release Date: 19 March 2010 (US)
Clash of the Titans: I wasn’t that impressed by the first trailer, but this second trailer has me some what more interested. I don’t know why, but I just can’t seem to get too excited for this movie. It looks fun and I’ll most probably end up seeing it, but I can’ find that ‘ohmygodhmygodIhavetoseethatmovie’ vibe. Release Date: 26 March 2010 (US, UK)
Youth in Revolt: I had seen the normal trailer of this, but it just didn’t seem funny. This Red band trailer explains that though: most of the jokes are R-rated. While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, Nick Twisp sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she’ll be the one to take away his virginity. Release Date: 8 January 2010 (US), 5 February 2010 (UK)
Brooklyn’s Finest: Burned out veteran Eddie Dugan (Richard Gere) is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida (Ethan Hawke) has discovered there’s no line he won’t cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And Clarence “Tango” Butler (Don Cheadle) has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz (Wesley Snipes), one of Brooklyn’s most infamous drug dealers. Release Date: 5 March 2010 (US)
Saint John of Las Vegas: An ex-gambler (Steve Buscemi) is lured back into the game by a veteran insurance-fraud investigator. Release Date: unknown
Did You Hear About The Morgans?: I only saw the trailer for this last week, but (in the US) it’s coming out tomorrow! Is that a sign that this movie is really bad? I kind of liked the trailer, it’s not the obvious rom-com. Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker are a married couple with problems on the brink of separating, until they witness a murder and have to go into witness protection. Release Date: 18 December 2009 (US), 1 January 2010 (UK)
Death at a Funeral: Okay, now this trailer isn’t completely horrible, there are some funny things in it… Only it’s an exact copy of Frank Oz’s Death at a Funeral from a couple of years ago. This film is literally an American copy of a UK film. Some funny stuff in it, but you could just as well check out the original. Release Date: 16 April 2010 (US), 4 June 2010 (UK)
When I first heard that Ridley Scott would be doing a Robin Hood movie with a twist, I thought it would be awesome. Around that time the main plot was reported to be much different though and it was an interesting take on a well-known story. I’m not sure how much of that original twist is still in that movie, but none of the descriptions seem to mention it at all. It’s just another Robin Hood movie.
Now maybe that’s just because the twist is actually meant as a shock surprise twist ending that you don’t find out about until halfway (or something like that), which if that is the case would make the film awesome. Seeing this trailer though just makes me think: Gladiator in medieval times. Russell Crowe plays Robin Hood, Cate Blanchett plays Maid Marian.
This is one of those movies that I heard about (castings etc), but never really piqued my interest. But seeing this new trailer… I’m really liking the look of it.
It’s a live action re-imagining of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice segment in Fantasia, which in turn was based on a poem by Goethe. This seems to go way beyond the Fantasia bit and the poem though, with much more back story and side characters. It stars Jay Baruchel as the apprentice, Nicholas Cage as the Sorcerer Balthazar Blake, Monica Belluci as the love interest and (I’m guessing here, but I think I’m right) Alfred Molina as the villain Horvath.
What do you think? I think the visual effects look awesome, and I’m even not dis-liking Nicholas Cage in this. I really want to like this, but I’m a bit hesitant cause the director (Jon Turtletaub) previously gave us National Treasure 1 and 2.
Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, an Invigilator gives them eighty minutes to answer one simple question. He outlines three rules they must obey or be disqualified: don’t talk to him or the armed guard by the door, don’t spoil their papers and don’t leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find they’re completely blank.
Exam debuted a couple months ago at the Edinburgh Film Festival, with a release date in the UK for January 8th 2010, and it looks pretty interesting. The trailer is pretty cool, but again gives away more than I feel comfortable with. Do we really have to see that much of movie? I suggest watching it halfway to three quarters. The final bits seem to spoil too much:
So what did you think? Did you watch it to the end? Too spoilery or not?
Nine: Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother. We’ve already seen one trailer of this, now this new one features Kate Hudson a bit more. I like the look of it, but I’m not familiar at all with the musical it’s based on. Release Date: December 2009 (UK, US limited)
Remember Me: Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since tragedy separated their family. Tyler didn’t think anyone could possibly understand what he was going through until the day he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate. Ugh, Robert Pattinson. So far every movie I’ve seen with him in it, hasn’t succeeded in convincing me the guy can actually act. This trailer gives me a little bit of hope (well, hope may be the wrong word) that he can. Release Date: March 2010 (US)
Greenberg: At a crossroads in his life, Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) ends up housesitting at his brother’s home in Los Angeles. There, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his brother’s assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer. Florence and Greenberg’s encounters lead to an uncertain and wonderfully vulnerable courtship. It’s not your typical Ben Stiller movie, so curious to see how this will be received. Release Date: March 2010 (US limited)
Daybreakers: I already posted a trailer about this a while back, but a shorter TV spot has just been released. I looove the look of this, and is one of the movies I’m looking the most forward to. I still have no idea though when (and if) it will be released here in the UK. Release Date: January 2010 (US)
Season of the Witch: When two knights (Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman) return from the Crusades, they find their homeland ravaged by the Black Plague. The church blames the plague on sorcery, and orders the knights to escort an accused witch (Claire Foy) to a remote abbey , where monks will perform a ritual that they hope will put an end to the pestilence. When they arrive, the knights make a horrific discovery that pits them against a powerful and destructive force. It’s a Nicholas Cage movie, so I’m not expecting that much, but it looks like a okay popcorn flick. Release Date: March 2010 (UK, US)
The Last Station: After almost fifty years of marriage, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), Leo Tolstoy’s (Christopher Plummer) devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family in favor of poverty, vegetarianism and even celibacy. Into this minefield wanders Tolstoy’s worshipful new assistant, the young, gullible Valentin (James McAvoy). Release Date: January 2010 (US), February 2010 (UK)