This is one of the most impressively non-descriptive teasers I have ever seen,
an especially bad sign for a movie that is based on a ride at Disney World.
All this promo shows is a silly tagline about how for some people the
Caribbean islands are a curse with a fast-moving ocean background, followed by
a CGI shot of a bunch of islands in the shape of a skull, and then a big
skeleton foot stepping on the ground. So what did we learn about the movie?
Not much, other than the fact that Disney can do pretty things with
computers. Teasers, while fairly ambiguous, often at least give the viewer
some idea of what might happen in the movie. Here, we have no more of an idea
than we did simply by reading the film's title. While most teasers get you
excited for the real full-length trailer, this one just left me chuckling.
Definitely not a good sign.
This is a quirky-looking comedy starring Steve Guttenberg about a man who has
a miserable New Year's Eve. First his girlfriend leaves him, then his cat
dies, and then a burglar shows up at his house trying to rob him. However,
the man ends up catching the burglar, and holds him hostage for New Year's
Eve. The preview itself was extremely short, and it really didn't do too much
to interest me. While this could be a very funny movie, it really suffers
from an extremely poor title and a rather mediocre trailer.
"Artsy" movies always seem to face a similar dilemma in their advertising-
should they try and appeal to a larger audience by making the movie seem like
something its not, or should they stay true to their roots and make an ad that
only film connoisseurs will appreciate? Russian Ark chooses a path more
similar to the former option, and advertises itself as essentially a gimmick.
The entire film is a single shot, set in the Hermitage Museum in St.
Petersburg, telling the story of over 300 years of Russian history. The
film's gimmick is an interesting one, and perhaps it will entice a slightly
larger crowd than any other film about Russian history would. Nevertheless,
this is the kind of movie with what you might call a "niche audience", and no
amount of advertising is going to change that.
The recent glut of teen comedies goes for a slightly older look here, in a
story about a bunch of college friends who try to restart their fraternity
even though they're now out working in the real world. The film stars Luke
Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn, although Seann William Scott does make
his requisite appearance. From the trailer, it would appear that Ferrell is
the real star of this movie, as he is the one who gets most of the jokes. The
film really doesn't look like that much more than your typical SNL movie
disguised in the teen comedy mold. The spot really doesn't have any laugh-out-
loud moments, which is unfortunate, as this is definitely the type of movie
that relies on a knock-out trailer to bring in an audience. Overall, I was
not too impressed with this preview- this film seemed to have a lot more
potential than the trailer is showing.
Gwyneth Paltrow stars as country girl whose only dream is to become a flight
attendant for a big airline in this comedy. I was particularly impressed by
the cast here, which includes Mike Myers, Candice Bergen, and Mark Ruffalo.
Airlines are always a great source for gags, as evidenced by recent movies
like Meet the Parents, as well as the trailer for next spring's Anger
Management. Paltrow looked right in place in her role as the small-town girl,
further proof that she really can play any role that is given to her. While
none of the jokes had me rolling on the floor, they were all cute. It will be
interesting to see how this movie is received by audiences, considering the
number of big names in the cast in combination with a relatively low-profile
release.
Like everyone else, I enjoyed the first X-Men movie. It was a great, fun
action flick that managed to avoid being overly geeky and instead appealed to
a very wide audience. Also like everyone else, I have been ravenously
awaiting the film's sequel, and was overjoyed to see its trailer released last
week. While it did not get me quite as excited for the movie as I was hoping,
it still will suffice to tide me over until X2 is actually released. Like any
promo for a sequel, this one makes sure to show all the characters from the
first film who are returning, as well as glimpses at the new additions to the
cast. There's a whole bunch of action, as well as hints at the mysteries that
will be addressed in the film. Despite all this, though, I was slightly
disappointed in this trailer. It certainly is very good, but it's not great-
it seems to be lacking that extra oomph so often found in the trailers
for "event movies" like this one. Still, the trailer does not make the movie,
and I still hope and expect that X2 will follow in the footsteps of X-Men and
be a great action movie.
The trailer for this martial arts movie is not so much a trailer, as it is a
single scene from the move. However, this is more than enough to get any fan
of the genre drooling. Featuring an incredible combination of special effects
that reminds me of both The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the
stunts in the fight scene are absolutely jaw-dropping. I suggest any martial
arts enthusiasts immediately download this trailer and keep the film on their
radar.
Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson star in this romantic comedy about a woman
writing an article for a Cosmo-type magazine on how to lose a guy in just ten
days. At the same time, a suave ladies' man takes a bet that he can get any
girl to fall in love with him. The girl that is picked for him, of course, is
the magazine writer. Comedy ensues as the writer immediately begins trying to
completely freak the guy out, while the guy attempts to grin and bear it all.
The trailer was actually far more humorous than I was expecting; I was
particularly amused by the computer-generated family photo album that Hudson
gets made to try and scar McConaughey away. This looks to be a very smart
romantic comedy, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it get some very good buzz
from audiences as the trailer starts getting seen.
Ah, popcorn flicks at their finest. The Terminator series is revived with
this third installment, scheduled to hit theaters next July. This time, the
cyborg killer takes the form of a beautiful woman, and of course it's up to
Ahnald to defeat her and save all humankind. It now having been over a decade
since the last Terminator movie, moviegoers are certain to be eagerly
anticipating this film's release, especially now that they have seen the
trailer. All the catchphrases are back in fine form, although the trailer
makes it quite clear that Schwarzenegger's female counterpart is a big part of
the story, and not merely eye candy. Whether this new addition will breathe
new life into the series or simply ruin the classic formula already in place
remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I have a strong feeling that audiences will
take well to the feminine twist. This is a great spot that it is sure to have
moviegoers reminiscing for the classic Terminator films, and waiting with
baited breath forthis new installment.
Jim Carrey looks to be back in form for this comedy about a man who gets the
power of God for one week. We can all imagine some of the slightly selfish
things we'd take advantage of if we had this ability, and this is what the
trailer focuses on. The preview is utterly hilarious, from the walking on
water to the background music. Admittedly, the running joke with the dog on
the toilet got a bit old, but it was still very funny. This is the type of
trailer that, if it starts making the rounds now, is sure to be on everyone's
minds throughout the spring, and will have lots and lots of people very
interested in seeing it. A very well-done preview for what looks to be a very
funny movie.
