Loading ...Trailer Roundup: May 4th Edition
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Loading ...by Dale J. Nauertz
It’s summer once again, ladies and gentlemen. The weather is warm, the sun is shining, and, if you’re anything like me, you drink outside and play a couple rounds of golf in a token effort to enjoy the summertime before retreating into an air-conditioned theater to watch months worth of big dumb action movies.
Though, surprisingly, this summer’s crop doesn’t look as big or dumb as those of years past. Are we in for a summer of intelligent, character-driven films that don’t skimp on the spectacle? I don’t wanna go that far. But aside from some bigger, dumber than usual entertainments (”The Love Guru” and “Speed Racer” come immediately to mind) and some that are pretty shrug-worthy (another damned Narnia movie and the “Hulk” reboot with William “Slick Willy” Hurt and Edward Norton, for example) most of this season’s big ticket items at least look more polished and accomplished. After all, the first film unleashed into multi-plexes is “Iron Man” which features such diverse and talented individuals as Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow. Say what you will about that crop of actors but you’ve got to admit it’s more promising than a cast composed of Shia LaBouf, some random Maxim cover girl and Ben Affleck.
And then there’s the one-two punch of “The Dark Knight” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls” which both have new trailers out for your consideration.
The Dark Knight can be viewed here
The latest Indiana Jones can be seen right here
My first impressions of these second trailers? Well, “The Dark Knight” looks cool, moody, atmospheric and incredibly dynamic. In short, it looks like a Batman movie should. I thought “Batman Begins” was mediocre the first time I saw it but in the intervening years I’ve come to love the damned thing. I still prefer Tim Burton’s original “Batman” film, however, and nothing is probably ever going to change that. But, for those keeping score at home, I didn’t like Burton’s “Batman” all that much the first time I saw it either. Maybe “Batman” movies are like Kubrick films for me: I simply take them in on the first sight and grow to appreciate them on subsequent viewings. That’s why I don’t entirely rule a movie out even after I’ve seen it once. You just never know how a movie will change for you if you’re in a different mood or after a couple of years have passed. But, anyway, “The Dark Knight” looks awesome. Here’s hoping that Christopher Nolan has gotten better at shooting coherent action sequences in the past three years. If so, this could be the greatest comic book movie of all time. It certainly has potential!
As for the new Indy trailer, well, I really wanna love it but Steve and George aren’t giving me a lot to work with. Once the thrill of seeing footage from a new Indy movie passed, I thought the original teaser was sorta “meh”. But I couldn’t even get excited about this trailer on the first go-round. I love Indiana Jones as a character and I’m still going to be there opening day (even though I’ll be on my honeymoon when it comes out I’m sure I’ll still make it into a theater, the fiancee and I are both big Indy fans) but I’m surprisingly unmoved by the footage Steve and George have unveiled thus far. Basically this new trailer just gives us longer looks at the set pieces that were shown in the teaser. It gives us nothing new, really, and nothing to get the old adrenaline flowing. There’s nothing in this trailer that compares with The Joker standing near the flaming foundation of a building in “The Dark Knight” trailer, for example, or “Iron Man” soaring majestically through the heavens.
But, still, any summer that brings us a new Indiana Jones movie, a new Hellboy movie, a Batman spectacle that looks as promising as “The Dark Knight”, something that looks as endearingly goofy and fun as this AND a new Weezer album has a lot going for it. At least this year I don’t have to pretend to give a shit about a new Bourne movie or a Thundercats adaptation or something. This year there are things I can be legitimately excited for.
As always, please share your thoughts. Defend Narnia and Speed Racer, call me a prick, proclaim Spielberg an overrated tool, extoll the greatness of Shia LeBouf, or whatever floats your boat on our lovely message boards!
