I swear I just can't win. I get my computer back only to immediately be struck down with a cold. Anyway, I promise NOW I'm actually back to blogging with some regularity, and to prove it here are my thoughts on some of the biggest and brightest trailers to hit the web while I've been away.
To start with we have the latest trailer for Tron: Legacy, the sequel to the 1982 Disney film Tron. The teaser trailer from a couple of months back as well as the samples of the awesome soundtrack by Daft Punk already made Legacy one of my most anticipated movies of 2010 despite not having actually seen the first movie. But after watching this latest trailer I decided enough was enough, and a few days ago I sat down and watched the original. And was largely disappointed.
I guess the blatantly obvious criticism of it is that it's incredibly dated - computer generated imagery in the early 80's isn't much by today's standards, a complaint we will no doubt have of Tron: Legacy in another 25 years time as we're looking down the barrel of the third film (I'm calling it now - it's either going to be called Tron: Generations or Tron: Inheritance). But for the time being at least the CGI in this sequel looks incredibly sleek, and I'll be damned if I don't want one of those light-cycles.
Tron: Legacy will be in theatres from December 17th
Next up is a new entry in another franchise that I'm not particularly fond of. John McTeirnan's 1987 film Predator is beloved by many, but to me it's always been a film who's mediocre action scenes are somewhat overpowered by the barely concealed homoeroticism in every frame. This opinion has always caused some contention amongst my friends, and even resulted in one of the first pieces of film writing I ever did back in the early days of this blog (it to this day remains one of my favourite feature articles I've written - click here to check it out).
But while like Tron my feelings towards the first film can best be described as "meh", I have to say that Predators, the Robert-Rodriquez reimagining/sequel looks fantastic. The casting is absolutely inspired - I'm a big fan of Walter Goggins, Danny Trejo, Lawrence Fishburne and Topher Grace - but the real piece of brilliance here is Adrien Brody, who could not be a more different leading man than Schwarzenneger, but offers the film some serious acting cred.
Predators will be in theatres in the US from July 9th; an Australian release date is yet to be announced.
Finally we have a teaser trailer that has the whole internet going crazy, but one that I am unable to get all that excited about. Edgar Wrights adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic series is one of the movie blogospheres most highly anticipated movies of 2010; admittedly I haven't read the comics and therefore aren't all that excited about the property to begin with, but I flat out do not understand the love for this trailer.
I like the cast, I'm a huge fan of Wright's previous work (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) and the graphic novel/video game inspired action looks to be pretty good if rather silly. But some people are treating this trailer like the second coming. I'm eager to have my perceptions changed, but for now Scott Pilgrim vs. The World seems waaaaaay overhyped.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World will be in theatres in the US from August 6th and in Australia from August 26th.
So which of these movies are you excited for? Are you planning on checking out Tron before you see Tron: Legacy? Is Scott Pilgrim really going to be one of the best movies of 2010? And will Predators tone it down, or will this franchise continue to fly the rainbow flag with pride?
To start with we have the latest trailer for Tron: Legacy, the sequel to the 1982 Disney film Tron. The teaser trailer from a couple of months back as well as the samples of the awesome soundtrack by Daft Punk already made Legacy one of my most anticipated movies of 2010 despite not having actually seen the first movie. But after watching this latest trailer I decided enough was enough, and a few days ago I sat down and watched the original. And was largely disappointed.
I guess the blatantly obvious criticism of it is that it's incredibly dated - computer generated imagery in the early 80's isn't much by today's standards, a complaint we will no doubt have of Tron: Legacy in another 25 years time as we're looking down the barrel of the third film (I'm calling it now - it's either going to be called Tron: Generations or Tron: Inheritance). But for the time being at least the CGI in this sequel looks incredibly sleek, and I'll be damned if I don't want one of those light-cycles.
Tron: Legacy will be in theatres from December 17th
Next up is a new entry in another franchise that I'm not particularly fond of. John McTeirnan's 1987 film Predator is beloved by many, but to me it's always been a film who's mediocre action scenes are somewhat overpowered by the barely concealed homoeroticism in every frame. This opinion has always caused some contention amongst my friends, and even resulted in one of the first pieces of film writing I ever did back in the early days of this blog (it to this day remains one of my favourite feature articles I've written - click here to check it out).
But while like Tron my feelings towards the first film can best be described as "meh", I have to say that Predators, the Robert-Rodriquez reimagining/sequel looks fantastic. The casting is absolutely inspired - I'm a big fan of Walter Goggins, Danny Trejo, Lawrence Fishburne and Topher Grace - but the real piece of brilliance here is Adrien Brody, who could not be a more different leading man than Schwarzenneger, but offers the film some serious acting cred.
Predators will be in theatres in the US from July 9th; an Australian release date is yet to be announced.
Finally we have a teaser trailer that has the whole internet going crazy, but one that I am unable to get all that excited about. Edgar Wrights adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic series is one of the movie blogospheres most highly anticipated movies of 2010; admittedly I haven't read the comics and therefore aren't all that excited about the property to begin with, but I flat out do not understand the love for this trailer.
I like the cast, I'm a huge fan of Wright's previous work (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) and the graphic novel/video game inspired action looks to be pretty good if rather silly. But some people are treating this trailer like the second coming. I'm eager to have my perceptions changed, but for now Scott Pilgrim vs. The World seems waaaaaay overhyped.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World will be in theatres in the US from August 6th and in Australia from August 26th.
So which of these movies are you excited for? Are you planning on checking out Tron before you see Tron: Legacy? Is Scott Pilgrim really going to be one of the best movies of 2010? And will Predators tone it down, or will this franchise continue to fly the rainbow flag with pride?
