Been awhile since the last TRAILER TIME, but, let's face it... 2010 was a TERRIBLE year for movies. What wasn't down right terrible, was instead disappointing, with few exceptions (TRUE GRIT was the best thing I saw in 2010, and TANGLED reminded me what a GOOD Disney movie is supposed to be like... actually it was an overall pretty strong year for animation, with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, DESPICABLE ME, and MEGAMIND all being pretty stand out). There were very few times I was compelled to go to the theater, and even less that I was compelled to own on DVD.
So lets see what's on the deck for 2011...
EVANGELION 2.0: YOU CAN [not] ADVANCE
The first movie of 2011 I've stepped into a theater for... I'll probably do an actual review later, though I'm hesitant to write anything until I've watched it again, so I may wait until the Blu Ray comes out in... Feb/March? Either way, the so called REBUILD OF EVANGELION slowly trickles out in both Japan and North America, and is worth the wait... if you're going to go back and fuck around with your source material, it should be with the intent of making it better, and that's where Hideki Anno succeeds and George Lucas fails. Now, I can't really definitively say that the REBUILDs are better than the original in every respect (I'm not too happy with the changes made to what is my favorite moment of the original series... but, again, I'll bring that up in a later review), but in MOST respects the REBUILDs are far superior; the animation is leaps and bounds, the overall production is as groundbreaking as the original and has an even greater depth and more expansive worldbuilding, and the story is much tighter and more focused and on point. Also, it's just interesting to see how a guys worldview can change in 20 years... while most of the story elements remain unchanged, the REBUILDs are FAR less bleak then the original series, and far less concerned with torturing and isolating the characters. This may turn off fans for the original, who identified with the themes of teenage isolation and the overall intense pre-2000 Emo-ness, but I, personally, prefer the idea of Shinji as becoming a stronger, more resilient and mature, adult over the course of the series, rather than being brow beaten and psychologically tortured into catatonic insanity... though I guess there's still time for that to happen.
At any rate, as you can see from the trailer, EVANGELION delivers on the visuals with spectacular animation and outrageous actions set pieces; to put it short, EVANGELION 2.0 redefines EPIC for a new generation... other movies seem so much SMALLER by comparison to me now... no one does it big like Gainax!
THE GREEN HORNET
Already in theaters, I'll admit that I'm curious, but I have not heard good things, and quite frankly, the trailer has never really sold me... the movie looks schizophrenic; is this supposed to be a comedy, a superhero movie, both? I like Seth Rogan, but do I really want to see him as a bumbling superhero? And if he's not supposed to be bumbling, can I take him seriously as a superhero? It looks all over the place, a confusing mish-mash of various conflicting genres. Still... I am curious. I just wouldn't see it in theaters.
PREIST
Based on a Korean Manwhua that I've never read, but the art looks LOVELY, this looks equal parts pure BAD ASS and stupid as fuck. I imagine it'll be somewhere between ULTRAVIOLET and UNDERWORLD... a Post-Apocalypse monster filled psuedo-religious dystopia filled with cool visuals and hammy acting. Christopher Plumber being in it sort of makes me a little hopeful, but he's only got a very small part. Still, it's got awesome looking monsters, martial arts, and a cool Future/Western motif... there's no way I'm NOT going to watch this. My fear, though, is that it's going to be boring and self righteous, the way all Pseudo-Religious movies are... those both critical and non-critical of religion. At least it's not LEGION...
RED RIDING HOOD
Ok, this looks fucking BULLSHIT... which is why I'm assuming that it will become the biggest movie of 2011. It's a lot of stiff, stilted, performances from impossibly beautiful guys, and an "Look at me! I'm an Auteur!" production design (seriously, the first shot of the trailer with the red cape billowing against the bleak white landscape? What this someones student film?). You can totally tell that this was directed by the chick that did TWILIGHT, because it has all the same bullcrap, replacing acting with smoldering, plot with drama, and a strong female lead with a girl surrounded by guys fighting over her. This movie looks BALL SHRIVELLINGLY TERRIBLE. I'm sure it'll make a billion dollars.
BATTLE: LOS ANGELOS
Wow, they got that sequel to SKYLINE made pretty fast... No, seriously, I'll never understand how Hollywood can make the same movie almost concurrently. Still, is it wrong that I want to see this movie because it's got explosions, monsters, and Michelle Rodriguez, who I will watch in ANY movie? I didn't think so... so, despite the TERRIBLE title, I will see this at some point.
THE FIGHTER
I have a soft spot for boxing movies... I actually don't really care to watch the actual sport of boxing that much, but I love boxing movies... there's something so compelling about the human drama behind a boxer combined with the actual visceral combat element. I'm not a huge fan of Drama... I have little patience for watching just straight biopics because I need a little action in everything I see; boxing movies allow you to have the human drama and the action at the same time. Plus, Mark Wallberg is an actor I trust. He's not a great actor, and that isn't a diss because very few of today's actors are truly great, but he is a GOOD actor, and one of the only guys in Hollywood that seems to actually READ a script. He's made very few movies that I either didn't want to watch, or found to be shitty, so I'll generally see anything Mark Wallberg is in, because I'm assured that it'll probably be good. This actually looks excellent.
YOU HIGHNESS
I don't think I've ever wanted to see a movie MORE than this... this looks fucking AMAZING! James Franco always surprises me with his ability to be funny... there's a stigmatism against the super-handsome having a sense of humor, but James Franco defies expectations by being both super-handsome and super-funny. My favorite line, "... with MAGIC... Motherfucker!" Excellent. I am so excited about this!
