Trailer Talk: Turtles, Spiders, Jupiter, Cops and more

My second edition of this feature (and my first on this blog), Trailer Talk is a weekly feature - with no specific date every week - which discusses the trailers and teasers for upcoming releases.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I've never been a big fan of the Ninja Turtles. I never got into them as a kid, I missed out on the 2007 animated feature, and don't feel like I've missed anything major. I am aware of the material and designs though, and I don't feel that Michael Bay has recaptured that classic style. You have a miscast April O'Neal, who doesn't even have a line in the teaser which goes to show how little people want Megan Fox in the role, you've got Turtles that have genuinely garish faces, and a plot ripped right out of 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. However, the Turtles' bodies do have a nice design. Sadly, a pass on this film from me, as I doubt future trailers will add any appeal.

Jupiter Ascending
When I watched the Wachowskis' mega-hit The Matrix last year, I felt indifferent. It had some nice visuals, but a plot which didn't entice me. And following recent flops Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas, it seems that I may not be in the minority. And alas, Jupiter Ascending isn't bringing me much to love about. It may have some rising stars and those at the peak of their careers, but that's all it brings to the fray. The visuals are the usual when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters, it has an overdone premise, and it looks incredibly dull. Not even its cast can save it.

Rio 2
I haven't seen the first Rio, but the recent trailer promoting its returning villain isn't exactly helping bring in new viewers. Going by its other trailers, I'd rather just watch the studios' previous hits (namely the original Ice Age) and the upcoming Peanuts film.

Plastic
A British thriller here, and despite its interesting cast, it too follows a overdone premise of 'do something in *this* amount of time or you're dead'. Simply having a mainly British cast doesn't bring out anything new.

Let's Be Cops
It's all negative today! This comedy film looks abysmal, with no humour and gags which even remotely appealed to me. You have two main stars who are only notable for being in television comedy New Girl, a bootleg version of 21 Jump Street for a plot, and jokes which aren't even jokes anymore. It's overdone, and it should be avoided.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
This trailer broke out the day after the first Trailer Talk, and I originally decided not to talk about it. But seeing as it has new footage - which it really shouldn't - I might as well discuss. It's nice that in this trailer they focus more on Harry Osborn (this time played by Dane DeHaan) and his friendship with Peter Parker, as well as some more scenes of the Rhino, but it feels unneeded. With the countless TV spots, trailers and adverts, you feel like you've already seen the movie, and there's still a month to go until its release. In that time we'll likely get even more coverage. Even during Cinema Con they showed the first 30 minutes of the film to lukewarm reactions by the attendants. Sony is trying incredibly hard to appeal to an audience, but too much can spoil the broth.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Review (Spoiler-Free)

Chris Evan's patriotic protagonist returns for a third Avenger adventure following the moderate success of 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and 2012’s Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, and takes place two years after being thawed out of the ice and straight in the deep end of a world he is unaware of. Now settled, but still catching up, he’s a full time S.H.I.E.L.D agent who realises that not all is what he seems, and that not everyone can be trusted…

The film initially focuses mainly on Steve in this modern age, opening with a rescue mission with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Frank Grillo (Brock Rumlow), instantly setting up the film by being more than just a simple prelude - Steve Rogers is already questioning his authority’s actions. His exploration of the new world, with a emotional reappearance of a certain character and early stages of a romance helping bridge the old and new when it comes to Steve’s friendships. But things quickly turn dark, as Steve, Natasha and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) have to team up against the mysterious Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

The plot is filled to the brim with twists and turns, and each is better than the last. You feel the same way towards S.H.I.E.L.D as Steve does, and whenever an agent comes about you don’t know if you can trust them or not. They even consider Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) as the brains behind enemy organisations, which leads to an intense sequence involving the masked menace. You don’t feel trustworthy to new characters like Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp) or Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), and early on you don’t even think Romanoff as an ally. But once we return to an old location, you know just what’s happening, and it terrifies you. Steve is considered an outcast - on constant watch and given an assassination attempt as seen in the trailers - and this news and the identity of the Soldier makes it all the more personal. With a nailbiting conclusion, it leaves you satisfied and craving more.

Unlike previous Phase 2 films, it relies less on the humour which has allowed laugh-a-minute moments and more on the situation at hand, and it helps build the tone of the film. Most of the comedic moments come between Mackie and Evans, who clearly have a strong on-screen rapport and allows the reliance on one another to seem more realistic. When it comes to Marvel and humour, they always succeed on initial viewings, but can quickly tire on rewatches - even with such classic moments like “Puny God” - so it makes a refreshing change for the franchise as it prepares itself for Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015.

There are no weak performances within the story, with each actor performing each brilliant line with great conviction. Poor Cobie Smulders does have yet another limited role in the film, appearing briefly at the beginning and in the flesh by in the end, but she does well with the little she’s got. Emily VanCamp is also limited in her role, despite the true extent of her character - but with a third film on the horizons for 2016 it’s likely that she’ll be given a lot more room, as she too does well with what she’s got. All the new characters, in particular Anthony Mackie, make strong impressions with their roles. with Mackie being one I definitely look forward to seeing more of in the future. As for the recurring cast, the main team are as excellent as ever with Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson both making strong leads without the usual romance angle forced down the audience’s throats. Even characters who you weren’t expecting to return make some nice little appearances, bar one from a film who is still as annoying as ever (although for good reason…). There’s one character who doesn’t even make much of an appearance physically, but as soon as you hear their voice you instantly fear what’s to come.

The Winter Soldier may be a tad overlong and with a couple of underused characters, but by the end it leaves you craving more and the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite newbie directors (who have only previously worked on Community, with a small reference to it within the film), they keep the entire film thrilling and exciting. Add the improvements to the after credits sequences - the last one is vital to the plot rather than just a kiss or a humourous moment like previously - I look forward to their work in the future. It’s a whirlwind ride which everyone should join in on the journey. 9/10