Previews: The Commuter Trailer, Tomb Raider, More!

Lots to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the brand new The Commuter trailer, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Tomb Raider, and more…

The Commuter Trailer

Here is the brand new The Commuter trailer. The action thriller is about a regular commuter who is forced to find a hidden passenger on his train. The film sees director Jaume Collet-Serra reunite with Liam Neeson following Non-Stop and Unknown. Also starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Sam Neill, The Commuter launches onto UK screens on 19th January 2018.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Trailer

Here is the new Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle trailer. The film is a new adventure based in the world of Jumanji. The film is about four teenagers who are sucked into the jungle world, and stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is set for release on 20th December 2017.

Tomb Raider Trailer

This is the trailer for the new Tomb Raider film, a reboot of the game-set series which starred Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s. Alicia Vikander plays Lara Croft, and the film focuses on the character at the beginning of her career. Also starring Dominic West and Walton Goggins, Tomb Raider is scheduled for release in March 2018.

The Glass Castle Clip

Above is a clip from The Glass Castle. The film is based on the memoirs of Jeannette Walls, focussing on her relationship with her unconventional father. Starring Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, The Glass Castle is out in cinemas on 6th October 2017.

Better Watch Out Trailer

This looks like a lot of fun. Better Watch Out is a Christmas time-set horror comedy about a babysitter who must defend her tween charges from an intruder. The film looks like it has all the ingredients of an entertaining movie, from the trailer above at least. Starring Levi Miller and Olivia DeJonge, Better Watch Out hits UK screens on 8th December 2017.

The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Poster

I was non-plussed about The LEGO NINJAGO Movie but this cat is making it much more appealing. The third LEGO movie, this film is about a group of secret ninja warriors. Featuring the voices of Jackie Chan, Dave Franco, and Justin Theroux, The LEGO NINJAGO Movie is out in UK cinemas on 13th October 2017.

Film Review: Pan

Director Joe Wright’s Pan is an enjoyable fantasy adventure. There are lulls in pace, but overall the film does its job of providing entertainment for a family audience.

Peter Pan is a twelve-year old who lives in an orphanage in London. When he is spirited away to Neverland, he faces marvel and fear on his quest to find his destiny…

Pan functions as a prequel to the Peter Pan story that many know so well. Screenwriter Jason Fuchs takes J.M. Barrie’s famous characters and transplants them to an earlier era of Neverland. The film concentrates on Peter Pan as a boy, meeting and establishing relationships with characters from Barre’s most famous work.

The film starts well, establishing Peter’s circumstances with sufficient humour. Likewise, the introduction to Blackbeard works well to exude a sense of mythos. The choice of chanting in this scene may surprise some viewers. Pan falls into a something of a lull in the middle third. This is chiefly due to the obligatory questioning of self by the protagonist. This section of the film could have been trimmed to improve pacing. Similarly, suggestions of a love story as the film progresses felt like an unnecessary addition.

The conclusion of Pan sees a return of pace with some decent action sequences. Special effects in the film are mostly good; the wood animated sequence is a nice touch. The exception to this is some obvious CGI used for the birds.

Hugh Jackman hams it up in an appealing fashion as Blackbeard. Levi Miller is decent as Peter, whilst Garrett Hedlund does his best Indiana Jones impression. With diversity in the overall cast, it is a shame that Tiger Lily, a female character with a significant role, is played by Rooney Mara. This is particularly the case given the whiteness of the rest of the main cast. Here is a missed opportunity to portray a physically and mentally strong female character as originally intended. It makes the rest of the casting feel tokenistic.

There may be a few scary moments for very young viewers, but older children and adults should find Pan satisfying as an adventure.