Unlike the trailer for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, which was well done, this trailer is below average. It goes on way too long, exposes too much about the story and lays down atmosphere or intrigue for the audience. This is simply a Cliffs Notes version of the film with titleboards tossed in to remind you it's a trailer.

This trailer also downplays the presence of Gollum in the story. He's in the a couple of times, but as one of the major players and one of the more visually striking ones at that, one would expect for him to be a bigger display in the ads.

Labels: Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Daves, Liv Tyler, Lord of the Rings, movie trailer, Orlando Bloom, Peter Jackson, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen

I find it interesting how much the trailer relies on the heroic archetype to sell the movie. This is a perfect execution of how to sell a story based on the heroic journey. They establish the opening act conflicts

• Open with the normal, fertile world (shown in the opening shot of the trees)
• The conflict (read evil) enters into the clean world - via the ring
• The hero (Frodo) is told of the conflict
• He refuses
• He begins the journey and collects his allies
• End with a montage of conflicts and moments of peril with promises of strange and frightening villains.

Perfect.

Labels: Cate Blanchett, Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Daves, Lord of the Rings, movie trailer, Orlando Bloom, Peter Jackson, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen

Short Review: You have Wolverine, the coolest of all superheroes. You have him in his own origin movie completely unleashed from those stupid X-Men movies. How do you screw this up?

Well, apparently just like this.



Have you have seen a basketball player break away with the ball and sprint down the court all alone, no one in sight? They carefully, and skillfully approach the hoop and go for a simple layup.

And miss.

That is this movie.

If you have any expectations just assume they will not be met. Hugh Jackman fronts this, what should be the first in a series of Wolverine films. Instead of launching a new franchise, he's the captain on a rocket that explodes on the pad. I take that back, it pathetically fizzles and slowly falls over.

What's wrong? The film never gains any lift, it feels tired and slow. The main conflict doesn't have enough weight behind it because the narrative needlessly shifts from place to place from character to character without settling on a solid, meaningful path.

There's nothing wrong with the performances and there is certainly nothing wrong with the production in general. This is a well made film in many respects. The problem completely lies in the script by David Benioff (Troy) and Skip Woods (Swordfish). If this film would have had a straight, good guy/bad guy storyline and dropped all of the pitstops this would have been a watchable wad of Hollywood nonsense.




Related Reviews:
Hugh Jackman movies
X-Men (2000)
The Fountain (2006)


Other Critic’s Reviews:
DarkMatters
Christianity Today

Labels: Dominic Monaghan, film, Gavin Hood, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Lynn Collins, movie review, Ryan Reynolds, superhero

Screenwriter: Glenn McQuaid
Director: Glenn McQuaid
Actors: Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings), Ron Perlman (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and Larry Fessenden (The Brave One)

Labels: Dominic Monaghan, film, movie trailer, Ron Perlman