What trailers say about latest crop of films
Thirty-second highlight reel can often pique curiosity, but sometimes hide a bomb
You can tell a lot from movie trailers.
It’s not the same as watching an actual movie, granted, which is roughly 50 times as long.
But the reality is that even in a twominute, 30-second highlight reel designed to pique curiosity, it’s hard to disguise a bomb.
Herewith and forthwith, capsule reviews of 10 upcoming blockbusters and potential Oscar contenders that reveal themselves — wittingly and otherwise — through their trailers. Just Getting Started Director: Ron Shelton ( Tin Cup, Bull Durham). Starring: Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Rene Russo Plot: Old codgers tussle over the same woman at a retirement resort, until they have to band together to fend off — who else? — the mob. Trailer: Forced gaiety, lascivious seniors, car explosions, tepid one-liners. Cliché alert: 80-year-old men paired with women 30 years their junior; seniors resorts that function like high school; the enduring presence of the mob, Hollywood’s favourite go-to villain. Sum it up in a sentence: Lifeless comedy geared to mature filmgoers that could have been made any time in the last 50 years. Prospects for success: Shelton hasn’t had a hit since Tin Cup in ’96. Come on, who’s gonna sit through this? Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson ( Looper) Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley Plot: Good vs. evil, fulfilling your destiny, lightsabres, space battles, you know the drill. Trailer: Dark, foreboding with stentorian music, brooding, bearded Mark Hamill, grim-faced Carrie Fisher (her final role before her death), angst-ridden heroes, cute robots/androids, explosions. What’s new: Diverse cast with strong female leads indicates a millennial outlook to counter derisive claims of “nostalgia.” Sum it up in a sentence: More, more, more. But darker. Prospects for success: Are you kidding? It’s a sure thing. The Greatest Showman Director: Michael Gracey (debut) Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zendaya Plot: To the shock of conventional society, circus-master P.T. Barnum unveils the Greatest Show on Earth, with its infamous sideshow of “freaks.” Trailer: Empowering against-theodds storyline with emotional subtext, arresting musical numbers and great choreography reminiscent of the Oscar-winning La La Land. A class act. Cliché alert: Good-looking white people complain they can’t get a break, then redeem themselves by empowering disenfranchised “freaks.” The “freaks,” in Hollywood fashion, are eternally grateful. Sum it up in a sentence: Revisionist history that will melt your heart and nab plenty of Oscar noms. Prospects for success: As an arthouse hit, I would bet on this. All the Money in the World Starring: Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Plummer Director: Ridley Scott ( Alien, Blade Runner) Plot: When J. Paul Getty’s teenage grandson is kidnapped by an organized crime ring in 1973 Rome, the richest man in the world refuses to pay his ransom because “I don’t have the money.” Trailer: A cinematic Frankenstein, with two versions on YouTube, one with Kevin Spacey, the other with Plummer. The Spacey version boasts an enticingly malevolent streak only Spacey can bring; the Plummer version trades Spacey’s stylish grace for a dignified, implacable stubbornness. Controversy: Kevin Spacey, as J. Paul, had completed shooting and was considered an Oscar shoo-in when sexual assault allegations saw him replaced. Sum it up in a sentence: Valiant effort to recalibrate a compelling biopic with another actor at the 11th hour. People want it to work, but can it? Prospects for success: Aborted Spacey version: Oscars galore. Plummer reshoot: points for chutzpah, but the jury is out. Downsizing Director: Alexander Payne ( Sideways, The Descendants) Starring: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig Plot: A bored suburban couple downsize their lives, literally, by undergoing a medical procedure that shrinks them to the size of a Popsicle. They save money and the environment, but will they be happy? Trailer: Whimsical touches, satirical tone, set to the Talking Heads’ effervescent “Once in a Lifetime.” Sum it up in a sentence: A gimmicky comedy from a director known for thoughtful, ungimmicky dramas. Prospects for success: Depends on the Christmas appetite for quirky. Not a sure thing. The Disaster Artist Director: James Franco Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco Plot: Docudrama about key players behind the 2003 cult hit The Room, lauded as “the Citizen Kane of bad movies” and the worst film ever made. Trailer: Franco’s deadpan take on bad film auteur Tommy Wiseau is both poignant and hilarious, capturing his personal eccentricities and jarring lack of self-awareness. Traffic’s psychedelic “Dear Mr. Fantasy” sets the tone of passionate artistic folly. Sum it up in a sentence: Amusing portrayal of the power of positive thinking, even when talent is nonexistent. Prospects for success: Among the art-house crowd to whom it’s targeted, a definite winner. The Post Director: Steven Spielberg ( E.T., Jaws) Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks Plot: In 1971, the Washington Post grapples with the legal repercussions of releasing the Pentagon Papers, which reveal the U.S. government has been lying to its citizens about the Vietnam War. Trailer: Tense, exciting, with two beloved actors going head to head against the forces of institutional evil. Sum it up in a sentence: Like the Oscar-winning drama Spotlight, proof that when newspapers speak truth to power, democracy prevails. A classic underdog tale. Prospects for success: It’s Spielberg in sober-reflective mode, so forget about teenagers. But with awards already piling up, critics and Oscar will flock to it in spades. Father Figures Director: Lawrence Sher (debut) Starring: Ed Helms, Owen Wilson Plot: Two 40-year-old men embark on a road trip to find their real dad after their promiscuous mother reveals he’s still alive. Trailer: A paint-by-numbers bro comedy that veers from one scatological confrontation to another. The Hangover redux. Sum it up in a sentence: I could never sit through this. Prospects for success: Given that it’s been on the shelf for two years, my guess is that enough people had enough reservations that no one should get their hopes up. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Director: Jake Kasdan ( Sex Tape) Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart Plot: The Breakfast Club meets Tron meets the original Jumanji when four high schoolers serving detention in the school’s basement get sucked into a video game. Trailer: Equal parts action, with herds of charging rhinos and rambunctious elephants, and witty repartee from the adult cast that seems less contrived than amusingly tongue-in-cheek. Better than I thought. Sum it up in a sentence: Robin Williams’ 1995 hit about a man stuck in a board game is prime material for a juiced-up millennial reboot. Prospects for success: Qualified thumbs up. I, Tonya Director: Craig Gillespie ( Lars and the Real Girl, Fright Night) Starring: Margot Robbie, Allison Janney Plot: During the 1994 National Figure Skating Championships, white trash Tonya Harding finds herself implicated in scandal when archrival Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by a friend of her ex-husband. “Based on the INSANE true story.” Trailer: Darkly comic, with garish ’90s fashion set to the funkified Hot Chocolate tune “Everyone’s a Winner.” Janney is mesmerizing as her wolfish, profanity-spewing mother, while Robbie projects a mix of gumption, insolence and endearing, twofaced charisma. Sum it up in a sentence: Engagingly twisted depiction of the scandal that rocked the world before O.J. stole the spotlight. A funnier version of Whiplash. Prospects for success: Already racking up awards. As an art-house hit and Oscar contender, it can’t miss. Joel Rubinoff writes for the Waterloo Region Record. Email him at jrubinoff@therecord.com.