Max Payne

Mark Wahlberg stars in the upcoming Max Payne movie as, well, Max Payne! Max Payne is a New York cop who loses everything he loves including his family and his partner and is out to seek vengeance, whether it is with the badge, or without…



For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Max Payne was originally a video game that was released in 2001 and won critical acclaim from the gaming community for its "Matrix-themed" action sequences and its hard, bullet-biting, gritty noir storyline. The original game was so successful that it spawned a successful sequel. This video game adaptation will definitely draw gaming fans as well as Mark Wahlberg devotees. However, I do see some potential downfalls in the trailer…

First and foremost, the trailer introduces some sort of a mythical monster element to the story; something that was not apparent at all in the gaming storyline and has confused a lot of gamers who have seen the trailer. While it may not make much difference to the average Joe going to see the movie, it may tick off realists who enjoyed the game. Moreover, the film seems to be leaning more towards an artsy film resembling "Sin City" more than the telling of the true story.

On a higher note, the trailer definitely promises a lot of action and explosions packed into the film. And despite the highly "artsy" take on the storyline, the plot seems like it remains very close to the original videogame storyline.

All in all, although I'm hoping I will be proven wrong, I have a bad feeling the movie will be mediocre at best. Still, as an ever-hopeful fan of the game, there's always a chance that the movie will exceed expectations and do an awesome job of adapting the videogame!

Opens: October 17, 2008
Just the Trailer: ****
Film Potential: ***

But that's just my take, what do you guys think?

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The International

Starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, The International is your standard action thriller. Owen plays an Interpol agent trying to bring down a large international bank that is involved in arms dealing, among other seedy business. Owen and Watts, as a New York Assistant DA, go it alone, since the bank is so powerful and so little evidence exists for any government entity to go after it.

The plot info we get from the trailer is rather straightforward, but I see potential for the film to be too complicated, which is common in a lot of these international thrillers. The plot could get so twisted that it ties itself in a knot.

What also worries me is that the trailer didn’t show as much action as I’d have expected. There is a lot of intensity, but not much actual action. What it did show was pretty good, so I’m hoping they are just giving the audience a taste and that the film will have much more. Owen’s convictions drive him and the story forward, so the film should move at a decent pace, assuming the action keeps up.

All in all, the trailer promises action, suspense, and a complex, intense, and engrossing plot. Keep the story as clear-cut as the trailer and up the action, and we just may well have ourselves a decent film. Unfortunately, that may be asking too much.

Opens: February 13, 2009

Just the Trailer: **** (out of 5)

Film Potential: *** (out of 5)

Welcome

It's Friday night. You sit in a packed movie theater with your friends. The lights dim and the first trailer plays. It's full of action, clever one-liners, and great music. When it's over you turn to your friend. "That movie's going to be awesome." But is it? How true is the trailer to the film? What are you not seeing?  That's where we come in.

 

Welcome to the Preview Critics blog. Here, we review new trailers for upcoming films. Sure, we evaluate the quality of the trailer itself, but we also examine the potential for the actual film being previewed.

 

Have an opinion on the trailer or our critique? (We know you do!) Please comment on the posts and rate the trailers yourself. 

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Wait. Who is this "we"? Providing you with the most in-depth analysis and review of these trailers are your very own Dan Koelsch, Abeer Salam, and James Weng. Check out their mini-bios on the side.

 

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!