It's been an inordinate amount of time since we caught up with the "hottest" new trailers around. For that, I apologise. Especially as I quite enjoy writing about some of the trailers. Not so much when they're as thoroughly disappointing like the upcoming Pegg and Frost film 'Paul' and the pointless 'Kung Fu Panda 2' trailer or the embarrassingly unfunny trailer to 'Your Highness'. Although the latter could well be saved Natalie Portman. Hopefully.
After the jump, there are trailers to some more promising films including '127 Hours', 'Blue Valentine' and 'The Fighter'.
127 Hours (US Release: Out now // UK Release: 7 Jan '11)
Danny Boyle teams up with writer Simon Beaufoy to deliver Aron Ralston's true story of idiocy, fortitude and amputation. Plenty of Oscar buzz, not least for James Franco's performance as Ralston. The tonal change halfway through this trailer really blew me away and its use of 'Funeral' by Band Of Horses is sublime. "There is no force on Earth more powerful than the will to live." Or as I used to say, keep hope inside.
Source Code (US: 15 April '11 // UK: TBC)
Duncan Jones deservedly won a plethora of fans for his debut feature 'Moon'. This is his second feature, and he's staying firmly in the sci-fi genre, with a story that seems to be a mix between 'Twelve Monkeys', 'Groundhog Day' and 'The Matrix'. Not sure how they're going to explain any of it, or if they will even try but I'm definitely on board for this ride.
Cowboys & Aliens (US: 29 July '11 // UK: TBC)
'Iron Man' director Jon Favreau tackles another comic book/graphic novel adaptation. And one that seems really silly. However, he seems to be taking it seriously, casting Daniel Craig as the lead actor to add his usual grit to a film. Harrison Ford also unexpectedly turns up. Not that excited about this one just yet.
Blue Valentine (US: Dec 31 // UK: TBC)
'Blue Valentine' seems to have attracted a great deal of publicity for receiving the NC-17 rating from the MPAA in the US (widely considered as a commercial death knell) but has also been heralded as a film. Michelle Williams joins one of my favourite actors, Ryan Gosling, in this hard-hitting drama. Gosling fans might also like to check out the new trailer for 'All Good Things'.
The Fighter (US: 10 Dec // UK: 4 Feb '11)
I'm pretty sure everyone has high hopes for David O Russell's new film 'The Fighter', with both Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale undergoing impressive transformations. Especially the latter, which may finally see him recognised by the Academy, simply for his supreme dedication to his roles. The film itself seems to be in with a strong shout at the Oscars, also.
True Grit (US: 22 Dec // UK: 14 Jan '11)
I'm not entirely sold on the new Coen Brothers film, even with its excellent leading cast, including Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin and Matt Damon. Call me uncouth, but as far as westerns go, I think I'd rather see 'Cowboys & Aliens'. Although the bear on a horse thing did pique my interest....
Battle: Los Angeles (US: 3 March '11 // UK: 25 March '11)
It's not often that you get a trailer that's more than 2 minutes with no dialogue. But when you're pitching an epic war movie, where the antagonist are an alien race invading the world, it's not like you really need dialogue anyway. Visually, this looks like it could be highly entertaining but in a manner closer to 'Saving Private Ryan' than 'Independence Day'.
Sucker Punch (US & UK: 25 March '11)
This is basically Zack Snyder creating a video game with "hot babes". Emily Browning et al set off on what appears to be a magical Macguffin adventure (but isn't really, as explained here) to escape a mental asylum. To be honest, I don't really understand why this isn't just a video game. But I'm willing to give Zack Attack the benefit of the doubt. For now, at least.
Green Lantern (US: TBC// UK: TBC)
Ryan Reynolds might be ridiculous charismatic and attractive but I'm really not convinced by this trailer. I'm only minimally familiar with the Green Lantern character (not to be confused with 'The Green Hornet', which is also being released soon) but I'm not really feeling the story. And the CGI effects are leaving a lot to be desired. Hopefully the second trailer will be an improvement.
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