Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – Fury

Posted: June 25, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure, Drama | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I have been waiting for a war movie focused on tanks.  Seriously.  I find that environment to be fascinating due to its close quarters (similar to a submarine).  It has a wonderful ability to exemplify teamwork, strife, leadership, emotions and intense pressure.  How do people persevere?  How come they don’t?  Too many questions to list here, but you get what I am saying.  The good news is that this film has tanks, Brad Pitt and Michael Pena.  The bad news is that it also has Shia LaBeouf.  I am just not that big a fan of his acting.  I think he is a bit overrated.  Maybe the trailer folks understood that because he is not shown that much.  The setup of the film appears to take the viewers on this journey through the eyes of a newbie tank member.  A very time tested and effective way for the viewers to be fed everything they need to stay alert and informed during this film.  I am very much interested at what new ways this film will be shot for purposes of exploring the tank battles.  What new visuals will turn up that can help bring the chaos and emotion of war from this enclosed steel box.  Also, David Ayer is at the helm.  Someone that has been in the writing and direction of gritty street crime and police action dramas.  Certainly, based on the way the trailer looks as well as Brad Pitt’s character stating the words killing and dieing numerous times, gritty will be making an appearance over in this film.  The pinnacle of this trailer is the question of whether this crew and its tank will survive its greatest challenge of succeeding against insurmountable odds which as viewers leaves you something to ponder and wanting more.

Verdict: Call the babysitter. Going to the theater.

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – The Interview

Posted: June 16, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Comedy | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Isn’t it great that these types of movies can be made in Hollywood? Seth Rogen (not the biggest fan but can appreciate the work) is able to push the envelope with silly ideas, and thankfully, James Franco joins him down the rabbit-hole.  It’s always a sign of good movie viewing for the audience when you have two actors that have great on film chemistry. Also, it just seems that the characters Franco plays in his co-starring roles with Rogen are believable, and that he would be them in real life.  I guess that’s the sign of a great actor? OK.  First impressions on the film from the trailer, this is like a smarter and slicker and certainly more hyper version of Spies Like Us smashed with Team America. Lots of surreal action sequences litter the trailer with a lot of screaming faces and overacting. I love that as I am big fan on the physical and facial comedy. Rogen has been on a hot streak with his movies lately especially with his writing partner and friend Evan Goldberg. So, we have some nice entertainment precedent leading into this film. Speaking of Rogen and Goldberg, they were running around on the podcast circuit last year promoting This Is The End. One of my favorites was their conversation with comic Marc Maron on the WTF podcast. Some insightful and dear I say inspirational talk into how a couple of friends from Canada have navigated and stuck together in following their dreams of making movies. You should definitely take a listen to the interview.

 

Verdict: Kids are asleep. Watching it on VOD.

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – The November Man

Posted: June 10, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Thriller | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ready or not here I come I gonna find you! Wow. I liked that new cover version! Totally brings me back to The Fugees.  My initial impression (this was a teaser trailer) is that this no different than anything else out there in terms of action, revenge, training that younger assassin version of yourself, yada, yada.  I was very bored with the trailer.  The speech by Pierce Bronsan’s character about bullet speed travel overlayed with the action of firing the gun felt like it should be something that should be released directly to VOD.  Poor quality and execution.  The trailer makes the film appear to be JV material.  Which is too bad considering it will showcase two former Bond characters.  The only thing remotely interesting in this trailer is that cover song.  And, then you see that this film is directed by Roger Donaldson who made some amazing late 80s films, and who knows! But, a late summer release for this film?! I don’t know about you, but I think the timing would be more appropriate if it was more, oh I don’t know, in the November man.

Verdict: I have diapers to change. Not wasting my time.

