THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Directed by Marc Webb.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field and Denis Leary.
I don’t know why I am disappointed. Well, I do. But I was sincerely hoping not to be. But unfortunately, I have been left saddened, rather than excited and stimulated, by this trailer.
Firstly, the structure is unchallenging, as it starts with an opening shot of NYC. Next, a background story is smoothly inserted about Peter Parker’s parents during his childhood. This element is interesting, dramatic and deeper than most superhero movies (forget about the good ones; I am thinking of Green Hornet, Daredevil, et. al.).
A slower and smoother transition ensues into Peter’s school days and oh my God, get to the point! I am so bored by now that I am verging on angry. And give it a rest with all the fades, will you? (can you tell I am pulling my hair out of frustration?)
Then continue into how Peter gets his powers – so far a perfect example of college project-style editing: chronological, slow, two-dimensional.
The best shot only appears a minute or so in, when Peter pulls out web from his neck. It is grim and almost manages to send shivers down your spine through the bare nature of the scene. To my major disappointment (again), the material gets more and more boring as the trailer carries on. The viewer is left in the dark; nothing is genuinely teasing or revelatory: anything but titillating.
The last 45 seconds almost rescue the whole atrocity, but they seem quite cut off and separate from the rest of the trailer. They could have, on their own, made for a good teaser. They are well made, well executed, nicely thought of and with great effects. Such a shame about the rest.
A poor, poor trailer. What a waste of money and talent. 4/10
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
As Stuart Heritage pointed out in his review of this oddity of a trailer on the Guardian’s website last Tuesday, not much of the actual footage of the new film is present here. We all know why this method was chosen (hint: it rhymes with “ease” and starts with a “t”), but is it really not just a cop-out? Cheating the audience, some might say?
After watching this, I would rather wait for a real trailer. This one is dull. Uninteresting. Annoying. Nonetheless it almost works. It does tease, essentially by the sheer size of and publicity about the franchise and the public's anticipation: it can allow itself to recycle old clips, for lack of a better word. Fans will either hate it or love it, it is a Marmite situation.
The choice of voice over is good, but I am unconvinced that the shots chosen all fit that well – half of them seem chosen at random. The effects are excellent (that goes without saying), but there is a staggering amount of graphics, almost as many as clips and fades, mainly in the second half of the trailer. It is disturbing and takes focus away from the action. They become fillers by no fault of their own.
Not amazing, not terrible. Again – I would rather wait for a second official trailer. This is disappointing at best. 5/10
HUGO
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Starring Asa Butterfield, Jude Law, Chloë Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone and Christopher Lee.
Martin Scorsese is a genius. Most people will agree with this. But a lot less people would agree with me when I say I think he is getting old. Ever since The Departed, that ghastly joke of a film (I am already bleeding here, people, stop shooting), I have doubted his efforts.
The main argument in this case I have is that this is a terribly slow and unchallenging edit (what is it with the trailers this week?), where the music does not match and the structure wobbles. It is flat and unexciting, barely saved by 30 Seconds To Mars’ over-used Kings And Queens (which is not used well in any case). It feels like a play, rather than a movie, and although the concept and story seem fun and entertaining, I fail to understand how this trailer was ever given the all-clear. It is a mish-mash of gobbledygook and pretty settings. The costumes and sets look stunning as always, but the poor trailer puts into question the execution of the film.
The build-ups to the jokes are not big and long enough, adding to the flatness of the rest of the trailer. Everything takes too long to happen – and I like to think this is a general consensus, not me being used to watching five-frame-edited trailers several times a week. The graphics are nice, the text is strong and catchy, yet sometimes unreadable (what does it say above Scorsese’s name? Nothing new most likely, but still, I would like to be able to read it).
The trailer for Hugo may not do the film justice. It is dreary and mediocre overall. A snooze-fest of a children’s film. 2/10.
Louise-Afzal Faerkel
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