For A Few Movies More

The Amazing Spider-Man

Directed by Marc Webb

Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans

It seems as though there are a lot of folks out there who are ranking The Amazing Spider-Man as one of their most anticipated films of the year. However at the risk of sounding like a disgruntled movie critic complaining about popular blockbusters, nothing I’ve seen of this reboot has hinted toward anything worth getting excited over. I really enjoyed Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, especially his second instalment which I truly believe is one of the best comic book movies ever made. So I while I may be echoing some unoriginal sentiments here, I just don’t see why this series needs a reboot so soon. A continuation of Raimi’s series could have easily sufficed, plus that way we wouldn’t have to watch Peter Parker’s familiar origin story all over again.

With that said, this latest trailer has swayed my opinion a little. This is the most promising footage showcased yet, successfully highlighting the film’s impressive visuals as well as several of the major set pieces. But more importantly, this is the first time Spidey’s new nemesis, The Lizard, has been shown clearly. And while early leaked images of The Lizard had the Internet rumbling with fear, he looks like an intimidating force here, brought to life with some convincing CGI. So while my enthusiasm for this latest outing for everybody’s favourite web slinger may still be rather subdued, I have little doubt that this major movie event will be at the very least high on entertainment value and visual flair.

Prometheus International Trailer

Directed by Ridley Scott

Starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Fassbender

Ok confession time. I haven’t actually watched this latest trailer for Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel, Prometheus. I already feel the previous trailers have revealed too much, and since this is one of those films that has been shrouded in mystery for so long, I really want to walk into the theatre knowing as little as possible. Besides, even without watching this latest trailer, my anticipation for Prometheus is at an almost unparalleled high, so I’m pretty sure anymore excitement is going to be hazardous to my health.

The Expendables 2

Directed by Simon West

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Despite promising a world of action movie goodness, The Expendables was something of an underwhelming affair. There were some fun moments of silly, over the top action, but on the whole it was a disappointing experience that didn’t capitalise on its supposed 80′s influences. So at the risk of setting myself up for another bout of disappointment, the first trailer for The Expendables 2 has just hit the Net and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look like action movie nirvana. The cast is a walking, talking encyclopaedia of action genre legends, the one liners are cheesy fun, but best of all, the set pieces look amazing. Stallone vs Van Damme? Hell yes! I may have been let down the first time, but I’m crossing my fingers that new director Simon West might be able to tighten the product this time around, allowing for a much more refined bout of old school gunplay.

The Watch

Directed by Akiva Schaffer

Starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Billy Crudup

In case you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of The Watch, this is the Ben Stiller comedy that up until recently was titled Neighbourhood Watch. So why the name change? This is just speculation, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that is has something to do with the recent tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin by overzealous neighbour watch member, George Zimmerman. Name change aside, The Watch is looking like it could be a great deal of immature fun. The trailer may be unpolished and more than a little unfocused, but the potential for hilarity is still evident. There’s no denying that The Watch simply looks like Attack The Block set in the suburbs, but I’m ok with that. Taking into account the lineup of talented comedians the film has for its crew of clueless protagonists, as well as its secretive science fiction elements that have yet to be properly revealed, The Watch has all the components set in place that could see it become a huge comedic hit.

End Of Watch

Directed by David Ayer

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña and Anna Kendrick

So David Ayer may not be my favourite filmmaker in the world, but there’s no denying this established writer/director who hit it big after penning Training Day has a knack for realistically conveying the meanest and toughest streets in LA. It’s plain to see that he’s once again stuck true to this trend in his latest directorial outing, End Of Watch, but this time the perspective through which we’ll be seeing these shady locations has radically changed. Ayer has switched things up in a big way, adopting a found footage format to tell this story of two cops marked for death by the Cartel after making an unexpected discovery. There’s no doubt that many viewers will roll their eyes at the prospect of another found footage film, but the technique seems to gel effectively here. I can’t say I really understand who exactly is filming all this chaos, plus the format does make End Of Watch resemble Cops: The Movie, but the gritty intensity this dialled back look brings is more than enough to make up for such petty complaints. The trailer for End Of Watch looks supremely promising, so this unique spin on the cop drama may be worth keeping a close eye on.

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Directed by Benh Zeitlin

Starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry and Levy Easterly

So here’s a little film that you may not have heard much, if anything, about just as of yet, but that’s sure to change in the upcoming months. Beasts Of The Southern Wild recently played at Sundance and the word of mouth that has followed it has been unanimously positive. And judging by the trailer, it’s hard not to see why. The beautiful footage revealed here clearly highlights the heartwarming emotion flowing throughout this tale of a young girl left to fend for herself after her father becomes ill. This looks absolutely adorable, so much so that I may have to take some time away from all the B-grade action and horror movies left on repeat in my DVD player so I can experience this poignant tale of inner strength. For all those wanting a break from the mega-budget blockbusters that are starting to hit cinemas, I’d say chalk this one down as a must see.

The Dark Knight Rises Final Theatrical Trailer

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring  Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman

I may have already posted this trailer earlier in the week, however  it really does demand a repost. But before I begin my next round of predictable Dark Knight Rises praise, let me begin with an ambiguous lead in…  Movie trailers are a form of advertising. No matter what the film may be, the trailer’s inherent purpose is to convince us to fork out our hard-earned dollars to watch the advertised film in question. But every now and then a trailer ones along that’s much more than an unimaginative form of marketing, as demonstrated by this latest and final trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. Plain and simple, this is art of the highest calibre. Oh yeah, and the movie looks pretty good too…