Thursday, November 18, 2021

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Trailer - Review/Reaction

spider man no way home poster
 
The latest trailer for the webslinger's latest movie outing is out. And it promises to be the mother of all cross overs, even by MCU standards.

Peter Parker/Spider-Man has taken Doctor Strange's help to solve his identity crisis and the outcomes are far worser than anything he could have expected.

Check out the trailer:




As readers would know from the previous trailer, characters from parallel universe/multiverse have descended on Peter Parker's reality.
 
This includes Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), J Jonah Jameson (J K Simmons) and Sandman from the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire movies. We have Lizard and Electro/Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) from Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield movies. 
 
I am personally excited by the return of Green Goblin as Willem Dafoe is a terrific actor. Another noteworthy point is the comic book faithful depiction of Electro's costume this time. Alfred Molina seems to be genuinely enjoying his return to Spidey's Universe.

There are some aspects of the trailer that also raised my concern. Benedict Cumberbatch looks a bit bored in his role as the Sorcerer Supreme. There is a clear difference between this performance and what we have seen him do as the Sherlock in the BBC series.

Plus, most of the jokes fell flat (at least for me). Hope the other jokes in the movie are funnier.
 
Obviously, like most other fans, I am also eagerly anticipating the return of Tobey Maguire to his arguably most famous role. Did not enjoy Andrew's performance and would not care either way for his appearance.
 
Doc Ock seems to be on Spidey's side this time. It would be fun to watch the 3 Spider-Men/Doctor Strange/Doc Ock take on Green Goblin/Lizard/Sand-Man/Electro alliance.
 
And, let us not forget about a certain alien symbiote and a living vampire who should also pop up in Spidey's timeline soon...
 
Click here to read all my posts about Marvel Comics.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

Image Sources: Pascal Pictures, Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

Monday, October 18, 2021

The Batman (2022) Trailer - Review

the batman 2022 movie poster wallpaper screensaver

The latest trailer for the upcoming blockbuster has been released.

Directed by Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield), the movie stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penquin.

Check out the trailer:
 

Two things stand out after watching this trailer:
  • Matt Reeves has taken the Caped Crusader back to his detective roots.
  • This version of Batman is probably the angriest of  all the live action versions (at least among the ones I have seen)
I am happy with the first part as the Batman being a detective is one of the least explored aspects. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight briefly touched upon this facet. Credit to Matt Reeves for focusing on this.

The second part worries me. Pattinson's Batman seems bent on outdoing Batfleck on being the broodiest and violent Batman of them all. Even Affleck broke into a smile now and then as Bruce Wayne. But we get one or two shots of Pattinson without the mask and he remains as sullen as ever. This might result in a one-note performance that can get weary soon. Considering that this movie has a run time of nearly 3 hours, it could be become quite a chore to see a dour faced Batman screaming and moping around alternatively.

Speaking of Pattinson, there have been reports of alleged clashes on set between the lead actor and the director.

Coming back to the positive aspects of the trailer, Michael Giacchino's background score is amazing. He looks set to join the annals of great Batman composers along with Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer.

I also liked Zoe as Selina Kyle. She comes across as spunky and spirited. I expect another stellar performance that will rival those of Anne Hathaway, Michelle Pfeiffer and Julie Newmar.

The direction and cinematography looks great.
 
From a plot perspective, Edward Nashton has put his plan into motion, despite being held behind bars. Bruce Wayne/Batman seems to be losing his perspective, much to Alfred's despair. Plus, Batman seems to be getting real cozy with Selina Kyle.
 
Keeping in tone with the plot, almost all the actors look and sound solemn. I am not expecting a Batman and Robin or the Adam West series level of camp. But a little bit of humor always helps.
 
The Tim Burton 1989 movie and The Dark Knight Trilogy managed to achieve this balance of fun and serious approach to the character.
 
War for the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are two of my all time favorite movies. Matt Reeves has been the main reason I have been excited for this movie.
 
Here's hoping that the final product turns out great and we will have another great Batman series to enjoy.
 
Trivia: The song playing in the Batman trailer isSomething In The Wayby Nirvana.
 

Click here to read all my posts about DC Comics.

Image Sources: 6th & Idaho Productions, DC Comics (based on characters from), DC Entertainment, Warner Bros.