Previews: Wonder Woman Trailer, Baby Driver, More!

A plethora of film-related goodness in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including Wonder Woman trailer, Baby Driver, Atomic Blonde and more…

Wonder Woman Trailer

Here is the latest Wonder Woman trailer. The film is something of an origins story for one of the most famous female superheroes. Starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Connie Nielsen, the film is directed by Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman hits the big screen on 2nd June 2017.

Baby Driver Trailer

Here is the trailer for Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. The film is about a young getaway driver who wants to ditch his criminal life. The film stars Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx. Baby Driver arrives in UK cinemas on 16th August 2017.

Transformers: The Last Knight Clip

This new clip does not reveal too much about the plot of the latest Transformers movie. Transformers: The Last Knight sees humans at war with the machines from another planet. Michael Bay’s film stars Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Hopkins. Transformers: The Last Knight is set for release later this year.

Life Poster

The latest poster for Life focuses has a suggestion of Gravity about it. Life is about a group of scientists aboard the International Space Station who discover a new life form. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds. Life is out in UK cinemas on 24th March 2017.

Atomic Blonde Trailer

Charlize Theron is deadly in this trailer for Atomic Blonde. She plays an MI6 agent tasked with delivering a priceless dossier. She is joined by James McAvoy and John Goodman. Atomic Blonde will hit UK screens on 11th August 2017.

Lady Macbeth Trailer

Lady Macbeth is the debut feature film from theatre director William Oldroyd. The film is about a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to a man twice her age. The film stars Florence Pugh and Cosmo Jarvis. Lady Macbeth will be released in UK cinemas on 28th April 2017.

Rough Night Trailer

Rough Night is about a group of former college friends who accidentally kill a male stripper. The film looks like a cross between Very Bad Things and Weekend at Bernie’s. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, and Zoë Kravitz. Rough Night will hit UK screens on 16th June 2017.

Previews: Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer, Goodfellas, More!

This week’s preview of coming attractions features the new Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer, Baywatch, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, The Mummy, and more…

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

Here is the full Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer. The film seems to be very much in the style of the recent Marvel films, not least with the appearance of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Starring Tom Holland as the title character, and featuring Michael Keaton and Marisa Tomei, Spider-Man: Homecoming is set for release on 7th July 2017.

Baywatch Trailer

Here is the trailer for the Baywatch film. Whilst it is yet another film reboot of a television show, this one looks like it will be a lot of fun. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, and Priyanka Chopra, the film reprises the characters from the original television show.  Directed by Horrible Bosses‘ Seth Gordon, Baywatch will be released in Summer 2017.

Goodfellas Trailer

Here is the first new Goodfellas in 25 years, produced for the 4K restoration of the film. The film is being re-released UK-wide, and as part of the BFI’s Martin Scorsese’s retrospective season which runs from 1st January-28th February 2017. The classic gangster film will be re-released in UK cinemas on 20th January 2017.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 Trailer

Baby Groot is just enchanting. Here is the first real look at next year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Guardians of the Galaxy was a brilliant mix of action, spectacle, comedy, and music, and the sequel seems to offer the same. The film sees the return of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voice of Bradley Cooper. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will hit UK screens on 28th April 2017.

Live By Night Poster

Here is the latest poster for Live By Night. Director, screenwriter and star Ben Affleck channels the classic gangster movie with his latest. Affleck collaborates with author Dennis Lehane once again (after Gone Baby Gone) for the Boston-set thriller. Featuring an all-star cast, Live By Night will be released in UK cinemas on 13th January 2017.

The Mummy Trailer

Here is the trailer for Universal’s The Mummy. The film is another incarnation of the series of films, the first of which was released in 1932. This version stars Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, and Annabelle Wallis. Much of the action seems to take place in London, continuing the trend of city being destroyed in big-budget movies. The Mummy will hit UK screens on 9th June 2017.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Here is the trailer for the latest Transformers movie, the fifth in this franchise. Mark Wahlberg returns in Transformers: The Last Knight, along with Stanley Tucci, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson. Anthony Hopkins also joins the cast this time around. Transformers: The Last Knight is set for release in Summer 2017.

Film Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction certainly offers spectacle, thanks to great special effects and sound design. It is a pity that not as much effort was put into the plot of Michael Bay’s film.

Five years after the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons took place in Chicago, all alien robots are considered to be a threat by the US government. With Autobots being hunted down, when an self-styled inventor buys an old truck, he thinks he has found a Transformer…

Like the previous Transformers movies, Age of Extinction suffers from the problem of visual style over narrative substance. It seems like a lack of thought has gone into the story and plotting, which detracts from the positive aspects of the film.

