Angelina Jolie stars in a Clint Eastwood-directed film about a mother fighting a corrupt police force in an attempt to find her lost 7 year old son. After a 5-month search, the police come up with the boy and return him to Christine Collins (Jolie's character). There's only one problem, the child isn't Christine's...A priest, played by John Malcovich, comes to her aid in fighting for her cause only to have the both of them find out a shocking truth about what is really going on.
The film is set in 1928 and depicts a surprisingly true story of a corrupt LAPD (shocking, I know..) in the 1920s. In a time when women's rights issues and a corrupt local government were the heated topics of political debate, the setting of this movie sets up the tensions and the emotional pull very well in this trailer.
Angelina Jolie is said to have a terrific performance of the lead character and the trailer does her justice. John Malcovich provides excellent support acting and the overall story looks like it flows rather smoothly and promises to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you are not familiar with the controversy that took place in 1928 regarding this case, I urge you to try holding off reading about it until you watch the film. I guarantee it will definitely be worth it. Clint Eastwood has proven his mettle before with his directing capabilities and this is sure to be a box-office hit as well as an award-winning performance for Angelina Jolie!
Opens: October 24, 2008
Just the Trailer: * * * * *
Film Potential: * * * * *
That's our take, what do you guys think?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, we once again see the familiar wacky zoo castaways however this time they’re leaving Madagascar onboard a dilapidated plane piloted by the maniacal penguins. After a big send off by the extremely cute lemurs, the group is flung into the air by a sling shot and the plane starts off into the horizon. However, they, predictably, don’t get very far, running out of fuel and crash landing in Africa.
No new characters are introduced in the trailer, leaving us to think that we’re stuck with those who we’re familiar with: a lion, giraffe, hippo, zebra, penguins, and a horde of lemurs. Again, like the first movie and like all animated features, the movie is filled with quick one-liners and quirky characters which make the film’s simple plot of returning home more bearable and interesting. Personally, I liked the first movie. I thought the lemurs were really cute and the conflict between the characters believable and somewhat interesting. The question here is whether DreamWorks has been able to build upon and top the previous movie. The answer to that is most likely not since that rarely ever happens, and also because the majority of the lemurs are left behind in Madagascar, a major minus in the cuteness category. However, they did not show very much in the preview, lending to the possibility that additional characters will either join them on their journey or at least be encountered, filling a cuteness void left behind by the lemurs.
Opens: November 7, 2008
Trailer: ***
Film: ***
But that’s just my take, what do you guys think?
No new characters are introduced in the trailer, leaving us to think that we’re stuck with those who we’re familiar with: a lion, giraffe, hippo, zebra, penguins, and a horde of lemurs. Again, like the first movie and like all animated features, the movie is filled with quick one-liners and quirky characters which make the film’s simple plot of returning home more bearable and interesting. Personally, I liked the first movie. I thought the lemurs were really cute and the conflict between the characters believable and somewhat interesting. The question here is whether DreamWorks has been able to build upon and top the previous movie. The answer to that is most likely not since that rarely ever happens, and also because the majority of the lemurs are left behind in Madagascar, a major minus in the cuteness category. However, they did not show very much in the preview, lending to the possibility that additional characters will either join them on their journey or at least be encountered, filling a cuteness void left behind by the lemurs.
Opens: November 7, 2008
Trailer: ***
Film: ***
But that’s just my take, what do you guys think?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Bolt
In the world of Hollywood make-believe, Bolt is television’s biggest hero, constantly using his superpowers to save his owner and the world from evil destruction. The only problem is he doesn’t know it’s a TV show. In his determination to save his owner at the end of an episode, Bolt is accidently separated from his handlers and runs free in the real world where his powers are ordinary but his resolve to save his owner from evil is stronger than the man of steel. Teamed up with an emotionally unstable Hamster fan and a cat who he suspects is an accomplice to his TV nemesis, Bolt begins his fearless journey through the real world to save his owner. Along the way, he encounters sharp reality checks as to his lack of superpowers.
