The previous week has seen the release of some of the most awaited Hollywood movies for 2012. These are flicks where every build up is scrutinized till the real deal comes out. So it goes without saying that the directors have to get it right with the trailers as well, to the smallest of details, and set the correct tone for the movie that will follow. These three flicks do exactly that...
The Dark Knight Rises: The problem Christopher Nolan faces here is himself. What he made with the second movie of his Batman trilogy was something so gigantic and memorable that even living up to it, forget exceeding it, remains his greatest challenge. The teaser trailer of The Dark Knight Rises had come out a long time back making it clear that this would be the concluding chapter of Nolan's trilogy. The latest trailer gives us more glimpses as to what to expect. Quite clearly, Nolan is trying to build up his latest villain Bane as the thing to watch out for. The footage in the trailer moves in and out of Bane, showing bits and pieces of his actions and the havoc he is going to create. Nothing much is hinted about the fugitive Dark Knight (as he had become by the end of the previous movie) nor do we get to see Anne Hathaway in her Catwoman outfit. But this is where the problem could lie. While Tom Hardy is an astute actor to play Bane, the arch nemesis of Batman would always remain in many minds the Joker, especially after the incredible performance given by Heath Ledger. If this movie would turn out to be a Batman versus Bane battle, then it would be difficult not to draw comparisons with the Batman versus Joker clash seen in The Dark Knight, and I doubt those scenes can ever be surpassed. So while the tone of the movie seems to be sufficiently dark (the way we want it to be), I hope it turns out more than just another good vs evil clash. With such high expectations of the fans, the second trailer hopefully would explore further and help to rid off the comparisons that this movie would no doubt draw with predecessor.
The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey: While The Dark Knight Rises releases four years after its predecessor (and has been discussed literally for each of those four years), The Hobbit comes a decade after The Lord of the Rings trilogy swept away the world with its cinematic beauty and exceptionally artistic story telling by Peter Jackson. This is where The Hobbit should infact benefit. Assuming that the movie itself would be another masterpiece (that is hardly a tough assumption to make considering that Jackson has returned at the helm of things once again after the oh-so-many years of delays), any similarities seen in the trailer of The Hobbit (such as background score or cinematography) with the original The Lord of the Rings series is refreshing and welcomed, as it simply makes us nostalgic! The trailer starts off slowly, acclimatizing us again with the Shire but the chills kick in as soon as the dwarf starts singing the song in a very hushed backdrop indicating the calm before the storm... "Far over, the misty mountains cold...". And then the trailer rightly ends off with the emergence of Gollum! Precioussss...
Wrath of the Titans: Clash of the Titans had been the surprising hit of 2010 grossing close to $500 million in worldwide revenues and a sequel had been promptly announced. While Wrath of the Titans is likely to be another visually superb action flick with not much effort given to the plot outline, the released trailer, I must admit, is nothing short of brilliant. And in fact I found it to be the most gripping of these three trailers (keeping the nostalgic and the larger-than-life bits aside, that the other two franchises carry in abundance). Liam Neeson, playing Zeus, has got a voice to die for and the trailer aptly opens with his words (after few seconds of loud destructive sounds). Once Zeus has spoken about the impending doom and Persus (Sam Worthington) has enquired on what role he can play, the trailer picks up gears as the song Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson plays in the background (top notch song choice!). Mystical creatures, battles, blood, Gods and Titans... and high octane action... few things that summarise what the trailer and the final movie have to offer. And even if the movie turns out to be half as good as its trailer... I will not be disappointed!