The plot of Transformers: Age of Extinction is riddled with holes. There are elements that are introduced at the beginning of the film that are swept aside, or not really dealt with in any tangible way. There are various narrative strands at play, which explains the lengthy run time. However, some of these strands do not tie in successfully with others.

Transformers: Age of Extinction suffers from the problem of having to juggle various narrative elements, yet even with this abundance of activity the film lacks depth and purpose. Bay’s film feels overlong; there is too much in the first half of the film that could have been trimmed down.

With the various elements being introduced at the beginning of the film, at one point it appears as if screenwriter Ehren Kruger may have something interesting to say about threat and the nature of alien. However this gives way to the everyman story of Mark Wahlberg’s Cade and his family, which simply is not engaging. At least Stanley Tucci’s character shows some personality. Any hopes of a more tangible narrative are dashed by the undisguised product placement and the most overt political propaganda (in order to appease or appeal to a specific market).

Transformers: Age of Extinction redeems itself slightly with the climactic action scenes, which offer spectacle and some excitement. Visual effects are superb, with action scenes looking fantastic on an IMAX screen. Sound also works well to cement a sense of spectacle.

Most viewers who flock to see Transformers: Age of Extinction will not care what the reviews say. However, even these cinemagoers may hanker for a little more depth and narrative coherency.

What is Battleship?

I went to see Battleship yesterday evening, and I am still mulling over what I watched. Many may be surprised that Peter Berg’s film inspires such meditation, but it truly does. After some deliberation, I have narrowed the possibilities down to three: Battleship is either a silly blockbuster, an uneven farce, or a sly spoof. Below, I shall elaborate on this (spoilers ahead)…

Silly Blockbuster

At face value, Battleship seems to be exactly this. A thread-bare plot, with more emphasis being placed on the set pieces than anything else. Peter Berg’s film perhaps illustrates the worst aspects of the modern blockbuster; scant attention paid to the script, a lack of characterisation and not even a decent high-concept premise. Instead, the film is filled with explosions, gunfire and hot young stars (Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna and Alexander Skarsgård). Well that’s all a blockbuster aficionado requires, right?

Uneven Farce

Perhaps Peter Berg intended Battleship to be a farce. Straight-faced characters deal with the most implausible of events, and keep striving no matter how absurd the situation becomes. Despite knowing nothing about the aliens and armed with only one gun, Samantha and co decide to ram into the satellite station, which is swarming with invaders.  The navy vetrans’ involvement. This is surely the stuff of farce. The reason it is uneven is because these events are not consistently funny, almost as if they had not been written for laughs. Although reflecting on them, Battleship would probably be even more amusing if viewed solely as a farce.

Sly Spoof

Battleship could be a spoof of the Michael Bay blockbuster packaged as a straightforward blockbuster for mass consumption. After all, the elements are all there. The poor dialogue of the Michael Bay blockbuster is elevated to ludicrous levels in Battleship. Berg’s film goes beyond Transformers by basing his film on a toy that does not even have a semblance of a plot, or actual characters. Even the volume and the level of implausibility are pushed to the limit. As a comment on the Michael Bay blockbuster (and, in fairness, a number of other directors), Battleship spoofs the lack of originality present. If the film does good business, then Battleship would have proved how audiences lap up even the most tenuous of films. At this stage, it is too premature to say ‘well played, Mr Berg’.

Battleship is out in cinemas now. Perhaps someone could let me know exactly what the film is.

Film Review: Battleship

There comes a time in everyone’s life when only trashy Hollywood nonsense will do. When that moment arrives, Battleship is the perfect watch.

Alex Hopper is going nowhere fast when his older brother signs him up to join the US Navy. Alex’s temper shows during an international naval games competition, and he fears for his future in the navy. Before his outcome is decided, an attack occurs during the war games exercise…

Peter Berg’s Battleship has several parallel’s with Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. Viewers could be mistaken into thinking they are watching a Michael Bay film, but for the lack of a slow-motion shot of the American flag. Battleship is also based on a Hasbro game, although it does not have quite the same animation heritage to draw from as Transformers did.

The plot of Battleship is slight to say the least. There is a little character development before the action commences, but this does little to make the main characters appear more three-dimensional. Instead, the audience is offered a handful of characters to root for, in order to humanise the action.

