Over on the Flicks trailer page, we pump out movie trailers on the regular. Here, we lay out a trio of ripe trailers finely-picked from our garden of movie Eden – as well as a shitter from the garden of shit.
Lion – Debut Trailer
Anyone who saw 2013’s Siddharth will likely feel hints of post-traumatic stress watching this trailer of an Indian-born Australian (Dev Patel) who begins to search for the family he lost many years ago. Aided by star talent (Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham) and the fact that it’s based on a true story, this feature film debut from Top of the Lake co-director Garth Davis has plenty going for it.
The most impressive thing in this trailer, however, is the editing. Perhaps it’s not reflective of the final film’s approach, but the way these two minutes weave in and out of two different eras gives a vivid impression of how long and how far apart he is with his family before colliding them in those final match cuts. I’ll also give it this: Patel puts on a bloody convincing Aussie accent.
Sully – IMAX Trailer
Aside from the behind-the-scenes prelude, this trailer shares heaps in common with the grip-your-guts first trailer to American Sniper – also a Clint Eastwood film. It intercuts an incredibly tense scenario (landing a plane on the Hudson River) with more seated human moments (Tom Hanks defending his actions). What I also love is how this true story drama is going all out to encourage moviegoers to see this in IMAX, promoting story and spectacle in unison.
Kidnap – Debut Trailer
OK, hold on. I know this isn’t Oscar-worthy stuff, but dammit I’m jazzed for this hokey-as-hell thriller. The music in this trailer over-stuffs the mood, flipping from Apple-ringtone happiness to the-ending-overture-of-Saw chills with complete disregard for subtlety. The only thing more careless is Halle Berry’s driving, which seems to be the cause of multiple car pile-ups as she screeches towards her child’s kidnapper. As an unashamed fan of b-thrillers, I can only hope the final film can melt itself with as many blocks of Hitchschlockian cheese as this trailer does.
And the worst trailer of the week is…
Max Steel – International Trailer
I’m really happy for that one person who desperately wanted a Max Steel movie, because this could only have been made for them. With baffling CGI effects, sci-fi outfits more generic than the RoboCop remake, and a floating robot that sounds like a teenage parking attendant, this trailer looks more like a TV pilot that’s doomed to fail.