I AM NUMBER 4
Ugh... what the fuck is this supposed to be about? The reason why movies where people try to make their own superhero franchise don't work, is because they're all inevitably crappy... like JUMPER for example. This movie looks almost BEAT for BEAT like JUMPER. Another 20-something playing a teenager, looking at his hands like, "Woah... I have powers!" Why are they always surprised they have powers? The worst part about this movie will be the shitty comic tie-in's that I'm predicting either IDW, BOOM, or DYNAMITE will inevitably publish now that WILDSTORM isn't around to do it. I'll probably see this turd eventually, because it has a guy with superpowers and I can't stop my compulsion to watch movies about guys with super powers (I'm in a group... it's being worked out), but I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get angry watching it. Michael Bay's involvement in a movie is never a good sign.
HEARTLESS
This actually looks sort of cool... it's almost like anime. A damaged kid alone against an enemy only he can see, killing cool looking monsters on the streets of London. If it wasn't for the whole "Selling His Soul For Good Looks" beat, I'd be totally on board for this. I really hate that beat... it's cheesy and compromises an otherwise cool character. I really like unconventional heroes; dudes who aren't the handsome, perfect, pretty boys. I like the knarled, scarred, dudes fighting at a deficit against impossible odds. Plus, really? A Birthmark makes him societies outcast? How shallow is London? That is the least hideous birthmark I've ever seen... I had a teacher with a birthmark that covered almost the whole side of his face so that he looked like the Phantom of the Opera, and he still managed to marry a rather attractive woman, and this kid is all like, "I will sell my SOUL to get rid of this minor imperfection!" That's a little far fetched.
THE MECHANIC
JASON STATHAM DELIVERS! This looks awesome... bad ass stunts, big explosions, and Jason Statham being a fucking bad ass. I'll watch just about any movie with Jason Statham in it, because he is Hollywoods last true action star, and unlike most action stars, he can actually sort of act. He's, like... the sensitive bad ass. Plus, I like Ben Foster. He's great at playing creepy guys, and has a cool voice. This movie looks cool, and I'll totally see it.
SUCKERPUNCH
It's embarrassing to admit that I sort of want to see this movie... Zack Snyder is one of those directors who is all surface; polished visuals, admittedly spectacular, with no substance underneath. The problem with that, though, is that he THINKS he's being really deep, much like James Cameron thought that AVATAR was really deep, and that's condescending. This movie REEKS of that... he's trying to present it like there's a deep philosophy here, when there really isn't... it's just an awesome looking psuedo-anime looking ALICE IN WONDERLAND action fetish film. And I wouldn't mind that if he wasn't acting like it was deep. Also... PLEASE get over the slow motion! Slow motion can look very cool when properly used, but he just uses it fucking EVERYWHERE. Dial it back, jackass, and then you'll have a very cool action-porno.
FAST FIVE
YES! Sorry... I have an unapologetic lust for the FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise... but only the ones with Vin Diesel. I like Vin Diesel... like, as a person. He seems like he'd be a great guy to hang out with, plus he always delivers. This movie looks stupid and over the top, but I can accept that because Vin Diesel somehow manages to ground it. I'm SO fucking on board for this movie... my only complaint is NO MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ! You cannot believe how pissed off I was when they killed her in the last movie. I love you Michelle! ;_; On the other side; Vin Diesel? Paul Walker? THE FUCKING ROCK? If I was gay, I'd be blowing my load right now; that's some handome, burly, guys all in the same movie. ^_-
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES
I'm actually excited about this. Although it had it's problems, taken together the first three movies make a decent trilogy, and I just enjoy Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow... it's great to watch a guy who's obviously having a great time acting. Plus... Geoffory Rush? Ian McShane? It's like an ACT OFF between my three favorite actors! Super excited about this.
THOR
THOR actually looks pretty sick. This trailer has been out for awhile, and there's been a lot of debate, but I'm pretty happy with what I'm seeing. The movie looks solid as fuck, hits all the right character points, and... that dude looks like you want Thor to look! Look at his fucking SUPERHERO ARMS! I haven't seen a single superhero movie where the guy actually had a He-Man chest and Superhero arms. Plus; Anthony Hopkins is always great, and he's always having a great time in movies like these. He'll make a good Odin. Overall, I'm excited. Can't say the same about...
GREEN LANTERN
I'll obviously watch this... I can't NOT watch it. I'm a huge nerd. But this trailer makes me worry. The colors are garish, the sets look fake, and, as much as I love Ryan Reynolds, I think he was woefully miscast... this sort of looks like GREEN HORNET (weird that the two GREEN movies would be so similar in their ball dropping...) in that it's a weird mish-mash of comic send-up of the genre, and serious superhero movie. It's a awkward, lumbering, looking affair... and seriously? Hector Hammond is the best villain they could find for the first movie? A creepy looking nerd with a huge head? I will say this though... Mark Strong looks AWESOME as Sinestro, who is also a much better villain. I'm not to excited about this...
ALIENS VS COWBOYS
I liked this movie when it was called OUTLANDER, and the cowboys were vikings. I have no idea what to think of this...
SUMMER WARS
I've already ordered the Blu Ray from AMAZON. It sort of looks like they took the plot to the second part of the DIGIMON movie and turned it into a full movie. I think it looks pretty sick. I'm looking forward to it.
Ok, that's it for now... we'll see what the rest of the year holds sometime in the summer!
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