Monday 1 December 2014

Trailer Talk: The Force Awakens + more



Two trailers have awakened something within me this week - Star Wars, and Jurassic World. Here are my thoughts on the two mega teasers we were treated to this week. 


Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December 2015)




Is it December 2015 yet? Seriously, 12 months is such a long time to wait after seeing this teaser. Where do we even start?

At the beginning, naturally. The trailer opens, as you would expect, with a wide, landscape-shot of the iconic Tatoonie desert. So far, so very Star Wars. And then, who pops into screen? None other than one of the films supposed leads, John Boyega, dressed in the equally as iconic Stormtrooper get-up. Curious, and already the source of much speculation amongst fans about who this character is.

Following that, we get a string of glimpses at other aspects from the new film - a cute little droid shaped like a football, Daisy Ridley atop a speeder bike and Oscar Isaacs in the cockpit of an X-Wing. Couple that with redesigned Stormtroopers, and a haunting cloaked figure lurching through a snow-capped forest and things are looking mighty tasty for JJ's Star Wars outing.

And then, the cherry on top, that AMAZING shot of the Millennium Falcon soaring across the Tatoonie desert, dogged by two roaring TIE Fighters. John Williams fanfare in full swing, it cuts to black and the iconic logo fades into view. So short, so simple and oh so sweet.

If Disney wanted to blow our minds with this first trailer, they certainly succeeded. With just this brief collection of clips, my expectations of the new film have soared.

Interesting points to draw from this - it looks so clean. Uncluttered. Simple. I like it. That shot of the X-Wings gliding across the water surface is gorgeous, and the way they're kicking up the water is really cool.

Also, no space? In a Star Wars film? The whole thing was very atmospheric. We didn't see anything of the original cast as well, and that's a good thing. This new series is a new chapter, and showing off Hamill, Ford and Fisher would just mislead the audience into thinking this is some kind of Crystal Skull nostalgia fest (which we all hope it isn't). I'm really glad they decided to show off the new acting talent, especially that opening shot of Boyega. Did anyone else jump when he popped up into frame? I know I did.

I mentioned it before, but how cute is that frickin' football droid!? I want one.

So, what did you think of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer? Did it awaken anything in you, or put you to sleep? Let me know in the comments below!



Jurassic World (June 2015)




Oh yeah, Jurassic World also unveiled a trailer this week - I kind of forgot what with all the Star Wars buzz. That's 1 - 0 to Disney in the 2015 film nostalgia battle. 

Anyway, let's talk about what was teased in this first glimpse at Colin Trevorrow's return to Isla Nublar. Well, first things first, the park is open and ready for business. This is an angle I really like - after all, that's what the whole series has been about but never showed off - a fully functioning theme park packed full of dinosaurs and things like that. It'll be cool to see where they take that in the film.

Also, they introduce the clincher - hybrid dinos. Seems like the public's interest in velociraptor waned once the park had been open a while, so they've turned to playing God (again) to rekindle interest in Jurassic World. Again, this is a cool premise that'll make this entry different from the rest.

We also got a look at the leads - Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt and Tye Sheridan. BDH looks like she is channelling Elizabeth Shaw in some of these shots, especially that dramatic one near the end where she's holding the flare. Tye Sheridan was one of the best things about Iron Man 3, so I'm hopeful he'll hit the mark here as well - there's that great moment in the trailer where his whole face is covered in the shadow cast by the hybrid dino. Very eerie.

However, Chris Pratt looks a bit uncomfortable in a role that isn't a cocksure space cowboy like Star-Lord. If anything, he comes across like Andy Dwyer pretending to be Burt Macklin when he delivers some of those more serious lines. Let's hope that isn't the case in the finished product. 

What did you think of the Jurassic World trailer? Let me know below!

4 comments:

  1. I agree that Pratt looked uncomfortable, but maybe that's just a false perception! Also, I loved Tye Sheridan in Iron Man 3 (I'm a huge sucker for young actors). This trailer just didn't do anything for me, which is quite disappointing...

    Star Wars wins at everything...

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    1. That's a shame! I thought it was okay, but lacked that "money shot" moment. Star Wars? What else needs to be said really than "Wow!"

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  2. Heh, I'm in disagreement with pretty the whole wide world, but the new Star Wars trailer did absolutely nothing for me. Sure, I'm still looking forward to the movie and all, but that trailer doesn't elicit even the mildest of excitement out of me. My reaction to it was literally, "... K."

    That Jurassic World trailer, on the other hand, got the job done and then some. Very much hyped for that movie after such an interesting trailer. :)

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    Replies
    1. I find your lack of faith disturbing Chris!

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