Americans visit a foreign land and get trapped in a severe riot which the authorities can't control. Coming across eerily like a zombie-less World War Z, it will likely come under a lot of flame as it appears that no non-American will come out unscathed, in the same veins as American Sniper did earlier this year.
The Longest Ride
So...it's a romance film within a romance film? Interesting choice, but considering Nicholas Sparks needs to differentiate his movies somehow, it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone and do them both at once - no matter the quality of either story, which will likely be just as generic as ever. Romance film are bland these days.
Despite slowly but surely gaining more information about Brad Bird's latest theatrical feature, and despite the odd decision not to feature the main female character on the poster, this film still continues to grow in excitement. There are of course fears that the film will fail to live up to the hype, but hey - we're talking about the director of The IncrediblesandRatatouillehere. It's in safe hands.
San Andreas
Whilst there's plenty of credit needed for the likes of Paul Giamatti making stupid dialogue sound somewhat feasible, and the visuals do at least look good, the entire premise for the film is still too stupid to comprehend. Like I said when the first trailer came out, "this year's Into the Storm."
As something of a Pixar fanboy (hence last year's Pixar Perspective), there's always a sense of enjoyment that can be had with each and every film. And whilst 2014 was severely lacking in Pixar feature - which did allow the likes of The LEGO Movieand The Book of Lifeto have some breathing room aside from the multiple Dreamworks films - it looks like the first 2015 helping will be something that fits in well with all the Pixar classics. Not only because of the vibrant colours and designs of the mind, but for the actual story, which is finally presented following two teasers. It's hard not to be excited for a Pixar film.
Ride
Helen Hunt stars opposite an actor who starred in two bad films last year (Brenton Thwaites) in a film where a mother just can't let go of her son, to the point that she takes up the hobby that he so loves. A harmless idea, but one reeking of clichés and easy-to-follow steps, proven in this here trailer.
Hotel Transylvania 2
The surprisingly successful Adam Sandler comedy returns for a second bought, bringing in the same laugh-less jokes and somewhat adequate animation. Whilst the vividness of the actions do fit a cartoon well, I'm not sure that a franchise of this kind of thing works quite as well. In small doses only please.
And we're sticking with Sandler, this time with the adaptation of a short film revolving around classic video game characters attacking Earth. Sounds fine as a premise, but what is shown here proves there's nothing to be interested by. Sure, it starts with archive footage in the same veins as the Interstellar teaser, But then come the jokes, and it's all out the window. Typical Sandler/Kevin James comedy with a bigger budget. Predictable fodder.
Insidious: Chapter 3
So Chapter 3 is actually a prequel? Okay...kinda disregards the idea of being marketed as a sequel, but I'll pass on that for the generic jump scares and so-so acting. Kinda reminds me why I'm not a fan of horror films - they're all marketed the same way making it difficult to distinguish them.
Max
A dog suffering from PTSD? Tame enough. A third act storyline in which he technically becomes Lassie as he tries to thwart a fellow former soldier who's evil for some reason? Now you've shot yourself in the foot. It opens as a film that's harmless enough for viewing, but ends with something that deserves to stay in a TV show. You were so close, Max. Bad dog.
Infinitely Polar Bear
Mark Ruffalo plays a bipolar parent who's thrust upon his two kids by Zoe Saldana as a method to help him get through, in which small-scale hilarity ensues. It seems charming enough, and a few of the jokes do hit the right notes, but those moments which are played as big-ish gags do tend to falter. I don't know, it may be good, but there needs to be a little more to show.
Barely Lethal
Hailee Steinfeld hasn't been able to regain the acclaim she received an Oscar nomination for 2010's True Grit. She may have kept to her indie roots mostly with the likes of Begin Again and The Homesman, but her mainstream appearance in Ender's Game and Three Days to Kill failed to gain any attention (she's trying again later this year with Pitch Perfect 2). Her next trial doesn't seem to be faring any better.
I'm starting to notice a trend with John Green films, in the same light as Nicholas Sparks: characters with interesting names, unusual romances, Nat Wolff, etc. That's not to say that's a bad thing, but it's weird that you can tell so early on the game. Anyway, Paper Towns! A film I once had no interest in but now have slight interest in. It's questionable casting Cara Delevingne as she oddly looks older than she's meant to be, but she seems to be doing well enough. But as I've said, it all seems a little off. Maybe it works as a book, but as a film? We'll have to wait and see.
I haven't seen a single instalment of the original Jason Statham trilogy, so I'm a relative unknown to the series outside of the overall premise that he transports things and people. Simple enough. But with Statham now part of a bigger car franchise, a reboot seems to be in order. Sad thing is, this reboot doesn't look like anything special, especially for the car genre.
Good Kill
Ethan Hawke is on some form of roll right now. Whilst he appears in smaller films which are far from great (and in some cases destined for VOD), he also appears in some indie greats, mainly through director and friend Richard Linklater. This next indie, about a war drone operator, may be the next great in his resume, exploring a subject usually covered with characters actually on the playing field (American Sniper comes to mind), but with the twist that he never steps on foreign soil. It looks really good.
Man Up
The story of someone being mistaken for another is one spread across history, but Man Up tries its best to keep it fresh. It isn't coming across as such, what with the predictable storytelling and obvious reveal that Simon Pegg will end up falling for Lake Bell, however it isn't without its charm, and the journey towards that clichéd conclusion may be a worthy one.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
After being bumped ahead by six months whilst still filming, it was questionable why there was so much faith in this fifth instalment in the Tom Cruise-led series. But there does appear to still be life in the old dog yet, as the team from the previous instalment (sans director Brad Bird) seem to be in their stride. It looks ambitious, and the stunts at constantly upping the stakes.
Nothing more to add from the first trailer, despite how much more it shows off, except that they really should have kept all those cameos a secret. Kinda ruins the surprises.
Maggie
The Terminatorhas a new person to protect in this trailer made with basic effects on Final Cut Pro. In yet another zombie apocalypse, he must look after daughter Abigail Breslin who's very slowly being infected by a zombie epidemic. It mixes elements of the classic child and protector storyline which Arnold Schwarzenegger is famous for with the zombie side from Life after Beth. Nothing more.
Southpaw
Jake Gyllenhaal continues to impress here, following his reportedly-strong performance in Nightcrawler last year, as he transforms himself into an entirely new person. As boxer Billy Hope, he has to win back the rights to care for his daughter - taken from him following the death of wife Rachel McAdams - by getting past his breakdown. In that light, the story is all the more passable, with the boxing sequences expected to be the main highlights of the final film. Future trailers will likely engulf me more, but for now it's solely kudos to Gyllenhaal.
Last but not least, the trailer for the next James Bond film is finally released, revealing very little of what's to come in the eagerly-awaited sequel to 2012's Skyfall, I was already expecting exciting things back in October, but now that we have some detail as to what's to come as well as some great-looking cinematography, it's safe to say that Spectre is still something to look out for.
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