Starring John Travolta as the voice of Bolt and Miley Cyrus as his owner Penny, Bolt seems like nearly all Disney and Pixar animated productions, filled with cute characters, quick lines, and goofy scenes. The trailer itself is adequate and does its best to sell a movie with a limited amount of action and mildly interesting scenes between the characters.
Although the trailer depicts a fast paced movie with Bolt and his Matrix style superhero moves during the filming of the TV series, the rest of the movie where Bolt searches for his owner Penny seems filled with long dreadful uninteresting scenes of an overconfident dog and his equally flawed, uncharismatic, and comedically lacking sidekicks. All of the exciting action depicted in the trailer will likely only be a small fraction of the actual movie leaving us at the mercy of the lackluster quirky antics and dialogue between the characters.
To be honest, I’ve always had a soft spot for cute animated animals. However, I can’t help but think that a movie that depicted Bolt as an actual superhero dog would’ve been more exciting and interesting.
Opens: November 21, 2008
Trailer: ***
Film: **
But that's just my take, what do you guys think?
Starring John Travolta as the voice of Bolt and Miley Cyrus as his owner Penny, Bolt seems like nearly all Disney and Pixar animated productions, filled with cute characters, quick lines, and goofy scenes. The trailer itself is adequate and does its best to sell a movie with a limited amount of action and mildly interesting scenes between the characters.
Although the trailer depicts a fast paced movie with Bolt and his Matrix style superhero moves during the filming of the TV series, the rest of the movie where Bolt searches for his owner Penny seems filled with long dreadful uninteresting scenes of an overconfident dog and his equally flawed, uncharismatic, and comedically lacking sidekicks. All of the exciting action depicted in the trailer will likely only be a small fraction of the actual movie leaving us at the mercy of the lackluster quirky antics and dialogue between the characters.
To be honest, I’ve always had a soft spot for cute animated animals. However, I can’t help but think that a movie that depicted Bolt as an actual superhero dog would’ve been more exciting and interesting.
Opens: November 21, 2008
Trailer: ***
Film: **
But that's just my take, what do you guys think?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Splinter
It’s almost Halloween, so you know what that means. Scary movies.
Splinter is your standard indie-horror flick. A couple on a camping trip and an escaped con are trapped in a convenience store by a monstrous creature using splinters to do horrible things to people.
Simply put, the trailer is underwhelming. Most good horror previews are scary by themselves (SEE: The Strangers), but not Splinter. In place of eerie or frightening scenes, there are quick jump cuts, generic roars, and lots of yelling. The few snippets that are disturbing are so short you can’t even see them.
That being said, the film does have some potential. While there are no big name actors or even crew, that is not uncommon for horror films. It allows for an “anybody’s at risk” mentality that has served the genre well. The monster and its effects are only hinted at, so we may get the scares we missed in the trailer.
Opens: October 31, 2008
Trailer: **
Film: ***
But that's just my take, what do you guys think?
Splinter is your standard indie-horror flick. A couple on a camping trip and an escaped con are trapped in a convenience store by a monstrous creature using splinters to do horrible things to people.
Simply put, the trailer is underwhelming. Most good horror previews are scary by themselves (SEE: The Strangers), but not Splinter. In place of eerie or frightening scenes, there are quick jump cuts, generic roars, and lots of yelling. The few snippets that are disturbing are so short you can’t even see them.
That being said, the film does have some potential. While there are no big name actors or even crew, that is not uncommon for horror films. It allows for an “anybody’s at risk” mentality that has served the genre well. The monster and its effects are only hinted at, so we may get the scares we missed in the trailer.
Opens: October 31, 2008
Trailer: **
Film: ***
But that's just my take, what do you guys think?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
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?
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?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
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, 2009Just the Trailer: **** (out of 5)Film Potential: *** (out of 5)
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, 2009Just the Trailer: **** (out of 5)Film Potential: *** (out of 5)
Friday, September 19, 2008
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.
We love feedback!
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!
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