 

 

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – Hercules

Posted: June 7, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I am exhausted.  How many mythical creatures were killed in the filming of this movie?! I am little behind on my mythology of Hercules, but did he kill these many creatures and over what span of time? I am not saying this as some huge animal lover thing, but more as, where does Hercules find the time?!  Then, he has to go defeat an arm of the dead, and then before all that he has to mourn the loss of his family, and then grow into what we all know is Hercules.  I mean there is a lot of personal growth here, and this stuff just doesn’t happen over night.  Whew!  I  hope in the actual film they skip ahead a few years because frankly there is too much here which beckons the real question, will there be any plot to this film with so little time? Probably not.  Now, I know what type of film this is.  Summer popcorn action.  So, don’t worry.  I am not trying to compare this to a film that would be nominated for awards.  This film looks like a wonderful film to see in theaters if your air conditioner is broken or a great movie to enjoy later on cable.  So, let’s get the first impressions out of the way.  It looked like Gladiator especially with the scenes of the family walking in the fields, and the whole great warrior coming home to find his family killed thing.  This trailer is also great for the video gamer inside of us.  So, many “levels” to play and enemies to face-off against!  I guess now all the Fiennes brothers can say they were in a CGI laden mythology film!  All I could think about when watching Dwayne Johnson this whole trailer was that line from the Eddie Murphy remake of The Nutty Professor.  “Hercules, Hercules, Hercules!!!!!!”

Verdict: Having a tea party now. Watch later if it’s on cable.

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – Snowpiercer

Posted: May 29, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Woah.  OK.  I felt like I just watched the modern version of 1984.  That was the feel of the trailer look for me.  Funny enough, John Hurt is in both of these movies. Things that make you go hmmmm.  This also has a 12 Monkeys feel and look too.  I am intrigued by this story though it feels very basic.  Class warfare issues with the apocalypse as the background.  The train concept with its claustrophic environment could be great if used properly.  I do like Chris Evans, but Hollywood had to go again on the white male lead thing.  Also, what’s up with the string of white women playing the ultimate bad guys in the Sci-fi/post-apocalypse genre?  It’s fine, but I feel as if every Hollywood studio executive has modified is beating this formula into the ground.  Honestly, again, I like Chris Evans as an actor, but I am not running to the theater for him in this film.  So many more choices that could have added more range and grit to this lead role especially given the subject material.  Visually, the film looks interesting and I am curious as to how you take over a train that would appear to have a long standing locked down system.  Typically, those details are terribly executed, and the film usually rushes the viewer to the end result with how they got there in complete dissaray and absurdness.  Some interesting questions that the trailer hints at as well.  Will the people in the back of the train be better people once they are in the front? Or do all humans behave the same once they have a taste at the front?

Verdict: Having a tea party now. Watch later if it’s on cable.

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review: The Equalizer

Posted: May 25, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Crime, Thriller | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

So, just watched the trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Equalizer (remake of a late 80s television series that I barely remember).  We see Denzel Washington kicking butt here which is very very familiar territory for audiences.  Not knowing the source material at all, my first thought at seeing this was Jack Reacher except add the violence of the film Man of Fire.  Oh wait, Denzel Washington already did that movie!  Well, this trailer is pretty plain vanilla, but for me, like Tom Cruise movies, I just can’t get enough of those two actors running around and laying down the hammer on bad guys.  Really not too much to discuss or mention as the trailer really just tells the whole story.  Hoping there is more perspective into the past of Denzel’s character, and how that will be interwoven with the current “mission”.   But, honestly, at this point, based on this type of trailer, with so much competing entertainment choices, this is cable viewing regardless of the magic that the director Fuqua and Denzel had in Training Day which was back in 2001!

 Verdict: Having a tea party now. Watch later if it’s on cable.

 

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service

Posted: May 23, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Thriller | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here we go.  A nice slick English action film.  This trailer makes you feel as if you have a nice suit or dress on which ties in nicely to the tailor backdrop of this film.  Again, as I stated in my Galaxy of the Guardians trailer review, I am not familiar with the comic book source material.  My initial reaction when watching the first few seconds is that this is La Femme Nikita from the male perspective.  I am happy that at least they put two women in the “cadet” group.  I feared that the men would run rampant once again in a spy action setting.  I just hope that there isn’t a love interest between the young male lead and one of the females.  That just seems like the norm.  Boring.  We do have a pretty cool scene that is familiar to Kick-Ass with a lady kicking ass.  Maybe that is something that is attractive (along with comic book adaptations) to the director Matthew Vaughn who I must say has directed some very well made films with some stylish action sequences and great character dialogue.  As the audience, we are in good hands.  Solid cast backs up the “cadet” group.  Colin Firth (an absolute acting machine with huge range), Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mark Strong.  I am excited about this one.  Might have to make plans for a rare night out to the theater!

Verdict: Call the babysitter. Going to the theater.