Dialogue is truly something in Battleship. There are some amusing lines during the course of the film. However, hilarity often ensues from the lines that presumably are meant to be serious. This adds to the overall enjoyment of the Battleship viewing experience.

Production values are pretty much faultless. Effects and production design are good, working effectively in the big set pieces. Some of the shots look as if they were meant to be filmed in 3D, with sharp angles  pointing in the direction of the audience. As it stands though, Battleship is a 2D film. The sound is bombastic, as expected from a blockbuster of this kind.

Kudos to the cast, who manage to remain straight-faced throughout proceedings. Taylor Kitsch is a better actor than the film betrays, as is Alexander Skarsgård. Rihanna actually does a suitable job in her acting debut.

Battleship is entertaining enough if it is not taken seriously. Those expecting anything more should give the film a wide berth.

Trailer Round-Up

Last week was a slow week for trailers, so I decided to carry any forward to this week’s round-up. Despite the teasers for the Prometheus trailer, it is not being unveiled until Sunday. But this week with have the first trailer for Dark Shadows, a new Battleship trailer, Now is Good and a new Mirror Mirror featurette.

Dark Shadows

From the stills released earlier this year, this was not what I was expecting from Tim Burton’s update of 1960s television show Dark Shadows. Set in the 1970s, the film appears to be far more camp than gothic. There is also more comedy than I was expecting. This is not necessarily a bad thing, readjusting expectations to view Dark Shadows as a comedy makes it appear rather fun. Dark Shadows is released on 11th May 2012.

Battleship

From the toy company that brought you Transformers… There are definite parallels between this Hasbro toy product-based film and the Michael Bay franchise. I am hoping Battleship is going to be the hottest mess of the year. It should be suitably ridiculous, and shouldn’t take itself too seriously. Whatever the outcome, at least the presence of Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård will make the film easy on the eye. Battleship is released on 11th April 2012.

Now is Good

This looks as if it will be a bit of a tearjerker. Based on Jenny Downham’s novel Before I Die, Now is Good is about teenager Tessa, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Dakota Fanning has proved herself to be a capable actress, but her English accent in the above trailer sounds less than authentic. Now is Good is released on 25th May 2012.

Mirror, Mirror

Having undergone a sensible name change, Mirror Mirror seems a very family-orientated film. It is a lot more camp than Snow White and the Huntsman, which is out later in the summer. Above is a featurette about Armie Hammer’s character in the film. Mirror Mirror is out on 2nd April 2012.

Film Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is pretty much the quintessential Michael Bay movie. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your predilection for the director’s work.

Since the last war with the Decepticons, the Autobots have been living on Earth peacefully and helping the humans with their conflict problems. When the Autobots hear about a Cybertronian spacecraft that was found on the moon by humans, they race to get hold of it. The Autobots and humans must ensure its cargo does not get into the hands of the Decepticons…

Transformers: Dark of the Moon suffers from the same ailments as its predecessor, Revenge of the Fallen. It may look and sound great, but there is very little substance to the film beyond this. The narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Although the initial premise sounds quite adequate for a second sequel, its execution lets the movie down.

Lessons were not learnt from the last film. The pacing in Dark of the Moon is off; too much time is spent building up to the ending action. As a result, the ending is anticlimactic. It feels protracted; there are too many lulls before the big fight. Any momentum that had been building is offset but a lack of strong direction. The film goes on for far too long. There are plenty of scenes that could have been trimmed significantly, or even omitted altogether.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger’s dialogue is terrible at times, especially from the machines. There is humour to be found in the film, particularly around the central character of Sam. However, the film relies on crude national stereotypes in its depictions of the Autobots and Decepticons. The cartoon series has much greater character development than this film. Elsewhere, the lack of attention to detail is just as palpable. New characters are introduced, yet some of them just disappear before the final third of the film.

The effects are superb, and the entire film has a glossy sheen. Dark of the Moon is also one of the rare cases where it is worth seeing a live-action movie in 3D. The sound is bombastic, pulsating through the action sequences. However, Steve Jablonsky’s score is sometimes reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight soundtrack. This is compounded by a set piece where the action and location are strikingly similar to one in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film.

Performances vary throughout the film. Shia LaBeouf is amusing as ever as Sam. John Malkovich is good, but underused in his role. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, however, is atrocious. Although the role of Carly requires her to do little but look attractive and be rescued, she is incredibly inauthentic.

So much energy was expended in the special effects for Dark of the Moon, and it really shows in the end product. It is a pity not even a small percentage of this effort was put into the screenplay.