Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
With last weekend featuring the annual San Diego Comic Con, there's the promise of big trailers for the upcoming year's big movies. The following is a rundown of every trailer shown at the convention as well as the familiar Trove or Trash judgment.
Blair Witch
As someone who actually finds value in the found footage genre, I have to admit that The Blair Witch Project is a film that I particularly find overrated and haven't given much thought. With that said, I do think that there's something ingenious about a sequel in which family members of the survivors go hunting. I'm unsure if this will be a found footage genre movie or not, but it definitely seems to be adapting a lot of the moments that made the original so iconic. I don't love it, as the trailer hits all of the familiar beats. However, the promise of a film from director Adam Wingard makes me a little enthusiastic, as You're Next is actually pretty good. Still, going to have to hold off on this one unless the reviews are through the roof positive.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trash
Suicide Squad
My general rule of thumb with Trailing Off is that I do not do trailers that are this late into the marketing. Having been the king of the crop from last year's Comic Con, the idea of selling yet another trailer for a movie out in two weeks seems just wrong. The footage is just as assuring as everything else that I've seen, though I do my best to avoid them because of how much they give away. This film still looks fun, and a "final trailer" was bound to be released anyways. But still, what was the point of releasing this at Comic Con?
TROVE OR TRASH: Trash
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
It looks fine and all, but it doesn't answer the decade-old question of when Guy Ritchie will finally fulfill his promise and deliver The Real RockNRolla.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trash
Doctor Strange
I forget if I gave the original trailer a Trove or Trash, but the film has definitely grown on me. While the first trailer definitely has plenty of curios to get me excited, this trailer does correctly what Suicide Squad's latest doesn't. There's an expansion on the world of the film while highlighting ambiguous visuals and supporting cast. There are whole scenes that are mesmerizing and make me more excited than I was to see how they pull it off. This is probably a good sign of things to come, if just because I can say that Marvel has yet to release a superhero film like this, and that may be a good thing.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trove
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I will admit that my general interest in this film is pretty low. I am not someone who clings to the phenomenon of Harry Potter. With that said, this trailer captures a pretty fun atmosphere and gives me a good understanding of what the film will be about. Much like with Doctor Strange, the trailer's biggest benefit is that it opens up on the visuals and supporting cast, making the film feel richer. Even if I don't intend to see it immediately, I do think that this trailer does a great job of making me want to, if just because there's a sense of adventure on display that I find very admirable.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trove
Justice League
It is tough to assess this movie without recalling the recent Batman v. Superman film. While I didn't hate it as much as most, there is that lingering sense that Zack Snyder is going to botch it something bad with DC's franchise. With that said, Justice League gives us a first look at half of the new players, and there's plenty to like. The trailer does at times feel a little uneven and more highlights the supporting players. However, it has enough that makes me hope that someone gave Snyder editing notes and that this will be something worthy of attention. If anything, I like the comical nature that seems to be on display.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trove
The LEGO Batman Movie
As someone who was not a fan of The LEGO Movie, I have to admit that I don't get the appeal of this movie. I also don't get why it is a high profile spot at Comic Con. What is so special about taking a popular superhero and making him out of LEGO? This makes no sense, and the trailer does little to win me over.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trash
Kong: Skull Island
On the bright side, I do think that this is a well made trailer for establishing the fear of what King Kong is likely to be. However, I am not sold on the fear of researchers going to an island with guns and restaging what looks like Platoon. It is a film that could be good, though I think solely exists for a planned battle movie with Godzilla - who got his own excellent movie a few years back. However, if there's one thing that is rather troublesome, it is that I don't get why this movie needs to exist. While there will never be anything on par with the original, I still think Peter Jackson did as well as we're likely to get on a modern big scale version of the story.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trash
Wonder Woman
In what seems like a big year for DC, this was the obvious one to look out for. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Wonder Woman solo movie adaptation, so the stakes are high. As it stands, I find myself impressed by what I see so far. The action looks solid and there seems to be a nice blend of humor and story establishment. For a teaser, it gives enough away to suggest that this is going to be the studio's big film for next year. If nothing else, the best part of Batman v. Superman finally has its own movie, and I cannot wait to see what that turns out to be.
TROVE OR TRASH: Trove
BEST: Wonder Woman
WORST: Suicide Squad
Comments
Post a Comment