 

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – Guardians of the Galaxy

Posted: May 20, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So, here we have the second trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy which comes with so much scrutiny as Marvel tries to unveil of its obscure comic titles.  When I say obscure, I mean obscure for the regular Joe and Jane out there.  In the comic world, I am sure that are many fans who are saying “how do you not know about this. They are awesome”.  And, indeed they might be, but honestly, the majority of the people out there have no idea who this group is.  Maybe that will be the strength in rolling out this group into the film world as opposed to a more well known name at this point.  If audiences can be entertained, even mildly, with this obscure group, then the comic to film sky is the limit.  Then again, as John C. Reily’s character states towards the end of this trailer version, “This might not be the best idea”.  I really do enjoy Marvel’s marketing tactic of playing the underdog card in every aspect of promoting this film which I am sure there will be plenty of those undertones in the movie.  From the marketing standpoint, they are consistent for the audience members.  Under-promise and over-deliver seems to be the mantra with this film.  OK. OK. Enough box-offce talk.  This trailer.  Didn’t show too much more.  Again, certain effects were probably not completed when the first trailer premiered 3 months ago, so honestly, all this second trailer is doing is just expanding with effects from the first trailer.  I wasn’t shown anything “new” that is making me jump out of my seat.  I did enjoy the music selection of Spirit in the Sky, but then they replayed the “I’m hooked on a feeling”.  I personally wasn’t a fan of that rerun.  Anyway, the film still looks interesting to me, but I’m not as excited now as it just seems to be melding into any old weird space sci-fi film experience.  Frankly, I am not even sure if this is a Marvel film, and maybe that’s a good thing for those folks in case this thing doesn’t live up to the hype.

Verdict: Kids are asleep. Watching it on VOD.

 

 

 

KIddie Sized Trailer Review – Transformers: Age of Extinction

Posted: May 19, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Here we go again.  Honestly, this 4th installment of the Transformers movie should have been the 3rd movie, and the 3rd movie should have been the 2nd movie and that 2nd movie should just be erased from our brain hard drives.  As a fan of the original comic and cartoon, I enjoyed the first movie.  But, with each passing sequel, these movies have gotten worse (the 3rd one had some hope) and have made more money at the box office for some reason which is why they keep coming back.  These movies will just not die!  I am excited that they finally decided to incorporate the Dinobots, but I am just too sick and tired to care anymore.  Of course, the trailer is smooth with all the action, and gives you the basic plot.  The accompanying orchestral music is perfectly generated for this industrial global manufactured product of CGI nothingness.  We’ve heard it before, and we’ve seen it even more.  We can’t change anything in the perceived plot director Michael Bay?  Humans want to disown the Transformers (i.e., Autobots), chase them away, humans have it figured out, we don’t need them, oops Decepticons make a comeback, try to take over this entire planet of little humans with a massive invasion of some sort, Optimus Prime is killed or terribly injured, Decepticons don’t capitalize on this opportunity, Prime come back, kicks butt (with some new weapon or ally), and we are all saved.  If you are exhausted and confused by this rant, that’s how you will probably feel after watching this next film installment.  But. But. At least, Mark Wahlberg is in this. I say that as if this is a good thing.

Verdict: Having a tea party now. Watch later if it’s on cable.

 

Kiddie Sized Trailer Review – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Posted: March 30, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Action, Adventure | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here’s a nice kids movie!  Hey, if it’s good enough for Robert Redford’s grandchildren to watch, then I should be able to take my young toddler’s too right?!  Kidding.  Redford’s grandchildren must be in their teens at least (Producer Kevin Feige commented that Redford wanted to be in a movie that his grandchildren would were fans of and would watch him in). Those grandkids don’t want to watch The Way We Were or The Natural?!  Anyway, very action packed two and a half minute trailer that is not for young kids.  The action sequences flow very well with its accompanying trailer score by Really Slow Motion with the song Gender (Really Slow Motion is a music and sound production company. So, you won’t be seeing this group touring any time ever).  The trailer is definitely focused on being dark, mysterious and more of a thriller than a comic book cartoon feel.   The directors (Anthony and Joe Russo) have mostly been involved in the comedic film and television realm.  So, I would anticipate that there will be more comedic lines in the actual film amid the intense action, morgue and funeral scenes from the trailer.

 Verdict: Kids are asleep. Watching it on VOD.

Captain America 2 Trailer Lessons

 

 Official Trailer

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